Joseph Stalin ordered the 1945 Soviet offensive against Japanese forces in Manchuria.
The Soviet Union entered the war against Japan in August 1945 after promising at the Yalta Conference to join the Pacific conflict after Germany’s defeat. Stalin directed the Soviet war effort, while Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky commanded the forces responsible for the Far Eastern campaign. The offensive began in the early hours of August 9, shortly after the Soviet declaration of war.
Soviet forces attacked Japanese troops across Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, and nearby territories in a large, coordinated operation. The speed and scale of the offensive shocked Japanese leaders and removed their hope that the Soviet Union might mediate a favorable peace settlement.
Stalin should not be confused with Vyacheslav Molotov, who formally informed Japan’s ambassador of the declaration of war. Nor should the campaign be confused with the 1939 Soviet-Japanese border conflict at Khalkhin Gol. The 1945 offensive occurred in the final days of World War II and continued while Japan’s surrender process was unfolding.