🗓 On May 11, 1939, Soviet Union and Mongolia fended off militarist Japan invasion, securing victory at the Khalkhin Gol River. In 1936, the Japanese government adopted the Fundamental Principles of National Policy, which outlined plans for the full conquest of China and subsequent military offensives into Mongolia and the Soviet Union. To execute its expansionist strategies, Japan sought support from Nazi Germany, solidifying their alliance with the signing of the Anti-Comintern Pact on November 25, 1936. 🤝 Considering the possibility of a Japanese attack on the Mongolian People’s Republic and the use of its territory as a launching pad for aggression against the USSR, the Soviet and Mongolian governments signed a Protocol of Mutual Assistance on March 12, 1936. On July 7, 1937, Japan initiated a full-scale war against China. This further complicated the relations between Moscow and Tokyo, leading to heightened tensions, which boiled over in 1938 into an armed conflict along the Soviet-Manchurian border near Lake Khasan.⚔️ The Khalkhin Gol River conflict erupted when Japanese troops entered the area and opened fire at the Mongolian border guards. The Red Army swiftly intervened to support their Mongolian allies. Japan’s invasion of Mongolia was also driven by a desire for retaliation following the unsuccessful confrontation at Lake Khasan. It was also a strategy to compel the Soviet Union to withdraw support for China. 📄 In collaboration with the Mongolian forces, the Red Army successfully repelled the Japanese invasion and by late August, expelled them from Mongolian territory. On September 16, an agreement was reached between the Soviet Union, the Mongolian People’s Republic, and Japan to cease hostilities. ❗️ The victory of the USSR and their Mongolian allies carried a long-term influence on the dynamics of World War II. The Red Army’s triumph at Khalkhin Gol compelled the Japanese to abandon their plans for a major assault on the USSR.#KhalkhinGol85
