If Song Zheyuan's mood at this time was contradictory and entangled, the entire Japanese military community was in chaos.
When news of the Wanping Incident reached the Japanese General Staff Headquarters, the first person to receive the news was Kanji Ishihara, the head of the first department of the Japanese General Staff Headquarters at that time, the so-called greatest genius of the Japanese Army, and the main planner of the September 18th Incident.
.When he got the news of the outbreak of the July 7th Incident, he couldn't help but be very angry. As the main planner of the September 18th Incident, he was now an out-and-out non-expansionist. It was not like he had awakened to the act of aggression.
Instead, I believe that the real obstacles to Japan's outward expansion are the Soviet Union and the United States. Currently, Japan is in the process of developing a five-year combat readiness development plan in "Manchuria" to deal with the Soviet Union and the United States. Therefore, in war guidance, it should not be based on accidental
Sexual incident, gave up the established long-term goals, wasted its strength in the quagmire of the China war, and created an opportunity for the Soviet Union and the United States to take advantage of Japan.
Therefore, the incident could not be expanded. Ishihara immediately explained this policy to the Chief of Staff of Kanin Palace. He immediately ordered in the name of the General Staff Headquarters to avoid further use of force in order to prevent the incident from expanding.
Kanji Ishihara, who was at the General Staff Headquarters, did not want to expand the war, but he himself was famous all over the world for disobeying orders on September 18 and eventually conquered Manchuria for Japan. How could he be qualified to ask his juniors to obey orders?
The most frustrating thing is that a large group of Japanese officers who have nothing to do with it are as excited as having eaten gunpowder.
Kwantung Army Commander Ueda Kenkichi, Chief of Staff Tojo Hideki, North Korean Governor-General Nanjiro, and North Korean Army Commander Oiso Kuniaki jointly submitted a letter to the Japanese Cabinet, requesting that troops be sent immediately to teach the Chinese government a lesson, and Tsuji Masanobu and Tanaka Takayoshi were sent to the front lines to assist the Japanese army.
Cheer up.
However, not all the Chinese garrison troops in Tianjin supported the expansion of the war. Lieutenant Colonel Junhisa Ikeda, the Chief of Operations Staff, was against the expansionists. He went directly to the room of Amiichiro Tashiro, who was already critically ill at this time, and said to him, "If our army falls into China,
quagmire, what should we do about the war against the Soviet Union? What should Britain and the United States do?"
Tashiro Anichiro was tormented by his illness, so he had no strength to answer him. Seiji Kozuki beside him said, "With the combat effectiveness of our imperial army, I think it will take at most half a year to solve the main force of China. By then we will own the entire China.
Are we still afraid of the Soviet Union, Britain and the United States?"
Tsuji Masanobu, who was standing next to him, said instigatively, "Our Kwantung Army is fully prepared, and our bombers can take off to Pingjin at any time to help fight."
Ikeda Junhisa said angrily, "Isn't Ishihara your teacher? Why don't you even listen to his orders?"
Tsuji Masanobu sneered, "Ishihara-kun sitting in the office has lost the courage of the emperor's warrior. Have you too? And am I not following what Ishihara-kun did in Manchuria?"
Ikeda Junhisa threatened, "Okay, if your Kwantung Army dares to send out bombers, I will send out fighter jets to knock it down!!"
The two of them stared at each other, unwilling to retreat, which made Tashiro Anichiro so angry that he fainted again.
The Japanese cabinet was also very noisy at this time, and everyone had different opinions on whether to start a war with China immediately and the scale of the war.
Land Prime Minister Gen Sugiyama and Marine Prime Minister Mitsumasa Yoneuchi were even more at odds with each other. The navy on the other hand looked down on the Army Malu, especially now that a squadron had been wiped out and a regiment besieged just after the war started. They thought that such a record was simply another achievement for the Imperial Army.
humiliated.
Prime Minister Sugiyama Moto was so angry that he wanted to throw the cup and said excitedly, "If we just let it go, our Imperial Japanese Army will have no prestige in the world in the future. I am afraid that not only North China, but also Manchuria will be affected."
There will be more and more anti-Japanese activities breaking out."
When Konoe Fumimaro heard this, it made sense. He was actually quite angry with the Army's independent attitude, but it would probably not be appropriate to really let the Imperial Army lose its majesty like this.
Maritime Minister Mitsumasa Yoneuchi sneered, "Please don't bring the army's failure to our navy. It's only your army that will be shamed. The majesty of our navy can be found on the ocean."
Sugiyama Gen stared at Mitsumasa Yoneuchi as if he wanted to eat him.
At this time, the opinions of the General Staff Headquarters were presented. Konoe Fumimaro still knew about the famous Ishihara Kanji. When he saw his suggestion, he was moved again. He also thought that the current Japanese army in North China did not have enough troops and would not be able to fight once a war started.
I dare to say that victory is guaranteed, but I am not ready. I might as well wait until next time. Anyway, excuses for war can be found at any time. After thinking about it, Konoe Fumimaro concluded, "We must put the lives of the Imperial Army warriors first, and put the negotiation first."
We will try our best to solve this problem. If it cannot be solved, it will not be too late to discuss the next step.”
As a result, the Japanese cabinet also expressed concern. However, the next day Prime Minister Sugiyama Gen, Military Section Chief Tanaka Shinichi and Third Section Chief Muto Akira visited Konoe Fumimaro again and proposed that the Army hoped to increase its troops in North China and teach the 29th Army a lesson.
The idea also brought war messages from the Kwantung Army, the Korean Army and the North China Garrison Army, and proposed that "Since the Xi'an Incident, the original civil war in China has ended. Now the Red and White are cooperating, and everyone is united. Diplomacy with Britain, the United States,
The relationship between Germany and the Soviet Union is increasing day by day, and preparations for war against Japan are being made at an intensified pace. Therefore, a war against China should be launched before China is ready, and the Kwantung Army and the Korean Army are currently ready for this. If this is not done,
I’m afraid that the war will become more and more difficult to fight in the future. And this time the Imperial Army has been humiliated, I’m afraid that the first person His Majesty the Emperor will express his anger to is Your Excellency.”
It had only been a month since Konoe Fumimaro formed the cabinet. He didn't care how difficult the war was or how many people would die. If you asked him to step down now, wouldn't it cost his life? He immediately changed his mind and decided to expand the war. He immediately convened the Five Prime Ministers again on the 11th.
Cabinet meeting.
July 11 at 11 noon
The meeting of Japan's Five Prime Ministers was officially held. When they heard that Konoe Fumimaro suddenly changed his mind and decided to expand the war, the Foreign Minister and Prime Minister Lu were naturally happy, but Yoneuchi Mitsumasa expressed opposition. Yoneuchi Mitsumasa's objection was not because he was a peace envoy, but because he was a peace envoy.
Unlike the Army, which was generally pro-German, he was a pro-British and American faction, so he believed that if the war was expanded, relations with Britain and the United States would be affected.
At this time, Prime Minister Sugiyama Gen said with a proud smile, "For better operations, our army hopes that the navy will assist our army in Tianjin."
Mitsumasa Yoneuchi said as if it was a reflex, "The fleet is used to defend the country, not just for fighting. Our navy is not like some horses."
Sugiyama Gen had the urge to hit this annoying marine in the face with a cup again.
In the end, Konoe Fumimaro smoothed things over and said, "Okay, let's stop arguing. I propose to vote and send 3 divisions and 18 squadrons to North China to prepare for the war."
Except for Mitsumasa Yoneuchi who said nothing, the other four people all expressed approval.
15 o'clock
Konoe Fumimaro held a cabinet meeting and voted to adopt a resolution to expand the war against China.
16 o'clock
Konoe Fumimaro met with the emperor, and the emperor approved the decision to increase troops to China on the spot.
17 o'clock
The chief of the Fushimi Palace Military Command met with the emperor and asked for permission to dispatch the navy to cooperate with the operation, and the emperor approved it on the spot.
18 o'clock
The Japanese government issued a "Government Statement on Sending More Troops to China."
18:35
The Chief of Staff issued Provisional Order No. 56, ordering the commander of the Kwantung Army to combine the independent units under his jurisdiction into the 1st and 11th brigades and part of the Air Force Group (two squadrons each for reconnaissance, combat, and bomber) and quickly dispatch them to North China.
Accepting the command of the commander of the Chinese garrison. Among them, the first brigade of Sakai Hoji was even more excited to set off overnight and headed straight for Peiping.
20:40
The Japanese Military Headquarters issued Lin Shen Order No. 57 to the 20th Division, ordering the division to quickly arrive in North China and be incorporated into the Chinese garrison sequence.
In just one afternoon, the Japanese government made a grand transformation from not expanding the war to expanding the war, and dispatched troops as quickly as possible. This astonishing speed clearly told everyone that the full-scale invasion of China was not just one or two officers.
, the thoughts of high-level officials, but the thoughts of all military and political officials at that time. Their joint efforts made the war in the Eastern battlefield burn with the shortest speed.
What is extremely ironic is that at the same time that the Konoe Cabinet decided to expand the war against China, Matsui Tairo also signed an armistice agreement with Qin Dechun.
July 9, 1937
After learning that the First Regiment was surrounded, Matsui, who was negotiating with Qin Dechun, immediately changed his tone. While constantly threatening all-out war, he expressed his willingness to use peace talks to resolve the incident, but the 29th Army needed to show sufficient sincerity first.
.
After Qin Dechun received Song Zheyuan's instructions, he asked the Japanese army to withdraw the troops near the Dragon King Temple first. Matsui tit for tat asked the 29th Army to retreat to the west bank of the Yongding River. Qin Dechun thought about it again and again, and felt that it was acceptable for both sides to take a step back, so he agreed.
Ji Xingwen, who received the order at the Dragon King Temple position, couldn't believe his eyes. The position that he had led his brothers to recover so hard was now being asked to withdraw. After multiple confirmations, Ji Xingwen left this place in tears.
A position where hundreds of lives were lost.
Less than six hours after the Dragon King Temple was taken back by the Chinese army, the 29th Army voluntarily abandoned it. The Japanese army took the opportunity to return and occupy the Dragon King Temple and redeploy their defenses. The railway bridge was occupied by the Chinese and Japanese armies respectively. The two armies faced each other across the bridge. Qin Dechun was shocked after receiving the news.
He called Matsui shameless, but there was nothing he could do about it.
But the Japanese army was not satisfied.
Matsui got a sweet spot from this negotiation. After the agreement on the 9th, he immediately requested the withdrawal of the 29th Army in the rear and demanded a public apology from the 29th Army.
After Song Zheyuan learned about it, he thought these were just small details and agreed again. The encirclement of the first regiment was thus opened.
Matsui proposed renegotiation for the fourth time, this time with new demands.
Qin Dechun was so angry that he couldn't bear it and demanded that a formal agreement must be signed this time.
When Matsui heard this, he said, OK, the last thing we Japanese are afraid of is an agreement.
So the Qin Dechun Matsui Agreement was immediately signed, with the following contents: (1) Representatives of the 29th Army apologized to the Japanese army, punished those responsible, and were responsible for preventing similar incidents in the future; (2) The Chinese army and the Japanese troops stationed in Fengtai were too
Being close to it can easily cause incidents, so the security teams around Marco Polo Bridge and the Longwang Temple area were replaced by security teams to maintain security; (3) In view of the fact that this incident was conceived under the guidance of the Lanyi Society, the Red Party and other anti-Japanese groups, measures must be taken and thoroughly implemented in the future
ban.
This agreement was signed at eight o'clock in the evening on July 11, 1937, which was the time when the Japanese divisions officially received the order to mobilize troops.
When this agreement was placed in front of Song Zheyuan, Song Zheyuan's mood was extremely complicated. On the one hand, he hoped that this piece of paper could really help him keep Pingjin, but on the other hand, there was a voice in his heart that kept shouting not to believe this agreement.
protocol.
Zhang Yueting said worriedly, "Our army has just sent out electricity, and now it has signed such an agreement. I'm afraid-"
Song Zheyuan shook his head and said, "As long as we can keep Pingjin and our territory, so what if we get scolded? Besides, our agreement doesn't actually mean we have lost any sovereignty. We have done our best!"
When Jiang's agent in Lushan learned that the 29th Army was secretly negotiating peace with the Japanese army, he immediately sent Xiong Bin to Baoding and promised the 29th Army that if bullets and military strength were needed, the central government would replenish them. However, Song Zheyuan euphemistically expressed the July 7th Incident.
It has been resolved peacefully. I hope the central government will not be too nervous.
When the first phase of the July 7th Incident ended, Jiang Cheng was working on his stockings plan in the United States.
After Jiang Cheng transported the first batch of arms to Yan'an, he immediately returned to Black Iron Island and brought the arms for his troops to Shanghai in the Republic of China. It was already July 7, and Jiang Cheng knew that the butterfly effect had not yet arrived.
It could change the intensity of the situation in North China, and knowing that Song Zheyuan would probably remain the same as in history, he wrote a small book and gave it to Li Qian for safekeeping.
Jiang Cheng shook his head and pulled Wang Yong, who was drooling over the new weapons, and said, "You may go north to perform missions in a while. Li Qian is from Tianjin. Then listen to her advice."
Wang Yong nodded to express his understanding, but the eyes that looked at the AK-47M from time to time betrayed him. In the final analysis, he was just a soldier, not a qualified special warfare commander.
Looking at it, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but feel troubled by the fact that he didn't have a good special forces officer. He also thought of Zhou Weiguo, whom he had met once before, and wondered how he was doing now. He shook his head to delete these distracting thoughts, and Jiang Cheng went to look at the gold again.
Rong and others found that Huang Huangrong still acted like I just won't leave, so they had to give up. The first batch of international students had already gone overseas. Hitler in Germany also welcomed Chinese students. Of course, the tuition fee was not low.
In fact, the industrial equipment Jiang Cheng bought from the United States was not a complete industrial system. Whether it was three acids and two alkali, or equipment that could synthesize ammonia and make coal tar, it was not complete. Sulfuric acid was made from pyrite and bile vitriol, and hydrochloric acid was made from pyrite and bile alum.
But it requires a lot of electricity. As for the important material of nitric acid, saltpeter is mainly distributed in Hanzhong in Shaanxi, but there are also some small mines in the red areas, and there are toilets and other local methods for making saltpeter.
The best manufacturing method of soda ash among the two alkali in China is Hou Debang's Hou's method of making alkali. However, this method was not invented until 1943, and now Hou Debang is the director of the factory in Nanjing, and is very valued by Chiang Kai-shek. At this time
There is no way to go to Yan'an, so I can only provide technology for the scientists who are about to come to Yan'an to digest it.
The production of caustic soda requires soda ash as raw material, so don’t even think about it until the industrialization of soda ash is successful.
Therefore, Yan'an at this time can only produce nitric acid and sulfuric acid, and other research talents from Pingjin and Shanghai are needed. Only university students can digest and develop them in Yan'an.
There is also the issue of refractory bricks that must be used in factories. Now Yan'an can only use earth-made methods to make refractory bricks, which also imposes great restrictions on later industrial development.
Jiang Cheng was helpless about this. After all, the talents in Yan'an at this time could not be described as scarce. It was simply a talent desert.
Jiang Cheng thought that if the stockings didn't sell well in the United States, Dupont might really do something violent, so he simply returned to Black Iron Island and brought hundreds of guns and ammunition to the United States. Jiang Cheng didn't want to see what Song Zheyuan did in the Republic of China.
Feeling uncomfortable, he simply went to the United States to prepare for the sale of silk stockings. After all, once China went to war, all business in Shanghai would be abandoned. The only option was to develop overseas markets as soon as possible to provide financial help for the upcoming long war.
