RESTRICTED
RUSSO-JAPANESE CAMPAIGN
MANCHURIA
1.
The significance of this rarely described Russo-Japanase campaign lies in its scale and above
all its speed.
Compared to the ponderous mile-by-mile Russian advance through Poland and
Germany to Berlin and the Elbe in 1944 – 5 – which has tended to be regarded subsequently as
archetypal of Soviet aspirations and capabilities in any future major conflict in Europe – this was a
Blitzkrieg worthy of a Man stein or a Guderian.
It is also significant that Manchurian campaign is
widely studied for its lessons throughout the modern Soviet Army and is for that reason as well as
for its intrinsic interest as a major example of operational art, receiving more attention in American
and British staff colleges.
2.
From Nov 1943 the USA and Great Britain were exerting pressure on Stalin to bring Russia
into the war against Japan.
Although in 1939 there had been a short but sharp campaign in Mongolia
between Red Army and Imperial Japanese troops, this had not led to general hostilities eitheir then or
later. But it was only in April 1945 that Russian planning for a Manchurian offensive began – as it
became evident that the war against Hitler was rapidly drawing to its close thus releasing Russian
resources. Stalin appointed Marshal Alexsandr M. Vasilevsky to head united Far East Command –
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- Spring '19
- World War II, Kwantung Army
