The Decisive Battles of World History

Lecture 33: 1939 Khalkhin Gol—Sowing the Seeds of WWII

very high quality of the Russian tanks, which in many cases, were

better armed and armored than the German panzers.

x The experience Russia’s troops gained in the east also paid

dividends. At the moment when the German invasion posed its

greatest threat, the Russians were able to shift 18 army divisions,

1,700 tanks, and 1,500 aircraft from Mongolia to the western

front, and the infusion of these experienced soldiers was critical to

stopping the German advance.

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Russian counterattacks against the Germans that drove them out

of the Soviet Union and back into Germany. In these offensives,

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and air attacks that he had perfected at Khalkhin Gol. Hitler’s

invasion came close to succeeding; if not for Khalkhin Gol, Russia

might well have lacked the leadership, the tactics, the technology,

and the soldiers that ultimately made the difference.

Coox, Nomonhan: Japan against Russia.

Goldman, Nomonham 1939.

1. What differing approaches to warfare were displayed by the Japanese
   and the Russians in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol?


2. Do you agree or disagree with the arguments made for the long-term
   effects of Khalkin Gol? Why or why not?

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Questions to Consider