Republic of China game

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In Kasumigaseki, Tokyo, a small meeting with the heads of the army and navy is being held in the official residence of the Japanese Prime Minister to discuss the issue of drawing the bottom line for the Japan-Soviet War.

Inside a small meeting room in the prime minister's mansion.Prime Minister Tanaka Yoshiichi, Army Minister Shirakawa Yoshinori, Chief of General Staff Shoroku Suzuki, and Navy Minister Keisuke Okada sat separately.At this time, there was silence in the meeting room, Prime Minister Tanaka's brows were tightly locked, and his face was ashen.The three generals of the army and navy also had long faces, and their faces were equally ugly.It was clear that the meeting was not going well.

The leaders of the army and navy did not express much dissatisfaction with Yoshiichi Tanaka's proposal to draw a red line for the war and prepare for armistice negotiations.It's just that when it comes to the conditions of the armistice, the demands made by the army and the navy sound like there is really little possibility of realization.The Army wants all Soviet territory south of the Amur River and east of the Ussuri River!That is to say, the entire Primorsky Krai of the Soviet Union will be ceded to Japan.The Navy wants the entire North Island of Kata (Sakhalin) and what they want is the oil there.What Yoshiichi Tanaka, the head of the Japanese empire, wanted was war reparations from the Soviet Union, the more the better, and an agreement with the Soviet Union to carve up China.Therefore, he wanted to make concessions in terms of territorial claims, that is, he only proposed territorial claims for the North Island of Huatai Island (Sakhalin Island), and the final bottom line was not to require the Soviet Union to cede any territory.

"Everyone, Manchuria in China is the real goal of the empire! And now the strength of China is increasing! The empire has no power to swallow it alone, and there is only hope for the alliance with the Soviet Union to carve up. So... in this war, our asking price It can’t be too high! That would offend the Soviet Union to death! And there is no possibility of the Empire fighting a long-term war with the Soviet Union! Do you understand?”

When he said these words, Tanaka Yoshiichi looked at the Minister of War, Shirakawa Yoshinori, as if he wanted to get some support from him.Tanaka is a general of the army and also served as the minister of the army. He always feels that the army is on the same side as him. He should stand up for himself at critical moments, right?

Bai Chuanyi also frowned, sighed softly, shook his head and said: "Your Excellency, the morale of the army is very high now! Everyone thinks that the soldiers should not give up the benefits that the soldiers exchanged with blood and heroic spirits. So... I implore your Excellency to support the armistice terms of the Army!"

The Japanese military is a strange organization in this day and age, they seem to be a monster somewhere between a warlord and a national army.They are different from the warlords in China at that time, not a few big bosses can have the final say.So Bai Chuanyi knows that Tanaka Yoshiichi's words are reasonable, but he can't support him, because he now represents the interests of the entire army!If he makes concessions to Tanaka now, the entire army will unite to exclude him!

As soon as Tian Zhongyi was about to speak to continue persuading, he heard a burst of hurried footsteps coming from outside the door.As soon as the door opened, a secretary of the Prime Minister's official residence rushed in, holding a newly translated telegram in his hand, and shouted as soon as he entered the door: "It's an urgent telegram from Mr. Quanyang, Sun Wen, the leader of the Chinese Kuomintang, wants to We must unite to emphasize the cessation of the war between the empire and the Soviet Union! And...they Chinese want to use this opportunity to unite with the United Kingdom, the United States, France and the Netherlands to sign an "Asian Peace Treaty" with the empire and the Soviet Union."

Chapter 0337 The Japanese-Soviet War ([-]) Talking and Fighting

Khabarovsk, formerly known as Khabarovsk, originally belonged to China's territory. According to the "Sino-Russian Treaty of Beijing" in 1860, this important city located at the confluence of the Ussuri River and Heilongjiang, together with all the land east of the Ussuri River, is Ceded to the Russian Empire!

For the time being, the city still belongs to the Soviet Empire, which inherited the ambitions of the Russian Empire.The reason why I say it is temporarily... that is because I looked east from an observation post on the west bank of the Ussuri River.The whole city is now shrouded in gray-blue smoke columns. On the highlands on the southeast and north sides of the city, the sun flags fluttering in the wind seem to be heralding the final fate of Khabarovsk (Khabarovsk)!

The defense of Khabarovsk has been going on for eight full days and nights. Seeing that the territory held by the Soviet Red Army is getting smaller and smaller, everyone who watched the battle on the west bank of the Ussuri River knows that the time for the city to finally fall is getting closer and closer. near.

Located on the east bank of the Ussuri River, this observation post made of sandbags and steel pipes is a masterpiece of engineers from the [-]th Division of the National Revolutionary Army.The purpose of building it is to allow some officers of the [-]th Division to come here to appreciate the battle on the other side. According to the estimation of the staff of the [-]th Division, the battle here will be staged again and again.Because the Soviets were never willing to give up the fertile land east of the Ussuri River and south of the Amur River.And Khabarovsk (Khabarovsk) is precisely the gate for the Soviet Red Army to counterattack, and now the control of this gate will soon fall into the hands of the Japanese!

The Japanese army's general attack on Khabarovsk began at 28 o'clock in the evening on May [-].The sound of shouts and guns came one after another, and the small city of Khabarovsk has been battered with holes.The trenches and buildings once guarded by the Soviet Red Army have long since been dilapidated, and corpses are strewn all over.There were officers and soldiers of the Soviet Red Army in yellow-green uniforms, and officers and soldiers of the Japanese army in khaki uniforms. Even if they died in battle, the bodies of both sides would still be scuffled together.Some Japanese soldiers shouted the slogan "Long Live the Emperor", rushed into the positions occupied by the Soviet Red Army, and blew the explosives on their bodies!There were equally brave soldiers of the Soviet Red Army, shouting Stalin's name, holding a rifle with a long bayonet and rushing towards the Japanese machine gun positions... In short, the street fighting in Khabarovsk was carried out in this extremely tragic way.Every inch of land was soaked in blood, and every building had to go through repeated fights from both sides before finally deciding its ownership.

In the early morning of May 29, the city of Khabarovsk was already full of flames. In order to deal with the Soviet Red Army relying on barricades and buildings, the Japanese army found a lot of gasoline and set it on fire.Most of Khabarovsk's buildings in this era were still mainly made of wood, and they were doused with gasoline by the Japanese army and burned quickly.The Soviets, whether they were Red Army soldiers or ordinary people, who couldn't stand the fire protruding from their houses, were all shot and killed by the Japanese army indiscriminately!The Russians who did not have time to rush out of the fire turned into barbecues, and the whole city of Khabarovsk was filled with the smell of burnt people!Even the Chinese who watched the battle on the other side of the Ussuri River could smell a faint smell of burning.Under the offensive of the Japanese army with a sea of ​​fire and a sea of ​​people, the resistance of the Soviet Red Army gradually weakened.The sound of guns and artillery on the battlefield gradually became sparse, and at about ten o'clock in the morning on May 29, the entire battlefield suddenly fell silent... A Japanese sun flag slightly yellowed by gunpowder smoke was at the border of Khabarovsk The district party committee building is slowly rising!Khabarovsk has fallen!

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In the compartment of the Northbound Special Train, Luo Yaoguo and Wang Jingwei, two special envoys for peace, were sitting face to face with Mr. Inuyangyi, the special envoy of the Japanese government.A steaming cup of strong coffee has been brought up by Natalie.Since Trotsky had already been expelled from the party by Stalin, he even left the Communist Party of the Soviet Union with this Trotskyist pornographic spy, and now he has officially betrayed the revolution... Luo Yaoguo's people inside and out.

After all, Natalie is a foreigner. The whole set of coffee making skills such as brewing, grinding, brewing and filtering is very exquisite. She is also an expert in picking coffee beans, and the coffee she makes is all fragrant and fragrant.While delivering the coffee, Natalie leaned close to Luo Yaoguo's ear, muttered a few words, and then turned and left with a sweet smile.

"Mr. Quanyang, your country's army has completely controlled Boli City this morning, congratulations." It turned out that what Natalie told Luo Yaoguo was the latest battle situation.Luo Yaoguo picked up the coffee and took a sip, then smiled and said:

"Now the gates to Vladivostok and the coastal areas of the Far East of the Soviet Union have been closed, and the North Island of Sakhalin Island is also a turtle in the urn. Presumably Stalin will seriously consider your country's asking price?"

Inuyang Takeshi still had a faint smile, and his emotions seemed not to be affected by the smooth battle situation at all.At this moment, he just let out a helpless wry smile in his heart.The bottom line of the Japanese government's asking price is to cede Huatai Island (Sakhalin Island) North Island plus [-] million US dollars in compensation, disband the Korean Communist Party and the Japanese Communist Party, and the Soviet Union and the Comintern must also promise not to support similar organizations, and finally the Soviet Union Hand over the leaders of the Korean Communist Party, especially Kim Koo who organized and planned the bombing!Such conditions... the possibility of negotiating is really too low.However, Yoshiichi Tanaka has also tried his best to lower the asking price of the army and navy, and there is probably no room for negotiation.Now, as his special envoy, he not only wants to bargain with the Soviets, but also fights against the leaders of the army and navy in the country. If he is not careful, he will label others as a national thief!

Thinking of this, Quan Yangyi couldn't help complaining about Sun Yat-sen in his heart, and he didn't know how this guy would come up with such a bad idea to join forces with European and American powers to mediate the war between Japan and the Soviet Union!Moreover, those European and American powers actually agreed!It seems that these countries are interested in the so-called "Asian Peace Treaty", right?It's just... the army and navy leaders in the country, including Tanaka Yoshiichi, are firmly opposed to this treaty!But I couldn't think of any good way to refuse.

People like Tanaka are probably still dreaming of the dream of conquering China in their hearts, right?These people seem to think that China today is the same as during the Russo-Japanese War, that it is just a piece of meat on a chopping board, and Japan can cut it as it wants.These people...it will be great when they can really see China clearly.

This country already had a splendid civilization 3000 years ago, established a huge empire, and has always been a country that Japan looks up to!Is there really no day of resurgence?Maybe this day is coming?So how should Japan deal with itself?Go back to the way you've lived for 3000 years?Be a little brother in China?Or... Join hands with Russia to interrupt the pace of China's rise?

It would be great if...the assassination incident of Sakuradamen didn't happen this time!Without this assassination, Japan and Russia should have joined hands by now, right?These bloody North Koreans!Do they want to restore the country that much?What's wrong with being a loyal subject of His Majesty the Emperor?

And now, China is taking advantage of the Russo-Japanese War to throw out the "Asian Peace Treaty"!On the surface, this treaty took care of the interests of the great powers, including Japan.The security of our colonies in Asia has been guaranteed, including Korea and Taiwan under Japanese rule.But if you think about it carefully, this is not the case. This treaty also gave China time to rise!Once this treaty is signed... the risk and cost of Japan's attack on China will increase significantly!If Japan attacks, Britain, the United States, France and the Netherlands will impose sanctions on Japan according to the treaty!There is no way to import oil and steel... And those large warships in the United Fleet don't want to drink hundreds of thousands of tons of oil that day?Similarly, Japan's steel industry also relies on imported iron ore and scrap iron to maintain its operation. If the import is interrupted... I am afraid that Japan's war machine will return to the Middle Ages?

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The news of the failure of the defense of Kharovsk also reached the Kremlin immediately.At this time Stalin was presiding over a meeting of the Politburo.Including Bukharin, Rykov, Tomsky, Voroshilov, Kalinin, Molotov, Ruzutak and others all gathered together.

The meeting discussed mainly military issues in the Far East.The current war with Japan is the top priority of the Soviet Union, and it is also the core issue of the political life of the Soviet Communist Party.The successive defeats on the battlefield have greatly damaged Stalin's prestige... There are even many leaders of the CPSU who are discussing in private whether Trotsky should be allowed to return to the Politburo to be in charge of the army Work?It seems that only when he becomes the chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council can the Soviet Red Army get out of the vicious circle of defeat in every battle.

"Comrades... tell everyone a piece of sad news." Stalin took the note quietly handed over by Secretary Baronov, looked at it, and then frowned with an extremely sad expression: "Our heroic worker and peasant The Red Army has fought to the last man in Khabarovsk! Just now... Khabarovsk has... been captured by Japanese imperialism! Comrades, the most dangerous moment for the Soviet motherland has come! Comrades, If you have any ways to help the party overcome the current difficulties, please suggest them.”

As soon as Stalin finished speaking, there was silence in the meeting room, but everyone's thoughts were spinning endlessly.The current difficulties for the party and the motherland seem to be caused by a certain great leader’s lack of leadership. It seems that the best way to overcome this difficulty is to ask this person to step down and replace him with a capable person... It turns around in my head, and I can't get rid of it no matter what.Of course, some people don’t think much of it. For example, Grandpa Kalinin, who is a good guy and an old fox in the Soviet version, is now half-closed, as if he is thinking hard, or dozing off.Comrade Voroshilov kept wiping his sweat, probably because he was worried that Stalin would throw him out as a scapegoat and the people would be angry, right?Molotov has little information, and it is Stalin's grace to be able to sit in this position. At the moment, he is wholeheartedly trying to find a way for the boss.

I don't know how long it took to come, but I only heard the sound of tables and chairs colliding.Molotov, who has a long round face, a short beard, and oval gold-rimmed glasses, has stood up respectfully: "Comrade Stalin, the current situation is not all bad news. The situation seems to be at a turning point... The Japanese offensive has come to an end, and it is unlikely that they will continue to attack across the Amur River... and the Chinese are now joining forces with the United Kingdom, the United States, France and the Netherlands to mediate this war. They also proposed The idea of ​​an "Asian Peace Treaty"... This treaty seems to be beneficial to the current dangerous situation facing the Soviet Union. It can guarantee the security of our Asian back garden to a certain extent. If this treaty can be signed, it should be A major diplomatic victory! It can completely offset the unfavorable negative impact of the military, and it can also buy precious time for the country's construction."

Stalin picked up the pipe, took a puff of light, and a circle of white smoke protruded out, thinking about Molotov's proposal in his heart.After contemplating for a while, he finally nodded: "Comrade Molotov's opinion is worth considering. We can't solve the problem by fighting alone now... The mediation proposed by China shows that there are conflicts between imperialism. The five countries of Great Britain, the United States, France and the Netherlands do not support the aggression and expansion of Japanese imperialism. We should use this contradiction to deal with Japanese imperialism... However, what results can be negotiated on the negotiating table depends on the performance on the battlefield... Moluoto Comrade Husband, this time you will serve as the special envoy of the Soviet Union to go to Beijing to negotiate with the Japanese."

"Comrade Voroshilov, when will the counter-offensive against Khabarovsk begin? I hope that when formal negotiations begin, our heroic workers' and peasants' Red Army can re-plant the red flag over the city of Khabarovsk! Only then Only then can we get an ideal result at the negotiating table! In addition...how is the defense of Vladivostok now? Can it be defended?"

Voroshilov thought about what Stalin said, and said cautiously: "The counter-offensive to Khabarovsk can be launched as early as June 8. The defense of Vladivostok is now very difficult, mainly due to the lack of counter-offensive Japanese battleships." The firepower is completely under attack. Moreover, Vladivostok’s back road has also been cut off by the Japanese army, and it is currently in a situation of isolation and helplessness. Comrade Yegorov has done everything possible to mobilize the residents of Vladivostok to join the Red Army. As of yesterday, the number of defenders in Vladivostok has increased to [-], but the training and equipment of the newly added personnel are very bad, especially the lack of weapons. The weapons stored in Vladivostok are not enough to arm that many troops, so this huge army is now It can only barely be used to defend the city."

Stalin added: "It seems that the Middle East Railway has been repaired now? Is it possible for us to transport weapons into Vladivostok through this railway? Maybe we can also send a group of officers in, so that we can have a good command behind the enemy's back." A strong fortress. In this way, our bargaining chips in the negotiation will also increase? Comrade Bukharin, you are responsible for the work of the Communist International, this... can it be done?"

Bukharin?It is the traitor in "Lenin in 1918". He is now in his 30s, his head is a little bald, he has a goatee, and his eyes are a little dark.He is currently responsible for the work of the Comintern. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Comintern, a member of the Presidium, and the secretary of the Political Secretariat. He is also the editor-in-chief of "Pravda".

Bukharin, who is still a thinker, frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about some ideological problem, and after a long silence, he slowly said: "Comrade Stalin... the matter of sending weapons, equipment and personnel to Vladivostok through the Middle East Road... ...It may be very difficult for us, the Communist International, to give instructions. This railway is now under the management of the Chinese bourgeois government, and the comrades of the Chinese Communist Party who are mainly responsible for the United Front work...are now back in Yan'an to review the mistakes of the Right deviation. This is your instruction. There is also a female spy named Natalie Lesinskaia who was lurking next to the Kuomintang warlord Luo Yaoguo, and now... has also been expelled from the Polish Communist Party..."

……

Off the coast of Vladivostok, on the surface of Peter the Great Bay, the night has gradually fallen, and dozens of ships of various types are plowing out white waves on the sea.This convoy is composed of cargo ships and passenger ships of various colors ranging from thousands to more than 1 tons.On their outskirts, cruisers and destroyers circled the slow-moving convoy for protection.

Dozens of smoke went straight up to the sky, and the setting sun shone, reflecting on the ocean surface, sparkling, and there was a bloody color between the sea and the sky.

Dozens of ships in the convoy were flying the flag of the sun of Japan, and the escorting warships even waved the flag of the rising sun of the Japanese navy!

The Sea of ​​Japan in this era has long been dominated by the Japanese Navy, and Tsarist Russia's Pacific Fleet has been wiped out after the revolution.The entire coastal region of the Far East of the Soviet Union is now open to the United Fleet!

On the heavy cruiser Furutaka, the flagship of the Japanese Navy’s Third Fleet, Admiral Nobuyoshi Muto, the commander of the Vladivostok Expeditionary Force, took a leisurely walk on the deck at the stern, looking at the distant sea from time to time.This fleet is now loaded with the last two divisions attached to the Vladivostok Expeditionary Army, the Hiroshima Fifth Division and the Kumamoto Sixth Division, a total of [-] troops.The goal of the Vladivostok dispatched army this time is the Vladivostok Fortress that has been reduced to ruins!

Although the Japanese government has decided to accept the joint mediation of China, Britain, the United States, France and the Netherlands, it has not issued an order to stop the attack.On the contrary, in order for the Soviet Union to accept the extremely harsh peace conditions proposed by Japan, Prime Minister Yoshiichi Tanaka has instructed the Army Ministry and the General Staff to capture the fortress of Vladivostok during the negotiations. Only by capturing this first fortress in the Far East can the Soviet Union People really realize the power of the Japanese Empire!Only in this way can they willingly accept the peace conditions proposed by Japan to cede the North Island of Sakhalin Island and pay a compensation of [-] million U.S. dollars...

Chapter 0338 The Japanese-Soviet War ([-]) The Cost of Vladivostok

On May [-], [-], the United Kingdom, the United States, France, the Netherlands, and China announced that they would jointly mediate the war between Japan and the Soviet Union.It also announced that it would prohibit all military supplies from being imported into Japan and the Soviet Union in order to promote the rapid realization of peace.

Both Japan and the Soviet Union apparently accepted this, but their respective military operations showed no signs of stopping.The Soviet Red Army is still continuously transferred to the Far East through the Trans-Siberian Railway, and Japan is also building fortifications around the city of Khabarovsk day and night, preparing to meet the counterattack of the Soviet army, and at the same time stepping up the bombardment of Vladivostok... Obviously, in order to be at the negotiating table With enough chips on the table, the Japanese are determined to capture this first fortress in the Far East!

But at this time, in the hall of Ju Ren Tang in Zhongnanhai, there was a lot of wine and wine, and a banquet was at its most lively moment.There is already a crowd in the room, and there are several tables.More than a dozen blond and blue-eyed foreigners and civil and military dignitaries from north and south of China were scattered among them.The table was full of exquisite dishes, and the servants in short white coats shuttled back and forth.Some even carefully carried ice buckets filled with champagne and Italian sparkling wine. When they saw that everyone’s glasses were empty, they graciously went over to fill them up.

This is China's top leader in name. The host of the Beijing peace conference advocated Marshal Zhang. He invited the ministers and diplomats of the four western countries who participated in the mediation, as well as the two peace envoys of the Kuomintang, to a dinner. At the same time, they also discussed how to mediate.In other words, I want to learn from the foreigners and learn about the rules of "mediation".Speaking of which, this is the first time for China to participate. In the past, China was bullied by foreign countries, and then other foreign countries came to hypocritically "mediate" and at the same time gained a lot of benefits... Now this kind of good thing is my turn. Yes, I'm really not used to it.

Speaking of mediating international disputes, the British Empire is definitely an expert among experts. They have done this kind of thing in Europe and the world for hundreds of years.As for whether to mediate a small conflict into a major war, or mediate a major war into a world war...it all depends on the interests of the British Empire.So when Marshal Zhang asked a question humbly, it was Sir Lampson, the Minister of the British Empire, who did his part to answer.

Sir Lampson is more than 50 years old this year. He has neatly combed silver-white hair, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, and always has a standard diplomat-style smile on his face. He is completely a Western gentleman. style.Before answering Zhang Zuolin's question, Sir Lampson nodded first, then smiled and replied in fluent Chinese:

"The so-called mediation is not to mediate conflicts with a neutral or fair position, but to come up with a solution that can turn these factors into actual benefits based on the situation on the battlefield and the strength of the two conflicting parties... In other words It is to let the defeated party avoid greater losses, and at the same time allow the victorious party to quickly realize their results, and finally the mediator can also obtain corresponding benefits. As far as this Japanese-Soviet war is concerned, the benefits we expect to obtain from the mediator party are the benefits obtained by the Japanese The "Asian Peace Treaty" that the Soviet Union participated in. As for what the Soviet Union will lose...what Japan will gain, it still depends on their performance on the battlefield, and we are just evaluating their results."

"Then may I ask your Excellency, based on the current results of the war between Japan and the Soviet Union, how much can Japan benefit? How much should the Soviet Union pay?" Luo Yaoguo asked this question, and it was his first time to participate in this kind of mediation, so it was inevitable I don't know what to do.

Lampson glanced at Luo Yaoguo who was sitting next to Zhang Zuolin. For this person, the British Legation and even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had established a special file to keep a close eye on him.In the view of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this person may become one of the leaders of China in the future.

"General Luo, it is difficult for me to answer this question now...because the Soviet Union and Japan are not particularly normal countries. Who knows what they think? If this war happened between normal countries, the Soviet Union's current The situation should belong to the defeated side, and compensation of tens of millions of dollars or the cession of the North Island of Sakhalin Island should be reasonable solutions. However... If Vladivostok is also captured by the Japanese army, the price for the Soviet Union to understand this matter may be It’s huge! You are a soldier, so you should understand the military value of Vladivostok, right?”

Luo Yaoguo nodded lightly, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up slightly.The port of Vladivostok is now a nail stuck in the Japanese transportation line!Now Japan’s transportation line is Soviet Port and the highway from Soviet Port to Khabarovsk. This fragile transportation line now maintains the supply of the [-] Japanese troops on the front line...the current Heilongjiang Province has the [-]th Division of the National Revolutionary Army there. , so without the KMT's nod, the Feng Faction did not dare to let Japan pass through Chinese territory to obtain supplies.

If the nail in Vladivostok is pulled out by the Japanese, the supply line on the Khabarovsk front will be unimpeded!The Japanese could send more troops to the south bank of the Amur.According to the assessment of the German military advisers who watched the defense of Khabarovsk, to defeat the 15 Japanese defense line, the Soviet Union must invest at least 20 to 30 troops, and there must be enough artillery, especially heavy siege artillery!If there are as many as 40 Japanese troops on the front line of Khabarovsk, the Soviet Union may have to invest [-] to [-] troops to break through the Japanese defenses.Does this mean that Japan and the Soviet Union will shed a little more blood?

……