A thread: how russia captured the Japanese Karafuto (Sakhalin) - terrible details and parallels.
In the photo: locals of Maoka (during the occupation - Kholmsk).
In this post I want to share the details of the course of russian enslavement of Karafuto, which I found while working on other contexts. But first, basic information is needed:
1) Karafuto and the Kuriles were important parts of Japan, with a developed Japanese infrastructure, culture and traditions. The population was about half a million.
2) russian invasion of Karafuto and Chishima began on August 11, 1945, five days after the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and three days after a similar attack on Nagasaki, the de facto surrender of Japan (surrender on August 15). Karafuto and Chishima had small Japanese forces but large numbers of civilians and refugees from other Japanese islands. Russia, in turn, pathetically attacked the state, which had already surrendered - after the defeat by United States and its allies.
Now for the details of the occupation of Karafuto (the island was occupied on August 25, 1945, the Japanese of Karafuto held out under russian civilian bombing and terror for 14 days).
I came across a scientific paper from the law school of occupied Karafuto on how the russians organized "law and order and the fight against crime" on the island from 1945 to 1950.
Then - on points.
1. By the end of August 1945, russians were persecuting civilians south of Karafuto, about 70,000 people whom the occupying scholars call "a highly dangerous human mass." During the offensive, russians destroyed communications lines, transportation, livestock and Japanese businesses.
2. russians were not clearly explained that they had come to "russian lands", which led to "senseless destruction" [rus] of infrastructure, temples, as well as mass theft of industrial equipment, property of enterprises and organizations, as well as civilian property.
3. In mid-September 1945, it became known that russians had stolen all stocks of Japanese sake at Karafuto (202,457 decalitres); this led to mass drunkenness among the occupying military, ie terror against the local population.
4. In the autumn of 1945, the yen and all trade in Karafuto ceased, and russians began to provide services and goods to the occupiers free of charge (they later officially accused the Japanese of embezzlement). Curfew from 5:00 to 20:00 was imposed by orders from the mainland. The free movement of the Japanese was generally forbidden: it was controlled by the military commandant's offices of the occupiers.
6. In the first months of the occupation, there were no police on the island: russians demobilized the local occupation forces and transferred them to the NKVD. This led to even more mass terror of the locals. Professional chekists began arriving on the island from the mainland in November 1945 (473 people).
7. The Japanese, who remained loyal to the state, continued to resist the occupation, much to the dismay of russians. In particular, they organized a system of ammunition depots, military bases and other "hiding places", probably in anticipation of help. Unfortunately, help did not come.
8. russians joined the search for Japanese shelters by involving local Koreans (who thought they would be allowed to return to Korea; they were not allowed to). In the spring of 1946, an incident occurred: the Koreans led russians to Japanese warehouses disguised in the woods with a large number of small arms, ammunition, etc.
9. By January 1947, chekists had stolen 556 rifles, 21 machine guns, 5 mortars, 2 grenade launchers, 32 pistols, and a large number of melee weapons (probably katanas), ammunition, and explosives from the Japanese underground in various ways.
Lt. Col. Chikushi Fujio, who served as deputy chairman of the Tajik taboo on Karafuto, as well as Captain Kitayama, staged a sabotage in the city of Shisuka (Poronaysk), destroying Japanese infrastructure so that it would not serve the occupiers. The losses amounted to 6.6 million soviet rubles. [about 436 million US dollars]
11. The Japanese Yamada, who could not survive the occupation nationalization, destroyed (probably his own) a warehouse with rice, a hotel, as well as stocks of forest products, which russians have already managed to call "Sakhalinlesderevo" [SakhalinForestWood].
11.1. A former Kikuchi police officer organized a sabotage group that killed three pro-russian Korean traitors. The group had 86 rifles and 7050 rounds in total.
12. occupiers tried to fight the underground by creating "civilian security teams" consisting of russians and koreans. It is noted that the activities of these groups were not effective.
13. On February 2, 1946, USSR decided to forcibly passportize the population of Karafuto. They managed to "capture" only half of the total Japanese population of Karafuto (because half, at the cost of military lives, were able to evacuate to Japan). Among these: 254,299 Japanese, 24,774 Koreans, 79 Chinese, 152 Ainu.
14. During this period, russians began the mass import of russian civilians to Karafuto, and in parallel - the repatriation of the Japanese. It is noted that the Japanese left on the island all property and all life: valuables, real estate, etc. Many were robbed by russians on their way to Japan.
Russian repatriation commissioners engaged in corruption: enriching themselves at the expense of the Japanese, demanding bribes and robbing civilians. Actively settled in Japanese houses. Observing the crimes, the Japanese resorted to intensifying sabotage: burning their homes, jobs, etc.
16. It is noted that russian army in Karafuto was generally full of criminals. In particular, soviet soldiers simply left the units, drank heavily, and committed crimes with extreme cruelty. Among them - robbery, looting, infliction of grievous bodily harm to the Japanese, murder.
More details
