I will add this, if anyone has spent a lot of time studying Soviet military history they would know how much the Reds did not want war with Japan. early on. Much of the discussions elsewhere in these threads seem to imply that the Russians were eager, and willing and able to fight Japan as soon as PH occured. That is very much not the case.
Of course not!
Stalin proposed peace to Germany twice in 1941 because he was so full of fear that the red army may collapse.
When Germany didn't answer he kept on whining to Winston Churchill that he should open a second front to relieve him. When German subs and planes sank a lot of transports for russia he even accused the Allies of lying to him and that they didn't sent the sunken ships...
There is defenitly NO realistic chance that russia attacks Japan in the first years, even if the kwangtun army was seriously weakend. The Red Army still took tremendous losses and before the collaps of Heeresgruppe Mitte in 1944, there was not the slightest chance for a deliberate two front war.
IMO, the Japs just didn't want to risk that - and that's why their forces at the russian border remained strong. They just didn't want to see the Red Army at Harbin being forced to throw them out.
But Russia itself attacking Japan while Germany still kills thousands of russian soldiers each day? no chance!
Without any doubt: I am the spawn of evil - and the Bavarian Beer Monster (BBM)!
There's only one bad word and that's taxes. If any other word is good enough for sailors; it's good enough for you. - Ron Swanson
