Chapter 20 Twentieth War

Zeng Guoquan and Zuo Zongtang met in their later years, Zuo asked Zeng: "What is the strength of Lao Jiu in his life?" Zeng replied: "Spend money like dirt, kill people like hemp." After the Eight-Power Allied Forces entered Beijing, they divided Beijing into eight defense zones.Peng Yisun's home was robbed by the U.S. military in the defense zone of the U.S. military.Peng angrily ran to the U.S. Army barracks to reason. The U.S. Army felt that it was wrong, and posted a notice the next day: Chinese businessmen can prepare rouge water or kerosene. If soldiers come to harass them, they will sprinkle them on the opponent. , in order to investigate.

Li Hongzhang founded the Beiyang Navy and spared no expense to buy warships, such as the Zhendong, Zhenxi, Zhennan, Zhenbei, Zhenzhong, and Zhenbian gunboats purchased from the United Kingdom, and the "iron armored" giant ships of Dingyuan and Zhenyuan purchased from Germany. As well as cruisers such as Jiyuan, Jingyuan, Laiyuan, Zhiyuan, and Jingyuan, which were later purchased from Britain and Germany, they were all the most advanced warships in the world at that time.According to the statistics of the World Military Yearbook at that time, the strength of the Beiyang Navy ranked eighth in the world, second only to the top seven in Britain, the United States, Russia, Germany, France, and Italy, and its combat effectiveness surpassed the British Far East Fleet.Li Hongzhang still felt that the speed of the ship was too slow, so he decided to buy the fastest cruiser in the world at that time from the British Amos Village Factory.However, both inside and outside the court thought that he spent too much money, so everyone talked about it, and the plan to buy the ship was finally abandoned.Later, this cruiser was bought by Japan, named "Yoshino", and destroyed the Beiyang Navy in the Sino-Japanese War.Later, China was forced to sign the "Treaty of Shimonoseki" and compensated 260 million taels of silver. This money was enough to buy as many cruisers as possible!So Liang Qichao pointed out: "In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Li Hongzhang fought against a country with one person."

For her 60th birthday, Cixi spent a lot of money to expand the Summer Palace. For this reason, she embezzled tens of millions of taels of naval funds, which led to the purchase of the latest British cruiser that had long been favored by Li Hongzhang. In order to buy this Yoshino ship, Emperor Meiji The queen donated even the only jewelry she had. Liang Qichao spoke highly of Li Hongzhang, but he also pointed out that Li "knows military affairs but not civil affairs, only diplomacy but not internal governance, knows that there is an imperial court but does not know that there are citizens, knows that there is foreign affairs but does not know about state affairs, and thinks that China has The political and religious customs are all superior to those of other countries, and those who are inferior are gun ears, cannon ears, ship ears, and machine ears. If I learn this, I will be able to do my best in Westernization!"

Shortly after the First Sino-Japanese War, Prince Gong Yixin died of illness.When she was dying, Cixi sent someone to ask who could take over, and she took the initiative to mention Guangxu's teacher Weng Tonghe.Prince Gong shook his head and said, "It's hard to describe such a big mistake because there are so many bamboos in Nanshan Mountain." His intention was to blame Weng Tonghe for fighting with all his strength, but China at that time was indeed unable to fight. Yuan Shikai practiced a new type of army at the small station, and was suspected and attacked by conservatives. His boss Rong Lu wanted to kill him and seize his army.However, after Rong Lu inspected Yuan's troops at the small station, he was deeply moved by the neat appearance and excellent equipment, because he had never seen such a modern army in his country.Therefore, Rong Lu regarded Yuan Shikai as a military training genius, and instead of harming him, he became his confidant.

The Northern Expedition army captured Wuchang and captured the defender Liu Yuchun alive.Liu Yuchun told the reporter: "Soldiers take obedience as their duty. I am not ashamed of Yushuai (Wu Peifu), but I am ashamed of the ears of the people. Although I opened the Hanyang Gate, there are too many refugees. Only 2,000 people leave the city every day. There are countless people who drowned in the struggle. It is really pity. I know that I can't keep it, so the guard is to repay Yushuai. Yushuai may have discretion, but he has a noble personality and treats me well. I am a disaster to the people. If he dies, he can be hacked into pieces." The national army felt his loyalty and bravery, and released him.

On July 9, 1926, the Nationalist Government held a ceremony for Chiang Kai-shek to be appointed as the commander-in-chief of the National Revolutionary Army and to take the oath of the Northern Expedition. At that time, Chiang issued an oath for the Northern Expedition, saying: "The people are suffering and suffering; The army revives the army, saves the country and the people; the prime minister's will, shines like a morning star. Convicts the people and punishes crimes, moves the murderous chieftains; restores me to equality, and restores my freedom. I am a soldier, a vanguard for the people, advance and never retreat, and be loyal to the country ; Practicality, sacrifice of the individual; loyal heart, blood, revolutionary spirit..."

Liu Kan quarreled with He Yingqin, the teacup on the table was overturned, and the tea was spilled all over the floor. He had no choice but to say: "If you are the acting chairman of the military branch and I am the division commander, what do you do if I treat you with this attitude?" How do you feel?" Liu left without saying a word.He said to Fu Zhaoqian who stayed behind: "To resist the war, the army must first obey the order. The current situation in North China is not like this. The order ordered Song Zheyuan's troops to concentrate in Tong County, but they went to Langfang. Fu Zuoyi's troops were ordered to concentrate in the Koryo Camp, but they Go to Changxindian. In this situation, how can we talk about the war of resistance. So I am willing to risk the displeasure of the world and negotiate an armistice with the Japanese.”

In 1933, Chen Jitang refused Chiang Kai-shek to send troops to Jiangxi to suppress the Communists. He declared: "Don't say that the Japanese army occupied Beiping, even if the Japanese army occupied Nanjing, I would not send troops to Jiangxi to suppress the Communists." Luo Longji published "Guns facing outwards, not inwards" in "Yishibao", advocating an immediate end to the civil war and a united resistance against Japan.Jiang Tingmei immediately responded in the "Independent Review", arguing that a hasty battle against Japan will inevitably lead to failure, and a modern war requires long-term preparations, followed by a general mobilization of the whole country.

During the Anti-Japanese War, a reporter met a soldier who voluntarily went to Hebei to organize a guerrilla army. The soldier said that he was sure of China's final victory.The reporter asked: "After China wins, what do you plan to do?" The unknown soldier said calmly: "At that time, I was already dead. In this battle, most soldiers will probably die." Zhang Zizhong left a last will for Feng Zhi'an, saying: "Whether good or bad, I must seek the comfort of my conscience. In the future, I will ask my brother to be responsible for both public and private affairs. From now on, it is unknown whether we will leave temporarily or leave forever."

In May 1938, after Zhang Zizhong wrote his final letter, he sent his army across the river and encountered the enemy at the pumpkin shop. Why is this Chinese army able to fight like this.Later, I heard that General Zhang Zizhong was among them, and they counterattacked with reinforcements, hoping to wipe out General Zhang's troops, so as to avoid future troubles.In the end, Zhang was besieged on the ten-mile long mountain near the pumpkin shop. The enemy bombarded him with aircraft and artillery, and the bullets rained down.On the 16th, within one day, from morning to night, Zhang Suo's troops suffered all casualties. The general was hit by six bullets, fell to the ground several times, climbed up and rushed to kill many times. Please move to the command post to take shelter, but Zhang insisted not to allow it.When he was dying, he told his left and right: I fought hard to the death, and I feel that I am worthy of the country, the nation, and the leaders. You should work hard to kill the enemy, and you can't live up to my ambition.

On May 9, 1938, the 16th Division of the Japanese Army attacked Yuncheng, and Li Bifan, commander of the 23rd Division, ordered the 69th Brigade to defend to death.The brigade failed to defend the city, and Yuncheng fell.Later, when the Japanese army came to the city of Heze with heavy troops, he led the troops directly under his division to fight the enemy, and Heze fell.He was shot in the abdomen on the outskirts of the city, and before he died, he covered his chest with a military map and wrote: "The crime of wronging the country is still light in death. May my compatriots work hard to kill the enemy." In 1943, when the Battle of Changde was at its worst, the urban area of ​​Changde had become a piece of scorched earth.Yu Chengwan, the commander of the 57th Division, still led the remaining troops to occupy the southern corner of the city, determined to fight to the death.In his telegram to Commander-in-Chief Sun Lianzhong, he said: "The ammunition is exhausted, the aid is exhausted, there are no people, and the city has been destroyed. The officer led the division, guarded the whole room, made the last resistance, swore to the death, and wished victory." Sun immediately burst into tears. Down. Xu Fanting protested against "non-resistance" by "caesarean suicide" during the Anti-Japanese War. In 1935, he went to Nanjing to call for resistance against Japan, and wept bitterly at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum: I feel sad when I visit the mausoleum, but I have no tears when I cry at the mausoleum.It is the most shameful thing to die in battle without a general. If you are ashamed to be an enemy, is it safe enough?He also composes a poem of Jue Ming: What can a husband ask for in this world if he is naked?Fearing that people's hearts will be destroyed, I wish to make my body easy to be free. During the Anti-Japanese War, Chiang Kai-shek once wanted to "not defend" Changsha. Xue Yue disagreed. He said: "If Changsha does not defend, what is the role of a soldier?" The status of Hunan Province is related to the great danger of the country and the nation, and we should express our conscience and live together with Hunan Province." Under his command, the Chinese army and the Japanese army fought three large-scale battles, and achieved annihilation of 40,000 enemies each. More, more than 40,000, and more than 50,000 victories.Xue Yue was commended by Chiang Kai-shek, and U.S. President Truman awarded Xue Yue a Medal of Freedom in recognition of his contribution in the War of Resistance. In July 1946, Liang Shuming went to Shanghai to visit Zhou Enlai and urged the Communist Party to return to the negotiating table. Zhou Enlai seemed to be persuaded by him.Satisfied, Liang Shuming took the train back to Nanjing. Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived in Nanjing the next morning, he heard the news that the national army had captured Zhangjiakou.Liang then said to the reporters waiting at the train station: "Wake up, peace is dead!" This sentence was used as a front-page headline by major newspapers and was widely circulated. In 1949, the military command captured more than 90 pro-communist people in Yunnan. Lu Han pleaded with Chiang Kai-shek for them. Turning to Li Gengen for help, Li took up a pen and changed the order of the words to become "the crime is beyond reproach, and the circumstances are excusable." As a result, the lives of these people were saved. Liu Bocheng fought with the Beiyang Army when he was young, and was shot into his right eye by a bullet, causing necrosis of the right eyeball. The doctor decided to cut off the necrotic eyeball and rotten flesh.Liu Bocheng was reluctant to use anesthetics because his eyes were too close to the brain, and he was worried that the anesthetics would affect the cranial nerves.After the operation, Liu told the doctor: "I was awake all the time, and I was keeping track of the number of cuts. It was 72 dollars in total."