Chapter 27 This year's general trend

The 1930s were noisy, so was the world, and so was China. People can hardly forget the huge disaster that the economic crisis sweeping across the world has brought to people's lives. People are suffering from unemployment, hunger and despair.Fascism, which took advantage of the chaos, ran rampant in Europe, and the warlike roar made people tremble with fear, and the dark cloud of war began to cover most of the earth.Human beings are faced with the great threat of being completely deprived of their ideas, freedom, and living rights. Only the Soviet Union seems to be a paradise, and its economic construction is developing rapidly, but the political cleansing and ideological persecution there are also harsh. Well known.

In China in 1935, everything that was popular in the world was also popular in China, from the economic crisis, fascism, Japanese invasion to the communist movement, but there was a protracted civil war. On New Year's Day in 1935, Hu Shi, a professor of Peking University, arrived in Lingnan and went to Guangdong and Guangxi.Like many other tourists, he has very different impressions of the two provinces.In appearance, as Hu Zhengzhi, a reporter from "Ta Kung Pao", commented in "Portraits of Guangdong and Guizhou": "Guangdong is rich while Guangxi is poor, Guangdong is large and Guangxi is small." Li bluntly compared Guangxi with Guangzhou: "My first impression of Guangxi is that there is no superstitious, ancient-loving reactionary atmosphere in the province. The reading of scriptures, worshiping Confucius, worshiping Guanyue, and repairing Temples, pagodas, and other medieval customs have disappeared in Guangxi." But in order to fight against Chiang Kai-shek in Nanjing, the authorities of Guangdong and Guangxi have always been united like brothers.When the Red Army crossed the border, what made them more fearful was not the Red Army that took the road, but the Nanjing Army that followed.

Two months after retreating from the Central Soviet Area, the Central Red Army suffered unprecedented setbacks.During the First Battle of the Xiangjiang River, those who witnessed it later recalled the tragic scene of the Red Army's blood staining the Xiangjiang River, and still have lingering pain in their hearts. In January 1935, in Zunyi, Guizhou, the generals of the Red Army could no longer bear such heavy casualties and supported Mao Zedong's comeback.Mao Zedong's comeback was later recognized as a turning point in the fate of the Red Army, the Communist Party, and even China.But at that time, the miracle did not appear immediately. In order to get rid of the pursuers, the thinly dressed and malnourished Red Army had to look for a way out in the increasingly desolate southwest and northwest.In that area, their enemies are not only the pursuers of the Kuomintang, but also the harsh nature. Various factors such as hunger, cold, snow-capped mountains, and grasslands are threatening this dwindling army.

Chiang Kai-shek was enjoying the joy of being a victor. He not only drove the Red Army out of the Jiangnan area, but also sent his pursuers into Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan and other southwestern provinces.These provinces have never completely surrendered to the previous weak central government in the entire 20 years since Yuan Shikai failed to proclaim himself emperor.The generals in these remote provinces exposed their weakness and backwardness when the Red Army crossed the border. They saw the well-equipped central army marching into their territory for many years, and they were envious, jealous, and even more afraid.The weak Guizhou was first controlled by the Nanjing government. General Long Yun in Yunnan received Chiang Kai-shek warmly. After the door was opened, the warlords in Sichuan did not dare to neglect Chiang Kai-shek, a "downriver man" from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

At the beginning of this year, China, which was suffering from bad luck, was suddenly flattered by the big powers. Britain, the United States, and Japan were fighting for fear of falling behind in investment in China, and their faces were red.The United States sent an economic mission, and Japanese business people came more frequently.China has become a huge country and the largest commodity sales market in the Far East. In 1935, for a whole year, Chiang Kai-shek's government welcomed the Japanese.As soon as Japanese Foreign Minister Koyoshi Hirota proposed goodwill diplomacy, Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei immediately echoed it. Senior military and political officials of the two sides exchanged frequent visits, and non-governmental economic delegations also came and went. Sino-Japanese relations unexpectedly ushered in a spring.In this year, Sino-Japanese relations were upgraded from ministers to ambassadors, and Britain, the United States, and Germany followed suit.However, the high-ranking officials of the national government just broke through their tears and laughed. The North China crisis came, and the silver crisis happened. Everyone immediately had a premonition that disaster was imminent.

In 1935, the pro-Japanese policy of the Nanjing government was the most embarrassing. In order to satisfy Japan, it did not hesitate to brutally suppress the anti-Japanese public opinion and sentiment of its own people.When the "gossip emperor" incident happened, Du Chongyuan, the editor-in-chief of the magazine, was arrested and imprisoned, becoming a victim of this policy. The promulgation of the "Dunmu State Diplomacy Order" is even more unusual. The government is simply warning the people in the country: the Japanese can do anything wrong in China, while the Chinese are left with the freedom to keep silent.

In 1935, for a whole year, Japan never stopped tormenting China. There were mental tortures such as the "New Life Incident", naked threats of force before the signing of the "Qin-Territory Agreement" and the "Hemei Agreement", and such "North China Autonomy" and other deadly actions that directly dismember North China.Japan finally took action in North China. The Nanjing government became timid and withdrew the Central Army and the Kuomintang Party Headquarters from Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, leaving the helpless Song Zheyuan 29th Army to deal with the Japanese. The situation is hopeless, as if nothing can stop the Japanese from seizing North China.

The almost crazy Japanese government has proved with actions that Japan not only wants the Northeast, but also North China, and even enslaves the whole of China. This year, those Chinese who had hope that Japan could "rein in the precipice" felt completely disillusioned. Hu Shi, who returned to Peking University after his trip to the south, was one of them. From the end of 1935 to the beginning of 1936, there were many rounds of correspondence and debate between Hu Shi and Japanese political commentator Takanobu Murobushi.Seeing that a catastrophe of war is about to erupt like a volcano, two intellectuals whose reason is stronger than emotion are desperately looking for the source of the disaster. Hu Shi published the article "Regard to the Japanese Citizens", warning that the actions of the Japanese will not only destroy China, but also destroy China. will destroy Japan.

Japan is China's close neighbor and has always maintained close diplomatic relations.Although China has had an advantage for thousands of years, it has never sent a single soldier to Japan.The First Sino-Japanese War brought about a new pattern in East Asia. Japan made expansion to mainland China a national policy. Japan gradually became the master of East Asia, while China became weak.Every move of Japan will affect the fate of China. Sun Yat-sen, the father of the Republic, had a deep connection with Japan in his political career, and he was soberly aware of this in his later years. At the end of 1924, Sun Yat-sen, whose candle of life was about to be extinguished, traveled northward via Japan. During his short stay, he issued a warning to the Japanese government and the public, warning Japan to be the dry city of Asia, not the eagle dog of Europe and the United States.

After the "September 18th" Incident, Chiang Kai-shek also wanted to turn an enemy into a friend with Japan, even at the expense of the entire Northeast. "The Enemy?" published at the end of 1934.friendly? "The article is the proof.This article published in the "Diplomatic Journal" is signed by Xu Daolin.Its spirit was completely inspired by Chiang Kai-shek. From the title, one can imagine Chiang's thoughts. He was unwilling to make a real enemy of Japan.It doesn’t matter whether he is pro-Japanese or knows Japan. He is confident that he knows Japan better than others, and he has always been in awe of Japan. This should be traced back to his studying in Japan and serving in the Japanese army. experience.Like Chiang Kai-shek, many so-called pro-Japanese factions have studied in Japan, and many of them have illusions about Japan.Because they not only know the tenacious and well-trained Japanese army, but also understand the special customs, spirit and culture of Japan.Many Japanese helped the Tongmenghui and the Kuomintang. Some Japanese were their teachers, some were their classmates, some were financial sponsors, and some even became their personal friends.People who have never been to Japan often see the fierce, greedy, narrow-minded and arrogant side of the Japanese from what Japan did in China at that time, while the Chinese who have studied in Japan also see the excellent side of Japanese culture. Becoming a world power has its own reasons, not just a fluke.However, people who think they are familiar with Japanese people's nature and national conditions know more about Japan, and sometimes they can't see the forest for the trees. The relationship and personal friendship of the Japanese can change the speed and direction of Japan's invasion of China. It can be said that "I don't know the true face of Mount Lu, only because I am in this mountain."

Hu Shi is not considered a fierce anti-Japanese activist in China. He does not even advocate an unsure war with Japan. This can be seen from his support for the government to sign the "Tanggu Agreement" in 1933 and his participation in low-key club activities after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. can see.Therefore, he considered the crux of the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations entirely based on reason, although Japan was losing its mind at that time.Hu Shi himself is very aware of this point. His articles are written for those few Japanese who still have reason.If Hu Shi is a representative of the moderate and rational faction among Chinese people, then Takanobu Murofushi is considered a rare Japanese political commentator who still has reason, because he realizes that Japan's crazy aggression against China will have devastating consequences.But even such people actually blame the Chinese for only being close to Britain and the United States, and not to being close to the Japanese of the same race. The fate of North China is testing the limits of the Chinese people's patience. The Chinese Communist Party realized this, and its delegation in Moscow loudly called for the establishment of an anti-Japanese national united front.This statement was issued in August 1935. At that time, the Communist army in China was trekking hard on the Long March. When they reached northern Shaanxi and settled down on a piece of barren land, they quickly integrated into the main force against Japanese aggression. Go with the trend.This Red Army team, which has gone through countless hardships, is unparalleled in the world with its strong will, but it is still weak in terms of numbers and equipment.They needed to recuperate, and a new policy was quickly formulated. The most important thing was to put the national danger first, so that the opponents in the civil war gradually lost their enthusiasm and will to "suppress the Communist Party."The narcissism and enemy-making policy of the Soviet era in the South was criticized within the party. The Kuomintang is still hovering between "peace" and "war", but the North China Incident has shaken the foundation of its compromise policy towards Japan.Since 1932, Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei have jointly pursued a policy of compromise with Japan.Wang Jingwei has always been in the foreground and has become the leader of the pro-Japanese faction recognized throughout the country. In late June 1935, the Overwatch Council proposed an impeachment case against Huang Yu, Yin Rugeng and other six people, and Wang Jingwei himself was increasingly criticized by the public.This is a serious warning to Wang Jingwei's policy of compromise with Japan.At this time, Chiang Kai-shek still needed Wang Jingwei to slander the pro-Japanese compromise policy, so he asked Wang Jingwei to reinstate his post, and Wang Jingwei half pushed back and reconsidered the matter. But at the end of this year, due to the establishment of the Hebei-Chahar Political Affairs Commission, a local government that was established at the request of the Japanese and not controlled by the central government, China has reached a critical point that either explodes or dies. On November 3, the Ta Kung Pao's weekly commentary called for: "We hope that the government will have an active foreign policy from now on. We hope that people in charge of various aspects of the government will decide the issue of peace and war during this month. If you want to make peace, don't be afraid of scolding, but endure the pain; if you want to fight, don't be afraid of death, and be ready to sacrifice." In December, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held the Wayaobao Conference in northern Shaanxi, clearly proposing to establish an anti-Japanese united front and resolutely resist Japan. On December 9th, a bitter winter day, tens of thousands of students in North China took to the streets. This group of vigorous young people took the lead in breaking through the government’s suppression of anti-Japanese public opinion. resonance and echo. In 1935, China, which gradually lost its sovereignty over North China, fell into the bottom of the valley involuntarily.The crisis in North China had completely shaken the foundation of the Chiang Kai-shek government's policy of "settling the country before fighting against the outside world" by the Japanese aggressors, and the policy of compromising, forbearance, and currying favor with Japan was coming to an end.At the KMT's "Five All" Congress, Chiang Kai-shek finally promised that, at the last moment in his mind, the government was ready for full-scale resistance.From the end of 1935 onwards, whatever the noble pretext, the Civil War was increasingly blamed by public opinion.The Japanese government never imagined that pushing China into a dead end would force the Chinese to show the courage to survive and regain the sense of urgency to fight against the enemy together. 1936 will test this out.