What name is commonly given to the Soviet 1945 offensive against Japanese forces in Manchuria?

The Soviet 1945 offensive against Japanese forces in Manchuria is commonly called Operation August Storm.

The operation began on August 9, 1945, when Soviet forces invaded Japanese-occupied Manchuria and the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. Soviet armies attacked across a vast area from the east, west, and north, using mechanized forces and deep-penetration tactics against the Japanese Kwantung Army.

The formal Soviet name was the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation, while “Operation August Storm” became a widely used Western label. The campaign also affected Mengjiang and other Japanese-controlled territories in Inner Asia, and Soviet forces later attacked southern Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.

The offensive is important to the surrender story because Japan had hoped the Soviet Union might help negotiate with the Western Allies. Instead, Soviet entry opened another front and removed that diplomatic option. The Kwantung Army surrendered on August 16, although fighting and local surrender actions continued afterward.