Republic of China game

Zhou Enlai nodded angrily. How could Mao Zedong be presiding over today's meeting?Instead, he and Xiang Ying, chairman of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, had no chance to speak... But right now he was too embarrassed to care about such things, so he had to explain to Mao Zedong with a smile: "According to what we have now, the Kuomintang rightists and Yan Xishan are not All the way. Like us, they all want to annex Yan Xishan’s strength and territory, so Yan Xishan is no less wary of them than we are. For example, this time, Yan Xishan has not invited the Kuomintang army into Jin Dynasty until now, and even The military advisers of the Kuomintang all refused, but Wu Peifu was invited from Shanghai to Taiyuan to help command. This deployment of shrinking defenses was written by this Wu Yushuai.”

Speaking of this, Zhou Enlai's expression gradually became serious again: "Of course, Yan Xishan is not like the Kuomintang asking for help now, which does not mean that he will not ask for help at the last moment. Therefore, the idea of ​​the Central Revolutionary Military Commission is to solve the battle quickly! We must get it in the shortest possible time. Go down to Shanxi. At the same time, we should also start contact with the Wuhan Nationalist Government and try to find ways to stabilize them. If it doesn’t work, we can still compromise with Yan Xishan and give him half of Shanxi..."

At this moment, Mao Zedong shook his head resolutely: "No way! Since we want to move Shanxi, we should not be afraid to go to war with the Kuomintang reactionaries! In fact, the current situation is really a big fight, which may not be bad for us! And delaying it may not be beneficial."

Mao Zedong's words were so shocking that Zhou Enlai and all the participants were taken aback.It was the decision of the Second Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to unify the north first, complete the three-year heavy industry plan, and then plan to unify China in the south.The Comintern and the Soviet Union also meant this, and it seemed to be the only feasible solution.

Just when everyone was surprised, Mao Zedong continued quickly and anxiously: "We are building now, and they are also building. But how much capital do we have? How much capital do they have? Originally, we thought they wanted They suffered a lot in the Great Depression this time, but now it doesn’t look like that at all. They have 20 billion dollars in hard currency in their hands... So the gap between the North and the South will not necessarily narrow if it continues to develop! And the unification of the North will also It's not as simple as we imagined. Even if we conquered Shanxi, there are still northeast, northwest, and Mongolia... Are we sure we can get rid of them all?"

Zhou Enlai's thick eyebrows were furrowed into a pensive look: "But we are also not sure about going to war now..."

"It's a big deal for us to give up the Zhili Plain, as well as Beijing and Tianjin!" Mao Zedong said surprisingly again, but with a confident smile on his face: "In my opinion, if the Kuomintang wants to come...we can completely The Eighth Route Army also invested in Shanxi. Simply open the gate of the Zhili Plain and let them enter Beijing and Tianjin. As long as we hold Shanxi, Suiyuan, Chahar, and northern Shaanxi, there will be enough room for strategic detours.”

"...And after the Kuomintang entered Beijing and Tianjin, conflicts with the Japanese, the Northeast Army, the Youth Army, and even Mongolian King Zhongyi were inevitable. At that time, all these troublesome things will be left to the Kuomintang to deal with, and we Just rest assured to develop and grow in the northwest, and wait for the opportunity. I think it is inevitable that the Kuomintang and the Japanese will eventually fight..."

After Mao Zedong finished speaking, he just glanced at the princes in the conference room with piercing eyes.

"Mao! You are right-leaning escapism!" Miff suddenly shouted: "We are the central government now! We are the only legal government representing China. Beijing is the capital of China, how can a central government give up on itself? The capital of your country? Your thinking is completely guerrillaism, the thinking of the king of the mountain, not the thinking that a revolutionist or a president of a country should have!"

"...If we abandon Beijing and Tianjin now, the Nationalist Government of the Kuomintang will become the only central government in China! They can mobilize the financial resources and military power of the whole country to encircle and suppress our Northwest base areas. We can use some barren mountainous areas to resist The whole country? Moreover, the successful experience of Soviet Russia has already told us that mastering the capital and central cities is the key to the victory of the revolution! If we withdraw from Beijing and run into the mountains, then we will be Kolchak and Denikin! "

"...As for expecting a war between Japanese imperialism and Chinese imperialism, it is even more absurd. Mao Zedong, I suggest that you learn more about the world and read more Marxist works! Don't always think about "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "The Art of War by Sun Tzu" A set of outdated things. It is true that there are contradictions among imperialists. But the enemy they hate and fear the most is the Soviet Union! As long as there is a socialist country like the Soviet Union, there is a good chance that there will be no outbreak of imperialism at all. War! What shall we do then?"

Miff babbled a lot, but he firmly disagreed with abandoning Beijing and the status of the central government.In fact, what he said is basically untenable, but Comrade Miff is very clear about one thing.Once the CCP loses Beijing and the Central Committee, surely it cannot be called a "revolutionary victory"?That is failure!And failure is someone who has to come out and take responsibility.And Miff is definitely not the only one who has this idea...

Chapter 0485 Central Plains small battle (five)

February 19, [-]th year of the Republic of China.Taiyuan Shanxi.

General of the Republic of China Army, Shanxi Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Third Army Yan Xishan strode into the Shanxi Governor's Office with neat uniforms.

In the conference room of the office, at this time, the stars were already shining, and the senior officers of the Jin army were all gathered together.As Yan Xishan approached, everyone stood at attention and saluted.Except for a man in his 50s wearing a green cloth gown, this person was Wu Peifu who was invited by Yan Xishan to assist in military affairs.

All the people looked solemn and worried.Because just yesterday morning, the President of the Republic of China Mao Zedong issued a presidential decree in Beijing, removing Yan Xishan from all positions, and at the same time listing the Second Army as a rebel for disobedience to the Central Committee's order!He also announced in a high profile the formation of the Rebel Army, with Army Minister Feng Yuxiang as the commander-in-chief, Deng Yanda as the chief of staff, and Ye Ting, the commander-in-chief of the Fourth Route Army, as the deputy commander-in-chief.Sending 20 soldiers (so-called), I am going to come to Shanxi to find bad luck for the counter-revolutionaries...

Although the Jin army has long been prepared for a tenacious resistance, but when the real thing comes to an end, the hearts of the big guys are still ups and downs, and they have no foundation at all.These people in the conference room couldn't understand how heavy the Jin army was, and they were better at defending than attacking. The defense of the fortified city was so-so, and it was really not enough to pull it out for field battles.Therefore, for the Jin army, the best tactic is to shrink the 10,000+ main force to Taiyuan City and wait for help...

But that would be tantamount to handing over the whole of Shanxi to the Communist Party.And with the Communist Party's ability to mobilize and organize the people, within a few dozen days, the entire province of Shanxi will be planted with red flags!How long can we hold on to a bare provincial capital?Besides, if you want to wait for help, someone must come to help, right?But where is this "aid" now?Is it the KMT?How are they different from the CCP?Isn't it the same as confiscating the territory and reorganizing the army?

At this time, for the first time, the Jin army had the feeling that the end was coming.Neither the Communist Party nor the Kuomintang can be handled by the weak Jin army... But at present, these two seem to have sharpened their knives, and they are just waiting to kill Yan Xishan, a "harmless" old white rabbit!

Just now I received information from Beijing that Feng Yuxiang had already sworn in and was on his way to Datong.And Datong, a male city in the north of Shanxi, was occupied by the Third Route Army of the Central Committee last night. Of course, it was bloodless. A city of merchants greeted the Third Route Army with slogans welcoming the Communist Party.The central government's crusade can be regarded as a victory in the first battle.

However, what Taiyuan is most worried about is not Feng Yuxiang's menacing attack. The three route armies brought by Feng Yuxiang are just newly attached to the CCP, although the system is already the same as that of the Fourth Army.But after all, the main officers are still those old people, and the weapons and equipment are not good, so how strong can they be?What the Jin army is most afraid of is the Fourth and Eighth Route Army in the direction of Zhili. This is the elite lineage of the CCP.Now this large army is covering the back of the main force of the Jin army.Although the border between Zhili and Shanxi is blocked by the natural dangers of the Taihang Mountains, the mountains are criss-cross, and it is not a convenient place for the army to use.However, the prestige gained by the main force of the CCP's direct line all the way still made the generals of the Jin army shudder!

All ministries of the Jin army are even preparing for the final contraction of defense.Today, Yan Xishan convened a meeting of officers above the brigade level, and everyone was guessing whether Dujun Yan had made up his mind to abandon the plan for a decisive battle on the Xinkou front line, and transfer the main force back to Taiyuan to stick to it.

Yan Xishan's face was ashen, and he sat down slowly, looking at the eager eyes of the generals under his command.Sign everyone to sit down.

"I have already discussed with Yushuai that Shanxi will benefit from this battle for a long time, and the CCP will benefit from a quick decision. Therefore, I have made up my mind and will still follow the original plan to divide my troops into two routes to resist the Central Army, trying to delay the time and drag the war into a protracted war. I believe that as long as we can procrastinate, the situation will definitely change in our favor. The combat plans of each department will be announced later, please work together to tide over the difficulties.”

These words stirred up waves in the audience.

"Commander, the main force of the Central Army is deployed to the east of Taihang. Our army's eastern front is the most dangerous. We must strengthen our troops."

"Marshal, the total strength of our army is insufficient, and it is difficult to take care of it. It is recommended to shrink the troops to Taiyuan as soon as possible."

"Marshal, the CCP's underground party is active now, and the order in the countryside is chaotic. The gentry and local tyrants are either fleeing or organizing militias to protect themselves. It is very difficult for the government to collect food and taxes. If things go on like this, I'm afraid we will not fight. !"

"It's better for our army to concentrate our forces and take the initiative to attack and defeat Feng Yuxiang's army on the North Road. Then turn back to the East Road to fight the main force of the Central Army...or discuss peace with the Central Committee after defeating Feng Yuxiang's army."

Yan Xishan's expression had already softened, and he said coldly: "Now the enemy is strong and we are weak, and the Jin army is good at defense. Therefore, it is the best tactic to stick to the key points and keep the enemy out. Whether it is the northern or eastern front, we must Hold on! As long as we can firmly hold on, we will have a solution! This is my final determination, you don’t need to argue anymore, just fight hard!”

Seeing Yan Xishan's serious face, the officers below fell silent for a moment.At this time Wu Peifu stood up and smiled deeply: "Masters, you must understand that our opponent is always the Communist Party, the central government in Beijing, not just the Third Army or the Fourth Army! The most powerful Communist Party is not only It’s not just the army, but their ability to propagandize and organize the people! So we can only try to find ways to keep the enemy out, and we must not hand the people over to them! But the CCP is not completely without weaknesses at the moment. Their weakness is The economy is sluggish, the military resources are lacking, and the Kuomintang is watching. Therefore, the CCP will strive for a quick victory in the Second World War, and we will try our best to delay the time. As long as the CCP is exhausted, we can keep Shanxi’s autonomy! So in this current battle, we are not seeking victory, or even securing a tie, but we are striving to lose less and lose more slowly."

After hearing Wu Peifu's words, all the officers in the room couldn't help feeling a little discouraged.This statement...although it is the truth, but it still a little boosts the ambitions of others and destroys one's own prestige.However, the Jin army is different from other warlord troops, that is, although they cannot fight, they are firmly united around Yan Laoxi.Now that Yan Xishan has made up his mind, everyone can only implement it.

Yan Xishan stood up, leaned on the table, and looked coldly at the solemn officers in the room: "Everyone, this battle is about the survival of our Jin army. Everyone must unite and fight to the end! Our future can only be We made it out on our own!"

Now the Jin army has really reached the moment of life and death. The financial, material and military resources accumulated in 18 years of hard work must be used to the limit in this battle.If it still fails...then the Jin army will be devastated and unable to recover, and the only way to perish!

Thinking of this, Yan Xishan's eyes were full of tears, and the tears fell down uncontrollably.Suddenly, he saw the Jin army generals full of seats, and almost everyone had tears in their eyes.Perhaps the Jin army has really become a mourner now...

……

The blue-gray team was marching on the yellow land. The three route armies of the Central Army's Third Army had never stopped advancing since they crossed the Shanxi provincial border.Since the main force of the Jin army in northern Shanxi had shrunk to the front line of Xinkou early in the morning, all the towns and cities in northern Shanxi were swept away by the [-] troops commanded by Feng Yuxiang without bloodshed. There are good news.Zhongnanhai is also full of joy, and a big victory seems to be just around the corner!Of course, the premise is that the Kuomintang reactionaries in the south will not send troops to intervene in the war when the Jin army is defeated!

The route chosen by the staff of the Crusade Army led by Deng Yanda was to take Datong first, and then go straight to Xinkou through Huairen, Shanyin, and Daixian County.Then in a decisive battle with the main force of the Jin army in Xinkou, after defeating the Jin army, they rushed to Taiyuan.It is estimated that there will be the fiercest resistance from the Jin army!Therefore, we have to wait until we join forces with the Fourth Route Army on the Eastern Front before attacking Taiyuan.

Under the sunshine of spring, the endless line of people rolled forward, rolling up dust on the dry road.Infantry, cavalry, heavy soldiers, 75mm mountain artillery pulled by eight big mules and horses, and front-line migrant workers in old padded jackets pushed wheelbarrows and drove pack carts all the way south.However, the marching speed is not fast, which is about 20 kilometers per day.It's not that Feng Yuxiang deliberately delayed, but the infantry marching speed of this era is so slow.

The 200-strong army commanded by Feng Yuxiang set off from Datong to the south on February 25th, and traveled more than [-] kilometers to Xinkou. According to the plan, it would take twelve days to walk slowly!Then it will take another three days to complete the deployment and deployment, and it will almost start around February [-].

……

"Brother Baichuan, the deployment of our army is as follows: the Jin Army's Second Division and Eighth Brigade form the Central Corps, commanded by Fu Yisheng (Fu Zuoyi), responsible for guarding the frontline positions of Caijiagang, Lingshan, Nanhuaihua, and Yangmingbao; The ninth brigade and the tenth brigade are the right-wing corps, commanded by Zhang Tongxuan (Zhang Yinwu), guarding the first-line position of Wutai Mountain; the first division of the Jin Army is the left-wing corps defending the first-line position from Heiyu Village to Yangfangkou; Jin Army No.11 Brigade, No.12 Brigade is the reserve team, under the command of Yang Xingru (Yang Aiyuan), and is in Dingxiang and Xinxian areas to serve all parties. In this battle, the Jin army has concentrated two divisions, five brigades, and four artillery units The regiment has a total strength of nearly 8 troops and more than 140 cannons. It should be enough for a battle!"

Yan Xishan was sitting in the former enemy command post in Xin County, staring at the military map in front of him, listening to the "General Counsel" Wu Peifu introduce the deployment of troops to him.

The total strength of the Jin army before was only 10. After the sound of the CCP's sharpening came, it hastily expanded its army by 10, and organized it into three divisions: the fourth division, the fifth division, and the sixth division.However, these recruits are not enough right now. There are neither enough officers nor soldiers who have received strict training.So there are still [-] people available, [-] are already in Xinkou, and only [-] troops are defending the passes of Zhengtai Road and Taihang Mountain.As for the banks along the Yellow River on the western front...it is the responsibility of the militia. Whether they can hold it depends on God's will.

"I said... Yushuai. We are now concentrating our forces on the northern front. If the CCP's main attack direction is the eastern front, we can..." Yan Xishan asked this question countless times.Now I looked at the map and started asking questions again.

Wu Peifu rubbed his chin and smiled softly: "If the Communist Army's main attack direction is the Eastern Front, then we can only retreat to Taiyuan City and wait to die! But there is no way for us, who will let our Jin army fight? Weak...there is no way to defeat Feng Yuxiang in an offensive battle, so he can only be beaten to death in a defensive battle? Just take a gamble."

Wu Peifu had a smile on his face, but he felt a little helpless when he said it.Yan Xishan stole another look at the once famous person in front of him who was known as "China's Ludendorff"—although he suffered a lot of defeats and lost his previous reputation, but compared to himself, he was not at all The general who fights is still much stronger, right?

"A gamble?" Yan Xishan shook his head, and said to himself, "Then let's gamble. 8 people defend, 10 people attack, it should be a victory..."

Wu Peifu sneered coldly: "Feng Yuxiang is not a direct descendant after all, who will come if he doesn't take this tough job?"

Yan Xishan was startled when he heard the words, but after thinking about it carefully, it seemed reasonable.Although Feng Yuxiang's team has accepted the transformation of the CCP, it is still not thorough.This battle is naturally a time to test them, who can fight and who can't, who should stay and who can't... Only after a battle can we know.Yan Xishan said in a low voice: "Speaking of which, the Xinkou battle is still somewhat certain."

Wu Peifu nodded and walked to the large map hanging in the command room.Sliding his fingers around Xin's mouth: "Feng Yuxiang commanded an army of 15 to attack on this line, firmly attracting the main force of our army..." He then pointed his finger at the line of Zhengtai Road and Taihang Mountain: "...Another elite will break through here, Destroy the Jin Third Division. The door of Taiyuan will be wide open. This should be the CCP’s tactics. It’s a pity that my No.[-] Route Army has already been given to Zhang Hanqing, otherwise it would be foolproof on the Eastern Front.”

Yan Xishan stared at Wu Peifu with unspeakable worry: "Yu Shuai, what should we do?"

Wu Peifu smiled wryly: "We can only severely injure Feng Yuxiang in the defensive battle." He stared blankly at the map: "Most of the CCP's Eastern Route Army will launch suddenly when the northern line is stalemate...but if Feng Yuxiang is killed If we break it down, they should take it easy and ask Zhang Hanqing to come out to speak, and Shanxi will be saved. But this is just our wishful thinking, Feng Yuxiang is still good at fighting rebellion..."

……

The troops of Feng Yuxiang's Third Army Brigade, who had gone all the way south, are now resting.It happened to be lunch time.The food standard of the army of the original central government in Beijing was poor, only 24 meters of noodles a day, and three yuan a month for vegetable gold.Now is the time to struggle hard, so it will naturally be more difficult.There are only two meals a day, one at ten in the morning and one at seven in the afternoon.It's still dry and dilute, and the dry meal is still corn.Fortunately, the officers all ate the same food as the soldiers and shared the joys and sorrows, so it didn't affect morale.

But the food that came along the way caused the troops to complain.After all, the physical exertion of marching outside is completely different from that of cats in the barracks. This meal is hard...it is indeed a bit bitter!Feng Yuxiang walked around among the troops with his hands behind his back, and Zhang Guotao, the new political commissar of the Third Army, walked with him with a sullen face.

The two of them turned around, watching those obviously thin cadres and soldiers gobbling up two small nests in their hands, their eyebrows gradually furrowed.Feng Yuxiang sighed to Zhang Guotao with his hands behind his back: "The supply of troops is really too difficult! It seems that this battle should be resolved quickly. Comrade political commissar, are the soldiers in a good mood? It's not because the food is too bad... ..."

Zhang Guotao adjusted his glasses, glanced around with slightly cold eyes, and said coldly: "Comrade Commander, political and ideological work has always been the strength of our party. You don't have to worry about this. They are poor and lower-middle peasants who have been given the land and become masters. This kind of suffering is nothing at all. But... some cadres from the old army are not used to it, and they complain all day long, disturbing the morale of the army! In my opinion, the Third Army still needs Make a good rectification!"