The background of the battle of Zhanggufeng

Zhanggu Peak, also known as Knife Mountain, is called "Zaozelnaya" in Russian, meaning the highlands across the lake, and is located 1.5 kilometers north of Fangchuan Village in Jingxin Township, on the China-Russia border, with an elevation of 155.1 meters above sea level. The east and north of the mountain is the long pool (called Lake Hassan in Russia) and Pochet plain, northwest and Sha Caofeng connected, southwest and 141.2 highlands, south is the village of Fangchuan site, about 2.5 kilometers southeast of the junction of China, Russia and North Korea. Sha Cao Peak is located 2 kilometers northwest of Zhanggu Peak in China, 77.1 meters above sea level, east of Sha Cao Peak bubble to the Russian-Chinese border line 1.2 kilometers. 3.5 kilometers southeast of the peak there is a soil character monument.

Zhanggu Peak has always been China's territory, but the tsarist Russia in 1858 with the Qing government signed the "Won Hoon Treaty", deliberately borrowed the treaty different text secretly steal this area. The Chinese text of the treaty shows that Zhanggufeng is Chinese territory according to the national boundaries drawn in the treaty. The Russian text of the treaty, on the other hand, assigned Zhanggufeng to Tsarist Russia.

In fact, according to the 1886 Hunchun boundary treaty, the border line passed through the eastern foothills of Zhanggu Peak. -In the 1920 map issued by the Army Survey and Mapping Bureau of the Three Eastern Provinces, the border line is through slightly more east than the border line of the Hunchun boundary treaty.

The pseudo-Manchukuo considered Zhanggu Peak and Sha Cao Peak as its own territory and included them in the Hunchun county boundary, mainly based on the following: 1. According to the Hunchun boundary treaty of 1886, the border line passed through the foothills on the east side of Zhanggu Peak.　2, according to the 1909 tour of Hunchun Border Office staff with the Chinese army in the foreign museum ping *** with the map, the border line through the Zhanggu Peak is located on the east side of the Changchi (Hassan Lake) east of the area, the direction is from south to north.　3, 1911 by the Russian staff survey and drawing of the map, reduced by 84,000, the border line and the above "2" in the border line is the same.　4. In the maps issued by the Army Survey of the Eastern Provinces from 1915 to 1920, the border line passes slightly eastward of the border line in "1" above.

The Soviet side, however, did not mention the map drawn by the Russian staff, but claimed that the border line according to the Hunchun boundary treaty passes through the western side of Lake Hassan, and considered that the Заозёрная heights (Zhanggu Peak) belonged to the territory of the USSR. For more than a year after the September 18th Incident, the area along the state border near Boundary Marker 36 was semi-open with no troops stationed by the pseudo-Manchurian army and only a few state border police patrolling the area. In the first year of the Pseudo-Kantoku period (1934), the National Border Surveillance Unit was established as the national defense police. The department was full of Korean youths recruited without military training, military discipline was lax, nuisance to the people, and was soon disbanded. Jilin Second Military Region, assigned by the Yanji Infantry Eighth Regiment, Wangqing County Infantry Ninth Regiment and Jilin City Instructional Infantry Second Regiment, each of which drew out a reinforced company (with heavy machine guns and mortars) to form a border guard unit, which came under the command of the Yanji Regional Command and served as a border guard for the eastern part of Jilin Province. A reinforced company (organized into four squads) drawn from the 2nd Battalion (Recruit Battalion) of the 2nd Regiment of Jilin City Instructional Infantry was transferred to Jushaping in Hunchun County to serve as a national defense guard, covering the national border from Wujiazi Mountain, through National Border Marker No. 36, Lianhuabao Mountain, and Shacao Peak to the southernmost part of the country along Zhanggufeng Peak. The strength and staffing were: Company Commander Eiji Kazama (Japanese), Company Deputy Lieutenant Kazue Ogawa (Japanese), 1st Platoon Commander Lieutenant Shang Guoliang, 2nd Platoon Commander Ensign Liu Chunhua, 3rd Platoon Commander Ensign Wang Binqi, and Machine Gun Platoon Commander Ensign Katsuzaburo Akihara (Japanese). The company's troop deployment was: Wujiazi Mountain (including the post) was guarded by the 1st Platoon; Lianhua Bao Mountain (including the post) was guarded by the 2nd Platoon, and the 3rd Platoon and the machine gun platoon were stationed at Jiushaping as the reserve. Each platoon switched its defense once every half a month. Every day, the troops in Jiushaping sent cavalry to patrol along the national border in our case. Patrol route: from Jiushaping, through the lotus bubble, three bubble, four bubble, five sub-tun, and then return to Jiushaping.

In May 1938, the Japanese army mobilized the Korean army belonging to the Hoi-nyeong troops to the sister peaks of the Zhanggu bees, Zhangqi peaks to build bunkers, withdrawn after more than 20 days.

Toward the end of June 1938, the Soviet Army suddenly occupied Janggu Bee Peak, constructing fortifications and laying barbed wire on the mountain. The Japanese believed that the occupation of Janggubong by the Soviets was equivalent to having a strategic location where they could control Korea and northeastern China. This was on the eve of the Japanese attack on Hankow, and in order to avoid a clash with the Soviet Union, the commander of the Chosun Army, Kuniaki Koiso, adopted the policy of not resorting to force.

The Kwantung Army began preparations for the war against the Soviet Union in February, suggesting that it would be better to pay for the war out of the cost of the Chinese Incident. Prior to that, it also ordered staff officers such as Masanobu Migi to visit the site and at the same time reported its strong views to the Main Office and the Korean Army. This was because the confidence of the Kwantung Army had been boosted by the Ganfukushima Incident. The Army, since the China Incident, had demanded huge temporary military expenses under the pretext of an expanded front to build up 51 well-equipped divisions. During the four and a half years, the military expenditure had increased to more than 6 trillion yen, half of which was consumed in the China theater and the rest was used for later expansion of armaments, including the cost of the war against the Soviet Union.

The approach of the diplomatic negotiations at the Main Office was to ask the Soviet Union to withdraw its troops. As a precaution, the 19th Division of the Korean Army (Lt. Gen. Ogao Kamezo), which was close to this area, was also ordered to move. The division was based in northern Korea and its mission was to prepare for war against the Soviet Union, not China.

But the Main Office suddenly changed course and tried to test the Soviet Union's attitude, i.e., it intended to play a dangerous trick. According to Omoto, "In such a narrow area, it is impossible to mobilize a large number of troops, and therefore it will not lead to a large-scale war. Even if the entire division were destroyed, it would not matter, and it would be a good time to show the Soviet Union Japan's strength." However, the only ones who were unlucky were the soldiers and their families.

The Navy objected to the Army's approach, arguing that the Hankow landings would require a large escort of warships to ensure the transportation of weapons and troops, and that it was therefore important to avoid playing dangerous games with their opponents. The Army ignored this and insisted on fighting a limited war, i.e., mobilizing only one division without pursuing it into Soviet territory. Army Minister Itagaki Shoshiro and Chief of Staff Idlewild Miyagi Sairen both agreed. Isoinomiya told Emperor Showa, "That disputed area must be seized by force." And also cautioned, "If His Majesty does not authorize it, of course it cannot be acted upon." Instead, Miyauchi Minister Kurahei Yuasa told the Emperor, "In the grand scheme of things, we should not engage the Soviet Union in war at this time." The Emperor asked, "What if they still want to act arbitrarily even if I don't approve?" Yuasa replied, "That would make it impossible to control the Army. If it causes a war, I don't know what the fate of Japan will be, it's really worrying." The Emperor said, "Probably the Army will not come to its senses until that happens." Posing as a bystander. The Emperor was the Grand Marshal of the Army and watched his men drag the country into a dangerous situation, but still allowed them to do whatever they wanted. As the Grand Marshal, it should be said that this is extremely irresponsible. Genro Saionji Kōbō talked to his secretary Harada Kumio, "His Majesty's view seems to be very wrong. For His Majesty, what is needed at the moment is a firm disapproval. In the event that the use of force against the Soviet Union causes a war, Konoe (the Prime Minister) had better resign." (Saionji Gongwang and the Political Bureau, vol. 7, p. 50)

Itagaki and Idle Institution Miyagi entered the palace to obtain the Emperor's approval. Usami Hinoya conveyed the Emperor's decree from the Chief Military Attaché saying, "If you have come here for the purpose of requesting the use of force, I have no intention of approving it." It was only after repeated requests that the Emperor received them and asked, "How are your consultations with the ministers concerned going?" Itagaki replied, "The Minister of Foreign Affairs (Ugaki) and the Minister of the Navy (Mitsukasa Yonai) are in favor of it." In fact, the Emperor had already learned that the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Navy were "opposed to the use of force". Therefore, the Emperor was furious and said sternly, "The Army's behavior is outrageous. In the September 18th Incident in Liujianggou, and later in Lugouqiao, completely disobeyed the orders of the central government and acted arbitrarily in the area. As my army, it has repeatedly resorted to undeservedly despicable means. In the future, not a single soldier can be moved without my orders." (Saionji Kōbō and the Political Bureau, vol. 7, p. 5l)

According to Foreign Minister Ugaki Issei, the day after his sōtō to deal with the incident peacefully, Idlewild Palace went up to Emperor Yasuya and asked for permission to send troops to the Soviet border. The Emperor saw the sangha and withheld it. It was not approved by the Idle House officers. The message was to order the Korean Army divisions and two or three divisions of the Kwantung Army to be stationed on the eastern border of "pseudo-Manchukuo". In the "Remarks" at the end of the sangoku, it was stated, "Please appoint the Chief of Staff to be in charge of the future mobilization of these troops." If the Emperor had approved the sangoku in this way, then, according to the "Remarks," the important authority to fight against the Soviet Union would have been entrusted to the Chief of Staff, and the power of command would have been vested in the Headquarters of the General Staff, thus depriving the Emperor of his authority. The fact that such an important matter was not included in the main text, but was put in the "memorandum", was obviously an attempt to trick the Emperor into approving it by means of a blindfold. Afterward, Ugaki was moved to say, "Your Majesty's refusal to authorize it was truly wise." It is remarkable that the Emperor did not hasten to approve the army's attempt to seize his command and start a large-scale war, but the Emperor was careful not to do so.

The Main Office ordered the Japanese troops to retreat from the conflict zone, while Division Commander Onaka led some of the soldiers to hold their ground, intending to act on the basis of the Army's Internal Affairs Order.

In July, Japan proposed to the Soviet Union that the Lake Hassan area near Janggu Bee belonged to Manchuria and should be transferred to Manchuria, but the Soviet Union refused.

July 7, 1938, the Kwantung Army listening to learn the Soviet Union Poshet area police chief to the Khabarovsk Sugorov Lieutenant General telegram, judging that the Soviet army attempted to occupy the Janggubong 12 kilometers northeast of the western heights of the Xiangshandong. Immediately, he informed the Korean Army (Army Commander Senior General Kuniaki Koiso), the Hunchun Garrison, and the special services in the area. The Chosun Army immediately ordered the 19th Division and the Hunchun Garrison to be on alert.

July 15, the Japanese army Matsushima, chief of the army, and Ito Jun Cao and other three people, disguised as Korean farmers, went to the vicinity of Janggubong to reconnoiter the Soviet military facilities. By the residents living in Bongchon Jin Haenan and Gao Yun eight lead the way, after entering the Soviet border, let Jin, Gao two sentries, Matsushima, Ito and others split up to draw the map of military facilities on the Soviet border. Discovered by the Soviet border guards, Matsushima was killed and the remaining two fled, which was the trigger for the Zhang Gu Feng incident.

On July 16, Japan sent a note to the Soviet Union, citing Matsushima's death as the reason, demanding that the Soviets withdraw from Janggubong or take measures. The Soviets declared that the Japanese troops had violated Soviet territory and thus shot Matsushima. On the same day, the Japanese Army Ministry at the Japanese Main Office ordered the commander of the Japanese Army in Korea, Lt. Gen. Nakamura Kotaro, to centralize the troops under his command and put them on standby. The commander of the Korean Army ordered Onaka Kamezo, commander of the 19th Division in Ronan, to prepare to send troops to control the national border and deploy four squadrons of infantry, two brigades of mountain artillery and one brigade of field heavy artillery.

On July 17, Nakamura Kotaro ordered Ontaka Kamezo that the troops must be concentrated in the area of Kyeongheung and Agoji by dawn on the 19th.

On July 20, the Japanese ambassador to the Soviet Union, Shigemitsu Aoi, strongly demanded from the Soviet government that it withdraw from Janggu Peak or else the Soviets would be responsible for all the consequences arising therefrom. The Soviet Foreign Affairs People's Committee replied: 'No threat can frighten Moscow'.

The Soviets stepped up their war preparations, and in early July, more than 10 Soviet border guards constructed a defense position on the western slope of Zhanggu Peak, which was increased to more than 40 by the 11th.On the morning of July 20, 10 Soviet border guards constructed a position at Shachao Peak. Military vehicles increased sharply on the highway along the Soviet border, and more than 30 transport ships sailed into the port of Pochette.

Lieutenant General Onaka Kamezo, the commander of the 19th Division, was known as an aggressive and daring general, and his subordinate unit commanders were also many tough men. Until July 20, the division's generals were influenced by the central ministry's idea of giving a blow to the Soviet army's illegal crossing of the border with strength, and they made preparations for retaking the border with great determination.