Nomonhan, Japan's First Defeat - War Memoirs of a Former Imperial Japanese Kwantung Army Physician

Author: Matsuo Kazue
Publisher:
Publish Date: July 1, 2005
Features: Why did Japan and the Soviet Union mobilize heavy forces in a barren land to launch a secret war in the early stages of World War II? Why was this battle seen as a turning point in Japan's policy of aggression? Why did the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters dare to announce the defeat at Nomohan, marking the first time the Japanese Army had suffered a defeat since its inception? Why has Japan kept the war a secret for over 80 years after the war? This book presents a multi-angle reflection of the fierce battle between Japan and the Soviet Union in the Nomohan region on the Sino-Mongolian border in 1939. The battle lasted six months, severely damaging two main infantry divisions of the Japanese Kwantung Army and nearly annihilating Japan's only tank division at the time. Japan called this battle the first major defeat in its history and was forced to change its northern invasion of the Soviet Union to a southern attack on the United States, leading to the Pearl Harbor attack and the outbreak of a larger-scale Pacific War. The author, Matsuo Kazue, as a battlefield medical officer who participated in the war, recorded the brutality and course of the battle with a relatively authentic perspective and personally experienced the cruelty of the Japanese Kwantung Army as well as the war-weariness and anti-war sentiment among the lower-ranking soldiers. Through post-war deep reflection, he exposed the true face of Japanese militarism. However, due to the author being only a lower-ranking soldier who participated in the war, his understanding of the Japanese Kwantung Army's General Staff and the overall progress and intentions of the war is somewhat limited. To compensate for this, the editor invited Mr. Huayue, who has extensive research on this war, to review several research materials and added content such as "Related Background," "Battle History Records," "Historical Highlights," and images with annotations, making it easier for readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the war. The book is accompanied by over 220 precious historical photos, truly reflecting the weapons and equipment of the warring parties in the early stages of World War II and the battle conditions.