West European Studies

The conflict between the Soviet Union and Japan was not very much known to the outside world as most of the attention was focused on what was going on in Europe. Hitlers forces were on the move again, resulting in the annexation of Austria, and as they poised to occupy Czechoslovakia, the likelihood of another world war was very strong.

Following the conquest and occupation of most of China, Japan attempted to test the mettle of the Russians to the north of Manchuria and Mongolia in 1938. The occupation of Manchuria by the Japanese in 1931 did not go unnoticed by the Soviets. They were acutely aware of Japans imperialistic ambitions and knew it would only be a matter of time before they cross the border for the Soviet Far East (Siberia). Since Siberia is rich in natural resources, it would prove very tempting for the Japanese to pass it up especially since they need these resources to help sustain their starving economy as well as provide more living space for their growing population. In preparation for this eventuality, the garrisons in the Far East were reinforced and fortifications along the borders of Manchuria provided material aid to the Nationalist Chinese forces of Chiang Kai-shek. They also entered into a treaty with Mongolia which had become a communist state that also lay in the path of Japanese aggression and conquest.

Nevertheless, the Japanese assumed that the Soviet Union would be too preoccupied with the brewing tensions in Europe as Nazi Germany was also venturing into territorial expansion following the annexation of Austria and was poised to occupy Czechoslovakia. Taking advantage of the dilemma the Soviets were facing, the Japanese had been constantly testing the defenses of the borders through countless skirmishes. However, it was not until the middle of 1938 when the conflict became full blown as Soviet and Japanese forces clashed near Lake Khasan which was close to the Korean border that was also occupied by Japan. After moving inland for several miles, the Soviets counterattacked through a combination of armored attack on the ground and tactical air support that enabled them to push back the Japanese to Korea and enter into a truce.

The following year, the Japanese made another attempt as the Manchuria-based Kwangtung Army, acting on their own initiative, made an incursion into an area known as Khalkhin Gol which sat on the borders of Mongolia, Manchuria, and Korea.  Once again, the Soviets met the attack and they were under the command of then Lieutenant General Georgi Zhukov. His ground forces were reinforced by an air force made up of veterans from the Spanish Civil War. The Soviets soundly defeated the Japanese in this battle, and in 1941, the Soviets and Japanese signed the Neutrality Pact which was akin to the non-aggression treaty entered by the Soviets and Germany, Japans coalition partner.

In the final analysis, the Russians the Japanese fought were no longer the same as the ones they fought in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905. The Soviets the Japanese faced in these border wars were better equipped and ably led by competent commanders such as Zhukov, who would later be at the forefront of the European front in the war with Germany.  The Japanese defeat also ended any ambitions the Japanese had in invading the resource rich regions of Siberia and instead concentrated their forces south of the Soviet border and invaded the regions there.