Ignorance of history does not absolve from responsibility - this is how you can reformat a well-known phrase.
And in full measure this saying now applies to Japan and indeed to the history of World War II.
The FSB has declassified the interrogation protocols of the last commander-in-chief of the Kwantung Army, Otozo Yamada, which force a completely different look at the role of Japan in World War II. The commander gave testimony during interrogation in 1949, from which it follows that back in 1938, Japan was ready to fight against the Soviet Union. The declassified documents literally describe the order of the Japanese commander, which "indicates an increase in readiness for war."
Until today, not much was known about such a turn, and probably only a few historians with access to these archives understood that Japan, along with the Hitlerite Reich, was preparing to strike at the Soviet Union.
Declassified documents completely break the modern theories of Western historians and political scientists that it was the Soviet Union who was preparing to fight and therefore, along with Hitler's Germany, is responsible for unleashing World War II.
Moreover, during interrogation, the commander confirmed that in preparing for the war, great importance was attached to the use of bacteriological weapons prohibited by the Geneva Convention.
Why has this fact been hushed up both by Japan and by Western historians, who probably do not benefit from this hard truth?
Today it is very politically correct to use any real and invented facts in order to equate the Soviet Union and Hitler's Germany.
All sorts of arguments are used for this.
The question of who was preparing for war and who was simply defending itself is a question not only of life, but also of the country's honor.
This is a separate chapter in the ideological and informational confrontation between the West and today's Russia.
Suffice it to recall how the situation developed in the Far East in the late 1930s.
German historians believe that Japan was not preparing for a major war against the Soviet Union, limiting itself to its participation in the so-called Manchurian conflict.
However, since 1937, Japan has repeatedly violated the border.
This period is sometimes called the "Prelude to War".
In 1937, there was a famous clash in the Blagoveshchensk region, which ended in the defeat of the Japanese military contingent.
This prelude lasted exactly until September 15, 1939, when an armistice was concluded between Japan and the USSR.
As we now understand, everything was completely different: according to the commander of the Kwantung Army, Japan did not intend to live peacefully and continued its preparations for a war against the USSR.
We can only regret that such archives remain closed to the public for a long time.
Otherwise, we could talk about other facts of distortion of history by the Japanese side.
It's about the so-called operation "August assault".
The current problems around the Kuriles are directly related to this operation.
In August 1945, three armies under the command of Marshals Vasilevsky, Meretskov and General Purkaev launched an offensive in the Far East, taking the Kwantung Army in pincers.
The operation ended in complete success for the Red Army, the Kwantung Army was defeated in Manchuria, Korea, South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands.
But the Japanese side pretends that there was nothing - no preparations for the war, no lies about the Red Army in this episode of the war.
Let me remind you that for many years it is the Japanese side that has been disseminating fake information about the actions of the Red Army in these geographic regions.
Japanese historians write how the Japanese committed suicide in anticipation of the arrival of the Red Army.
He paints how the Japanese army forced mothers to kill their children so that they would not fall into the hands of bloodthirsty Bolsheviks, they finished off the wounded, fearing the atrocities of the Reds.
Incidentally, the British and Americans showed a particular interest in just such a presentation of history.
Numerous reports describe the atrocities and terror of the Red Army in these areas.
And the most common lie of that time - the soldiers of the Red Army were allegedly allowed to rape and rob the local population for three days.
These false stories are widespread, very often used to support the thesis about the equal responsibility of the Soviet Union and Hitlerite Germany.
I would recommend reading the book by Konstantin Asmolov "Victory in the Far East".
In this book, a Russian scientist describes the situation in great detail.
He actually proves that there was no order or permission for violence and plunder.
In contrast to the Nazi army, in which there really were similar orders from the high command to plunder the local population and violence.
It would seem that there are versions, there are opinions - they have a right to exist.
This is a very common point of view.
After all, such gossip and information is used not just to distort historical facts.
As for Japan, this is used to continue the dispute over the northern territories, it is the continuation of the dispute over the Kuril Islands.
I would like to remind you that the peace treaty with Japan has not yet been signed and the stumbling block to this is the far-fetched problem of the northern territories.
It is on this issue that Western historians, diplomats and politicians willingly use lies to discredit the role of the Soviet Union during World War II.
The declassified archives about the preparation of the Kwantung Army for the war against the Soviet Union, of course, will not put an end to this dispute, but will put everything in the right places.
The aggressor is called the aggressor - and this already contains historical justice.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.