Comments by "Evan" (@MrEvanfriend) on "Chester Nimitz: Grand Admiral of the Pacific" video.
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The Soviet entry to the Pacific war was a nonfactor in the Japanese surrender. The USSR was not a threat to the Home Islands in any way - they lacked the ability to project force overseas in any meaningful sense. Stalin only joined the war against Japan when he knew that surrender was imminent, because he wanted a piece of the Japanese empire, which he knew would be treated similarly to Europe after the defeat of Nazi Germany.
The idea that the Soviets joining the war somehow influenced the Japanese decision to surrender is revisionist nonsense spouted by Soviet apologists. Japan had just had two cities obliterated with single bombs of unprecedented power. Many of her other cities had been razed by incendiary bombings (the bombing of Tokyo during Operation Meetinghouse caused more destruction and killed more people than either of the atomic bombs did). Japan's navy was at the bottom of the Pacific, her island territories were crawling with Marines, and the population was starving. The Japanese knew exactly what was coming with Operation Downfall, the proposed invasion of the Home Islands (due to Japan's geography, there aren't many choices as to where to stage a massive amphibious landing). These are the reasons Japan surrendered. The fact that the Soviets, a powerful nation on land but with only a token navy and no long range strategic bombers (The Tu-4 "Bull", a Soviet copy of the American B-29, wouldn't enter service until 1949), entered the war wouldn't have been seen as much of a threat to an island nation like Japan.
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