The war with Japan, which began at dawn on August 9, 1945, is not remembered well in Russia. And this is not only because August is the traditional month of vacations. Simply in comparison to the victory in the Great Patriotic War, these military actions seem like a localized operation that had little practical impact on the majority of population of the Soviet Union.
But there is another reason why neither the Soviet nor the Russian leadership like to brag about the role of the Soviet Union in this war. Even despite the fact that this operation was in military terms a brilliant success and furthermore an act above and beyond the call of duty for a country that had borne the brunt of the war against Germany.
As it turns out (and this is often mentioned by the Japanese), Soviet troops invaded Manchuria in violation of the Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact. Signed in 1941, it was a welcome relief both for us and for the Japanese, and in 1945 it became the last hope of Japan. Without a doubt, the Japanese violated the agreement on multiple occasions: unlawfully inspecting and even sinking Soviet merchant vessels, providing political and economic assistance as well as military intelligence to Germany, not to mention the numerous border clashes. And the Soviet Union had the right to denounce the pact. However, such acts are in any case morally questionable and, even if justifiable, are not becoming of a great power that has just won such a great moral victory. After all, saving face is one of the first priorities in propaganda and power politics. And this rule is just as relevant today as it was half a century ago.
Victory over Japan is perceived by many as an insignificant chapter in the context of the titanic history of the Stalinist era of the USSR: it was quick and was fought only on the turf of the opponent. However, in actuality, a great effort went into providing this victory. Three fronts were opened in the Far East: the Trans-Baikal Front, 1st Far East Front and 2nd Far East Front, which totaled over half a million troops. They faced the Kwantung Army of General Otoz
