905 [The Fall of Poland and the Victory of Changsha]
The result of Germany's blitzkrieg against Poland left everyone stunned.
Poland is generally considered to be one of the countries with the strongest military power in Europe. At the beginning of its restoration, it fought a "Soviet-Polish War", forcing Lenin to cede Western Ukraine and Western Belarus to Poland and pay Poland 30 million
Financial compensation in rubles.
When it encountered the German invasion, Poland's total military strength was 1 million, which seemed to be no worse than Germany's 1.6 million army.
According to the expectations of Britain and France, Poland could sustain it for at least two or three months. It would take a long time to kill even 1 million pigs. As a result, before the Polish troops had time to deploy, they were completely stunned by the German army. They took the lead.
Learn what "blitzkrieg" is.
In just one week, the main force of the Polish army was basically divided and surrounded, and all that was left was to see how the German army would clean up the mess.
The Soviet Union also participated in the partition of Poland, but they claimed to be recovering sovereign territory. This goes back to the "Soviet-Polish War" we mentioned earlier. Poland considered it to be its homeland, and the Soviet Union also considered it to be the legacy of the Russian Empire.
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The Soviet Union lost the last time and lost its territory to Poland, but this time it got it back easily.
As for whose territory it is, it has long been unclear. Today it is yours, and tomorrow it is mine. This has been the case for hundreds of years, and that land has never been quiet.
Poland seems innocent and pitiful, but this country is not a fuel-efficient country either.
At the end of World War I, Poland's three sovereign states, Germany, Austria and Russia, were all defeated, and Poland successfully recovered. Amid domestic and foreign troubles, Lenin recognized Poland's independence and promised to return Polish territory. However, the Polish government was ambitious.
He actively provoked a war with the Soviet Union and attempted to establish a Greater Polish Empire that would control the entire territory of Ukraine and the Baltic Sea coast.
I won’t talk about the territorial dispute between Poland and Germany, because it’s hard to explain. Just half a year ago, when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia, Poland not only did not help resist, but instead took advantage of the situation and occupied the Cesin area of the Czech Republic, without any idea that it was a shame.
principle.
This kind of adding insult to injury is very hateful, so when Germany invaded Poland, the Czechoslovak servant army that was attached to Germany was very brave and told you to stab you in the back!
On the other side of the battlefield, when the Soviet army attacked Poland, local people also led the way and helped in various ways, as if they had ushered in the long-awaited liberation. From an ethnic perspective, many Poles here did not consider themselves
They are Poles, they belong to Ukrainians and Belarusians.
Even without the Soviet invasion, local people rebelled frequently, and the Polish government adopted brutal suppression methods from beginning to end.
In this way, the Soviet Union took back its homeland from the Tsarist Russia era, and Germany occupied other parts of Poland. The Soviet Union and Germany worked together in a tacit understanding to carve up Poland.
Britain and France obviously did not learn from Poland's lessons in the Blitzkrieg. They still dreamed of a war between the Soviet Union and Germany after the partition of Poland. However, nothing happened. Germany and the Soviet Union seemed to have a harmonious relationship and did not follow the script written by Britain and France at all.
Next show.
What is Hitler doing?
Half a month after Hitler was in Poland, he issued secret orders to attack France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. But obviously the time was not yet ripe. These secret orders were the result of a feverish decision by the Head of State after the victory. After he calmed down, Hitler decided to first
Capture Denmark and Norway to ensure Germany has a strategic maritime base and a supply of Swedish iron ore.
It was under this international situation that the first Battle of Changsha ended.
In the roundabout battle that lasted for half a month, both sides won and lost each other, but neither achieved the expected goals. Xue Yue's combat strategy was actually well formulated, but due to the disadvantages of equipment and the poor execution of some troops, it was always difficult to achieve the expected goals.
It was to allow the Japanese army to break through the encirclement at a critical moment.
Not only that, the Japanese troops who broke out of the siege gathered around Changsha.
Chang Kaishen obviously had no confidence in holding Changsha. He issued an instruction to Xue Yue: "If the enemy's movement to capture Changsha has been exposed, and our army will mount a strong resistance in front of the Changsha battle, it is better to abandon Changsha first and confront the enemy at the beginning."
When we enter Changsha and gain a foothold, we will launch a fatal blow immediately. If the counterattack plan can be carefully planned and used properly, we will definitely achieve the greatest victory."
These are obviously all lies. Chiang Kai-shek's real idea was to abandon the defense of Changsha to preserve his strength, fearing that the troops in the Ninth Theater would be wiped out in a single battle.
Xue Yue formulated the "Heavenly Furnace Strategy" to lure the Japanese army to the outskirts of Changsha to counter-encirclement, and then wait for an opportunity to engage in a decisive battle with the invading enemy forces.
The two talked on the phone almost every day, but they couldn't convince anyone. In the end, Chiang Kai-shek simply stopped answering the phone. In desperation, Xue Yue had no choice but to call Soong Meiling and asked Soong Meiling to convey her determination to defend Changsha.
Chiang Kai-shek suddenly panicked and called Xue Yue quickly, asking him to find a suitable time to abandon Changsha. But this time it was Xue Yue's turn and he didn't answer the phone. Chiang Kai-shek was so anxious that he could only send Bai Chongxi to Changsha to convey the order, but Xue Yue still disobeyed.
Disrespectful.
I heard that Chiang Kai-shek was so angry that he slammed the table in Chongqing. He said boldly: "If you don't obey the order and immediately withdraw the Miluo garrison, you will be responsible for the losses in the area south of the Yangtze River in the future!"
Xue Yue couldn't resist, so he could only order a retreat and give up the Miluo River defense line, and the Japanese army took the opportunity to advance straight in.
Old Jiang thought that Xue Yue had obeyed the order, but Xue Yue disobeyed again and resolutely defended Changsha. Old Chiang had no choice but to send Bai Chongxi to persuade him again, this time with Chen Cheng, but Bai and Chen couldn't persuade him despite their talk.
move.
Lao Jiang finally stopped objecting, and with the mentality of a gambler, he asked Xue Yue to give it a try, maybe he could win.
The area between Laodao River and Liuyang River is a natural pocket formation. Xue Yue described this pocket as a heavenly furnace. He wanted to throw the Japanese soldiers into the furnace to make elixirs. This is the origin of the name "Heavenly Furnace Tactics".
Okamura Neiji led a large force into the pocket, and suddenly felt that every step was difficult. Not only did the Chinese defenders fight bravely, but the local people also burst out with strong patriotic enthusiasm. Not to mention all the transportation arteries were destroyed, and even those who rarely
All the flat land was dug up by the people. When it rained heavily, the ground was muddy, and the Japanese tanks, trucks, artillery, motorcycles... were lying down one after another.
What a slap, there was no fierce fighting between the two sides, and Okamura Neiji decisively ordered the entire army to retreat.
This situation made Xue Yue unbelievable, thinking that the Japanese army had some conspiracy, and ordered all units to follow and pursue them, but not to start a fierce battle without authorization. It was not until three days after the Japanese army retreated that Xue Yue was sure that this was true, and immediately ordered all units to pursue the pursuit with all their strength.
But it was too late, the main force of the Japanese army had already withdrawn from the pocket formation, and the Chinese defenders only chased down a few remaining ones.
The First Battle of Changsha ended with this. China claimed that it suffered more than 40,000 casualties and the Japanese army suffered more than 30,000 casualties; Japan claimed that it suffered 3,600 casualties and the Japanese army suffered more than 48,000 casualties.
Regardless of the actual casualty figures, it is clear that China won, the entire army was inspired, and the people were jubilant.
Fortunately, Xue Yue always insisted on disobeying orders, otherwise Changsha would have been destroyed.
It can't be said that Chang Kaishen is too brainless. In fact, the entire national army's top brass are arguing. Even Bai Chongxi advocates abandoning Changsha. It is true that the senior generals have no confidence in the past battles and have been frightened by the Japanese invaders. Who can
It was unexpected that Changsha could be defended and held for several years.