Yakov Malik and Soviet policy toward Japan at the beginning of World War II

The paper is devoted to a Soviet diplomat Y.A. Malik (1906—1980), the USSR ambassador to Japan during World War II. Malik became the first ambassador to Tokyo whose professional career in the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs (NKID) began with the Japanese direction. The author examines Malik's activities from the beginning of his work in the NKID structures until his appointment as Ambassador in 1942, analyzing his reports on the Soviet-Japanese relations, Japan's domestic and foreign policy, as well as its international affairs, and its position toward the USSR. 
Based on numerous primary sources, the article traces the diplomat’s career path and his professional development, showing how he evolved from a junior official into one of the Soviet Union’s leading experts on Japan, whose views were taken seriously at the highest level. The paper shows that his analytical reports and political assessments were consistent with many of Moscow’s policy decisions regarding Japan, and in some cases served, if not as direct justification, then as important arguments in support of particular decisions made by the Soviet leadership. Therefore, Malik should be regarded as one of the actors who influenced Soviet policy toward Japan. 
Special attention is paid to the period from the beginning of Germany's invasion of the USSR on June 22, 1941, to the summer of 1942, when Malik presented his credentials to Emperor Hirohito and officially became ambassador — the youngest one in Tokyo. The article provides a detailed analysis of the evolution of the Japanese authorities’ attitude toward Soviet representatives and of Japan’s political course toward the USSR, including their approach to the Soviet—Japanese Neutrality Pact. It also examines the views of Soviet diplomats concerning bilateral relations with Japan, etc. The author concludes that this period is the key to understanding why Malik's work was so highly evaluated. This, in turn, predetermined his tenure in one of the most important diplomatic posts for the USSR until the end of World War II, and then the subsequent career rise of the young diplomat, who later held leading positions in the Soviet Foreign Ministry. 
The main source base for the study was the archival documents, many of which are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. 

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