losing the Russian-Japanese war (1904-05.), The emperor in Japan Portsmunskomu world has made the transfer in the order of the Kwantung region (Liaodong Peninsula).This territory was allowed to have a certain number of troops.
form the Kwantung Army contributed to the strengthening of the Japanese influence in China.In 1931 he began an urgent reorganization of the troops.The first increased the number of soldiers.
should be noted that the Kwantung Army was the most honorable military group in Japan.Service in the armed forces of the guaranteed advancement ladder.Kwantung Army at that time was a kind of base for preparation of the ground forces.
Japanese government tried to quickly implement a plan for the construction in Manchuria various strategically important facilities.By the end of summer of 1945, it was built about four landing sites and airfields, twenty-two thousand roads and seven and a half thousand of railways.In addition, the barracks were formed to accommodate seventy divisions (about one and a half million soldiers), set up warehouses of food, ammunition and other materials.All this allows for a relatively short time if needed to deploy a full-scale military action.
Due to the fact that Japan considered its main enemy the Soviet Union, on the border with the Soviet Union was created seventeen fortified areas.The total length of these areas was about eight kilometers.According to experts, the Kwantung Army could use these fortified areas, not only for protection, but also for offensive action.
After unsuccessful military actions in Hanhin Gol Hassan and the lake in 1938-39.Japan had taken all necessary measures to prevent conflict with its northern neighbor.At the same time actively continued training of troops for war against the Soviet Union.Command of the Kwantung Army has developed a plan to invade the Soviet Union, which was adopted by the ruler of Japan in 1940.However, in the next, 1941, it approved the plan "Kontokuen" (immediately after the invasion of German troops in the Soviet Union).
outcome of the Battle of Stalingrad forced the Japanese to refrain from executing the campaign against the Soviet Union.Since then, the Kwantung Army was disbanded a few.By the fall of 1943, the best part of the troops were deployed to the south.The following year, the army withdrew from one company of each battalion and one artillery battalion and each infantry regiment.By the summer of 1945 in Japan and China were transferred a significant number of tanks, sappers, artillery units.Addition was carried out by troops of Japanese settlers (the older stock and recruits).However, formed six new divisions were not able to replace the seized part.In addition, new staff, as a whole, was not prepared for military action, and the time to learn to do.
the end of the summer of 1945 the Soviet Union began the war with Japan.Enough well-trained and mobile forces of the Soviet Army relatively quickly overcame the resistance scattered parts.The lack of aviation and tanks allowed to enter the territory of Manchuria virtually unchecked, which provided a further defeat of the Kwantung Army.
As part of these troops were about 900 thousand soldiers.And almost half of them were soldiers of auxiliary units (engineering, notation, sapper, messengers and others).About 90 thousand soldiers died during the war, about 15,000 died from disease and wounds, a small amount of scattered.
