Bright Sword: Construction starts from southeastern Shanxi

December 5th, across the ocean.

The morning fog in Washington shrouded the White House, and the air was bitingly cold.

The world is in a turbulent international situation. The European battlefield is filled with smoke, the Nazi blitzkrieg sweeps across Poland, Britain and France declare war on Germany, and the war clouds are gathering.

On the other side of the Pacific, Japan's iron hoof was still wreaking havoc in China, and the war had entered its third year.

In the early morning of the Oval Office of the White House, the flames in the fireplace flickered slightly, bringing some warmth.

President Roosevelt sat behind his desk, flipping through the latest war report with a frown on his face.

In front of him, Secretary of State Hull had just taken his seat, looking solemn, holding in his hand an encrypted telegram from Yudu.

"Mr. President," Hull pushed the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose and gently placed the document on the table.

"This intelligence comes from Carlson, who emphasized that the 389th Division of the Eighth Route Army in North China has been fighting in Shanxi since entering the battle.

The Japanese army suffered a heavy blow on the battlefield in Shanxi.

The Japanese army spent just over two years in North China, and lost over 100,000 troops.

The Japanese army is now in a difficult position in North China."

Roosevelt put down his pen and looked at Hull thoughtfully: "The Eighth Route Army? Are their fighting power so strong?"

Hull nodded: "From various intelligence sources, their tactics were extremely effective. They tied down a large number of Japanese troops in the North China battlefield, preventing the Japanese from completely occupying the entire North China.

Especially in southeastern Shanxi and western Hebei, the 389th Division of the Eighth Route Army recaptured the area from the Japanese army last year.

Furthermore, judging by their repeated successful ambushes of elite Japanese troops, if the Japanese forces in North China do not adjust their strategic and tactical deployments, they will likely continue to suffer heavy losses.”

Roosevelt's eyes fell on the telegram and he read softly: "'The combat effectiveness displayed by the Eighth Route Army shows that they are capable of fighting behind enemy lines and continuously depleting the Japanese army's manpower and resources.'"

He raised his head and looked at Hull, "What do you think?"

Hull exhaled slowly, his tone calm: “Mr. President, we must consider a practical issue.

Japan's war machine is still running at full capacity, and while we are not currently directly involved in the conflict, their threat cannot be ignored.

We have already imposed some economic sanctions on Japan, restricting the export of strategic materials to it, but this is far from enough."

Roosevelt tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and after a moment's thought he said:

"Our current foreign policy is to assist the Chinese government, not to directly support a certain army.

Do you think the Eighth Route Army deserves assistance?"

Hull frowned slightly and chose his words carefully: "This is exactly the key point we need to discuss.

The southern government is obviously our official ally in the Far East, but the problem is that their combat effectiveness is not stable when facing the Japanese army, especially in the front battlefield.

Although the Eighth Route Army was a red army, its combat capability in the enemy's rear battlefield was very outstanding.

Judging from the actual results, the casualties they caused to the Japanese army far exceeded expectations.

If our goal is to keep Japan deeply involved in the Chinese battlefield and slow down their expansion into Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Then, the Eighth Route Army is clearly a force that cannot be ignored."

Roosevelt rubbed his temples with his fingers and said after careful consideration:

"We can't act rashly. The Nationalist government's attitude towards the Eighth Route Army has always been ambiguous, and there has even been internal strife.

If we rashly aid the Eighth Route Army, it may affect our relationship with Chongqing."

Hull nodded, but then added: “However, the contradiction between the National Government and the Eighth Route Army is their internal problem.

What we need is a military force that can continue to cause trouble for the Japanese army.

Judging from the battle reports, the Eighth Route Army's mobility, tactical innovation, and ability to survive in extreme environments have proven their value."