Let’s not talk about the Chahar Independent Group for now, let’s talk about Little Japan later.
Two days ago, the commander of the North China Front, Anan Weiji, received an order from the base camp, asking him to return to Japan for a meeting. Anan Weiji did not dare to neglect, arranged military affairs, and immediately took a plane from Peiping to Fengtian, and then followed him in Fengtian.
Umezu Yoshijiro, who took office as the commander-in-chief of the Kwantung Army, met up and then transferred directly to Tokyo.
At this moment, the special plane of the two old devils had just passed Seoul.
Anami looked away from the porthole window, turned around and said to Umezu Yoshijiro sitting opposite: "Umezu-kun, do you know what happened when His Majesty the Emperor summoned us back to Tokyo this time?"
"I really don't know about this." Umezu Yoshijiro said, spreading his hands.
After a pause, Umezu Yoshijiro continued: "But I do know that in addition to the two of us, His Majesty the Emperor also summoned Tada-kun, so from this point of view, there should be some major matters that need to be discussed, otherwise he would not have
We, the three commanders-in-chief of the front armies stationed abroad, were recalled together."
Anan Weiji said thoughtfully: "If you put it this way, whether you want to go south or north, there will be an outcome."
There has always been a dispute within the Japanese army between going south and going north. The southward faction advocates sweeping Southeast Asia and grabbing colonies from Britain and France in the name of liberating Asia. The northward faction advocates going to war against the Soviet Union, seizing the entire Far East from the Soviet Union, and continuing to seek Siberia.
, Japan can also obtain sufficient resources for development from the Far East.
Because of this, the two factions debated fiercely whether to go north or south.
"Anan-kun, I don't think so." Umezu Yoshijiro shook his head and said, "I think His Majesty the Emperor's call for us to return to the country this time has nothing to do with the dispute between the south and the north." After a pause, he continued.
He said, “This time we are called back to China, it is likely that we need to adjust our strategy towards China.”
"Adjust the China strategy?" Anan Weiji said blankly, "Didn't you just adjust it?"
After the Battle of Wuhan, Japan did adjust its strategy towards China. From the previous military attack as the main focus, with political inducement as a supplement, it was adjusted to political inducement as the main focus, with military attack as a supplement. So Anand Weiji has this question. Is it true?
Is China's strategy going to change back to focusing on military offensive? However, the empire seems not to have enough strength.
At that moment, Anan Wei said in confusion: "Are we going to change the focus to military offensive again?"
"Military offensive is the main focus?" Umezu Yoshijiro shook his head and said suddenly, "Anan-kun, I'm afraid you overestimated the empire's financial resources. With the empire's financial situation at this time, it is already very difficult to support the Far East Campaign, so what?
Are there more resources to launch a large-scale offensive into the interior of China?"
Anan Weiji said blankly: "Then how can we change it?"
"It can still be changed." Umezu Yoshijiro said, "Offense should be changed to defense."
Anan was stunned for a moment after hearing the words, and said in astonishment: "Changing offense to defense?"
"Yes." Umezu Yoshijiro nodded and added, "Given the current financial difficulties of the empire, I am afraid that the Chinese battlefield can only be temporarily on the defensive. It is better to concentrate all resources to win the Far East Battle first, and then mobilize the main force of the Kwantung Army to enter the pass.
, go back and resolve the China incident, otherwise we will fall into the quagmire of a protracted war."
"I'm afraid that's not right." Anan Weiji finally reacted and retorted, "The Soviet Union's war potential is more than a hundred times greater than that of China. The Kwantung Army is just barely holding on in the Far East battlefield. With the current situation, even if
Even if the empire tries its best, it may not be able to win the Battle of the Far East in a short period of time."
After a pause, Anan Weiji continued: "So, taking a defensive stance on the Chinese battlefield and investing all resources on the Far East battlefield will only make the situation worse. I think the empire should continue to increase its offensive on the Chinese battlefield.
The investment of troops and resources, while continuing to increase pressure on the Chiang government, in order to end the incident in China as soon as possible, and then concentrate all efforts on dealing with the Soviet Union, will have a higher chance of winning."
Umezu Yoshijiro immediately shut up and stopped arguing with Anami Yuiki, because it was pointless for the two of them to argue with each other here. What kind of result would it be, wouldn't they know it when they get to Tokyo?
At that moment, the cabin fell into silence, and the two old devils stopped communicating.
However, Umezu Yoshijiro is still better informed than Anami Yuiki.
The main topic of discussion at this imperial meeting held by Kanin Gong Zaihito in the name of Hirohito was indeed to mobilize the whole country to win the Far East Battle. In order to ensure the overall victory of the Far East Battle, China could only take a defensive stance on the battlefield, and in some areas
, even willing to sell land in exchange for peace with the National Government.
But as Anami Weiji said just now, the Soviet Union's war potential is more than a hundred times stronger than China. Therefore, before that, Xianyuan Gong Zairen would never dare to have such extravagant hopes, but a Vietnamese from Berlin
However, the foreign telegram prompted Hanyuan Gong Zairen to change his view and become confident about winning the Far East War.
…
In Tokyo, the Imperial Palace.
After several months of combined Chinese and Western medicine treatment, Hirohito's condition finally improved. Although he was still hazy most of the time, he was able to wake up for a few hours every day.
At this moment, Hirohito's mind was clear.
It was precisely because Hirohito's mind was clear at this moment that he was very surprised by Kanin Gong Zaihito's decision.
"Uncle Imperial?" Hirohito said faintly, "Are you gambling on the fate of the country again? During the Meiji period, the empire did win the bet, but the opponent of the empire at that time was the decadent Qing Dynasty. But now, the empire's
The opponent is the Soviet Union, which is more than ten times more powerful than the Qing Dynasty. Can this bet be won?"
Before Kanin Miya Zaijin could speak, Tojo Hideki rushed to answer: "Your Majesty the Emperor, the Soviet Union is indeed more than ten times stronger than the decadent Qing Dynasty. However, the Soviet army has irreparable natural disadvantages in the Far East battlefield.
, that is, the transportation between the European hinterland of the Soviet Union and the Far East is inconvenient, so even if the Soviet Union has a 100% war potential, it may not be able to exert even 10% of its war potential in the Far East battlefield, hehe."
Hirohito said worriedly: "But even so, the Kwantung Army can hardly be said to be sure of victory. After all, it has been almost a year since the full-scale Battle of the Far East broke out, but the Kwantung Army cannot even organize a decent counterattack. The situation is so decadent. You guys
Where does the confidence come from that the Kwantung Army can win a quick victory?"
Tojo Hideki said cheerfully: "Your Majesty, have you ever heard of blitzkrieg?"
Hirohito was confused when he heard this: "Blitzkrieg? Draw lightning from the sky down to fight?"
Terauchi Juichi immediately glared at Tojo Hideki. His Majesty, who has been confused for more than half a year, how could he have heard of the military theory of blitzkrieg that just emerged? He then said: "Your Majesty, blitzkrieg is a tactic that was introduced by the military theory half a year ago.
This was the first initiative of the German Army on the Polish battlefield. Its core was to use concentrated armor to quickly penetrate the enemy's depth, quickly cut off the enemy's retreat channels, and quickly destroy the enemy's will to resist."
Xianyuan Gong Zairen also went on to say: "During the German-Polish War, the German army played an unimaginable role at lightning speed. In less than a month, millions of Polish Defense Forces were brutally defeated by the German army.
After the war, Poland immediately announced its surrender, but the most classic one is the Soviet-Finnish War that just ended not long ago."
Tojo took over the conversation and said: "In this Soviet-Finnish war, the German Major General Rommel led a Swedish armored force to quickly penetrate behind the Soviet Red Army, capture Vyborg with lightning speed, and gather in Helsinki
More than 500,000 Soviet troops nearby almost became turtles in the urn."
Hirohito was a little dizzy when being talked about by Kanin Miya Zaihito, Terauchi Juichi and Tojo Hideki. He quickly rubbed his temples and said to the three of them: "Wait a minute, my mind is a little messed up. Let me sort it out first."
The three of them, Xianyuan Gong Zairen, immediately shut their mouths and did not dare to say any more.
After a long while, Hirohito finally figured out the matter and frowned and said: "Uncle Emperor, what you three mean is that blitzkrieg is very powerful. If the imperial army uses lightning tactics, it can quickly defeat the Soviet Far East Front. Is that so?
?”
"Hai, that's it." Tojo Hideki said, "Besides, before the full-scale battle in the Far East broke out, Ishihara-kun had already established two armored divisions in Manchuria, and later built four more armored divisions. If we continue to
All the tanks in the empire's mainland, Korea and China battlefields were concentrated in Manchuria, and four armored divisions were able to be formed."
Juichi Terauchi said in a deep voice: "With ten armored divisions, it is enough to launch a blitzkrieg!"
Hanyuan Gong Zairen continued: "If the Kwantung Army can gather more than ten armored divisions, plus more than twenty infantry divisions, they can attack the vicinity of Irkutsk with overwhelming force.
, is enough to destroy the resistance will of all officers and soldiers of the Soviet Far Eastern Front, and then force more than one million Soviet officers and soldiers to surrender."
Hirohito was frightened when he heard this. He assembled more than ten armored divisions? Isn't this too embarrassing?
At that moment, Hirohito said in a loud voice: "Uncle Emperor, you think it's easy for you, but it might not be possible to fight, right?"
After a pause, Hirohito continued: "Let's not talk about him for now. Just who will take command is a problem. There are many capable senior generals in the empire, but I'm afraid none of them know how to blitzkrieg?"
Tojo Hideki chuckled and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, it is not difficult to understand the theory of blitzkrieg, but it is very difficult to master the essence of blitzkrieg. Among the many senior generals in the empire, there is indeed no one who can command blitzkrieg, but this
Not a problem, because soon a German general who understands the essence of Blitzkrieg will be sent to the Reich!"
Hirohito was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then asked: "A German general, let Germans command the imperial army?"
"Of course that's impossible. The Germans only serve as military advisors." Xianyuan Gong Zairen shook his head and said, "There is another person who actually commanded this rapid strike corps. He was the one who just carried out the mopping up operation in Damei Mountain.
The commander of the Eleventh Army who made great contributions to the military, General Yamashita Fengfumi."