What was the common Western name for the Soviet operation that invaded Manchuria in August 1945?

Operation August Storm was the common Western name for the Soviet operation that invaded Manchuria in August 1945.

The offensive began on 9 August 1945, hours before the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Its formal Soviet designation was the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation, also called the Manchurian Operation. Soviet forces attacked Japanese-controlled Manchuria, the puppet state of Manchukuo, and neighboring areas of Inner Mongolia and Korea.

The Red Army advanced from several directions using infantry, armor, artillery, aircraft, and mechanized forces. Japanese defenders included the Kwantung Army, which had once been considered an elite force but had been weakened by transfers to other fronts and shortages of modern equipment.

Historians debate the relative weight of the atomic bombings and Soviet entry in Japan’s decision to surrender. Both developments sharply changed Japan’s strategic situation. The offensive continued after Japan announced surrender, and the Kwantung Army officially surrendered on 16 August, although fighting continued in some areas.