The Ford Barn - View Single Post - V-J Day August 15, 1945

Fortunateson · 08-18-2020, 01:24 PM

A lot of very brave men and women served during WWII. Some of whom were not treated with respect when they returned. But beyond all that, being a history teacher for 38 years I always have to mention one tiny fact that somehow gets no mention as to the ending of the war with Japan.

Stalin had promised to enter the war and break its treaty with Japan. There was a timeline to do this due to the Potsdam or Yalta conference though right now I can't remember which. It had to be within five months.

Though the Soviets could have entered around August 6th they held off until the day before the second bomb drop. They were entering into Manchuria with 1,775,000 troops and equipment on three fronts. So not to take anything away from all who fought and the nuclear technology the Soviet invasion force, due to its intimidating number, also played a huge part in Japan's surrender. (As a matter of fact the Soviet front had a very big influence on the outcome of the war in Europe as well; the Germans spent a lot of lives, resources, and energy trying to defeat them on the Eastern Front that otherwise would have made the outcome of the Western Front a lot more difficult to achieve.)

I suppose the hatred and fear of the Soviet system has allowed the propagation that it was solely the two nuclear bombs that led to Japan's surrender.

08-18-2020, 01:24 PM	#42
Fortunateson Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 511	Re: V-J Day August 15, 1945 A lot of very brave men and women served during WWII. Some of whom were not treated with respect when they returned. But beyond all that, being a history teacher for 38 years I always have to mention one tiny fact that somehow gets no mention as to the ending of the war with Japan. Stalin had promised to enter the war and break its treaty with Japan. There was a timeline to do this due to the Potsdam or Yalta conference though right now I can't remember which. It had to be within five months. Though the Soviets could have entered around August 6th they held off until the day before the second bomb drop. They were entering into Manchuria with 1,775,000 troops and equipment on three fronts. So not to take anything away from all who fought and the nuclear technology the Soviet invasion force, due to its intimidating number, also played a huge part in Japan's surrender. (As a matter of fact the Soviet front had a very big influence on the outcome of the war in Europe as well; the Germans spent a lot of lives, resources, and energy trying to defeat them on the Eastern Front that otherwise would have made the outcome of the Western Front a lot more difficult to achieve.) I suppose the hatred and fear of the Soviet system has allowed the propagation that it was solely the two nuclear bombs that led to Japan's surrender.