Did the Japanese ever try to enlist Soviet to fight against USA after German defeat in WW2?

Question

I mean is that one of the reasons why America quickly subdue the Japanese by atomic bombs?

Answer 1

No, the Japanese certainly knew that the Russians wouldn't fight on their side, but they did try to enlist the Russians in suing for a favorable peace with the United States and the UK. To counter this separate peace strategy, and to get Russian foot soldiers to assist in the anticipated invasion of Japan, at the Yalta Conference Roosevelt promised Stalin recognition of Mongolia as an independent (Soviet sphere) state, independent of Chinese claims, and promised to give Russia control of the formerly Japanese Southern Sakhalin and Kurile Islands in exchange for Russia's declaration of war against Japan within 90 days Basically, this was because America anticipated the Japanese invasion would be terribly bloody, and wanted to share the bloodshed, which Stalin was willing to do in exchange for territory. Russia actually declared war on Japan only seven days before the first atomic bomb was dropped - which, remember, no one was sure would work, or at least be so much more powerful than a big conventional bomb - and never actually went into action against Japan at all before Japan surrendered.

The first use of the atomic bomb was essentially an extension of the American firebombing campaign against Japanese cities, which killed far more people than the atomic bombs did, though the atomic bombs have a disproportionate hold on the imagination of the world today. This bombing campaign, combined with a naval blockade which was not-so-slowly starving the Japanese population, was an effort to get the Japanese government to surrender without having to actually mount an invasion of the Japanese islands, which, if the precedent of Okinawa was any indication, would have been unbelievably bloody to both Japan and the United States, probably many times worse than the bombing campaign was alone.

Interestingly, four years earlier, it was only the timely arrival of Russia's well-equipped and -trained and ready for winter war Far East divisions, able to leave the Japanese front because the Japanese hadn't engaged them beyond a few skirmishes, that saved Moscow and thus kept Russia in the war in December 1941. If the Japanese had engaged those forces in mid 1941, pinning them in place in the Far East, Russia would likely have been knocked from the war by Hitler's advance, just as it had sued for peace in 1917, and the Axis would have won WWII.

Answer 2

No. Japan and Russia fought a war in the early 1900s and were not friendly. While Japan was careful not to attack Russia during the war, they did not seek to become allies with them. Russia was also careful not to antagonize the Japanese. When American pilots landed or crash landed in Russia during WW2, they were not returned to the Americans, but held until the war ended. Russia was careful not to violate its neutrality during the war with Japan.

Japan did seek Russia's help in negotiating a peace with the US, but that peace held conditions that the Japanese islands would not be occupied and that the emporer would remain in power. As with Germany, the US demanded an unconditional surrender.

After Germany's surrender, Russia had agreed to declare war on Japan. It's a common idea that the atomic bomb forced Japan to surrender, but that is false. Japan did not surrender because of the atomic bombs--Japan surrendered because Russia finally declared war against her. Japan knew they could not hold off an invasion from both the US and Russia, and also knew that Russian occupation of Hokkaido or other territory meant Russia would force communism on the people of Japan.

Russia demanded that they be allowed to occupy part of Japan, as the US, France and UK had occupied part of Berlin after the war, but the US basically told them to shove it.

The US dropped the bombs for 2 reasons. First, the US lost about 100,000 soldiers taking Okinawa, and most experts thought it would cost close to, or over, 1 million soldiers to occupy the Japanese islands. The US public would never have agreed to such losses. Also, the US did want to show the world, and Russia, the power of their new weapon.

Answer 3

No, the agreement with the Allies was that the Soviet Union would declare war on Japan after victory in Europe.
One of the reasons that the Americans wanted a quick end to the war was to prevent the Soviet Union from honouring this agreement and occupying any part of Japan.
As it was they managed to occupy the Kurile Islands which have been a source of dispute between Japan and Russia ever since.

Answer 4

Russians and Japanese didn't like each other very much. Russia wanted to conquer parts of Japan toward the end of the war and that factored into the decision to use the A-Bomb to some degree, to keep it from happening.

Answer 5

As I understand it, the US dropped nukes on Japan to intimidate the Russians. They wouldn't have ever fought alongside each other (see the russo-japanese war), but Stalin had expansionistic tendancies.

Answer 6

yes, according to books