| − | In 1938, Soviet and Japanese fought many skirmishes across the common border their troops occupied along the [[Manchurian]] and [[Mongolia]]n frontiers. Skirmishes, beginning in 1939, gradually grew into open warfare by May 1939 with Japanese forces based in [[Manchukuo]]. That summer a Japanese army invaded eastern Mongolia. Soviet General Georgi Zhukov commanded the Soviet-Mongolian army that met this invasion. In a battle at Khalkhin-Gol (also Khalkhyn Gol) on 20 August, the Soviets threw the Japanese back across the Manchurian border.<ref>Jerrold and Leona Schecter, ''Sacred Secrets: How Soviet Intelligence Operations Changed American History'', Washington, DC: Brassey’s, 2002, pg. 10.</ref> The Japanese may have sustained as many as 80,000 casualties compared with 11,130 on the [[Comintern]] side. Hostilities ended on September 16, 1939. The Soviet Union and Japan signed a truce, and a commission was set up to define the Mongolian-Manchurian border. | + | In 1938, Soviet and Japanese fought many skirmishes across the common border their troops occupied along the [[Manchuria]]n and [[Mongolia]]n frontiers. Skirmishes, beginning in 1939, gradually grew into open warfare by May 1939 with Japanese forces based in [[Manchukuo]]. That summer a Japanese army invaded eastern Mongolia. Soviet General Georgi Zhukov commanded the Soviet-Mongolian army that met this invasion. In a battle at Khalkhin-Gol (also Khalkhyn Gol) on 20 August, the Soviets threw the Japanese back across the Manchurian border.<ref>Jerrold and Leona Schecter, ''Sacred Secrets: How Soviet Intelligence Operations Changed American History'', Washington, DC: Brassey’s, 2002, pg. 10.</ref> The Japanese may have sustained as many as 80,000 casualties compared with 11,130 on the [[Comintern]] side. Hostilities ended on September 16, 1939. The Soviet Union and Japan signed a truce, and a commission was set up to define the Mongolian-Manchurian border. |
| | Following the [[Battle of Khalkyn Gol]] in 1939 where his forces scored a decisive victory over the [[Japan]]ese, Zhukov was made a [[Hero of the Soviet Union]]. | | Following the [[Battle of Khalkyn Gol]] in 1939 where his forces scored a decisive victory over the [[Japan]]ese, Zhukov was made a [[Hero of the Soviet Union]]. |