The Kwantung Army surrendered in Manchuria during the final days of World War II. It was Japan’s major military force in the region and faced the Soviet invasion that began on August 9, 1945.
The Kwantung Army had once been regarded as an elite formation, but by 1945 many experienced units and weapons had been transferred to other fronts. Its remaining forces were confronted by a large, mobile Soviet offensive involving armor, artillery, aircraft, and multiple attacking fronts.
The army formally surrendered on August 16, one day after Emperor Hirohito’s surrender broadcast. Fighting did not stop everywhere immediately, however, because communications were uneven and some Japanese units continued resisting after receiving the surrender order.
The defeat of the Kwantung Army had major political consequences. Japanese leaders had hoped the Soviet Union might help mediate an end to the war, but the invasion instead removed that possibility and added pressure for Japan to accept unconditional surrender.