A pact of neutrality between the USSR and Japan is signed.

The Pact of Neutrality between the Soviet Union and Japan was a bilateral agreement signed in Moscow on April 13, 1941. The pact aimed to establish a neutral relationship between the two countries and to maintain peace and security in the Far East.

The signing of the pact was significant for both countries. Japan was engaged in a war with China and was looking to expand its territory in the Pacific. By signing the pact, Japan sought to secure its northern flank and prevent any possible attack from the Soviet Union.

For the Soviet Union, the pact was important in order to avoid a two-front war. At the time, the Soviet Union was also fighting in Europe against Nazi Germany, and the pact with Japan allowed the country to focus its military efforts on the Western front.

However, the pact was short-lived. Less than four months after its signing, Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into World War II. In response, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan in August 1945, two days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The Soviet Union’s entry into the war against Japan ultimately played a role in the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II. The Pact of Neutrality between the Soviet Union and Japan was officially terminated in April 1946, in the aftermath of the war.