Khalkin-Gol War in Inner Asia, 1939
In 1939 Japan and the USSR fought a small war on the border between Manchukuo (Japanese-controlled Manchuria) and the People’s Republic of Mongolia (a Soviet satellite). The fighting’s outcome turned Japanese ambitions toward the Pacific, but that was not foreordained. The Japanese made plans for a wider war against the Soviets, and that easily might have been the scenario that played out.

Articles

• The Rise of Soviet Airpower 1917–41 On 22 June 1941, the Luftwaffe struck a seemingly decisive blow against the Soviet Air Force, destroying several thousand planes in a few weeks. Despite that, by mid-1943 the Soviets were back in the sky in strength. The sources of that turnaround go back to 1917, and are remarkable given the obstacles Soviet aviation had to overcome.
• Germany’s Missiles In the mid-1930s, the Luftwaffe pursued innovative technologies and weapons in an effort to become the world’s most powerful air force. Fortunately for the world, that effort atrophied when its main sponsor, Chief of Staff Gen. Walther Wever, died in an air crash on 3 June 1936. The fact German missiles came close to operational use is testament to the expertise of the engineers and scientists involved.
• The Falaise Gap Halt Order On 13 August 1944, a “halt order” from Bradley’s 12th Army Group stopped Patton from closing the gap between Argentan and Falaise and trapping German Seventh and Fifth Panzer Armies. That allowed a large number German troops to escape—among them their most determined cadre. Those men were later key in defeating Operation Market Garden, holding the West Wall, and counterattacking in the Ardennes. Here is our analysis.