Chapter 25 Chapter 5 Sudden Changes (2)

2 Xuzhou was defeated, and Chiang Kai-shek's position in the party was in jeopardy. If the Anti-Japanese War brought Chiang Kai-shek's prestige to its peak, then with the fall of the capital Nanjing and the retreat of the battlefield, the chairman's prestige has been damaged and dropped to the bottom.However, the opposition led by Wang Jingwei took the opportunity to press forward step by step, clamoring for a review of "major mistakes in the strategy against Japan", "serious consequences of the ten-month war of resistance with force", etc., forcing Chiang Kai-shek to bear the heavy responsibility for the military defeat and He had to verbally apply to the Central Political Council for punishment.The opposition has gained the upper hand, and has pushed forward to propose the implementation of the "intra-party impeachment system". There is no doubt that this is a foreshadowing with extremely sinister intentions and a premeditated conspiracy within the party to seize power. Next, it is Wang Jingwei's turn to enter the court in a grandiose manner.Fortunately, the pro-Chiang faction fought back fiercely, so that the impeachment resolution was dropped.Wang Jingwei wanted to use the hands of the Japanese to achieve the goal of seizing power. It is really "Sima Zhao's heart, and everyone knows it." .

Chiang Kai-shek, who went out to inspect the army, returned to his mansion at East Lake in Wuchang in the middle of the night, but he was awakened shortly after falling asleep.Because the leader suffers from neurasthenia for a long time, sleep disturbance is the most irritable, so usually no one dares to disturb the big man when he is resting.But this day was different. When he was just beginning to drowsy, a hand gently shook him awake. Chiang Kai-shek opened his eyes and saw his wife Soong Meiling. Madam told him apologetically that there was a major enemy situation on the front line, and Chief He Changbai, Vice President Bai had been waiting at the mansion for a long time.For Chiang Kai-shek, whether he can sleep or not is a privilege. Who told him to be the chairman of the general committee?

In the living room, Chief He, who was waiting anxiously, reported to him that after receiving an urgent call from the first war zone, an enemy of unknown origin appeared near Minquan County in eastern Henan, approaching the Longhai Railway, and had already fought with our army. Minquan was at the rear of our army's front line, and this sudden hostile situation was obviously a surprise to Chiang Kai-shek. He stared at him and asked sharply: Where did this enemy come from?How many troops are there?What is the serial number?What are their combat intentions... Well, are they all clear? Bai Chongxi replied: The first theater has just received a report that the 1st Division of the 88th Division has exchanged fire with the enemy, and there are no more reports on the enemy's situation yet.

Chiang Kai-shek frowned. As the commander-in-chief of the army, he certainly knew the strategic significance of the Longhai Railway. Once the railway was cut off, it would directly threaten the retreat of the 300,000 troops of the Xue Yue Corps, and then threaten Kaifeng and Zhengzhou.What is puzzling is that the battle of Xuzhou has just ended at this time, is it possible for the Japanese to attack on a large scale?Is this a trick played by Terauchi Shouichi or a signal to attack the Central Plains?From a strategic point of view, the reason for the enemy to launch a new campaign immediately is not sufficient. Do they really want to desperately fight our army?And what is the explanation for Tokyo's order "not to cross the Xuzhou front"?

All kinds of doubts were rolling in his mind, making it difficult for Chiang Kai-shek to make a judgment for a while, and he only cast his eyes full of question marks on his chief of staff.Pointing to the combat map, He Yingqin explained: According to intelligence, there is no sign of large-scale mobilization of the North China Expeditionary Army in front of Xuzhou, and the main force of the enemy Central China Expeditionary Army going north for reinforcements is also gradually withdrawing to the south of the Yangtze River. The possibility of attack should be small. Bai Chongxi added: Judging from the documents seized from the enemy's crashed plane, it is credible that Tokyo set the deadline for the re-offensive in autumn or next year.First, the enemy's front line was too long and North China was empty, and only one or two divisions maintained occupation in the area north of the Yellow River, which gave our enemy's rear corps considerable guerrilla space.The second is that the enemy has just occupied the Xuzhou area. It is said that it will take a period of time to consolidate the front, rest the troops and replenish ammunition and supplies.

Chiang Kai-shek did not speak, he was logically inclined to agree with the judgment of the General Staff.Objectively speaking, the Japanese are not ready to continue their offensive for the time being, and there are several unfavorable strategic factors and difficulties behind their front, unless they deliberately turn a blind eye to them.As for the purpose of this unknown enemy, whether it is just interference or trying to cut off our army's retreat, it remains to be further clarified ahead.Since the safety of the Longhai Railway is of great importance, Chiang Kai-shek instructed the chief of staff to say: telegraph the first theater to quickly find out the enemy's designation and size, especially to find out the enemy's purpose and mission, and at the same time mobilize troops to resolutely and completely annihilate them.

At this time, the Chinese headquarters including Chiang Kai-shek did not realize that a heinous Japanese war conspiracy was quietly approaching. Terauchi Shouichi and the hundreds of thousands of invading troops commanded by him would frantically challenge the will of the Chinese people to resist the war and the highest interests of national survival. .As the two chief ministers left one after another, the East Lake mansion returned to calm. Chiang Kai-shek took a few sleeping pills and went back to bed to fight against insomnia. 3 On the eve of the "September 18th Incident" in 1931, a secret report from the Japanese Kwantung Army stated that the gap between the Chinese army and the imperial army... should be more than 30 years.Western military strategists estimate that this gap will be further widened if factors such as social system, national civilization quality, education level, technology, and economic development are added.

After learning from the painful experience, Chiang Kai-shek decided to vigorously reform the Central Army and improve its combat effectiveness in an all-round way, in order to narrow the gap with the Western powers, including the Japanese army.Against the backdrop of this turbulent era of catching up with world trends, a group of "German-style teachers" with exemplary effects came into being. At that time, the German army was recognized as the most powerful army in the world. They had advanced weapons, excellent equipment, steely will, absolute obedience discipline, and of course, backed by developed industrial technology and national productivity, etc. The "German-style teacher" embodies the reform thinking of the national government's determination to learn from the West.The National Government purchased a large number of advanced weapons and equipment from Germany, hired German consultants to conduct strict training for the Central Army, and established several elite "German-style divisions" in batches in accordance with the German army's combat mode. In short, Chiang Kai-shek's highest goal is to wear straw sandals The Chinese army will be built into a world-class modern army.