On what date did the Soviet invasion of Japanese-held Manchuria begin in 1945?

The Soviet invasion of Japanese-held Manchuria began on August 9, 1945.

The operation attacked the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo and Japanese positions in Inner Mongolia. Soviet forces advanced from several directions in a coordinated offensive that quickly overwhelmed the Japanese Kwantung Army, which had once been considered one of Japan’s strongest forces.

The invasion began between the atomic bombings of Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9. The Soviet Union had agreed to enter the war against Japan within three months of Germany’s defeat, and its attack followed that commitment.

The Soviet offensive intensified pressure on Japan’s leaders, who had hoped the Soviet Union might help negotiate a conditional settlement. The Kwantung Army formally surrendered on August 16, though fighting continued in some places. Soviet operations continued until the general Japanese surrender was signed on September 2.