ABSTRACT
The 1st Far Eastern Front’s rapid and successful penetration of the Japanese defenses in eastern Manchuria did not necessarily seal the fate of the defending Kwantung Army. What ultimately decided the issue in this region was the Battle of Mutanchiang, one of the few set-piece struggles fought between the two sides during the Soviet Manchurian offensive. In essence, the Battle of Mutanchiang took the form of a series of successive engagements, which took place from 12 through 16 August along two major axes converging on the city of Mutanchiang and culminated with the Soviet capture of the city and the collapse of significant Japanese resistance in the region.
