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Encyclopedia > Kwantung Army
Kwantung Army

Kwantung HQ in Hsinking, Manchukuo
Active April 1906- August 1945
Country Empire of Japan
Branch Imperial Japanese Army
Type Infantry
Role Army group
Garrison/HQ Hsinking, Manchukuo
Nickname Toku (徳兵団 Special?)
Engagements
*Second Sino-Japanese War
**Huanggutun Incident
**invasion of Manchuria
**Pacification of Manchukuo
**Operation Nekka
**Operation Chahar
*Soviet-Japanese Border Wars
**Battle of Lake Khasan
**Battle of Khalkhin Gol
*World War II
*Operation August Storm

The Kwantung Army (関東軍 Kantōgun?), also known as the Guandong Army simplified Chinese: 关东军; traditional Chinese: 關東軍; pinyin: Guāndōngjūn; Wade-Giles: Kwan-tung chün; Korean: 관동군), was an army group of the Imperial Japanese Army in the early twentieth century. It became the largest and most prestigious command in the IJA. Many of its personnel, such as Chief of Staff Hideki Tojo, were promoted to high positions in both the military and civil government in the Empire of Japan and it was largely responsible for the creation of the Japanese-dominated Empire of Manchukuo. Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Capital Tokyo Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1868–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1926 Emperor Taishō  - 1926–1989 Emperor Shōwa Prime Minister  - 1885-1888, 1892-1896, 1898, 1900-1901 Itō Hirobumi  - 1888-1889 Kuroda Kiyotaka  - 1889-1891 Yamagata Aritomo  - 1906-1908, 1911-1912 Saionji Kinmochi... The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) (KyÅ«jitai: 大日本帝國陸軍, Shinjitai: , Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun), or more officially Army of the Greater Japanese Empire was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I Infantry or footmen are very highly disciplined and trained soldiers who fight primarily with small arms(rifles), but are trained to use everything from their bare hands to missle systems in order to neutralize... An army group is a military organization (formation) consisting of several armies, and is supposed to be self-sufficient for indefinite periods. ... Location within China Changchun (Simplified Chinese: 长春; Traditional Chinese: 長春; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chang-chun) is the capital of the Jilin province in northeastern China. ... Flag Anthem National Anthem of Manchukuo Map of Manchukuo Capital Hsinking Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1932 - 1934 Datong (Chief Executive) (Aisingioro Puyi)  - 1934 - 1945 Kangde-Emperor (Aisingioro Puyi) Prime Minister  - 1932 - 1935 Zheng Xiaoxu  - 1935 - 1945 Zhang Jinghui Historical era World War II  - Established 1932  - Disestablished 1945 Manchukuo (, State of... Belligerents China United States1 Empire of Japan Collaborationist Chinese Army2 Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Peng Dehuai, Joseph Stilwell, Claire Chennault, Albert Wedemeyer Hirohito, Fumimaro Konoe, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata, Toshizo Nishio... Huanggutun railroad shortly after the explosion Huanggutun Incident (Chinese: 皇姑屯事件; Japanese: 張作霖爆殺事件) was an assassination plotted by Japanese Kantogun that targeted Fengtian warlord Zhang Zuolin. ... Combatants National Revolutionary Army, Republic of China Imperial Japanese Army, Empire of Japan Commanders Zhang Xueliang, Ma Zhanshan, Feng Zhanhai, Ting Chao Shigeru Honjo, Jiro Tamon, Senjuro Hayashi Strength 160,000 men 30,000 - 60,450 men Casualties  ?  ? The Japanese invasion of Manchuria began on September 19, 1931, one day... Combatants Anti-Japanese Volunteer Armies, Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, Republic of China Imperial Japanese Army, Empire of Japan, Manchukuo Imperial Army, Manchukuo Commanders Ma Zhanshan, Ting Chao, Tang Juwu, Wang Fengge, Wang Delin, Su Bingwen, Feng Yuxiang, Yang Jingyu, Zhou Baozhong, Li Zhaolin Shigeru Honjo, Nobuyoshi Muto, Takashi Hishikari... -Operation Nekka Date : March, 1933 Place : Hebei, China Opponent : Chinese Army Tank Unit:1st Special Tank Company Commander:Captain Hyakutake Tanks:11 Type 89 Medium Tanks, 2 Type 92 Combat Cars After the Manchurian Incident, the Renault tanks of the 1st Special Tank Company were replaced with Type 89 Tank. ... When the China Incident happened, the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade stationed in Manchuria moved to Hebei and fought near Beijing. ... The Soviet-Japanese Border Wars was a series of border conflicts between the Soviet Union and Japan between 1938 to 1945. ... Combatants Soviet Union Empire of Japan Commanders Vasily Blyukher Nikolai Berzarin Kotoku Sato Strength 22,950 20,000+ Casualties 717 killed, 75 missing 525 killed, 913 wounded Soviet-Japanese Border Wars Lake Khasan – Khalkhin Gol The Battle of Lake Khasan ( July 29, 1938 – August 11, 1938) and also known as... Combatants Soviet Union Mongolian Peoples Republic Empire of Japan Manchukuo Commanders Georgy Zhukov Michitaro Komatsubara Strength 57,000 30,000 (initially), 60,000 (as positions reinforced) Casualties Archival research 7,974 killed, 15,251 wounded[1] Japanese government claim 8,440 killed, 8,766 wounded Soviet claim 60,000... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Combatants Soviet Union Peoples Republic of Mongolia Japan Manchukuo Mengjiang Commanders Aleksandr Vasilevsky Otsuzo Yamada Strength Soviet Union 1,577,225 men, 26,137 artillery, 1,852 sup. ... Simplified Chinese character (Simplified Chinese: or ; traditional Chinese: or ; pinyin: or ) is one of two standard sets of Chinese characters of the contemporary Chinese written language. ... Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... An army group is a military organization (formation) consisting of several armies, and is supposed to be self-sufficient for indefinite periods. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) (KyÅ«jitai: 大日本帝國陸軍, Shinjitai: , Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun), or more officially Army of the Greater Japanese Empire was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945. ... The chief of staff is the chief aide to the commander of larger military formations and units. ... Hideki Tojo (KyÅ«jitai: 東條 英機; Shinjitai: 東条 英機;  ) (December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during much of World War II, from October 18, 1941 to July 22, 1944. ... Anthem Kimi ga Yo Imperial Reign Capital Tokyo Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1868–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1926 Emperor Taishō  - 1926–1989 Emperor Shōwa Prime Minister  - 1885-1888, 1892-1896, 1898, 1900-1901 Itō Hirobumi  - 1888-1889 Kuroda Kiyotaka  - 1889-1891 Yamagata Aritomo  - 1906-1908, 1911-1912 Saionji Kinmochi... Flag Anthem National Anthem of Manchukuo Map of Manchukuo Capital Hsinking Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1932 - 1934 Datong (Chief Executive) (Aisingioro Puyi)  - 1934 - 1945 Kangde-Emperor (Aisingioro Puyi) Prime Minister  - 1932 - 1935 Zheng Xiaoxu  - 1935 - 1945 Zhang Jinghui Historical era World War II  - Established 1932  - Disestablished 1945 Manchukuo (, State of...

Contents

History

Beginnings

Following the Russo-Japanese War, Japan obtained the Kwantung Leased Territory and the areas adjacent to the South Manchurian Railway. The Kwantung Garrison was established in 1906 to defend this territory, and originally was composed of an infantry division and a heavy siege artillery battalion, supplemented with six independent garrison battalions as railway guards deployed along the South Manchurian Railway Zone, giving a total troop strength of 10,000 men. It was headquartered in Ryojun. After a reorganization in 1919, the Kwantung Garrison was renamed the Kwantung Army. Belligerents Russian Empire Principality of Montenegro [1] Empire of Japan Commanders Emperor Nicholas II Aleksey Kuropatkin Stepan Makarov â€  Emperor Meiji Oyama Iwao Heihachiro Togo The Russo–Japanese War (Japanese: Nichi-Ro Sensō, Russian: Russko-Yaponskaya Voyna, Chinese: RìézhànzhÄ“ng, February 10, 1904–September 5, 1905) was a conflict... The Kwantung Leased Territory (Chinese: 关东州, Guandongzhou, Japanese: 関東州; Kantoushu) was a composite territory in historic Eastern Manchuria that existed in the first half of the 20th century, from 1898 through 1945. ... The South Manchuria Railway Company (Japanese: 満鉄）; Mantetsu) was a company founded by Japan in 1906, after the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), and operated in Japanese-occupied Manchuria. ... Bold Bold texttext,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvMedia:Example. ... For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO military graphic symbols This article is about the military unit. ... For people named Garrison, see Garrison (disambiguation) Garrison House, built by William Damm in 1675 at Dover, New Hampshire Garrison (from the French garnison, itself from the verb garnir, to equip) is the collective term for the body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but... Location within China Lüshun city or Lüshunkou or (literally) Lüshun Port (Simplified Chinese: 旅顺口; Traditional Chinese: 旅順口; Pinyin: , formerly in historic references both Port Arthur and Ryojun, is a town in the southernmost administrative district of Dalian of the Peoples Republic of China. ...


In the highly politicized Imperial Japanese Army of the 1920s and 1930s, the Kwangtung Army was a stronghold of the radical Kodoha, and many of its senior leaders overty advocated political change in Japan through the violent overthrow of the civilian government to bring about a Showa Restoration, with a reoganization of society and the economy along totaliarian state socialist lines. They also advocated a more aggressive, expansionistic foreign policy with regards to the Asian mainland. Members, or former members, of the Kwantung Army were active in numerous coup d'etat attempts against the civilian government, cumulating with the February 26 Incident of 1936. [1] The Imperial Way Faction (Kodoha) was a right-wing nationalist Japanese political grouping, active in the 1930s. ... In 1919, a Japanese general Kita Ikki promoted the Showa Restoration, in which Emperor Shōwa (also known as Hirohito) of Japan is given real power. ... Totalitarianism is a term employed by some political scientists, especially those in the field of comparative politics, to describe modern regimes in which the state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... The February 26 Incident (二・二六事件 Ni-niroku jiken) was an uprising against the Japanese government that took place in 1936. ...


Independent actions

Although the Kwangtung Army was nominally subordinate to the Imperial General Headquarters and the senior staff at the Army General Staff, its leadership demonstrated significant capability of autonomous action. Conspirators within the junior officer corp of the Kwantung Army plotted and executed the the assassination of Manchurian warlord Zhang Zuolin in the Huanggutun Incident of 1928. Afterwards, the Kwantung Army leadership engineered the Mukden Incident and the subsequent invasion of Manchuria in 1931 in a massive scale act of gekokujo insubordination against the express orders of the political and military leadership based in Tokyo. The Imperial General Headquarters or Daihonei, as part of the Supreme War Council was the supreme command for Japanese military forces during the World War II era. ... The Imperial Japanese Army General Staff was in charge of Imperial Japanese Army planning and operations. ... The term junior officer is sometimes used to make clear that an officer in a military or para-military command is not in over-all command. ... Assassin and Assassins redirect here. ... A warlord is a person with power who has de facto military control of a subnational area due to armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority. ... Chang Tso-Lin (WG) (Chinese: 張作霖, pinyin: Zhāng Zuòlín) (1873 – June 4, 1928), nicknamed the Old Marshall or Mukden Tiger, was a Chinese warlord in Manchuria in the early 20th century. ... Huanggutun railroad shortly after the explosion Huanggutun Incident (Chinese: 皇姑屯事件; Japanese: 張作霖爆殺事件) was an assassination plotted by Japanese Kantogun that targeted Fengtian warlord Zhang Zuolin. ... Combatants National Revolutionary Army, Republic of China Imperial Japanese Army, Empire of Japan Commanders Zhang Xueliang, Ma Zhanshan, Feng Zhanhai Shigeru Honjo, Jiro Minami Strength 160,000 30,000 - 66,000 Casualties  ?  ? The Mukden Incident of September 18, 1931, known in Japanese as the Manchurian Incident, occurred in southern Manchuria... Combatants National Revolutionary Army, Republic of China Imperial Japanese Army, Empire of Japan Commanders Zhang Xueliang, Ma Zhanshan, Feng Zhanhai, Ting Chao Shigeru Honjo, Jiro Tamon, Senjuro Hayashi Strength 160,000 men 30,000 - 60,450 men Casualties  ?  ? The Japanese invasion of Manchuria began on September 19, 1931, one day...


Presented with the fait accompli, Imperial General Headquarters had little choice but to follow up on the actions of the Kwantung Army with reinforcements in the subsequent Pacification of Manchukuo. The success of the campaign meant that the insubordination of the Kwantung Army was rewarded rather than punished. Combatants Anti-Japanese Volunteer Armies, Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, Republic of China Imperial Japanese Army, Empire of Japan, Manchukuo Imperial Army, Manchukuo Commanders Ma Zhanshan, Ting Chao, Tang Juwu, Wang Fengge, Wang Delin, Su Bingwen, Feng Yuxiang, Yang Jingyu, Zhou Baozhong, Li Zhaolin Shigeru Honjo, Nobuyoshi Muto, Takashi Hishikari...


With the foundation of Manchukuo in 1932, Kwantung Army played an controlling role in the political administration of the new state as well as in its defense. The commander in chief of the Kwantung Army simulateously held the post of Japanese ambassidor to Manchukuo. With the Kwantung Army administering all aspects of the politics and economic development of the new state, this made the Kwantung Army commander equivalent to a resident general, with the authority to approve or countermand any command from the nominal emperor of Manchukuo, Puyi. [2] Flag Anthem National Anthem of Manchukuo Map of Manchukuo Capital Hsinking Government Constitutional monarchy Emperor  - 1932 - 1934 Datong (Chief Executive) (Aisingioro Puyi)  - 1934 - 1945 Kangde-Emperor (Aisingioro Puyi) Prime Minister  - 1932 - 1935 Zheng Xiaoxu  - 1935 - 1945 Zhang Jinghui Historical era World War II  - Established 1932  - Disestablished 1945 Manchukuo (, State of... For the television series, see Commander in Chief (TV series). ... A High Commissioner is a person serving in a special executive capacity. ... Puyi (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ) (February 7, 1906–October 17, 1967) of the Manchu Aisin-Gioro ruling family was the last Emperor of China between 1908 and 1924 (ruling as the Xuantong Emperor (宣統皇帝) between 1908 and 1911, and non-ruling emperor between 1911 and 1924), the twelfth emperor of the...


The Kwantung Army was heavily augmented over the next few years up to a strength of 700,000 troops by 1941 and its headquarters was transferred to the new Manchukuo capital of Hsinking. The Kwantung Army also oversaw the creation, training and equipping of an auxiliary force, the Manchukuo Imperial Army. During this time, Prince Tsuneyoshi Takeda worked as liaison officer between the Imperial house and the Kwantung Army. [3] Location within China Changchun (Simplified Chinese: 长春; Traditional Chinese: 長春; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chang-chun) is the capital of the Jilin province in northeastern China. ... The Manchukuo Imperial Army was the armed force of Manchukuo the puppet state of the Empire of Japanin northeast China. ... The ōke (王家), literally Prince Houses, were branches of the Imperial Family formed from branches of the Fushimi-no-miya house. ... Hirohito (裕仁), the Shōwa Emperor (昭和天皇), (April 29, 1901 - January 7, 1989) reigned over Japan from 1926 to 1989. ...


Second World War

After the campaign to secure Manchukuo, the Kwangtung Army continued to fight in numerous border skirmishes with China as part of its efforts to create a Japanese-dominated buffer zone in northern China. The Kwantung Army also fought in the opening phase of the Second Sino-Japanese War in Operation Nekka, and various actions in Inner Mongolia to extend Japanese domination over portions of northern China and Inner Mongolia. When War broke out in the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in July 1937 its forces participated in Battle of Beiping-Tianjin and Operation Chahar. Later forces were taken from Kwangtung Army to support the war in China from time to time. Alternative meaning: In geology, North China (continent) and South China (continent) were two ancient landmasses that correspond to modern northern and southern China. ... Belligerents China United States1 Empire of Japan Collaborationist Chinese Army2 Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Peng Dehuai, Joseph Stilwell, Claire Chennault, Albert Wedemeyer Hirohito, Fumimaro Konoe, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata, Toshizo Nishio... -Operation Nekka Date : March, 1933 Place : Hebei, China Opponent : Chinese Army Tank Unit:1st Special Tank Company Commander:Captain Hyakutake Tanks:11 Type 89 Medium Tanks, 2 Type 92 Combat Cars After the Manchurian Incident, the Renault tanks of the 1st Special Tank Company were replaced with Type 89 Tank. ... Inner Mongolia (Mongolian: ᠥᠪᠦᠷ ᠮᠣᠨᠺᠤᠯᠤᠨ ᠥᠪᠡᠷᠲᠡᠺᠡᠨ ᠵᠠᠰᠠᠬᠤ ᠣᠷᠤᠨ r Mongghul-un bertegen Jasaqu Orun; Chinese: 内蒙古自治区; Hanyu Pinyin: N i Měnggǔ Z qū) is an Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Belligerents National Revolutionary Army, Republic of China Imperial Japanese Army, Empire of Japan Commanders Song Zheyuan Kanichiro Tashiro Strength 100,000 - Casualties and losses 16,700 - The Marco Polo Bridge Incident (盧溝橋事變; also known as 七七事變, 七七盧溝橋事變 or the Lugouqiao Incident) was a battle between the Republic of Chinas National Revolutionary Army... The Battle of Beiping-Tianjin (Traditional Chinese: 平津作戰; Simplified Chinese: 平津作战; pinyin: ) (25 July - 31 July 1937) was a battle fought during the Second Sino-Japanese War in the proximity of Beiping (now Beijing) and Tianjin. ... When the China Incident happened, the 1st Independent Mixed Brigade stationed in Manchuria moved to Hebei and fought near Beijing. ...


However, the much vaunted reputation of the Kwantung Army was severely challenged in battle against the Soviet Union's Red Army at the Battle of Lake Khasan in 1938 and subsequent Battle of Nomonhan in 1939, during which time it sustained heavy casualties. After the Nomonhan incident, the Kwantung Army was purged of its more insubordinate elements, as well as proponents of the Hokushin-ron doctrine who urged that Japan concentrate its expansionist efforts on Siberia rather southward towards China and Southeast Asia. [4] For other organizations known as the Red Army, see Red Army (disambiguation). ... Combatants Soviet Union Empire of Japan Commanders Vasily Blyukher Nikolai Berzarin Kotoku Sato Strength 22,950 20,000+ Casualties 717 killed, 75 missing 525 killed, 913 wounded Soviet-Japanese Border Wars Lake Khasan – Khalkhin Gol The Battle of Lake Khasan ( July 29, 1938 – August 11, 1938) and also known as... Combatants Soviet Union Mongolian Peoples Republic Empire of Japan Manchukuo Commanders Georgy Zhukov Michitaro Komatsubara Strength 57,000 30,000 (initially), 60,000 (as positions reinforced) Casualties Archival research 7,974 killed, 15,251 wounded[1] Japanese government claim 8,440 killed, 8,766 wounded Soviet claim 60,000... This article is about Siberia as a whole. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ...


Although a source of constant unrest during the 1930s, the Kwantung Army remained remarkably obedient during the 1940s. As combat spread south into central China and southern China in the Second Sino-Japanese War, and with the outbreak of the Pacific War, Manchukuo was largely a backwater to the conflict. Alternative meaning: In geology, North China (continent) and South China (continent) were two ancient landmasses that correspond to modern northern and southern China. ... Belligerents China United States1 Empire of Japan Collaborationist Chinese Army2 Commanders Chiang Kai-shek, Chen Cheng, Yan Xishan, Feng Yuxiang, Li Zongren, Xue Yue, Bai Chongxi, Peng Dehuai, Joseph Stilwell, Claire Chennault, Albert Wedemeyer Hirohito, Fumimaro Konoe, Hideki Tojo, Kotohito Kanin, Matsui Iwane, Hajime Sugiyama, Shunroku Hata, Toshizo Nishio... For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ...


However, as the war situation began to deteriorate for the Imperial Japanese Army on all fronts, the huge, well-trained and well-equipped Kwangtung Army could no longer be held in strategic reserve. Many of its front line units were systematically stripped of their best units and equipment, which were sent south against the forces of the United States in the Pacific Islands or the Philippines. Other units were sent south into China for Operation Ichi-Go. For the military term see: Military reserve A strategic reserve is a term used to describe a reserve of a commodity or items, held back from normal use by governments, organisations or business in pursuance of a particular strategy or to cope with unexpected events. ... The South Pacific is an area in the southern Pacific Ocean. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...


At the time of Operation August Storm, when the Soviet Red Army invaded Manchukuo in August 1945, the Kwantung Army's strength was still at around 600,000 men, with one armored division, 25 infantry divisions, six independent brigades, and up to 25 security battalions. However, the men remaining were largely semi-trained conscripts or raw recruits, equipped primarily as a counterinsurgency and border security force and unable to withstand the massive Soviet armored and mechanized infantry invasion. Combatants Soviet Union Peoples Republic of Mongolia Japan Manchukuo Mengjiang Commanders Aleksandr Vasilevsky Otsuzo Yamada Strength Soviet Union 1,577,225 men, 26,137 artillery, 1,852 sup. ... A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around 10,000 soldiers. ... Counter-insurgency is the combatting of insurgency, by the government (or allies) of the territory in which the insurgency takes place. ... Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs), or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force). ...


Surrender of the Kwantung Army

The final commander in chief of the Kwantung Army, General Otozo Yamada, ordered a surrender on August 16, 1945, one day after Emperor Hirohito announced the defeat of the Japanese empire in a radio announcement. Some Japanese divisions refused to surrender, and combat continued for the next few days. Marshal Hata received "Ultimatum to surrender" from Russian General Georgii Shelakhov[5][6] in Harbin on August 18, 1945. [7] He was one of the senior generals who agreed with the decision to surrender, and on August 19th, 1945, Hata had talks with Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky[8], but asked that he be stripped of his title of Field Marshal in atonement for the Army’s failures in the war. [9] Otozo Yamada (山田乙三) was the Captain General of the Kwantung Army during World War II and the precursory Manchurian period. ... is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Japanese representatives, Mamoru Shigemitsu and Yoshijiro Umezu, on board USS Missouri during the surrender ceremonies on 2 September 1945. ... Hata Shuroku (born July 26, 1879 - died May 10, 1962), was a Japanese general during World War II. Military career 2nd Lt (Artillery), June 1901 Graduated from War College with top scholarly rank, November 1910 Army General Staff, December 1910 Military student, Germany, March 1912 Major, July 1914; official duty... Harbin on a map of China For other meanings of Harbin, see Harbin (disambiguation). ... The Japanese representatives, Mamoru Shigemitsu and Yoshijiro Umezu, on board USS Missouri during the surrender ceremonies on 2 September 1945. ... Aleksandr Mikhaylovich Vasilevsky (Russian: , September 30, 1895 – December 5, 1977) was a Soviet military commander, promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1943. ...


The remnants of the Kwantgung Army either lay dead on the battlefield or were on their way to Soviet Prisoner-of-war camps. Over five hundred thousand of Japanese prisoners of war were forced to work as slave labor in Soviet labor camps in Siberia, Russian Far East and Mongolia. The survivors were not freed until after the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Soviet Union in the mid-1950s. A Prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of persons captured by the enemy in time of war. ... By the end of World War II there were about 510,000 Japanese POWs in the Soviet Union and Mongolia interned to work in labor camps. ... Slavery is any of a number of related conditions involving control of a person against his or her will, enforced by violence or other clear forms of coercion. ... A labor camp is a simplified detention facility where inmates are engaged in penal labor. ... This article is about Siberia as a whole. ... Far Eastern Federal District (highlighted in red) Russian Far East (Russian: ; IPA: ) is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i. ...


War crimes

After the surrender of Japan, the Soviet Red Army discovered secret installations for experimenting with and producing chemical weapons and biological weapons of mass destruction centered around secret Army Unit 731 and its subsidiaries. [10]. At these locations, the Kwantung Army was also responsible for some of the most infamous Japanese war crimes, including the operation of several human experimentation programs using live Chinese, Korean, Mongolian, American and Russian[11] civilians and POW [12], directed by Shiro Ishii. Chemical warfare is warfare (and associated military operations) using the toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure or incapacitate an enemy. ... For the use of biological agents by terrorists, see bioterrorism. ... For the Xzibit album, see Weapons of Mass Destruction (album). ... Body disposal at Unit 731 Unit 731 was a covert biological warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that undertook lethal human experimentation during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) and World War II. It was responsible for some of the most notorious war crimes carried... Japanese war crimes occurred during the period of Japanese imperialism. ... Human experimentation involves medical experiments performed on human beings. ... Shiro Ishii Microbiologist Shiro Ishii (石井四郎 Ishii Shirō, June 25, 1892-1959) was the Lieutenant General of Unit 731, a biological-warfare unit of the Imperial Japanese Army during the Sino-Japanese War. ...


Trials

Some members of the World War II leadership of the Kwantung Army were sentenced as war criminals by the Khabarovsk War Crime Trials, where other were taken into custody by the United States, and sentenced at the 1948 International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo. Among those sentenced to death were former generals Seishiro Itagaki, Iwane Matsui, Kenji Doihara, Hideki Tojo and Akira Muto. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A war crime is a punishable offense, under international law, for violations of the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian. ... Khabarovsk War Crime Trials were a series of hearings held between December 25 - 31st, 1949 in the Russian industrial city of Khabarovsk, (Хабáровск) situated on the Russian Far East (Дáльний Востóк). Here, twelve members of the Japanese Kwantung Army were tried as war criminals for manufacturing and using biological weapons during World War... The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), also known as the Tokyo Trials, the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal or simply as the Tribunal, was convened to try the leaders of the Empire of Japan for three types of crimes: Class A (crimes against peace), Class B (war crimes... Itagaki Seishiro (板垣 征四郎 Itagaki SÄ“shirō; January 21, 1885 - December 23, 1948) was a Japanese military officer in the Guandong Army. ... General Iwane Matsui , July 27, 1878 - December 23, 1948) was a general of the Japanese Imperial Army and the commander of the expeditionary forces sent to China. ... Kenji Doihara (土肥原 賢二) Doihara Kenji, August 8, 1883 - December 23, 1948) was a Japanese officer and spy who served in northeastern China from 1913 and who became a major military commander in Japans invasion of China over the following decades. ... Hideki Tojo (KyÅ«jitai: 東條 英機; Shinjitai: 東条 英機;  ) (December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during much of World War II, from October 18, 1941 to July 22, 1944. ... Akira Muto (1883 – 23 December 1948) was a Japanese army commander. ...


List of Commanders

Kwantung Army

Commanding officer

Name From To
1 General Ichiro Tachibara 12 April 1919 6 January 1921
2 General Misao Kawai 6 January 1921 10 May 1922
3 General Shinobu Ono 10 May 1922 10 October 1923
4 General Yoshinori Shirakawa 10 October 1923 28 July 1926
5 Field Marshal Baron Nobuyoshi Muto 28 July 1926 26 August 1927
6 General Chotaro Muraoka 26 August 1927 1 July 1929
7 General Eitaro Hata 1 July 1929 31 May 1930
8 General Takashi Hishikari 3 June 1930 1 August 1931
9 General Shigeru Honjo 1 August 1931 8 August 1932
10 Field Marshal Baron Nobuyoshi Muto 8 August 1932 27 July 1933
11 General Takashi Hishikari 29 July 1933 10 December 1934
12 Jiro Minami 10 December 1934 6 March 1936
13 Kenkichi Ueda 6 March 1936 7 September 1939
14 Yoshijiro Umezu 7 September 1939 18 July 1944
14 Otozo Yamada 18 July 1944 11 August 1945

The commanding officer (CO) is the officer in command of a military unit. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... General Yoshinori Shirakawa 1869-1932 1916 - 1919 Head of Personnel Bureau, Ministry of War 1919 - 1921 Commandant of the Military Academy 1922 - 1923 Vice-Minister of War 1923 Head of Army Aeronautical Bureau, Ministry of War 10 Oct 1923 - 28 Jul 1926 Commander of Kwangtung Army 25 Feb 1932 - 29... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Baron Nobuyoshi Muto ) (15 July 1868 – 27 July 1933) was Commander of the Kwangtung Army in 1933, Japanese ambassador to Manchukuo, and a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army. ... is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 151st day of the year (152nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... (1871-1952) Takashi Hishikari was a Japanese General in the Imperial Japanese Army and was Commander in Chief of Kwantung Army during the pacification of Manchukuo. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Baron Nobuyoshi Muto ) (15 July 1868 – 27 July 1933) was Commander of the Kwangtung Army in 1933, Japanese ambassador to Manchukuo, and a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... (1871-1952) Takashi Hishikari was a Japanese General in the Imperial Japanese Army and was Commander in Chief of Kwantung Army during the pacification of Manchukuo. ... is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 344th day of the year (345th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jiro Minami (1874 - 1955) was the General Officer Commanding 16th Division from 1926 to 1927, Vice Chief General Staff from 1927 to 1929, Commander in Chief Chosen Army from 1929 to 1930 Japanese Minister of War in 1931, a member of the Supreme War Council from 1931 to 1934, commander... is the 344th day of the year (345th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kenkichi Ueda (1875-1962) was a Japanese general who served the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War, most notably during the Russo-Japanese border clashes during the late 1930s. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Umezu signing the instrument of surrender to the United States General Yoshijiro Umezu ) (January 4, 1882 - January 8, 1949) was the chief commander of the Japanese army in World War II. In the 1920s Umezu was a member of the Tosei-Ha (Control Group) led by General Kazushige Ugaki along... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Otozo Yamada (山田乙三) was the Captain General of the Kwantung Army during World War II and the precursory Manchurian period. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Chief of Staff

Name From To
1 Major General Matasuke Hamamo 12 April 1919 11 March 1921
2 Major General Kaya Fukuhara 11 March 1921 6 August 1923
3 Major General Kawada Akiji 6 August 1923 2 December 1925
4 Major General Tsune Saito 2 December 1925 10 August 1928
5 Lieutenant General Koji Miyake 10 August 1928 8 August]] 1932
6 General Kuniaki Koiso 8 August 1932 5 March 1934
7 General Juzo Nishio 5 March 1934 23 March 1936
8 General Seishiro Itagaki 23 March 1936 1 March 1937
9 General Hideki Tojo 1 March 1937 30 May 1938
10 Lieutenant General Rensuke Isogai 18 June 1938 7 September 1939
11 Lieutenant General Jo Iimura 7 September 1939 22 October 1940
12 General Heitaro Kimura 22 October 1940 10 April 1941
13 General Teiichi Yoshimoto 10 April 1941 1 August 1942
14 Lieutenant General Yukio Kasahara 1 August 1942 7 April 1945
15 Lieutenant General Hikosaburo Hata 7 April 1945 11 August 1945

The chief of staff is the chief aide to the commander of larger military formations and units. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kuniaki Koiso (小磯 國昭 Koiso Kuniaki, March 22, 1880–November 3, 1950) was the 41st Prime Minister of Japan from July 22, 1944 to April 7, 1945. ... is the 220th day of the year (221st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the day. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the day. ... Year 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Itagaki Seishiro (板垣 征四郎 Itagaki SÄ“shirō; January 21, 1885 - December 23, 1948) was a Japanese military officer in the Guandong Army. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hideki Tojo (KyÅ«jitai: 東條 英機; Shinjitai: 東条 英機;  ) (December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during much of World War II, from October 18, 1941 to July 22, 1944. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rensuke Isogai Rensuke Isogai (Japanese: 磯谷廉介) (1886 - 1967) was a General of the Japanese Army in the World War II period. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Heitaro Kimura graduated from the Japanese Military Academy in 1908, and from Japanese War College in 1916. ... is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Yukio Kasahara , 1888-1988) was Japanese Lieutenant-General in the Second Sino-Japanese War. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Command Structure (1945)

See also

The military history of Japan is characterised by a long period of feudal wars, followed by domestic stability, and then foreign conquest. ... Organization of the Kwantung Army of Japan. ...

Notes

  1. ^ Harries, Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army
  2. ^ Young, Japan's Total Empire: Manchuria and the Culture of Wartime Imperialism
  3. ^ Yamamuro, Manchuria Under Japanese Domination
  4. ^ Coox, Nomonhan: Japan Against Russia, 1939
  5. ^ Surrender of the Kwantung Army. Military Memoirs. [1]
  6. ^ Thunder in the East. Vladimir Karpov. 2005. [2]
  7. ^ Surrender of the Kwantung Army. Military Memoirs. [3]
  8. ^ The Soviet Strategic Offensive in Manchuria, 1945: August Storm By David M. Glantz. [4]
  9. ^ Budge, Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
  10. ^ A Russian military publication on Kwantung Army: [5]
  11. ^ Unit 731[6]
  12. ^ Unit 731. Japanese Experimentation Camp (1937-1945)[7]

References

Books

  • Coox, Alvin (1990). Nomonhan: Japan Against Russia, 1939. Stanford University Press. 0804718350. 
  • Coox, Alvin (1977). The Anatomy of a Small War: The Soviet-Japanese Struggle for Changkufeng/Khasan, 1938. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-8371-9479-2.