，（）

Author: (Japanese) Matsuo Kazuhiko, (Chinese) Hua Ye, translated by Li Zhaohui
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Why did Japan and the Soviet Union deploy heavy forces to a barren land to launch a secret war in the early stages of World War II? Why was this battle considered a turning point in Japan's policy of aggression? Why did the arrogant Japanese Imperial General Staff admit the defeat at Nomonhan, marking the first time Japan's Imperial Army had suffered a loss since its inception? Why has Japan remained secretive about this battle for over 80 years after the war? This book provides a multi-angle reflection on the fierce battle between Japan and the Soviet Union in the Nomonhan area 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 catastrophic defeat in its history and was forced to shift its northern invasion of the Soviet Union to a southern invasion of the United States, leading to the Pearl Harbor attack and the outbreak of a larger-scale Pacific War. The author, Matsuo Kazuhiko, 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 its lower-ranking soldiers. Through post-war deep reflection, he exposes the true face of Japanese militarism. However, due to the author's status as only a lower-ranking soldier who participated in the war, his understanding of the Japanese Kwantung Army's General Staff and the entire process and intentions of the war has certain limitations. To this, the editor invited Mr. Hua Ye, 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 photographs, truly reflecting the weapons and equipment of the warring parties in the early stages of World War II and the battle conditions.