The sun never sets.

"The People's Army cannot use poison gas bombs first, but if the enemy uses it first, they can use the same means."

After the meeting, the Military Commission arranged for everyone to go to the training ground to watch China's own tanks. Because it was finalized in 1913, it was called the "Type 13 tank", also known as the No. 13 tank. There are two types of Type 13 tanks, which are basically the same, except for the caliber of the main gun. The 50-A model tank is equipped with a 13mm smoothbore gun, and the 75-B model is equipped with a mm short-barreled gun.

"........I am

The first generation 13-C type will use a 75mm long-barreled gun. In addition, there are assault guns and tank destroyers using the same chassis. The number of assault guns is three times that of tanks, and tank destroyers are only equipped in small quantities......."

Tank destroyers are mainly used for anti-armor, infantry, and destroying enemy firepower points, which is similar to the role of assault guns in some cases. The main reason for equipping a large number of assault guns and tank destroyers instead of using only tanks is to save money.

War is very expensive, so try to save as much as possible.

In order to unify logistics, the Military Commission has decided to stop the production of the 13-A and 13-B tanks, and focus on the production of the Panzer I and Panzer II-C tanks. China's military factories are now working in three shifts, producing a variety of weapons at full capacity.

By 1914, the world war had lasted for more than three years. Both the Allies and the Central Powers were exhausted, and problems arose on both the front and the rear. China raised its war preparedness level and began partial mobilization. Although it was only a partial mobilization, the number of people mobilized in the first wave was as high as two million.

A large number of reservists were called up to the army, the number of students enrolled in military academies tripled, and the "NCO crash course" and "Officer crash course" were reopened. The government controlled important strategic materials, and many items were no longer allowed to be exported.

While China was mobilizing, the United States had already joined the war. In fact, when the German army was approaching Paris, the United States had already decided to join the war. The US government had lent too much money to the Allies. If Britain and France were defeated, the money would not be recovered.

By 1914, the United States had lent a total of $22 billion to Europe, of which $21.6 billion went to the Allies and only $ million went to the Central Powers. Just looking at the amount of loans, it is clear that the United States was no longer neutral.

On February 1914, 2, the United States officially announced its joining of the Allied Powers and declared war on the Central Powers led by Germany. The United States joining the Allied Powers was destined from the beginning. Even if isolationist sentiment was high in the United States, nothing could be reversed. As long as there are enough interests, the new coronavirus can be described as a large-scale flu.

The U.S. military crossed the Atlantic Ocean and entered Europe continuously. However, the combat effectiveness of the U.S. military was not very good, or more accurately, very bad. The bloody scenes on the battlefields of Europe made the U.S. military shudder. After Pershing brought hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops to Europe, he refused to assign the troops to the British and French armies and insisted on having independent command. At the same time, Pershing also required the army to train in the rear for three to four months before they could take on some combat missions.

The fighting in Europe was really too brutal. After a battle, the victorious side could suffer 200,000 to 300,000 casualties. This was simply outrageous. The U.S. military originally thought that the Battle of the Philippines was tragic enough, but compared to the war in Europe, it was nothing.

The British and French allied forces suffered an average of 40,000 casualties per month. Although Pershing was known as a famous general in the US Army, he was also terrified by this rate of casualties.

The U.S. military's combat effectiveness was low and it would not be of any use for a while, but the U.S. participation in the war brought not only soldiers and warships, but also an unconditional loan of $100 billion to the Allies. After three years of fighting, both warring parties in Europe were already at the end of their strength, with almost all their manpower and financial resources consumed. Whoever could come up with the last dollar would be the final winner.

At this time, China, the only country that did not participate in the war, seemed very different. The British ambassador to China urgently met with Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Shaoyi and asked China to join the Allies. "Victory has been grasped by the Allies!"

Jordan was very proud of this time. He looked down on the combat effectiveness of the US military, but he was very clear about the power of 100 billion US dollars. The annual military expenditure of Britain was only 20 billion pounds, and 100 billion US dollars was enough to crush the Germans to death.

"If China does not stand on the side of justice now, it will probably be in a lot of trouble after the war!"

Jordan said in a threatening tone: "Perhaps the British Empire should reconsider its issues in the Pacific!"

Tang Shaoyi's expression was proper and distant. "I reiterate China's position: We will not participate in any unjust war!"

"This war was first provoked by the evil German government!"

"The reason for the outbreak of war in Europe is the fight for colonies. Our government has stated many times that the colonial system is reactionary, unpopular, and despised by all those who pursue justice and progress!"

Zhu Erdian was furious, "Don't you think about what will happen after the war?"

Chapter 612 February

British Ambassador Jordan was furious, but Tang Shaoyi was unmoved. He even wanted to laugh. "If friends come, we have wine. If wolves come, we also have hunting rifles."

"........."

The anger on Jordan's face suddenly disappeared, and he put on a different expression. "The British Empire is doing this for China's benefit. The Allies are about to fall, and if China joins the Allies at this time, it will become a victorious country. It doesn't cost much, and it can get rich rewards. Why not do it?"

Tang Shaoyi asked: "It doesn't cost much? I don't agree with this statement. But let's skip it for now. The ambassador said there will be rich rewards. I am very curious about what China can get after the war if it can join the Allied camp.

What's the return?

Zhu Erdian was secretly delighted. "First, becoming a victorious country can greatly increase China's international influence." However, Tang Shaoyi had no interest in this, so Zhu Erdian could only throw out some bait. "Second, because we are allies, the Empire will give China more support, and we can also consider returning Hong Kong to China in advance."

Tang Shaoyi smiled and shook his head. "Mr. Jordan, China is trustworthy and respects the spirit of contract. There is no rush for Hong Kong. We will take it back when the time comes. As long as Britain is not at war with China, we will not take Hong Kong back in advance."

Zhu Erdian frowned and his expression suddenly darkened. "Mr. Minister, are you threatening war against the British Empire? Perhaps the Empire should reconsider China's prospecting and mining rights in Australia."

The news that Australia has discovered huge iron ore reserves has been disclosed. Newspapers in various countries are full of sarcasm towards the British and envy towards China and Japan. Iron ore is nothing, it is found all over the world. Super-large iron ore is nothing, it is found in many places such as the United States, Brazil, and Africa. However, Australia's iron ore reserves are not only huge, but also of very high quality. Super-large iron ore with a purity of more than 60% is rare, and there are only about three or four in the world.

The British government sold gold at a bargain price and is now feeling the pain. Some senior government officials have suggested reviewing the commercial contract signed with ASEAN, and some say the 600 million yuan loan should be directly withheld and the Chinese government should pay for it.

The Times and the London Journal created a lot of public opinion, and the newspapers of other member states of the Allied Powers also published such voices, hoping to force China and Japan to make concessions. In this regard, China's attitude was to completely ignore it.

As for the Night Raid Group: 69④⑨,③6①③5, Japan stepped up the construction of bases in Australia. In just a few months, Japan had transported more than 20,000 people to Australia, including a regiment of armed forces and 1,000 farmers.

Australia lacks water and arable land, but this is not a problem for the Japanese. Compared with the Japanese archipelago, which is prone to earthquakes, Australia is definitely not bad. There are not only iron ore, but also large tracts of grassland. It doesn't matter if there is little arable land, grazing is also possible.

If you are willing to spend more money on seawater treatment equipment, you can still grow crops. With drip irrigation and indoor cultivation technology, you can ensure a basic food yield. If the food yield is not enough, the worst that can happen is that you can just eat more fish and beef and mutton.

When Jordan mentioned the Australian iron ore, Tang Shaoyi's eyes turned cold. China is a continental army country with the world's best manpower and is not afraid of any land challenge. But Australia is 6000 kilometers away from China, separated by a vast ocean, and China's huge army cannot use its strength.

Tang Shaoyi sneered: "If you want to reconsider Australia's prospecting and mining rights, then China should also reconsider the human rights issue in Southeast Asia. We have reason to believe that under British colonial rule, the basic human rights of the people of Southeast Asia are not guaranteed."

He and Jordan looked at each other, and saw disgust in each other's eyes. However, they were diplomats, not soldiers, and they would not fight at the negotiation table. It was normal for negotiations to fail to reach an agreement. If they failed to reach an agreement once or twice, they would continue to negotiate. Even if they did reach an agreement, they would not be happy. Tearing up treaties was something that imperialist countries often did.

Before the war in Europe was over, Britain would not really take action on the iron ore in western Australia, as that might push China to the side of the Allies. The British government claimed that the Allies were about to win, but they did not. The German army was still entrenched in northeastern France, and Italy was almost collapsed. Russia, the weakest link in the imperialist family, collapsed faster than expected.

Starting in 1912, the revolutionary movement in Russia revived due to the war. Infighting within the ruling class intensified. Scandals abounded inside and outside the court. Empress Alexandra was even suspected of being a German spy. Some people in the court were also planning to depose Nicholas II and establish another tsar.

In 1913, Spinletto, who presided over the Russian reform, was assassinated, and the reform achievements were destroyed. Russia fell into a situation of internal and external difficulties. Nicholas II and his favorites even secretly contacted the Germans, hoping to stop the war and suppress the domestic revolution first. However, the Germans asked for too high a price, and with the pressure from Britain and France, Tsar Nicholas II did not dare to withdraw from the war alone.

A year later, the situation in Russia had become unmanageable. In early February, 2 workers in St. Petersburg took to the streets to demand bread to fill their stomachs. Ten days later, the demonstrations turned into an armed uprising. This was the "February Revolution" that shocked the Allied camp.

There was a reason why the revolution happened in February. At that time, St. Petersburg was covered with ice and snow, and people would starve to death without enough food. In fact, people did starve to death in the city, which forced the workers to take up arms and resist.

After the armed uprising, Nicholas II panicked and quickly ordered the commander of the Petrograd Military District to "stop the riots in St. Petersburg the next day." Just like eight years ago, the army entered St. Petersburg, set up machine guns on rooftops and corner towers, and fired at the demonstrators.

However, things are different from eight years ago. Nicholas II's bloody suppression failed to solve the problem. After the bloody killing, things became worse. A large number of generals and officers who supported the Tsar died in the war, and the remaining supporters were also on the front line. The army had long been fed up with the endless war... Some of the troops entering St. Petersburg fell to the side of the workers in the armed uprising.

Since Nicholas II had lost control of the situation, the State Duma took the opportunity to put pressure on him and asked representatives to persuade him to abdicate.

"This is a shameful betrayal!"

Nicholas II was quite handsome and usually paid great attention to his appearance, but at this moment he was like a mouse trapped in a bellows. "I am the Tsar and I will never give up the throne!"

The representative sneered, "Then we cannot guarantee the safety of Your Majesty and your family."

"...........", the anger that filled Nicholas II's body receded like a tide, leaving only sadness and panic. How did things come to this? He was the high and mighty Tsar yesterday, how could his entire family be killed today?

Chapter 613: The Tsar

Tsar Nicholas II knew that he would never be accepted by the Russians. The Russians only respect the strong, and he had failed twice. If he continued to linger, maybe... no, not maybe, but he would definitely be killed, murdered, assassinated, or in some other way.

It was possible that he would be sent to the guillotine like the French emperor, and his wife and daughter would also be implicated. Nicholas II looked at Alexandra, who was in tears. He did not believe that his queen was a German spy, but people outside said so.

"I...I've made up my mind."

Nicholas II whispered: "I will abdicate, but the throne of the Romanov family cannot be cut off from my hands."

His voice became louder. "I will pass the throne to Grand Duke Nicholas, and he will solve these problems."

Alexei was the first in line to the throne, but he was too young to be the tsar, which was tantamount to sending him to the guillotine. The main reason was that Alexei inherited hemophilia from the British royal family. Although Queen Alexandra announced that Alexei's hemophilia had been cured, how could a genetic disease be so easy to cure? Claims are just claims.

Queen Alexandra: "Is there no other way? We can ask the generals to come back with their troops!"

"I can't do that," Nicholas II shook his head. "If I withdraw the troops, the Germans will take the opportunity to launch an attack."

Alexandra stroked the Tsar's thin cheek, "Well, that's it."

She knew very well how much the Russian people hated her, and how difficult it was for Nicholas II to make this decision. But at this point, this was the only way.

But to the surprise of Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra, Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich Romanov Nicholas refused the throne of the Tsar. Now St. Petersburg is a big fire pit, or a big gunpowder magazine, and Grand Duke Nicholas believes that he can't solve the problem of feeding 70 workers and their families.

In addition to St. Petersburg, there are also many workers in big cities such as Moscow. Those people are also hungry and their eyes are green. Hunger is one of the most terrible things in the world. Even a well-disciplined army can become a beast because of hunger, not to mention ordinary people.

Grand Duke Nicholas had some resentment towards the Tsar because he was dismissed from his position as Supreme Commander by Nicholas II, but this resentment was not enough to make him watch Nicholas II and his family die. Grand Duke Nicholas did not like Alexandra and believed that the Germans deliberately brought hemophilia to the Romanov family, but he loved the children very much.

Therefore, in the telegram sent back, Grand Duke Nicholas, while rejecting the title of Tsar, gave Nicholas II an idea, "Pass the throne to Grand Duchess Olga."

Olga Novello was the first child of Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra and the mother of Alexander Romanov Nicholas, the eldest son of Alexander.

After receiving the call back from Grand Duke Nicholas, Tsar Nicholas II was stunned at first, then showed a thoughtful expression. Queen Alexandra was a little worried, "How can Olga become Tsar? This will kill her!"

".......No, this might be a solution."

Olga is not yet 20 years old. In the eyes of Nicholas II and Alexandra, she is still just a child. In the eyes of parents, children are always children. Olga is unable to handle the chaotic situation in Russia, but the man behind Olga may be able to.

Nicholas II thought of more things. Was Grand Duke Nicholas instigated by Lin Yongchang to say that? If the Chinese army could join the war, perhaps his throne could be saved?

Looking outside, Nicholas II rejected this possibility. One disastrous defeat was enough to kill the Tsar, and he had already suffered two disastrous defeats in his external expansion. Then, the position of Tsar should be passed to Olga. This was the last and best way.

Nicholas II had a complicated attitude towards Lin Yongchang. First, because of the Sino-Russian War and Olga, he hated the Eastern ruler and wanted him dead.

Yes, His Majesty the Tsar saw the changes in China. Being able to rule a country with a population of 50 million, Nicholas II felt a little envious and even admiring.

After all, Nicholas II was also a Russian, and the worship of the strong was engraved in his bones. Lin Yongchang was probably not the most powerful man in the world. China's national strength was still not as strong as that of the United States and the British Empire. If Germany could come out of the war, it might be stronger than China, but Lin Yongchang started from scratch and built a huge empire with his bare hands (China calls itself a people's republic, but in the eyes of European and American powers, it is a new empire). In this regard, the US president, the British prime minister and the German emperor could not compare.

If Chairman Lin is willing to lend a helping hand, the situation in Russia can be stabilized...right?

The telegram announcing Nicholas II's abdication and passing the throne to Grand Duchess Olga was widely publicized, which aroused the anger and fear of the State Duma in St. Petersburg. Those guys in the State Duma are all bourgeois. The bourgeoisie is extremely happy when killing others, but when they themselves are in danger of being killed, their weakness and cowardice are fully exposed.

The Tsarist Russia still had millions of troops on the front lines. Generals such as Brusinov and Grand Duke Nicholas were all supporters of the Romanov family. What did the State Duma have? Seven hundred thousand workers? The workers didn't want much, they just wanted to fill their stomachs. They didn't like the Tsar, nor did they like the masters of the State Duma.

After Nicholas II's message reached the Far East, Grand Princess Olga ascended the throne in Vladivostok and became Olga I. She appointed Lin Yongchang as the Grand Duke of Moscow and Prime Minister, and her eldest son Alexander Lin Romanov Nicholas as the Crown Prince.

Because the situation was critical, Olga I did not hold a coronation ceremony, but simply announced the fact, and then led her army westward amid the cheers of the crowds in Vladivostok.

The Grand Duchy of Siberia had already started mobilization two months ago, and now had an army of 45,000 soldiers. Not only Russians joined the army, but also Chinese and Japanese exiled to Siberia. This was their chance to change their fate. Digging potatoes in Siberia was not a good experience, so they should join the army and fight. As long as they could make military achievements, they could escape the miserable fate of digging potatoes.

Chapter 614: Outline

Similarly, a large number of people in Mobei also joined the army. However, the combat effectiveness of those newly recruited troops was very poor, and they needed to complete three months of recruit training before they could have some combat effectiveness.

According to the plan of the Chinese General Staff, the troops that have completed the training will be arranged along the Trans-Siberian Railway, responsible for protecting the safety of the railway while conducting further training in technical and tactical skills. Some veteran and experienced officers will be mixed with the recruits to help the new troops form combat effectiveness as soon as possible.

The real frontline combat force was the standing army of the People's Army. After Olga I announced her succession to the Russian throne, the People's Army marched westward along the railway line and controlled all the cities and train stations along the way. What came faster than the army was the "Letter to the Russian People" published by Olga I, which was the policy program of Her Majesty the Empress. The main contents were as follows:

First, withdraw from the world war. The blood of the Russians should not be wasted in such a meaningless way. Second, abolish serfdom and let the tiller own the land. Implement an eight (ten) hour work system throughout the country to protect the rights and interests of workers. Third, rectify the administration of officials and eliminate corruption. Fourth, clarify the tax system and reduce rent and interest.

On the surface, this was Olga I's policy program, but in fact it was Lin Yongchang who came up with it. The troops on the front line didn't want to fight anymore, so the first point in the "Letter to the Russian People" was "withdraw from the world war." Serfdom was a chronic disease of the Russian Empire, which had been repeated for hundreds of years, and it was still struggling with this issue. Last year, Spinretto was assassinated because of the liberation of serfs.

Lin Yongchang no longer planned to liberate the serfs, but instead prepared to launch the "Land Revolution". As for rectifying the administration of officials and reducing rent and interest, these were all proven effective measures in China. Once announced, they immediately caused a huge response throughout Russia.

The peasants and serfs naturally shouted "Long live Her Majesty Olga", and the State Duma and the bourgeois cabinet in St. Petersburg fell into panic. The speaker of the State Duma announced that he would not recognize Olga as the new Tsar of Russia and was ready to send troops to stop the million-strong army rolling in from the east.

But the State Duma did not have much troops under its control. They could only control a small part of the army and some armed workers. A large part of the workers stood on the side of Vladimir Ilyich. Comrade Vladimir had led the Russian Revolution eight years ago, but was suppressed by the Tsar's lackeys. This time he made a comeback and quickly controlled an armed force, so there were two regimes in St. Petersburg.

Joseph Vissarionovich also fled from Siberia to St. Petersburg. He had been doing very well in Vladivostok in recent years and had a house, a car, money and a girl. However, he was a staunch revolutionary and believed that only Comrade Vladimir Ilyich could save Russia. So he gave up everything in Siberia and resolutely followed the truth.

Joseph originally wanted to launch an uprising in Vladivostok and then occupy the entire Grand Duchy of Siberia. However, the reactionary forces here were too strong, and Olga I was good at

In order to win people's hearts, he revealed his intention, and two days later he was arrested and thrown into prison.

However, the police in Vladivostok did not embarrass Joseph Vissarionovich, but put him and his followers on a train to Europe. Some people say that Comrade Joseph was driven away, which is pure slander. Comrade Joseph Vissarionovich is a staunch idealist. Even if his property was not confiscated, he would have taken the same path.

After Olga ascended the throne, most of the generals of Tsarist Russia declared their loyalty to the Empress. Grand Duke Nicholas, who was in charge of military operations in the Caucasus, naturally stood on the side of the Empress. Others such as Brusilov, Kornilov, and Kolchak also stood on the side of Olga I.

This was normal, as the generals were all die-hard fans of the Tsar and could not get along with those in the State Duma. However, the generals also had some concerns, as most of them were aristocrats with large estates and serfs. If Her Majesty wanted to liberate the serfs, would it harm everyone's interests?

But this is just a small problem. The czars of all generations have been talking about liberating the serfs. How many years have passed? There is always a way to make Her Majesty change her mind. The main thing now is to find a way to get food for the army. The situation on the front line is very bad. After the armed uprising broke out in St. Petersburg and Moscow, the troops confronting the German army were cut off from supplies. If they don't find a way to provide food to the front line, the army may collapse at any time.

Russia has a vast territory. Although there are some places where grain production has decreased due to the war, with the aid of Britain and France, Russia is generally not short of food. What Tsarist Russia lacked was the ability to transport food to where it was needed.

While food was scarce in Petrograd, Moscow, and other industrial cities, large quantities of grain, meat, and fish were rotting in Siberia, the Urals, the Caspian Sea, the Volga River, and the Don River. Because of the chaos in the railway dispatching system, 15 wagons of spoiled grain were stored. Sea transportation was also not good. The Baltic and Black Seas had long been blocked by Germany and the Ottoman Empire. Russia's main contact with the Allies was through Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, and Vladivostok.

But there was no railway between the interior and Murmansk. The narrow-gauge railway from Arkhangelsk to Vologda was inconvenient for transportation. Vladivostok was too far from the Russian hinterland. As a result, large quantities of goods were piled up at the port and could not be transported to the interior. In Arkhangelsk, coal was piled up like mountains, and boxes of lathes for the arsenal were piled along the pier. In Murmansk, ships had to wait weeks and months to unload their cargo.

Food is one thing, weapons and ammunition are another. Since the outbreak of the war, the Russian army has been short of weapons and equipment. The military factories of the Russian Empire were not capable of producing enough to arm an army of tens of millions. In addition, the Russian army was often defeated, and after each battle, it was unknown how much technical equipment was lost.

Queen Olga - who was actually in power, Lin Yongchang - was also unable to arm the Russian army to the teeth. Even if China could produce so many weapons and ammunition, no amount of supplies would be useful until the railway system was restored to operation.

However, Lin Yongchang did not ignore the battlefield on the Eastern Front. In the name of Olga I, he let Grand Duke Nicholas be in charge of all Russian troops on the Eastern Front and ordered them to retreat to the rear when necessary and to preserve their manpower as much as possible. If they could fight, they should fight; if they could not fight, they should defend; if they could not defend, they should leave.

Isn't the Russian Empire's greatest strength its vast territory and its generals? Why would it fight a strong enemy head-on? As long as the German army couldn't plunder enough supplies in Russia, the Germans would be killed by the delay.

The current situation in Russia is very similar to that of the Republic of China in another world. There are powerful enemies outside and the country is in chaos inside. In this situation, Russia will definitely suffer losses on the front battlefield. But as long as it grits its teeth and perseveres, it will definitely wait until the time of crisis comes.

Chapter 615 Committee

Olga I declared that she would withdraw from the World War, which caused an uproar in St. Petersburg. The Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries in the State Duma would never agree to withdraw from the war, which meant that their expected benefits would no longer exist, and all their previous investments in the war would be wasted.

If the Central Powers cannot be defeated and a large amount of war reparations cannot be obtained, wouldn’t all the efforts of the past three years be wasted? The sunk costs are so high that the bourgeoisie cannot imagine what a miserable future will be after withdrawing from the war.

But St. Petersburg had no solution for Olga I and the Russian army on the Eastern Front. St. Petersburg was in chaos, and various factions were trying to expand their power. More than a dozen groups and factions claimed to be representatives of the people. These groups fought and abused each other, and united with each other to try to win more seats in the election.

But in such chaos, St. Petersburg gradually developed order and had its own armed forces. Finally, two major factions, or two regimes, were formed in St. Petersburg: one was the Provisional Government of the bourgeoisie, and the other was the Soviet regime established by Vladimir Ilyich, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Bukharin and others.

The Mensheviks, in the interests of their own class, tried to limit the scope of the revolution. They believed that after the overthrow of the Tsarist system, the only legitimate masters would be the bourgeoisie, and the Soviets could only put pressure on the bourgeoisie to push it to the left. The Bolsheviks were opposed to handing over power to the bourgeoisie. At the plenary session of the Soviets in early March, Molotov, on behalf of the Bolshevik Party, criticized the Soviets for their