In February 1945, World War II came to an end in Europe, but the Japanese in Asia showed stubborn resistance. In the Battle of Henan-Xiang-Gui, the Japanese army won a major victory, occupied a large area of our territory, and inflicted heavy losses on the Asian war situation. Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union held a meeting in Yalta to discuss the handling of the Japanese question, but behind the meeting, there was a struggle for power.
The Yalta Conference, which took place at the Livadia Palace on the Crimean peninsula, clearly demonstrated the dominance of the Soviet Union. Stalin's insistence that the conference be held in the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union demonstrated confidence in the superiority of the Soviet army in the European theater of operations. However, it also revealed a rift between the United States and the Soviet Union, with the two sides having different visions of the postwar landscape.
At the Yalta Conference, the Soviet Union promised to send troops to the Northeast to address the Japanese threat in China. However, the Soviet Union's demands for Far Eastern interests were excessive, including the preservation of the Outer Mongolia region, the restoration of rights and interests in northeastern China, and the cession of the Kuril Islands. These demands were actually made at the expense of China's interests, but the United States and Britain eventually acquiesced to all this, as they needed the help of the USSR against Japan.
The reasons for the Soviet Union's delay in declaring war on Japan were due to many considerations. On the one hand, they needed to deal with the post-war affairs of the European theater and establish themselves in the sphere of influence. On the other hand, the Soviet Union wanted the US military to assume more responsibility in the Asian theater and reduce its own pressure. However, on August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, which changed the tide of the war. Realizing that the United States no longer needed their help, the Soviets declared war on Japan on August 8.
The Soviet Union sent troops to the northeast and launched a fierce attack on the Japanese Kwantung Army, which brought great changes to the situation of the Asian war. Despite Japan's surrender on August 15, the Soviets fought for 24 days in the northeast, completely defeating the Kwantung Army and seizing abundant resources and booty. The Soviet Union spent eight months in the northeast and completed its full control of the region, laying the foundation for the superpower status that followed.