The Study Of The Changkufeng Incident

The thesis is a systematic study of the Changkufeng Incident. The purpose is to reveal the conflict between the Soviet Union and Japan in international politics, by verifying the causes, the process and the influences of the Changkufeng Incident. The thesis explores this microcosmic issue from macroscopic perspective, trying to be faithful to real history and to make a profound argument.The thesis is composed of three parts: the introduction, the main body and the conclusion.Chapter One: Introduction. This part mainly deals with the purpose and the significance of the study, including a research into the overseas and domestic research status of this topic. At the same time, it points out the innovation and deficiency of the thesis.Chapter Two: The relationship between the Soviet Union and Japan in Northeast Asia before the Changkufeng Incident. This part deals with the background of the Changkufeng Incident. It is mainly about the tense international situation of Northeast Asia and the evolution of the Japan-Soviet Union relations from 9.18 Incident to the Changkufeng Incident. After occupying the northeast of China, Japan extended its frontier against Soviet Union to the border between Manchu and the Soviet Union and improved its strategic state against the Soviet Union. After the signing of the Anti-Comintern Pact by Germany and Japan, the Japan-Soviet Union relations became tenser. Their conflict on the border between Manchu and the Soviet Union was increased. Under such circumstances, the Soviet Union constantly reinforced its military power in the Far East, in order to improve its defense in that area. At the same time, Japan also reinforced its military deployment by building 13 fortresses along the border between Manchu and the Soviet Union. It also sped its military equipment and infrastructure construction in Manchu war zone.Japan’s wild ambition to continue marching northward and the Soviet Union’s worry about the threat of Japan on the east line made their basic benefits collide, thus making their conflict irreconcilable. Even though one side was willing to moderate the situation temporarily, the final agreement was difficult to achieve.Chapter Three: The causes of the Changkufeng Incident. This part is an analysis of the causes of the Changkufeng Incident. Any incident in history has multiple causes. The conflict itself is an expression of politics. The Changkufeng Incident was no exception. It was a reflection of the complicated international relations in Northeast Asia, and also the product of the upgrading of the Soviet-Japan tension. In this sense, the Changkufeng Incident had its inevitability. However, we should also see the occasional factors in its process, which provided some choices in the inevitable tendency. The author of this thesis gives an integrated analysis of the Changkufeng Incident, based on the factors of the geographical strategic significance of the Changkufeng, the influences of Japan’s strategy to march northward, and the stimulation of the Lyushkov Incident and the Matsushima Incident.Chapter Four: The Soviet-Japan military conflict in the Changkufeng Incident. This chapter deals with the process of the military conflict in the Changkufeng Incident. We can see the characteristics of each phase from the warfare between the Soviet Union and Japan. Before August 6th, Japan was offensive and got the initiative to attack. After August 6th, the Soviet army took the advantage and grasped the initiative of the war. From the aspect of the military troops, we can see the Soviet Union had a variety of arms in the combats. The Soviet air force was in firm control of air before Japan’s air force joined the war. Besides, there was the support of the Soviet Pacific Armada and the safeguard of a lot of back offices. Thus, the Soviet Union’s resolution to fight to the last minute to suppress Japan’s marching northward could be seen obviously. It also reflected the standard of the Soviet Union’s defense and military construction in the Far East in 1990 s. From the aspect of Japan’s military troops, we can see infantry and artillery were its main military force. Its air force and navy didn’t take part in the combats, which was one of the main reasons for its defeat. At the same time, it can be seen that the advantage in military force and the combination of multiple arms in the combats were the main factors in the Soviet Union’s victory.Chapter Five: The truce negotiations of the Soviet Union and Japan and the reactions of western countries.In Changkufeng Incident, the Japanese army suffered a substantial loss and had not strength to fight on. On August 10 th, the 19 th division of the Japanese army was nothing but an “empty shell”. Suetaka Kamezou, the leader of the division reported to the Japanese supreme headquarters the dangerous situation resulted from the decreasing of military force. He wished to solve the border conflict through diplomatic channel. At the same time, the Soviet Union didn’t hold the idea of expanding the war. So the Soviet Union and Japan signed the armistice in Moscow. The Changkufeng Incident was announced to come to an end after a series of armistice negotiations. After the conflict, it could be seen that the casualty and death rate of the Japanese army was higher than that of the Soviet Union, according to the data contrast of both sides’ army force and loss. However, we should also see that because the Soviet Union had input a larger army force, it lost more people than Japan. That is to say, the actual loss of the Soviet Union was more than Japan. The attitudes of western countries to the Changkufeng Incident reflect their respective political choices and considerations.Chapter Six: The influence of the Changkufeng Incident. The incident had great influence on both the Soviet Union and Japan. The Soviet Union learned a lot of lesson from the incident. Blyukher, the commander of the Far East, was soon disposed because of his “deficient command”. The tragic end of Blyukher was just due to the Changkufeng Incident. After the incident, the Soviet Union further forced its military deployment in the Far East, in order to defend the threat of Japan. The Japanese believed that the loss in the Changkufeng Incident was due to the improper selection of combat place. Within the year after the Changkufeng Incident, Japan marched northward again, stirring up a war on the border between Manchu and Mongolia. And it was defeated. After the Changkufeng Incident, the relationship between China and the Soviet Union was constantly adjusted. The local people suffered a lot and led a miserable life. After the incident, the Japanese army sped up defense on the Tumen River near Fang chuan, in order to prevent the Soviet Pacific Fleet from approaching along the river. As a result, China’s getting access to the sea by Tumen River was forced to break off. The area around Changkufeng became a forbidden zone, as well as a depopulated zone. Fang chuan became an enclave.In a word, the Changkufeng Incident was a reflection of the complex international relations in Northeast Asia, and a product of the deterioration of the Japan-Soviet Union relations as well. It was more than just a conflict between the Soviet Union and Japan on the border between Manchu and the Soviet Union, but rather a partial experiment of Japan’s “northward strategy” in disguise of a border conflict. The incident, to some extent, made the Soviet Union contain Japan’s attempt to march northward, and guaranteed its safety in the Far East. From these we can see the national benefit-centered pragmatism embodied in the conflicts and strategic adjustment of both sides.