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At the suggestion of several deputies of the State Duma of the Federation and a number of senators of the Federation Council, a bill (2020) was adopted in 1 stating that the Day of Military Glory on September 2, which symbolized the end of World War II, would be abolished. And the day of the end of this largest military conflict in world history in our country will henceforth be celebrated on September 3. That is, for us, the s, the last Great War ended exactly on 03.09.1945/XNUMX/XNUMX. Controversial? For us, no!
What is the reason for this decision? Let’s turn to historical facts. They are not so far away. Witnesses are still alive, documents have not yet decayed.
history of the holiday
On August 8, 1945, the USSR declared war on Japan. On August 9, the Soviet Union went on the offensive in the Far East. Our troops carried out three operations: the Manchurian strategic, the South Sakhalin offensive and the Kuril landing. More than 300 thousand Soviet soldiers and officers received awards for those heavy battles.
Bottom line: in a few weeks, our troops defeated the largest Japanese grouping. It was a very efficient Kwantung Army. Its number exceeded 1,3 million people. It had more than 1200 tanks, 6300 artillery pieces and 1900 aircraft. And also, according to some information, bacteriological weapons, which the Japanese were ready to use against the Soviet troops. But the s advanced quickly and decisively, because not only and not so much American actions, including the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August 1945, as the sharp ground operations of the Soviet troops forced Emperor Hirohito and the military-political leadership of the Land of the Rising Sun to agree with the fact that their ancient country lost in this world war.
On September 3, 1945, the Victory Day over Japan was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The decree was adopted a day after the representatives of Japan signed the act of their surrender. It happened at 9:2 am on September 1945, 9, in Tokyo Bay, aboard the battleship Missouri of the US Navy (strictly speaking, an act of world significance was committed at 02:XNUMX am).
Autographs under the historical document were put by the following characters.
On the part of the USSR – the representative of the High Command of the Soviet Forces in the Far East at the headquarters of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Pacific Ocean, General Makarutra, Lieutenant General Kuzma Nikolaevich Derevyanko.
From the Japanese side Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu, as well as Chief of the Imperial General Staff Yoshijiro Umezu.
From the US side Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers Douglas MacArthur, a plus Admiral Chester Nimitz.
From the British side – Commander of His Majesty’s Pacific Fleet admiralBruce Frazier.
From the French side General Philippe Leclerc.
From the Chinese side General Su Yun-Chang.
The decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the Day of Victory over Japan on September 3, 1945 was initiated by 65-year-old Joseph Stalin. Then he actually headed the government, and the State Defense Committee, and the People’s Commissariat of Defense itself in the country.
However, in the official “commemoration” of significant and festive dates, this day was not marked as a “red day of the calendar.” And in the USSR, starting from the mid-60s, Victory Day over fascism as a national holiday and an official day off for many years was considered – and is still considered in the Federation and in a number of CIS countries – namely May 9th.
Date of celebration in Our Country
23 July 2010 year President of the Federation Dmitry Medvedev signed the federal law. It was called as follows: “On Amendments to Article 1 of the Federal Law “On the Days of Military Glory and Commemorative Dates of Our Country”.
What was it about?
The fact that the Day of Military Glory was established in memory of our people who showed heroism and devotion to the motherland and allied duty in the implementation of the decision of the Crimean (Yalta) Conference on February 4-11, 1945. Then, on the southern coast of the Soviet Crimea, liberated from the Nazis, the leaders of the USSR, Great Britain and the USA Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt determined the post-war order of the world.
The three main figures of world politics agreed that, having defeated Hitler, the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition would, by joint efforts, attack his main ally in Asia – Imperial Japan.
In fact, this day in our state was proposed to be perceived as the second, and final, day of triumph in the world war – and first of all, our victory.
We defeated Germany – May 9, 1945. Japan was defeated – September 2, 1945 (although the battles in the Kuril Islands with the samurai were still going on).
And by the decision of the State Duma of April 1, 2020, the deputies decided to strengthen what many began to forget. They offered to approve the historical authenticity. To restore justice – first of all, in relation to the real winners in the war. And worthy to perpetuate the memory of the fallen soldiers. Thousands of soldiers and officers of all the republics of the Soviet Union.
Yes, we are counting down the coming of peace from this date. And the wording “September 3 – Day of the end of World War II” symbolizes the transition from a state of war to peace. And encourages the search for ways of reconciliation.
Celebration date in the world
In the countries of the Western world, primarily in the Anglo-Saxon countries, that is, in the United States of America, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, September 2, 1945 is considered the official date not only for the surrender of Japan, but also for the end of the entire world war. This day is usually not a holiday, but is considered a public holiday in a number of these countries.
Interesting Facts
- Signatures under the act of surrender of Japan were also put by characters who had a very indirect relationship to the change in the strategy of the war. Like the Canadian Colonel Lawrence Moore Cosgrave. Or a New Zealand Air Vice Marshal Leonard Research. Well, or the Dutch admiral Konrad Helfrich.
- Soviet general Kuzma Derevyanko during his lifetime he had many awards of the USSR, including the Order of Lenin. But he was not awarded the Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Posthumously, he received a similar award, the highest in the state. However, it was the Star of the Hero of Ukraine – and the decision on this was already made in Kyiv, independent of Moscow. And only in 2007 … 63 years after the death of the general, who was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in the center of the capital.
- The decision of the Japanese leadership to surrender was accompanied by a wave of suicides in the highest ranks of the imperial army.
- Meeting of the Commander-in-Chief by Soviet troops in the Far East Marshal Alexander Vasilevsky and Chief of Staff of the Kwantung Army Hipposaburo Hata, dedicated to the procedure for the surrender of Japanese troops, took place on August 19. But both in South Sakhalin and in the Kuriles, the Japanese continued to resist until the beginning of September 1945.
- The Americans demanded that one of the Kuril Islands be allocated for their Air Force base – Stalin did not agree to this.
- When the Soviet general signed the act of surrender to Japan, the head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry stood on the hood two meters from the table covered with a velvet bedspread – in a three-piece suit, a bowler hat, varnished boots … and leaning with his left hand on a heavy cane, looking with hatred at Derevianko through pince-nez glasses.
Sources of
- Federal Law No. 24.04.2020-FZ of April 126, 1 “On Amendments to Articles 1 and 1-0001202004240031 of the Federal Law “On the Days of Military Glory and Commemorative Dates of Our Country”. URL:http://publication.pravo.gov.ru/Document/View/XNUMX