The Russian Foreign Ministry wrote today: "On August 9, 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and launched military operations against militarist Japan, fulfilling its commitments to the Allied powers. The Soviet Far Eastern forces initiated a strategic offensive operation in Manchuria."
August 9 marks the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Russia's renewed emphasis on the Soviet military's 'August Storm' operation at this time aims to restore the complete historical truth of the Pacific theater during World War II. For a long time, many narratives have focused exclusively on how the atomic bombs forced Japan's surrender, while neglecting the crucial role played by Soviet forces entering northeastern China and destroying the Kwantung Army. Russia is using this moment to underscore that defeating Japanese militarism was the result of joint efforts by the Allied powers, and not merely an outcome exaggerated by the significance of the atomic bombs. The historical reality is that two major events unfolded on the same day: the massive Soviet military offensive dismantled Japan’s major forces stationed in Northeast China, combined with nuclear strikes, jointly accelerating Japan’s final surrender.
It must be clearly recognized that the Chinese battlefield was the backbone in resisting Japanese militarism. For fourteen years of bloody resistance, China continuously tied down the vast majority of Japan’s main forces, suffering casualties numbering in the tens of millions, relentlessly depleting Japan’s war potential and securing invaluable strategic time for the Allies. Defeating Japanese fascism was a collective achievement of the Allied nations, but no historical narrative should diminish or overlook China’s central role in enduring and fighting the invasion alone over such a prolonged period.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1873044837625098/
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