What nickname is commonly given to the Soviet invasion of Japanese-held Manchuria in August 1945?

Operation August Storm is a common nickname for the Soviet invasion of Japanese-held Manchuria in August 1945.

The Soviet offensive began on 9 August 1945, after the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. Soviet forces attacked Japanese positions in Manchuria from multiple directions, including across the eastern, western, and northern approaches. The campaign rapidly overwhelmed the Japanese Kwantung Army and Japanese-controlled puppet states.

The operation is formally known as the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation or the Manchurian Operation. “Operation August Storm” became popular in English-language historical writing, especially after historian David Glantz used the phrase in a study of the campaign.

The Soviet attack began between the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Historians debate the relative importance of the Soviet entry and the atomic bombings in Japan’s decision to surrender. The nickname should not be confused with the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact or the 1939 border fighting at Khalkhin Gol.