Interesting that the Soviet Union didn't start fighting Imperial Japan until the US had nearly defeated her.
I sense a pattern here...
Would that be a preference for easy targets?
>>>>>Not exactly. Germany invaded on 1 September, USSR on 17 September, after Poland had more or less been defeated.
Interesting that the Soviet Union didn’t start fighting Imperial Japan until the US had nearly defeated her.
I sense a pattern here...<<<<<
To be honest Soviets and Japan had a non-aggression treaty. For that reason Russians had to imprison US airmen landed in Russia after raids on Japan (thus they cheated and sent Americans back home via Central Asia and Iran).
Soviet participation in Far East became an option after Yalta conference. Churchill and FDR persuaded Stalin to attack Japan and he agreed on condition to launch an invasion in three months after Germany’s surrender.
And he did exactly three months later as promised.
Soviets actually did a good job against the Japanese. In short, they obliterated a million-strong Kwantung Army. Due to an original plan, Soviets had to participate in a mainland Japanese invasion but US backed off.