Chapter 2 Chapter 1: The Final Battle Before the Killing

The evaluation of "relatively hardworking" was given by Mao Zedong to his old opponent.Why did Mao Zedong give Chiang Kai-shek such an evaluation? Let's first turn the topic to the Nanjing Massacre during the Japanese invasion of China. Of course, when it comes to the "Nanjing Massacre", a major event that caused China and Japan to forge "the enmity of the century", we have to start with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937. The war disputes between countries are similar to the behaviors between people. A villain will do things like a villain: since Japan occupied the three northeastern provinces in September 18, 1931, it has been planning how to make a contribution to China. The depth of the attack.Therefore, on the night of July 7, 1937, the Japanese army stationed at Lugouqiao held a so-called "military exercise" near the Chinese garrison positions without notifying the local authorities in China, falsely claiming that a Japanese soldier was missing and demanding Entering Wanping Town in Beiping to search, the Chinese garrison sternly refused on the spot. The Japanese army immediately launched an attack, and the 219th Regiment of the 37th Division of the 29th Army of the Chinese Garrison fought back.The July 7th Incident came from this.Taking advantage of this incident, Japan immediately formulated the "Guiding Outline for War Against China when Exercising Troops in North China" in a short period of time, and mobilized 400,000 troops to declare war on China.

On the second day after the July 7th Incident, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Yan'an sent a telegram to the whole country, calling on the military and civilians of the whole country to unite to resist the Japanese invaders.At this time, the supreme commander of the frontal battlefield and the supreme commander of the National Defense Forces was Chiang Kai-shek. Chiang Kai-shek came to Lushan Mountain in June 1937, where he organized a "summer training group" and served as the head of the group.The training objects are "civil and military comrades from all walks of life across the country" and "civil servants across the country".According to Chiang Kai-shek's speech "The Main Points and Practical Goals of Nation-Building Training" delivered to the officers of the training regiment above the head of the training regiment on June 27, the mission of the training regiment is: Enthusiasm to build the country, to inspire their sense of responsibility to save the country, to be able to actively work hard and struggle toward a common goal, to be loyal to their own duties, and to be ready to sacrifice for the revival of the nation at any time. This means that everyone should be loyal to their duties. Everyone knows their shame and righteousness, sacrifices and struggles, is self-reliant and self-reliant, and actively displays their patriotic sincerity. This is the spirit of our Lushan training and the only goal of our regiment’s education.”

The September 18th Incident in 1931 allowed Chiang Kai-shek to gain a better understanding of the Japanese aggressive ambitions, but basically he still adopted the policy of "suppressing the outside world first," and focused his energy on "suppressing the Communist Party." In 1936, after the Xi'an Incident and the continuous provocations of the Japanese, Lao Jiang began to feel a little discouraged towards his old friend Japan. In April 1937, Chiang Kai-shek took a two-month leave of absence to return to his hometown to recuperate. He returned to Nanjing in May, and then went to Lushan to train and educate cadres.During this period, Wang Jingwei secretly colluded with the Japanese in Nanjing, and the relationship became fierce.The relationship between China and Japan is facing a breakdown. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs put forward three requirements to the Chinese side: (1) China should recognize the fact that "Manchuria" exists and recognize "Manchuria" as a lost territory. (2) China should sign a special agreement with Japan to ensure that Japan's rights and interests in China will not be violated in the future.In the event of a war in the Far East, China should maintain a friendly and neutral attitude towards Japan. (3) China should agree to Japan's privileges in North China.Regarding the issue of Inner Mongolia, China should pay attention to Japan's will.

"Mother Xipi!" Lao Jiang was furious this time, and he wrote in his diary that day: "The Japanese pirates have invaded outwards, and it has reached the overflowing period. Things will be reversed at the extreme, and their defeat can be established and waited for." A day or two before the July 7th Incident, Chiang Kai-shek, who was in the mountains, did not know all the situation, but He Yingqin, his right-hand man in the military, was the first to get the situation on the front line. He Yingqin is in Chongqing at this time.His task was to be ordered by Chiang Kai-shek to discuss with Liu Xiang, a member of the Sichuan Army, to "reduce the swelling" of the Sichuan Army.

"What reorganization of the army! Lao Jiang wiped out one-third of our Sichuan army the year before last, and this time He came to clean us up again with only one purpose: he, Lao Jiang, wants to eat our Sichuan army! If you don't go, what a bird will! "Liu Xiang's generals came out one after another to persuade Liu Xiang not to go to Chongqing to meet He Yingqin, Chen Cheng, Gu Zhutong and other central officials. Liu Xiang closed his eyes half-closed while smoking the hookah, and slowly said: "If I don't go to the meeting, doesn't it mean that the people from Nanjing will control the whole meeting? The result will only be more detrimental to the Sichuan Army."

After what Liu Xiang said, the generals of the Sichuan Army suppressed their emotions and came to Chongqing to participate in the Sichuan Kang Army Reorganization Conference hosted by He Yingqin.The meeting required all officers above the Sichuan Army Division to participate, and Rao Guohua, the commander of the 145th Division who was later killed in the "Nanjing Defense War", was also among them. Starting from July 6, the generals quarreled for two days, and the meeting did not make much progress. On the morning of the 8th, the third day of the meeting began. All the generals of the Sichuan Army arrived at the meeting site, but He Yingqin was alone.Just when everyone was in a hurry, He Yingqin suddenly saw He Yingqin holding a telegram and hurried up to the rostrum. After whispering to Liu Xiang and others on both sides of the seat, he suddenly stood up and announced solemnly to all the generals in the audience: "Everyone in the Sichuan army, tell us Very unfortunate news for everyone. This morning, I received an emergency call from the Central Military Commission, and just now I received an urgent telegram from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Japanese North China dispatched troops stationed in Fengtai, Beiping, last night and this morning, guarded Lugou Bridge with our 29th Army There was a fierce battle between the military forces, both sides suffered casualties, and the battle is still expanding..."

"These little Japanese devils are too outrageous! They are too deceitful. They swallowed up my Northeast, and want to eat North China!" "Fight! Fight them to the end!" When the generals of the Sichuan Army heard this, the venue immediately exploded. "Does the Central Army have plans to send more troops to North China?" Commander Rao Guohua stood up from his seat and asked He Yingqin. "There is no time to study it yet." He Yingqin said. "Then hurry up and study it!" "That's right, Little Japan is trying to force us to admit defeat at every step. We must not let them succeed this time!"

"Yes, we must not let Little Japan succeed!" The generals of the Sichuan Army were full of enthusiasm and arrogance. "Oh, you guys, don't get excited, listen to me..." He Yingqin on the stage said with a sad face: "War depends on strength and brains, not emotion. Many of you have never been to Japan, so you can't imagine their military skills." Advantages in strength and equipment. With our current national strength and military strength, we can only strike a stone with a pebble.” This remark annoyed the generals of the Sichuan army, so there was a riot at the venue: "The Japanese are also fleshy, and we don't believe that they are invulnerable!"

"That's right, I hacked him with a big knife, and I'm going to hack him to death!" Facing this group of generals of the Sichuan Army who raised their fists, He Yingqin's face alternated between embarrassment and excitement. "Minister He, if reinforcements are really needed ahead, our Sichuan Army will sign up first, and all officers and soldiers of our 145th Division are willing to fight Little Japan to the death!" Rao Guohua spoke. "And I—the soldiers of the 45th Army will never take a step back!" Deng Xihou, the commander of the 45th Army, took Rao Guohua's words and expressed his position.

"Okay, the determination of the generals moved me, moved me!" He Yingqin nodded repeatedly. Liu Xiang, who was sitting by the side, felt that the heat was on the rise, and said to He Yingqin: "Minister He, I think your brother should tell Chairman Jiang that I suggest that the central government should quickly change its thinking, implement nationwide mobilization, stop the civil war, and keep the guns on the outside. .If the frontline warfare requires it, I am willing to lead the two armies under my command and go to the frontline immediately!" He Yingqin said no more, and kept nodding to Liu Xiang and the generals of the Sichuan Army.He thought to himself: The chairman's plan to "eat up" the Sichuan army seems to be unstoppable, and dealing with Japan may be the most urgent and important matter at the moment.

In the afternoon of the same day, He Yingqin returned to Nanjing in a hurry. In his hand, he held a notice from Chiang Kai-shek asking him to immediately hold a military meeting of the command headquarters, preparing to deploy military arrangements under the July 7th Incident. On July 11, the first meeting of the High Command was held. There were 11 business matters in the meeting. According to Chiang Kai-shek’s instructions, personnel were sent to Beiping to inspect our military preparations. Once the situation of Japanese affairs changed, the north of the Yellow River would be used as the place for strategic implementation. That is to say: if Japan goes to war in an all-out way, we will strive to place the battlefield north of the Yellow River. During the 22 days from July 11 to August 1, the Kuomintang military supreme command held 22 military meetings, analyzing the military situation of the war against Japan every day, and making deployments and arrangements. The "unyielding" attitude of the Chinese military leaders has indeed enabled the Chinese frontline troops to fight some beautiful battles.The 29th Army of the Kuomintang, which fought against the Japanese at Lugouqiao, was originally Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army. Although it seemed to Chiang Kai-shek that it was a miscellaneous army with extremely poor equipment, the soldiers of the 29th Army were famous for their bravery. enemy.This time in a decisive battle with Japan's advanced weapons, the Broadsword Squad fought at Xifengkou, killing the Japanese army and leaving them in a mess.The famous musician Mai Xin was impressed by the might of the warriors of the 29th Army Broadsword Team, and wrote a special song "March of the Broadswords": This song was originally composed for the 29th Army's Broadsword Squad, but later changed some words and became a nationwide anti-Japanese war song.For more than 70 years, it has been one of the loudest military songs in Chinese military camps. In fact, Chiang Kai-shek has always been hesitant in his attitude towards Japan. Behind his "not yielding" is "not expanding", that is, he does not want to make the war situation worse, and keeps the war within a "controllable" range as much as possible.However, the Japanese who wanted to annex China did not act according to Chiang Kai-shek's wishes. They intensified their efforts and pressed harder and harder until they brought all of Peking and Tianjin under their iron hooves. After the fall of Pingjin, Chiang Kai-shek began to clearly realize that the Japanese could not give him, a student who graduated from the Japanese Army Non-commissioned Officer Academy, any face, and it would be a matter of time to clean up Chiang Kai-shek's country. "Today, everyone must realize that either Japan will destroy us, or we will destroy Japan! We can no longer be deceived by the enemy, and we can no longer be bullied by the enemy with our painstaking efforts for peace." On August 1, Chiang Kai-shek returned from Lushan. When I arrived in Nanjing, when I attended the activities of the Central Military Academy, I said so in the mobilization of "Preparing for the National War". Pingjin and Tianjin in the north fell successively for more than a month. The deaths of Tong Linge, the deputy commander of the 29th Army, and Zhao Dengyu, the division commander, shocked the whole country and forced Chiang Kai-shek's Nanjing government to fight against the enemy.For more than a year after that, Chiang Kai-shek's resistance against Japan was still "relatively hardworking"-this evaluation was given by Mao Zedong, the leader of the Communist Party of China who was far away in Yan'an. "During this period, the massive attacks by the Japanese aggressors and the upsurge of national indignation made the Kuomintang government focus on opposing the Japanese aggressors, and thus the climax of the national military and civilian anti-Japanese war was formed relatively smoothly. A vigorous new atmosphere has emerged," Mao Zedong said. (The third volume of "Selected Works of Mao Zedong", People's Publishing House, 1991 edition, p. 1037.) The Japanese invaders were indeed "very bad".After they deliberately occupied important places such as Beiping and Tianjin, the local Japanese military staff temporarily opposed the expansion of the war against China, "doing their best to avoid using troops in central and southern China." Very arrogant, especially coveting Shanghai, the center of China's economy.As a result, they repeated their old trick: On August 9, two officers and soldiers of the Japanese Marine Corps stationed in Shanghai, Yuo Oyama and Saito Yaozang, drove into our Hongqiao Airport in an attempt to cause trouble despite the dissuasion of the Chinese defenders. kill.The Japanese army took advantage of this to concentrate a number of warships, and openly let the marines land, and even forced the Chinese security guards in Shanghai to retreat and dismantle the fortifications, which was strictly rejected by our side. The Japanese army began to point their swords at Shanghai... When I was writing this book, the author happened to read "The Golden Samurai" written by American scholar Seagrave, which disclosed the various tricks Japan used to occupy China during World War II, which is really disgusting: January 18, 1932, 5 A group of Japanese youths paraded through a crowded street in Shanghai in militant Nichiren monk garb, singing songs to celebrate their victory in Manchuria, in an apparent attempt to anger the Chinese—in fact, it was an elaborate plot by the Japanese, The kind-hearted Chinese didn't know what to do. They attacked the five Japanese and killed one of them on the spot.These "monks" were actually Japanese secret agents, hired by the head of the Japanese secret service, Major Yoshi Tanaka, in Shanghai. One Japanese died, and according to the plan predetermined by the Japanese high-level officials, Shao Zuo used this excuse to intervene militarily under the guise of "protecting" his own citizens in Shanghai. "Tokyo always likes to make itself look like a victim", and began to further send military forces to Shanghai.On the other hand, the Japanese spy organization in Shanghai proceeded to mobilize hundreds of hooligans and underworld thugs among the 30,000 Japanese expats in Shanghai. Bang waited to join the Japanese Marine Corps in provoking the Chinese army.So the 19th Route Army of the Chinese Garrison had to fight back.The Emperor of Japan immediately sent 90,000 additional troops to quickly support the Japanese army in Shanghai. After 34 days of fierce fighting, the Japanese army and the "ronin" cooperated with each other, killing more than 18,000 Shanghai civilians and thousands of Chinese soldiers, and then suddenly and unilaterally declared a ceasefire.It seems that Japan is still a "benevolent" country. In fact, it is to better gain a foothold in Shanghai and carry out a poisonous plan to annex Shanghai and even the whole of China... Five years later, in 1937, the Japanese decided to "eat" Shanghai. So two small soldiers were used to create an accident, and once again staged a "bitter trick" to plunder China's bigger "cake"... Japan's rulers at the time of militarism were really bad. However, this time China seems to have seen the intentions of the Japanese.Chiang Kai-shek and his staff did not eat in vain. General Zhang Zhizhong, who was appointed as the "Beijing-Shanghai Security Commander", sent a secret telegram to Chiang Kai-shek in Nanjing before the "Hongqiao Airport Incident" came out on August 9: (1) The strength of the Japanese army in Shanghai has increased in recent days. Taking into account the circumstances of all parties, there are about 5,000 officers and soldiers in the Marine Corps, about 3,000 soldiers in the countryside with well-organized organizations, and 3,500 strong volunteers.There are more than 30 guns of various light and heavy calibers, 8 anti-aircraft guns, and more than 20 tanks and armored vehicles. (2) A total of 9 Japanese ships arrived in Shanghai from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River today, including 3 Japanese ships that were originally in Shanghai, making a total of 12 ships.There are 3,000 sailors who can land on each ship at any time. A few days later, General Zhang Zhizhong sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek, saying that not only the number of Japanese fleets had increased, but also that the Japanese army had moved from Longgang to Shanghai, and that planes of "unknown nationality" circled repeatedly over Hongqiao Airport. "It is said that the Ministry of the Japanese Army conducted a reserve mobilization of people under the age of 53 at 4 o'clock this morning..." A report from the intelligence department shocked Chiang Kai-shek even more: Little Japan really wants to swallow Great Shanghai! Our side is not without action.At this time, Chiang Kai-shek and his staff were not wrong in their estimation of the situation, so they secretly ordered Zhang Zhizhong to quickly deploy in the Suzhou area and prepare to block the Yangtze River in Jiangyin, ordering 3 instructors and 2 artillery regiments (these artillery equipment are all German goods, No worse than the Japanese army, one group is a 100mm caliber cannon, and the other is a 150mm caliber howitzer) advancing towards Shanghai. On the night of August 11, Zhang Zhizhong's headquarters moved to Nanxiang.On the next day, the 12th, Zhang Zhizhong rearranged our forces in time and reported to Chiang Kai-shek. On the evening of the 12th, our generals Wang Jingjiu and Sun Yuanliang led the 87th and 88th divisions to arrive at the front line of Jiangwan in Shanghai respectively, and soldiers Chen Wusong completed the task of blocking the Yangtze River waterway.At this time, Tokyo, Japan, has learned of our military's intentions, and the cabinet urgently decided to form a dispatched army to go out overnight... "Soldiers and soldiers, today our nation is at the last juncture, and today we are also on the verge of life and death! The bloody curtain of the glorious and sacred national survival war of resistance is about to unfold. I hereby hold the key points of the announcement and tell the comrades in this district. With loyalty, courage and perseverance, we will meet the coming infinite hardships, but there must be years of infinite hope..." Before the war, General Zhang Zhizhong impassionedly swore an oath to his subordinates. Another big fight between China and Japan is about to begin.The Japanese side was even more determined to win. On the third day of the war, they set up a base camp where the emperor personally commanded the scene.The establishment of the base camp this time shows that Japan has prepared a national strategy for an all-out war with China since the bloody curtain of the Wusong War broke out. On August 13, 1937, the Sino-Japanese Battle of Songhu officially broke out.This time, our army preemptively detonated the beginning of the battle... When Sun Yuanliang's troops from the 88th Division fired a hundred guns at the enemy's Marine Corps at the Bazi Bridge in Shanghai, the hatred and anger that had been hoarded in the hearts of our soldiers for a long time Like a volcanic eruption, the Japanese soldiers lost their helmets and armor! Oh, "The mountains and rivers that have been stained with our blood will be ours forever, and the survival and honor of the nation can only be maintained by the heads and blood of our own nation"!While firing artillery at the enemy, the soldiers of our army recited what Mr. Luo Jialun, the president of Central University, said when he visited the frontline soldiers in North China a year ago. The August 13th Songhu Battle lasted for three full months until November 12 of this year.Throughout this campaign, our side has successively invested 50 divisions and 700,000 troops.The Japanese side has increased to 10 divisions and the Marine Corps, with a total force of no less than 300,000, more than 300 cannons, 200 tanks, 200 aircraft, and dozens of warships. The firepower is so strong that it is unparalleled for a while."Throughout the Battle of Songhu, it cannot be said that Chiang Kai-shek did not work hard. Judging from the actual situation, he actually did his best. First, he personally commanded the entire process of the battle, and second, he also put all his direct troops into the battlefield.In the end, Lao Jiang failed because of a major mistake, that is, the delay of the fighter.If the Japanese were not fully prepared and went to war a few days before August 13, the situation of the battle might be completely different.In addition, our army's equipment, naval strength, and air force are far behind the enemy's. In addition, in the third stage, that is, the final battle on November 7, 8, and 9, due to the sudden appearance of the Japanese 10th Army , Our army on the south bank of the Suzhou River fell into a situation where the enemy was on the front and rear, and the situation of the battle changed rapidly. On November 11, Japan's Fujita Shin's 3rd Division invaded downtown Shanghai.The next day, Shanghai fell completely. Chiang Kai-shek decided to beat up the Japanese in Songhu. First, he wanted to save his reputation as an "anti-Japanese leader." False information. Third, it was originally expected that this campaign would receive support from the international community and allies to send troops to intervene.Among these three reasons, Chiang is looking forward to the third one the most, but neither the Soviet Union nor the United States gave Chiang Kai-shek face. Do his arms business.At that time, there were dozens of German military advisers in Nanjing, most of whom were retired generals who had signed private employment contracts with Chiang Kai-shek's government. In the Battle of Songhu, the Japanese suffered more than 50,000 casualties, and our casualties were five times that, at more than 250,000. Although the Songhu War ended in China's defeat, the battle still had positive significance that cannot be underestimated in China: First, it publicized the national spirit and shattered the Japanese army's conspiracy to drive from North China to Wuhan and destroy China in three months; It fought for three months, allowing the factories and materials in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River to move inland, which provided a certain material foundation for China's long-term resistance war in the future; Insufficient troops prepared time for the decisive battle in Shanxi. Last but not least, the determination and spirit of the Chinese people to fight against Japan wiped away the humiliating history of the Chinese soldiers since the September 18th Incident, and thus strengthened the national determination to win the War of Resistance. confidence.In the "Songhu" battle, the soldiers fought very bravely, thousands of people died every hour, and they sacrificed heroically. There are few precedents in the history of the Chinese nation's resistance to foreign aggression. However, he still stubbornly competed with the Japanese army for a village and a town, and often fought repeatedly for a position. The Japanese army captured it during the day, and the Chinese army recaptured it at night. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. In this battle, the Kuomintang army The divisions of the main force were replenished four or five times, and the security regiments of the provinces in the rear were replenished whole by regiment, and the casualties of the original lower-level officers and soldiers reached 2/3, and the casualties of the brigade commanders also reached half." (Yang Shubiao and Yang Jing, "Chiang Kai-shek during the Anti-Japanese War", Chinese Publishing House, 2014 edition, p. 101.) The whole country's elite troops fought hard for three months and failed to defend the Great Shanghai. Now they have withdrawn from the Songhu battlefield. How can Chiang Kai-shek face the citizens of Shanghai? On November 12, the Military Commission of the Chinese Nationalist Government, in the name of the Political Training Department, issued a "Message to Shanghai Compatriots" on "Declaration": On November 12, a few talents from the Political Training Office actually wrote a steamy statement, but after reading so many "certain" in the statement, the Shanghai citizens directly scolded Chiang Kai-shek for "what he said is empty talk." , He scolded "Little Japan will never die well"! Shanghai has fallen, and the capital Nanjing is right in front of the enemy.This is where China's real suffering begins—— "Fight! The Chinese people think that our Japanese army is made of mud, and that's why they want to drive us out of Shanghai so arrogantly. It's just a daydream!" "Chinese people" is a derogatory term for the Chinese people by the Japanese. "Yes, we will never withdraw our troops! Fight to Nanjing! Capture Bald Jiang alive!" This is the scene of a group of young officers of the Japanese army talking to each other while drinking that night after they captured Shanghai.During the carnival after the victory, someone raised a wine bottle and sang "Cherry Blossoms at the Same Time"—— It must be said that the old Japanese military songs are quite lethal in boosting morale, especially for those young sergeants.The cherry blossom is the national flower of Japan. When it blooms, it has a kind of glamorous beauty and a cold light show.Japanese soldiers compare their own lives to cherry blossoms, which is unimaginable to outsiders, and their samurai spirit is also very scary. If they fail or are humiliated, they must kill themselves by caesarean section. This tradition is extremely popular among Japanese soldiers.The author didn’t understand and didn’t understand before, but when I was writing this book, I happened to see a movie called “The Last Samurai”, which tells the story of an American soldier, Captain Ogren, who was captured by Japanese samurai tribes in the 1870s. The story experienced.In the samurai tribe, the leader of the samurai, Minister Katsumoto, told Ogren the essence of Bushido spirit: Bushido spirit is like cherry blossoms, every time they take a breath and wither, it is a kind of awakening of life.To a samurai, failure must have a sense of humiliation. If you feel shame, you should commit suicide. Suicide and being killed by the enemy are both shameful. It is an honor to die on the battlefield.This is the belief of Bushido.After Japan embarked on the road of militarism, Bushido became a kind of spiritual support and aggression tool of loyalty to the emperor. On the night of November 13, 1937, the young officers of the Japanese invaders expressed their samurai spirit as emperor’s imperial soldiers with the joy of victory and the picturesque scenery on the Bund in Shanghai. Holding swords or wine bottles, they hysterically chanted the slogan "Occupy Nanjing", defiantly, and shot with their guns up, as if they could see the sun flag rising on Zijin Mountain at dawn tomorrow. In fact, the Japanese army did not make a plan to attack Nanjing, the capital of China, at the beginning.After the Songhu War ended and the Chinese army withdrew from Shanghai, the Japanese military headquarters, which had consumed a lot of troops, quickly dispatched Commander Matsui Iwane to Shanghai and Commander Yanagawa Heisuke of the 10th Army who landed in Hangzhou Bay issued an order: "Sweep the enemies near Shanghai, The front line is east of Suzhou and Jiaxing." The intention was obviously to take a breather and wait for the opportunity to "severely punish China."However, the 10th Army of Yanagawa Hirasuke, who was far away from the mainland and had just landed from Hangzhou Bay, rejected this order.Among them, a considerable number of fanatical young Japanese officers believed that it was unacceptable for soldiers to stop fighting as soon as they set foot on Chinese soil.So on November 15, Yanagawa Hirasuke set aside the commander of the dispatched army, Matsui Iwane, and held an enlarged meeting on his own, allowing the subordinate commanders of the squadron leader to make an exception to participate in the meeting.At the meeting, some young military officers suggested: "Don't worry about the words of the retired veteran Matsui Iwane, our 10th Army is marching towards Nanjing alone." "If you don't choose this opportunity, when will you wait?" "Yes, it's time to serve the emperor! It's not too late to report to the headquarters after we arrive in Nanjing!" The young officers waved their sabers, inciting and swearing in front of Yanagawa Heisuke. "Yoxi—go to Nanjing!" Under the cold light of the sword, Yanagawa Heisuke's eyes shone brightly. In this way, a crazy and risky military operation began. The 10th Army, which originally cooperated with Matsui Iwane, has now become the main force for the long-distance attack on Nanjing alone. Neither food nor ammunition can provide them with combat protection. However, the soldiers of the 10th Army are full of "honor" and bushido spirit , Turning these difficulties into another motivation for fighting: "Solve the shortage of food on the spot, and fight hand-to-hand when the ammunition is insufficient." There is no doubt that the Yanagawa army at this time has actually become a desperate army.How terrible is the dead teacher! The sword is out of its sheath, how can the blood be concealed? Five days after the 10th Army's frantic march into Nanjing, that is, on November 20, Hayao Tada, the deputy chief of staff of the Japanese military headquarters in Tokyo, was surprised when he learned that Yanagawa's troops had rushed to Nanjing, and immediately ordered to stop the operation, but Yanagawa ignore it. "General, Yanagawa's troops have already marched towards Nanjing. They want to get ahead of us to pick up the fruits of the battle and give them to the emperor. We can't let Yanagawa do this alone!" After learning that the 10th "Friendly Army" Army had marched towards Nanjing, The senior officers of the main force of the Japanese army in Shanghai are making requests to Commander Matsui Iwane every day, demanding that they attack Nanjing as soon as possible before Yanagawa's troops. In fact, Matsui Iwane, who was the headquarters of the Japanese cabinet and dispatched the commander-in-chief of the Japanese army to Shanghai, knew the movements of Yanagawa's troops early on, but this fox had been thinking about whether to send troops to Nanjing.Those who know Matsui Iwane know that this is his usual style, and Matsui Iwane himself knows better. Right now, the Emperor of Japan and the General Staff Headquarters are still in the process of formulating their policies toward China. When he is not clear, as the supreme commander of the Japanese army on the front line in Central China, he naturally needs to think twice before acting. Readers must have an in-depth understanding of Matsui Iwane here, because he was the supreme commander of the Japanese army in the Nanjing Massacre and a Class A war criminal who was later found to be the main culprit of the "Nanjing Massacre" by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and hanged.This man returned to the army a few days before the Japanese army started the war with our army and was appointed by the emperor as the "Commander-in-Chief of Japan's Shanghai Dispatch". He was 59 years old at the time, a thin old man, but he was a standard "China hand". Born in 1878 in Matsui Iwane, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, he is the son of the famous sinologist Takekuni Matsui, whose ancestor was a famous general in Japan.Matsui Iwane graduated from the Japanese Army Non-commissioned Officer Academy in 1898, and later entered the Japanese Army University, ranking first in the same period.He has a close relationship with China, and had a close relationship with Sun Yat-sen in his early years. When Sun Yat-sen was in Japan, Matsui Iwane gave him a lot of support.It can be said that many Chinese leaders during the Republic of China had close contacts with this person, and even the biggest opponent of the Anti-Japanese War, Chiang Kai-shek, Matsui Iwane, did not help much. When Chiang was studying in Japan, it is said that there were two I lived in Matsui Iwane's home for a year, which shows that the "old rivals" are still close brothers and sisters. In 1915, Matsui Iwane served as the military attache of the Japanese garrison in Shanghai. In 1922, he was transferred to be the chief of the secret service stationed in Harbin, promoted to major general the following year, and became lieutenant general of the Japanese army five years later. In 1933, Matsui Iwane served as the commander of the Taiwan Garrison and was promoted to general of the army in the same year.Due to internal conflicts in the Japanese army and other reasons, in August 1934, Matsui Iwane withdrew from the military and turned to political activities. Matsui Iwane, who retired from the military, coincided with the time when the "Manchukuo" established after Japan occupied the three northeastern provinces of China was not yet recognized by the international community.The Japanese government was very troubled in diplomacy, so Matsui Iwane volunteered to propose to the Prime Minister that he had a close relationship with the Chinese authorities, and he could try to get the Chinese government to recognize "Manchukuo" as a "fait accompli", so that Japan single-handedly supported the puppet regime. Wouldn't it be honorable for the international community to recognize it?The Japanese government's abacus is like this, so Matsui Iwane, the old general of "China Hands", has a place to use. At the beginning of 1936, Matsui Iwane began a months-long lobbying in China in his private capacity, and had in-depth talks with Chiang Kai-shek.At that time, Lao Jiang did not give his "old friend" Matsui Iwane much face because Japan repeatedly invaded Chinese territory and continued to stir up troubles, so he did not give much face to "old friend" Matsui Iwane, especially on the issue of letting him recognize "Manchukuo". He blushed and said to Matsui Iwane: "If you let me recognize 'Manchuria', it is tantamount to allowing outsiders to pick up my ancestral grave, and it is also tantamount to slapping myself in the face! When the September 18th Incident, I was already the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Government Yes, you have eaten up my three northeastern provinces. I am so painful that my teeth often 'crack', and I am often scolded by the Communist Party and others as a 'non-resistance' traitor. You say, you can replace me, can you admit this? "Manchukuo"?" Chiang Kai-shek spoke directly to his old friend so "from the bottom of his heart", that Matsui Iwane suddenly felt that his mission could not be accomplished.On the day he left Nanjing, he wrote in his diary: "Jiang was quite wary of Yu Zhi's straightforward attitude and avoided answering on the spot." In fact, Jiang told the Japanese lobbyist very clearly, but Matsui Iwane didn't want to be there. It was nothing more than a big loss of face in front of his own government. He originally thought that with his "special relationship" with Chinese dignitaries from all walks of life, he could persuade him to recognize or at least not oppose the "Manchukuo" supported by Japan on international occasions. However, China's "old "Friend" did not give the Japanese lobbyist a little face, which made Matsui Iwane, who considered himself a "friend of the Chinese revolution", very embarrassed to step down. "There is a price to be paid for ingratitude!" On the way back to China, Matsui Iwane made repeated public and private conversations, to the effect that the current ruler of the Republic of China government has given him and Japan how they supported Sun Yat-sen and other revolutionaries. Completely forget that, in this case, this government and country that is "unfriendly" to us will be punished sooner or later in order to make them sober. The July 7th Incident broke out, and the war between China and Japan was imminent. After the Songhu War broke out, the Japanese authorities quickly sent a senior member of China Hands as the commander-in-chief.It was under such circumstances that Matsui Iwane was called back to the military by the cabinet, and served as the commander of the Japanese dispatched troops to Shanghai, leading the 3rd and 11th divisions to support the Japanese marines originally stationed in Shanghai.The reason why the Japanese government sent a retired veteran general to take on this role is due to its considerations: once a war breaks out in Shanghai, the international community will definitely react strongly, especially if the Soviet Union sends troops to Northeast China. The plan will be completely destroyed.This is what the Japanese government does not want to see, so the piece of meat in Shanghai must be won without angering the "old Maozi" (the Soviets) and the international community-this is how the Japanese government plays chess. "Now that we have gone this time, we will go to Nanjing no matter what!" The task given to Matsui Iwane by the base camp at that time was: "to wipe out the enemy forces near Shanghai, occupy its four corners, and protect the lives of the overseas Chinese in Shanghai." The military order obviously restricted the combat scope of the dispatched troops in Shanghai. The specific restriction was to draw the dispatched troops' "surrounding Shanghai" as the strategic limit line from Suzhou to Jiaxing.But at the moment Matsui Iwane got on the train before departure from Tokyo, he said the above sentence to the then Japanese Prime Minister Fummaro Konoe who came to see him off, which surprised the prime minister and the Japanese officials present, especially the diplomats who whispered to him. Persuasion: "Old General, you have to think twice before acting!" "Hmph, I know more about China than you." Matsui Iwane looked at the person who persuaded him dismissively. Matsui Iwane really has a clearer view of China's affairs and Chinese people than anyone else. In the three months of the Songhu War, the Chinese army was brave but still lost to the opponent, especially in the later stage.Therefore, Matsui Iwane came to the conclusion: As long as Chiang Kai-shek leads this country and commands the Chinese army, our great Japan will be invincible! "For forty years of sweating in military uniforms, the rise and fall of the river is like a dream. The king's favor is not rewarded, and the general grows old, and he comes to four hundred states with a halberd." When he heard that the newly landed Liuchuan troops had already marched to Nanjing, Matsui Iwane For the past few days, he has been thinking about whether to send troops. In the end, when he recited the "self-encouraging poem" he wrote before going out for the expedition, he resolutely decided: "Occupy the capital of the enemy country and force China to submit." As a soldier, fighting in a foreign country, is there any "supreme honor" than occupying the capital of an enemy country?Matsui Iwane, who has been in the army for more than 40 years, knows that this is the last chance in his life to serve the emperor and the country as a soldier, so he finally made up his mind: attack the capital of China-Nanjing! Since the frontline soldiers are determined to win, what is the reason for the staff headquarters to stop?The Japanese Supreme Command quickly adjusted its decision, approved Matsui Iwane's request, and appointed Emperor Hirohito's uncle Asaka Miya Hatohiko as the commander of Japan's "Shanghai Expedition Army", and Matsui Iwane as Japan's "Central China Front Army Commander-in-Chief" to command上海派遣军和柳川的第10军等所有进攻南京的日军。朝香宫鸠彦王其实是南京大屠杀的头号元凶，因为他与天皇是亲戚，所以在战后清算战争罪行时他逃过一劫，活了93岁。日本王室和与王室沾亲者不被追究战争罪行，是东京大审判的一大缺陷，也给战后的日本在今天有那么多右翼势力叫嚣军国主义复兴提供了土壤。This is something. 日本大本营根据松井石根等前线将士的报告，为全面进攻南京作了军事上的部署和调整，组成了分别有朝香宫鸠彦王率领的“上海派遣军团”与柳川平助率领的第10军。这两支军队中，中岛今朝吾和谷寿夫率领的日军是南京大屠杀的主要部队，也是日军华中方面军的王牌军。 进攻南京的日军总兵力有10万余人，还有数十艘军舰。 我们再来看当时淞沪战役之后的中国局势—— 这时的1937年距年末仅有一个多月。大好河山连连失手，平津之役大败，上海又失，中国几个最好的城市不到一年时间便让日军占据。在进攻南京计划获得大本营的批准后，侵华日军气势汹汹、不可一世。而虎狼的血口已张，我首都南京危矣！危矣！ 这个危非一般之危，因为从上海到南京，走火车很快；走水路，如顺水而行，也就两天之程，逆舟而行，一周时间也可抵达。即使步行，最多也就十几天时间。更何况，从上海到南京，除水路外，皆为一马平川，若有铁骑战车，不用一天，便可直抵紫金山。 一国之都，岂能如此轻易让敌国军队得手？然而面对松井石根、柳川这样的虎狼，我等有何力挽狂澜之势？ 现在，攻打南京的是“恩师”和“中国通”，守在南京准备决战日本军的偏偏是“恩师”的朋友与学生辈的“日本通”：松井石根和蒋介石之间的这场“知恩报怨”的中日大战，一开始就非常有戏剧性——当然是场悲剧，这场悲剧在七八十年后的今天，中日两国依然各自不依不饶地死咬着、斗争着。当然，罪在日本。 欲给当年的“学生”朋友致命一击的日军松井石根大将，因为想夺得生命中最后一次“至高无上的荣誉”，故而根本没有将对手蒋介石放在眼里。“鄙人以状元的成绩毕业于大日本军校时，他蒋介石还小着呢！”挥刀向南京出征的路上，松井石根心头这么想着。 然而此时的蒋介石毕竟不再是当年那个坐在日本火车上连怎样下站都不知道的“中国乡巴佬”了，现在他是堂堂中国元首、数百万中国军队最高统帅，他岂能容区区岛国的“倭寇”在自己头上拉屎！ 腾腾杀气满全球，力不如人肯且休？ 光我神州完我责，东来志岂在封侯。 这是蒋介石在23岁从日本士官学校毕业时给表弟单维则写的一首诗。有道是“诗言志”也，蒋介石年轻时虽崇拜日本，同时也非常痛恨日本看不起中国的蛮横行径。 早在1907年，蒋介石在清朝政府办的保定通国陆军学校速成班学习时，有过一件事。一天，一位日籍军医在讲微生物时，一边指着摆在讲台上的一块泥土，一边说：“这块泥土，大约有一立方英寸，这里面有四亿微生虫。”这位日本军医继而说：“这可以拿中国来比喻，中国有四亿人口，就像这四亿个微生虫寄生在这块泥土地里一样……”“老师，你可不可以这样认为！”突然，课堂上，有位年轻学生冲到教桌前，“啪啪”几下将那块泥团分成八块，转而怒发冲冠地责问道，“日本的人口是五千万，在这个八分之一立方英寸的泥土里寄生的微生虫，也可以说这就是日本人吗？”“你你！你大胆！”这位日本军医的脸涨得如猪肝一样，中国学生哄堂大笑。在当时，有谁敢跟日本教员顶撞，是要开除学籍的，但后来学校校长一调查，认为这位学生是出于爱国之心，所以便大事化小了结了。而这事让这个学生出了名，他便是蒋介石。 当代中国人对蒋介石的了解多数是负面的，其实在整个抗战期间，蒋是中国的领袖、正面战场的最高统帅，代表国家形象，成与败、荣与辱，皆与他有关。我们客观地了解蒋在这场关系到中华民族生死存亡的中日决战中的表现，也应算是持一种唯物主义的公正的民族史观。 如果说蒋介石一直不想抵抗日本侵略者，或者畏惧日本，那是不公允的。在日本数年的军校生涯和在第13师团野炮兵第19联队见习一年的时间里，蒋介石对日本军队是比较熟悉的，那种严明的纪律、细致的管理模式、武士道精神、效忠天皇的意志和刻苦训练及精良的装备等，都给蒋留下深刻印象。也正是基于此，七七事变后的蒋介石从内心深处已经真正意识到：日本人无论如何也不会给他这个曾经的“学生”留面子了，“吞我河山之心必然”已成日本的基本国策。可怜我一团散沙，各路军阀互不相让、不听从指挥……蒋介石内心的焦虑与无奈一直困扰着他的“卫国布局”。他心头还有一着棋是期待北边的斯大林和大洋彼岸的罗斯福两位强国元首支持。蒋是个好面子的人，美国方面他让自己的女人宋美龄出面，斯大林那边则有自己的儿子在周旋，当然除此还有给这两个大国实惠的地方：美国人爱做生意，那么我让给你巨大的中国市场；苏联人早死盯着外蒙古的大片土地，虽老蒋对祖宗留下的大片草原无论如何也舍不得，可假如江山没了、总裁的宝座没了，那面子还有啥用？ 1937年初的蒋介石，刚从西安事变的惊吓中恢复一点儿元气，面对内外交困的国家局面尚处维持现状之势时，日本人又闹出个卢沟桥事变。蒋介石能不火冒三丈吗？ “倭寇犯我中华之贼心不死，吾当万不可掉以轻心！”这时的蒋介石是清醒的，而且也已有所准备，且这种准备从某种程度上讲算得上是“周密”和“提前”的。考虑到中国内战频发多年、国内人心涣散、军阀各自为政的实际，蒋介石了解日本，故在与日本尚未公开宣战前的两三年里，便暗地备战。其中之一是聘用了一批德国军事顾问，其二是派他的浙江老乡翁文灏主抓从德国进口军火装备。 据资料显示，1937年前的两三年时间里，中国向德国购买的军火、兵工及重工业设备，不下2亿马克，其中军火装备占多数，蒋介石确实装备了一批自己的嫡系部队，在淞沪战役里也发挥了巨大作用，致使日本兵大伤元气。值得一提的是，正是蒋介石在这段时间里，重视与德国之间的军事与贸易方面的关系，所以中国特别是首都南京在抗战前夕出现了一大批德国人，后来在南京大屠杀中保护了数以万计的中国人的拉贝便是其中的杰出代表。This is something. 我们来说说德国军事顾问。 抗战前后，在蒋介石身边有几个重要的德国军事顾问，其中有名的一位叫法肯豪森，是德国军事顾问团团长。此人为中国抗战立下巨功，著名的台儿庄战役“诱敌深入”的战术就是法肯豪森出的主意。更可贵的是，在七七事变后，这位德国军人曾直面批评蒋介石在对日问题上的消极抵抗政策，并多次警告蒋“若不倾全力奋斗以图生存，则华北全部包含山东在内，必脱离中国”。还有一点更值得肯定：法肯豪森虽为希特勒政府派往中国的军事顾问，却与纳粹主义格格不入。二战后，法肯豪森出任中德文化协会会长，1966年在柏林去世，终年88岁。 法肯豪森是位职业军人，1900年八国联军侵华战争时，他曾到过中国，后在德驻日大使馆任武官，是位通晓东方语言的军事外交家。第一次世界大战后，法肯豪森当了德国步兵学校校长。1933年到中国出任蒋介石的军事顾问。德国人办事非常认真，尤其是像法肯豪森这样的职业军人，又有军校校长的经历，加上对中日文化和军事的熟悉，故法肯豪森一方面让蒋介石国民政府出钱装备先进的德国军事武器，另一方面更多精力放在训练国民党军队和布置对抗日本人的一系列军事措施上。蒋的军队在法肯豪森等一批德国军事顾问的指导和影响下，确实得到了整顿，战斗能力大幅度提升。鉴于日本日益剧增的吞华野心，法肯豪森在1934年便建议蒋介石尽快拿出一个保卫南京的军事计划。蒋对这位顾问的话是听进去的，并马上责令南京警备司令谷正伦负责初步方案。这年8月17日，法肯豪森看了谷正伦的方案后，作了充分肯定： 对警备司令谷司令掘一长濠并积土筑一高墙于雨花台周围及天堡城至太平门外公路之建议，鄙人完全赞成贵厅签呈主张。 鄙意若为防敌侵袭首都，无需偌大工事，工程既大，需费必巨，需时甚久，需力甚多，转不如用以构筑新式而有效之防御工事。试一推算崎岖之岩石地中，需动何种土工，不难测知。 此种工事，用以防御战车，效力之大，自不可没，惟遇敌轻袭，一时未必用战车参加，更未必在建议地区。 若对正规之围攻军作战，则此种工事，苟中十五公分之榴弹数枚，顷刻倾坍，无甚价值，故鄙意以为不如仅采用加坚之野战工事（步兵支撑点，机关枪阵地，观测所等项），于可能范围内构筑或准备铁条及他种障碍物，如汜滥、蹈发地雷、触发地雷等，尽量向纵深地区逐渐增加。 鄙意以为此种办法比原议之效力大，范围广，用途多，而造成一种速成而需费无多之掩护，更形重要…… 正是有了法肯豪森的建议和对初步方案的肯定，国民政府军事参谋本部也随之在1934年就有了第一个《南京防守计划》。这个计划从“敌情判断”、“防守方针”、“指导要领”、“兵力部署”、“水雷阻塞”、“防空”、“交通及通讯”等八个方面进行了规划安排。 就这份《防守计划》而言，总体战略安排并没有特别不妥，问题是后来的形势变化和老蒋手下的那些实施这个计划的具体人身上出了大毛病。比如在南京保卫战打得最激烈的时候，有个部队在守城时发现他们的水泥防御掩体，除了表面有一层水泥之外，里面竟然尽是竹竿等物，别说敌不住小鬼子的隆隆战车，就是子弹也抵挡不住呀！难怪守城士兵直骂老蒋和当官的是“拿我们的性命来养肥他们的家业和狼心狗肺”。 根本的问题还不在于此。根本的问题在于七七事变后的蒋介石及他的同僚们在对日开战一事上一直犹豫不决，并存有幻想，因此在实施防御备战中不那么有力，导致了日本人杀到门口时束手无策、慌乱一片。 淞沪战役之前，面对强大的日军，蒋介石听进了法肯豪森的“以广阔之疆域，拖垮之后勤供应困难的日本”之“持久战”建议，并且也作了兵力和战术上的布置，将全国战场分为五个方面，其中东正面即江苏区和浙江区，包括上海。首都南京是蒋政府的总部，但由于南京与日军上岸线路太近，没有纵深和持久的防守可能，故撤出南京的计划其实在蒋介石心中早已有后备方案，但作为一国之首都，不保南京，显然无法向国人交待，更有损“国体”与“国威”，所以蒋介石在“誓死保卫南京”问题上一直调子很高。 从7月11日至8月1日的22天时间里，统帅部连续开了22次军事会议，每天研究敌情和七七事变后的前方形势，结果由于军力较弱和战略失误，蒋介石等国民党要人眼睁睁地看着平津失守，日军又在东边起兵滋事，在最后几次军事会议上已经着重研究了长江沿岸各城市的备战问题。可是，疯狂和野蛮的日军并没有给蒋介石和国民党军队任何喘息时间，一步更比一步紧地向中国军事和政治中心——南京进犯。 8月12日，上海告急，南京城里的蒋介石和军政大员们召开国民政府党政最高领导人参加的联席会议，商讨抗战大计，并推荐蒋介石为陆海空大元帅，以军事委员会为抗战最高统帅部。老蒋说：“现在都啥时间了，搞那么多名目有何实用？别再给我弄个大元帅的名堂了！有最高统帅部便是。” Too.同僚们表示赞同。于是除了蒋之外，最高统帅部内设了参谋总长，何应钦任之。当即，最高统帅部制定了对日作战指导方针：“国军一部集中华北持久抵抗，特别注意确保山西之天锁堡垒；国军主力集中华东，攻击上海之敌，力保淞沪要地，巩固首都……”（吴相湘《第二次中日战争史》上册，台北综合日刊社，第388页。）可悲矣，上海前线失守，“巩固首都”一事即成泡影！ 南京危矣！