Soviet Invasion – August 1945
Stalin’s simple purpose for declaring war against Japan was for territorial gain, for which he was prepared to pay heavily. Before launching their assault in Manchuria, the Soviets made provision for 540,000 casualties, including 160,000 dead. This was a forecast almost certainly founded upon an assessment of Japanese strength, similar to what the US estimated for a landing at Kyushu.
Since 1941, Stalin had maintained larger forces on the Manchurian border than the Western Allies ever knew about. In the summer of 1945, he reinforced strongly, to create a mass sufficient to bury the Japanese. Three thousand locomotives labored along the thin Trans-Siberian railway. Men, tanks and matérial made a month-long trek from eastern Europe.
Moscow was determined to disguise this migration. Soldiers were ordered to remove their medals and paint their guns with “On To Berlin” slogans. But train stations were often lined with locals, yelling support for them to fight the Japanese. So much for secrecy.
Some of the men thought they were returning home. After 4 years of war, they were dismayed to be continuing on. “Myself, I couldn’t help thinking what a pity it would be to die in a little war after surviving a big one,” said Oleg Smirnov.
After traveling 6,000 miles from Europe, some units marched the last 200 miles through the treeless Mongolian desert. “I’d taken part in plenty of offenses, but I’d never seen a build-up like this one,” said one soldier. “Trains arriving one after another… Even the sky was crowded: there were always bombers, sturmoviks, transports overhead.”
Machine-gunner Anatoly Silov found himself at a wayside station where he was presented with 5 mechanics, 130 raw recruits and crates containing 260 Studebaker, Chevrolet and Dodge trucks he was ordered to assemble. “As the infantry marched, the earth smelt not of sagebrush but of petrol.” Most of the men lost their appetites for food and cigarettes, caring only about thirst.”
By early August, 136,000 railway cars had transferred eastwards of a million men, 100,000 trucks, 410 million rounds of small-arms ammo, and 3.2 million shells. Even firewood had to be cut in forests and shipped 400 miles. “Many of the guys rubbished the Americans for wanting other people to do their fighting,” said Oleg Smirnov.
As troops approached the frontier, their camouflage and deception schemes were used to mask their movements. Generals traveled under false names. These veterans of the Eastern front were up against 713,724 of the so-called Manchukuo Army of which 170,000 were local Chinese collaborators. The Japanese weapons were totally outclassed by the Soviets’. Many mortars were homemade, some bayonets were forged from the springs of discarded vehicles.
On 8 August 1945, the Soviet troops were told, “The time has come to erase the black stain of history from out homeland….” To achieve surprise, the Soviets denied themselves air reconnaissance. The 15th Army crossed the Amur River with the aid of a makeshift flotilla of commercial steamships, barges and pontoons. Gunboats dueled with the shore batteries. One Soviet armored brigade made it 62 miles into Manchuria before the rear units made it ashore.
The Japanese Guandong Army had suffered a tactical surprise by overwhelming forces. On the morning of 9 August, the Japanese commander, Otozo Yamada, called the Manchukuo Emperor, Pu Yi. Yamada’s assertions of confidence in victory were somewhat discredited by the sudden scream of air raid sirens and the concussions of Russian bombs. Pu Yi, a hypochondriac prey to superstition and prone to tears, an immature creature at 39, heartless in ruling his people, now was extremely paranoid and terrified of being killed.
Click on images to enlarge.
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(Russian ?) Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Mason Ashby – Floyds Knoles, IN, US Army, WWII, PTO
Donald Catron – Logan, UT; US Merchant Marines, WWII / US Army, 11th Airborne Division
Arthur Dappolonio – Boston, MA; US Army Air Corps, WWII
William Gutmann – KY; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Siboney, medic
Henry James – Rolla, ND; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, SSgt., 3 Bronze Stars, Purple Heart
James Knight – Longview, WA; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 11th Airborne Division
Robert Lundberg – Erie, PA; US Army Air Corps, WWII,ETO, P-47 mechanic
James Petrie – Rangiora, NZ; 2NZEF # 19483, WWII, ETO, Pvt.
Roy Theodore – Lestock, CAN; Crash Rescue Firefighter, WWII, ETO
Eugene Williams – Washington D.C.; US Navy, WWII, ETO, LST, Purple Heart
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Posted on March 4, 2019, in Uncategorized, WWII and tagged 1940's, CBI, History, Manchuria, Military, Military History, war, WW2, WWII. Bookmark the permalink. 119 Comments.
A piece of history that is fascinating and incredible gp, my knowledge of that part of the war is extremely limited, the amount of troops and infrastructure is mind boggling, appears no expense was spared by all parties to the achieve victory.
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They sincerely wanted the reparations – and it shows!!
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The more war changes, the more it seems to stay the same…and yet always eternally and strangely fascinating…
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Well put, KC!!
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Very good. My take on this campaign is rather colder. The Soviets considered the Manchurian campaign to be the culmination of the blitzkrieg, which it was in terms of speed, numbers of men and materiel moved, and territory crossed.
The timing was determined by a little thing at Hiroshima (August 6) then another at Nagasaki (August 9) the same morning as the Soviets launched their attack. Our plans for an amphibious landing on Kyushu were well known to the Soviets as were our predicted casualties—due to their infiltration of our government at the highest levels. The Soviets wanted to see us bled white before they attacked, but once the first bomb fell, they became afraid that our army would remain intact, and the war would end before they could loot Manchuria and strip its industrial base. Once the Soviets knew the war would be won, their moves became more political and economic than military.
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You may consider your comment as colder, but you are quite right, in my opinion.
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Fascinating post. Are you planning more on the Russian campaign against Japan? For the short time they were in it, they suffered heavy casualities, which (as you noted) they planned for. Still, it was very bloody for both sides — but that’s about all I know about it.
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There will be some more, but I’m not certain how much detail you’re looking for. Is there something specific?
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very insightful, GP!
and now they’re
having some success
taking over the US 🙂
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Not really. The Russian connection seemed far strong in the past. The US is destroying itself.
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Reblogged this on depolreablesunite.
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Thanks a lot, Rick!
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Russia was huge, but geographically impaired: they needed more ports. The Baltics and Finland would do the job for the Atlantic side, Manchuria for the Pacific. Little Finland was too tough for The Bear though 🙂
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I’ve always admired them for that! Thank you for adding to this post!
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Why would such a big Country like Russia want to take over a tiny Island, was it rich in minerals or gold or was it that Japan had taken over some other land? I’ve been watching a series box set about Vikings it is very good, harsh winters sent them on voyages for food and resources and land grabs, they went East first into Russia then West but I always wonder about very large countries.
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They didn’t so much want Japan as they did want Manchuria, the Kuriles and Korea. They declared war before the final surrender papers were signed to ensure their ‘right’ to territorial concessions. Many rulers feel that the more territory you control, the better the “empire”, control, power and money are usually the primes reasons for any invasion. I’ve always been interested in the Norse seafarers and their explorations. I feel they were here in North America looong before good old Christopher Columbus got lost on his way to India! 🙂
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Ah that makes more sense now, how serendipitous, I’m going to Seoul, South Korea in a couple of weeks for a big competition, I’d not heard of Manchuria so I can look that up now.
The series doesn’t show the Anglo Saxons in the best of lights against the fearless Viking warriors.
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No, they didn’t make a good showing at all, I’m afraid. You have to admire them, for back in those days, they had about the best version of democracy there was.
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Pu Yi was a fascinating character, alright.
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And exactly what would a Marine call that feeble-minded, yellow, lily-livered character?
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Hahahaha — well, I think you described him pretty well, right there. 😀
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Thanks. I just wanted to be sure I was doing him justice! 🙂
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Excellent post regarding a little known campaign in the war against Japan that created so many problems from then until today, and probably long after we are gone.
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So true. The more our school systems make history fade into oblivion, the more frantic I become. Our youth need to remember and learn from history!
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I am learning so much from your wonderful posts!
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And I yours. We’re broadening both our horizons!!
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GP, What a fantastic post….Who knew all this history?????!!!!!!!!!! I will be disappearing from online …fading out for a good while. The old 1885 Dutch Colonial where we have lived in Montville, NJ, for 44 years is now sold, a new townhouse is purchased just 20 minutes away in Randolph, & we move April 13. Don’t know when life will get back in order. Be well, GP!!! I know my visits are few but I love your mission!!! Phil
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I know what moving is like, so go at it. I loved what you did to the Dutch Colonial and was sorry to hear you were selling, but it isn’t my life we’re talking about. Take your time in Randolph and when you’re relaxed in your new home, we’ll all welcome you back! Take care and here’s to the next chapter of your life!! 🍸 🍸 CHEERS!!
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Great post!
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Thank you. I’m glad you found it interesting.
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Welcome! I did!
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A very much forgotten about part of the war. Very interesting as always!
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Thank you.
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I think wherever the English went there was a Port Arthur – there’s one in Tasmania. Loved this piece, I had no knowledge of the Russian involvement against the Japanese, grim yet fascinating.
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haha, is it because of the mythological King Arthur?
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Lol, but who knows, I now must find out.
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Interesting, that this build up was pretty much as the same time the atom bombs were dropped on Japan. I always thought the US did not inform the Soviets about their secret weapon. How much coordination was there between the allies in the Pacific?
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I think the coordination with Australia and New Zealand was pretty good. The US officers did hog most of the glory, but then again we had more men and materiel involved. The Soviet wasn’t trusted. Truman did not tell Stalin the A-bomb was ready, but he suspected it.
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OK I am going to show my ignorance here, were Australia & NZ involved in the occupation of Japan after surrender? Everything I read just says “allies” which is rather vague.
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Don’t ever say your ignorance, if anything it’s our school systems are! So, to answer your question – yes – Australia, New Zealand, India and British troops mostly arrived in January 1946 to take over some of the occupation responsibilities.
I understand how the “Allied” grouping can be frustrating. I had many similar problems finding answers to ‘Who’ and only getting “Commonwealth Nations” as a reply during my researching.
I appreciate your interest. And remember – the only stupid question is the one NOT asked.
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Why thank you, GP for answering my question. That’s the sort of thing I used to say to my student when I was teacher, too! Reading blogs makes me realise how little I know about the world. I love finding out more!
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You and me both. That’s why I follow such a wide variety of blogs. I do have other interests and I love to learn.
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There are some other factors at work here. The USSR had already fought the Japanese in the 1930s and wanted to secure its eastern borders against further Japanese aggression.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet–Japanese_border_conflicts)
The Allies agreed at Teheran in November 1943 and at Yalta in February 1945, that the Soviet Union would enter the Pacific war within three months of the end of the war in Europe. The invasion of Manchuria began on August 9th 1945, exactly three months after the German surrender on May 8th (to the minute, more or less)
If Stalin hadn’t invaded Manchuria, the Japanese may not have surrendered. The Japanese were apparently hoping that Stalin would broker a conditional surrender and Japan would then continue pretty much as before. Stalin’s invasion of Manchuria put a stop to these thoughts.
Clearly, if the Allies had been forced to invade Japan to get the unconditional surrender that they rightly wanted, they would have lost enormous casualties. So in a strange kind of way, a lot of American, British and Australian families owe a debt to Stalin for keeping to the agreed deal, which ended with a Japanese unconditional surrender.
Had circumstances been different, Stalin may have offered to invade Japan himself, since he did not bother about casualties. In Europe they lost between 12,000-15,000 men every single day apparently. Japan would not have been a problem. A Japan ruled by Stalin would have been a disaster. First the Aleutians, then Alaska, then……..
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I’m afraid I don’t agree. I usually defer to your expertise, John, but not here or to Wiki. The Japanese would have been unable to attack the Soviet border with the shape they were in. They were no threat to the Russians. The ‘within 3 month’ agreement was made due to the high casualty rate expectancy for invading Japan. The Emperor on the 8/9th was still visiting his cities to confirm the reports of the bombings’ destruction. I don’t feel that Soviet greed in any way guaranteed Japan’s surrender. But that is my opinion.
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Stalin was as bad if not worse than Hitler, he could think!
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You have a definite point there, Beari!!
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Thank you for sharing this…you always teach me a new history lesson that I never got in history classes.
(((HUGS)))
PS…that sub cruisin’ the beach…wowza! 😮 😀
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I am thankful for your interest. The CBI Theater does seem to get the short end of the stick in any history book or class.
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I suppose everyone did it, but I’ve never thought about the cold calculations involved in such operations: “Let’s see. We’ll lose 160,000? Sounds good to me.” Good grief. “Cannon fodder” is exactly the right term. I was intrigued that they set aside air reconnaisance, and yet it seems the plans weren’t quite as secret as they might have hoped.
I noted the name “Port Arthur,” and was curious, since we have a Port Arthur in Texas. I knew it wouldn’t have the same source for the name, but I thought this was interesting: “It took its English name, Port Arthur, from a British Royal Navy Lieutenant named William C. Arthur who surveyed the harbor in the gunboat HMS Algerine in August 1860, during the Second Opium War. At that time Lüshun was an unfortified fishing village.”
By the time Stalin got done, it wasn’t an unfortified fishing village any more!
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I think you have to be colder than we are to evaluate a war’s casualties. Thank you for giving us more information on the post.
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If politicians and tyrants were sent to the front lines, we would have a whole lot less wars.
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When I first asked my father about war,after he finished the explanation – I said something quite similar! And I still believe it!!
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Great article, but my favorite thing is from one of your comments – “Politicians bring their own form of stupidity to the table” – how true is that.
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Glad you like it – They do seem to be unique in showing just how dumb they are!
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It took a while to wake up to how manipulative and dangerous Stalin was. Seems a bit like Putin. –Curt
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IMO, Stalin was much worse, but that might be just my prejudice.
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No doubt, Stalin was a bad dude!
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NO QUESTION about it, Curt. Thanks for coming by.
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Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site.
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Thank you, John.
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You are very welcome.
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Thanks for telling this story, GP.
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The CBI theater is not one talked about much, so I just thought I’d throw it in now and then.
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It is amazing the way the Russians went “whole hog” in Manchuria.
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When you want reparations, you’d better put on a big show.
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With five minutes of war to spare.
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haha, that’s about the size of it too!!
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Sovjets and the USA, a everlasting love. 😉 Thank you for another piece of great information, GP! Hope you had a nice weekend! Michael
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Thank you for coming by, Michael, always a pleasure.
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Same to me, GP! Thank you for great information. Michael
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Stalin. LIke most tyrants, his men were just cannon fodder.
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That’s about the size of it.
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Very interesting the way Stalin approached his attack on Japan. And that photo with the sub … wow!
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haha, that’s Russia! I got a kick out of that myself!
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:O)
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A case of better late than never?
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They got in under the wire, before Japan signed the surrender, so they would be entitled to reparations. Very sneaky indeed, but Truman went along with it. Politicians bring their own form of stupidity to the table!
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We’re seeing that every day…..
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“As the infantry marched, the earth smelt not of sagebrush but of petrol.” Most of the men lost their appetites for food and cigarettes, caring only about thirst.”
That sounds miserable. Do you think there was a high number of soldiers who collapsed from eating so little or do you think they forced just enough food down to keep going?
Also, an addition to your next farewell section: https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/03/01/first-black-female-cmsgt-air-force-pioneer-to-be-laid-to-rest/
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I’m sure they must have lost some due to the miserable conditions, but there wasn’t much mention of it in my research for this post. (at least not yet, anyway)
Thank you for letting me know about CMSgt. Holmes, the world lost a grand woman and she will be in Thursday’s Salutes!
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I’ve been to Soviet Russia. I have to say there are worse places–and better. Because I believe passionately in personal responsibility and self-direction, I’ll stick with capitalism.
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I’ve never been, but it does seem to be an interesting place. Of what I see, I would probably enjoy the historic buildings and unique architecture.
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My step-daughter just informed us that her 15-yr old daughter is going to Moscow this summer for a month. It’s a bit worrisome for me given how the country is. Yes, I do like their architecture but I’ll stick with the books and not seeing them personally.
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I can understand your concern.
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interesting history. we hope the leaders of today will learn from the wars and mishaps of yesteryears
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Oddly enough, I don’t think they read! 🙂
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agreed
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Reblogged this on Janet's Thread 2.
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Thank you, Janet.
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Reblogged this on Dave Loves History.
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Thanks, Dave.
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Amazing how this information was deleted from history in Soviet Union, including school history books. Thank you, GP, for telling the truth!
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Some people just can’t handle telling the bad history along with the good. Those days are past, there’s no changing what happened, so there’s no sense in trying to erase it, better to learn from it. Thank you for giving us that information.
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My pleasure, GP. Dictatorships do tend to rewrite history to their own parameters,and that’s what happened in the USSR.
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Thank you.
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Men as dispensable poker chips to satisfy a leader’s gambling habit
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The lust for power must be very strong in some people.
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The irony in the Soviet capability to launch a massive attack on Japanese occupied China was that a large amount of the war materiel had come from the US over the Alaska highway in support of the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany.
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Isn’t THAT the truth! Politicians were just as stupid back then!
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I don’t know how the soldiers and the civilians stood it all! What a horrible waste.
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War usually is. IMO Thanks for stopping by, Cindy.
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That was some invasion! Overwhelming for the Japanese to see them surrounded by such huge army from their enemy.
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Overwhelmed is the perfect word. They were out-manned and out gunned.
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Thanks for the post, GP. It’s a little-known part of the war.
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Thank you for reading it! I think all the way around, the CBI theater got the short end of the stick in the history books.
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This is an interesting look at an often neglected part of the end of WW2. It changed so much and affected what came after, so warrants more examination. As for being sneaky, Stalin had to be. You didn’t last long as leader of the Soviet Union without being sneaky! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Good point, Pete!
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Fascinating.
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Thank you, Ann.
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I am just curious about this: how come the Manchurian Operation Map is in Vietnamese?
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Frankly because I couldn’t locate one that was legible in English. At least with this view, a person can make out the depth at which the Russians stormed.
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Great post, but for an alternative view of Stalin’s purpose there’s this: “The Soviet invasion was strategically decisive — it foreclosed both of Japan’s options — while the bombing of Hiroshima (which foreclosed neither) was not”. https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/05/30/the-bomb-didnt-beat-japan-stalin-did/
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Japan was pretty well spent at this point. As Emperor being told back in those days that 2 of his cities were gone – he didn’t believe it until he saw it. As you can see in this picture of him on one of my much earlier posts.
I agree the bomb did not immediately end the war, but Russia going into Manchuria only sealed the fate of China becoming Communist.
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Thanks. I have read almost nothing about the Soviet operations in that part of the world.
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For being late-comers, they certainly were greedy!
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He was such a sneaky b*****d that Stalin.
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I can nothing else – except – I agree!
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Thank you, Ian.
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