The Kwantung Army formally surrendered on August 16, 1945, after the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. It was Japan’s major military force in the Japanese-occupied region of Manchukuo.
The Soviet Union launched its offensive shortly after midnight on August 9, attacking Japanese positions across Manchuria. Soviet forces used large formations of armor, artillery, and aircraft, rapidly breaking through Japanese defenses in what became one of the final major campaigns of World War II.
The Kwantung Army had once been regarded as an elite force, but by 1945 many experienced units had been transferred to other fronts. Its remaining troops faced a large and well-equipped Soviet army, and the offensive quickly destroyed Japan’s strategic position in Northeast Asia.
Although the emperor announced surrender on August 15, fighting continued in parts of Asia. The Kwantung Army’s surrender order followed on August 16, and scattered combat continued until the formal signing on September 2.