Age of Conquest Reborn

Chapter 810 The war between Japan and the Soviet Union (2)

Tang Qiuquan, captain of the ** Division's special warfare detachment, under the orders of division commander Tang Qiuli, set fires everywhere in the eastern section of the Sino-Soviet border for two consecutive nights to create trouble. This finally aroused the anger of Japan and the Soviet Union, although there was no fire yet.

Soaring into the sky, thick smoke gradually rose and sparks flew everywhere.

Emperor Hirohito of Japan convened an Imperial Military Council on the same day to conduct urgent discussions on the Soviet army's invasion of Manchuria on the night of the 24th and a massive attack on the Kwantung Army troops.

At the beginning of the meeting, the army and navy, which had their own purposes, had two completely different opinions. They were tit for tat and refused to give in. Emperor Hirohito did not express his position. Foreign Minister Ishigashi Ino Taro, who wanted to be a peacemaker, stood on the side of the meeting.

Take a neutral stance and propose solutions.

Unexpectedly, the Army did not buy into his good intentions. One of the top figures in the Army, Army Minister Moto Sugiyama, directly asked Ishishe Ino Taro, could diplomatic means ensure that the Soviets had no territorial ambitions in Manchuria?

?And, there will never be a war with the Japanese Empire?

Oh my God, it's Taro Ishikatsu. Even Emperor Hirohito, who is regarded as a demigod by the Japanese, dare not make this guarantee. Gen Sugiyama's question is actually that of the general. In one sentence, the poor Foreign Minister

Forced into the corner, he looked at Ishishe Inotarō's face that was as red as pig's liver. He sat down and Sugiyama Moto felt happy. This old guy's ass is always on the navy side. I won't give you a big show today.

You don’t know your own weight either.

To be honest, Gen Sugiyama was a little unjust. This politician who advocated for Japan's national policy did not want to have anything to do with the military. It was just that the Army was too domineering and arrogant, so he had a slight liking for the Navy, but was rejected by the Army.

A die-hard militant, regarded as a member of the naval line.

What he said today can be regarded as a mature way of planning for the country. It is indeed safe to use diplomatic means to get a feel for the Soviet Union and then determine the next direction of action. But it can be heard by the generals in the army who think that the imperial army is invincible.

Inside, he was extremely uncomfortable. On the surface he was impartial, but secretly he was working for the navy's interests.

Ishigashi Ino Taro was only thinking about weighing the pros and cons of the Japanese Empire, but Sugiyama Gen made a big nest of roast chicken on the spot. Why bother? Navy Minister Yoneuchi Mitsumasa couldn't stand it any longer. He stood up and followed the rules of etiquette. He was not shady.

Yang said: "Sugiyama-kun, diplomacy is an effective way to resolve disputes between countries. I think Shishe-kun's suggestion is feasible."

Emperor Hirohito, who seemed to have an expressionless face, and Sugiyama Gen, who stared at him, continued: "If there is a war with the Soviet Union, the empire's military center of gravity will definitely move north to Manchuria. This is contrary to the national policy of occupying the entire China.

It also affects the interests of the empire. The army cannot pursue its own selfish interests.

Regardless of the interests of the empire, the most important thing is that Tang Qiuli still has more than 300,000 troops in the western Liaoning area of ​​​​Manchuria. This is a serious concern. Why does the Army open an additional front regardless of the actual situation? If there is a war with the Soviet Union,

Is the army, especially the Kwantung Army, sure of victory?"

Mitsumasa Yoneuchi's words were clear and convincing, but the last sentence was definitely a failure. Who can guarantee victory in this war?

Sugiyama Gen's teeth were itching with hatred and he wished he could slap his mortal enemy several times. He ignored Mitsumasa Yoneuchi and turned to Emperor Hirohito and said: "Your Majesty, the current situation is that the main Soviet forces in the Far East have been destroyed by the China devil Tang Qiu. The outcome of the siege in Outer Mongolia is to be completely annihilated. According to the Army Intelligence Bureau's information, the Second Far East Army commanded by Timoshenko is just a newly formed force with about 270,000 people. It has nothing to do with our empire. Compared with the Kwantung Army troops, they are definitely at a disadvantage."

"Furthermore, why did the Chinese army retreat when they had the upper hand in the offensive launched in western Liaoning? This exposed that Tang Qiuli's troops were insufficient to support his attack on the hinterland of Manchuria. Tang Qiuli and The large-scale decisive battle carried out by the Soviets in Outer Mongolia involved most of the forces on both sides."

"This is the best time for our Imperial Japanese Army to attack the Far East. Does Minai-kun hope to wait until the Soviet army has a few more provocations like the one on August 24 to gradually penetrate into Manchuria or hit Shenyang? Did we fight back only after the entire Manchuria fell into the hands of the Soviets when the Soviet Union invaded Beijing? If the army, like the navy, blindly avoids war, how can it shoulder the historical responsibility of establishing the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere?"

Sugiyama Moto was very eloquent and analyzed the situation lucidly. Tang Qiuli ordered Liu Tiehan to retreat from western Liaoning, which indeed gave the Japanese a false impression. Just as Mitsumasa Yoneuchi was about to counterattack, Emperor Hirohito waved his hand and stopped the explosive dispute between the two important ministers. Sugiyama Gen's words moved Hirohito and convinced him.

The situation is indeed as Sugiyama Yuan said. Tang Qiuli's main force and the Soviet Far East force are trapped in Outer Mongolia and are in a stalemate. Moreover, the situation is extremely unfavorable to the Soviets. The Soviets' protests and cross-border attacks are a kind of test. It was a provocation to test whether the Japanese Empire had any intentions towards the territory of the Far East after the Soviet troops in the Far East were transferred to the battlefield in Outer Mongolia.

Provoke the dignity of the empire, challenge the patience of Hirohito. Besides, the Far East is indeed attractive, especially the sea and mountain power. It is a sharp arrow on the back of the empire. Hirohito already has a plan. Since the Soviets are the first to pick Starting the war also gave the empire a good reason.

"My lords, I have decided to go to war against the Soviets," Hirohito said in a conspiratorial tone. The army generals were overjoyed and gearing up, and the navy generals could not conceal their disappointment. Since His Majesty the Emperor has set the tone, all preparations must be made. Following this direction, Foreign Minister Taro Ishigami asked: "Your Majesty, do you authorize the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to declare war on the Soviet Union?"

Hirohito glanced at him and cursed in his heart: "He is really a pig head. He fights without declaring and takes the enemy by surprise. This is the specialty of the Japanese Empire. There is no reason to tell the opponent before fighting. His head is not rusty." Are you done?" This glance made Taro Shishezhu tense up. He knew that his question was inappropriate and inconsistent with the holy will, so he had no choice but to submit a letter of protest to the Soviets as usual.

It was finally decided that the Kwantung Army Commander Ueda Kenkichi would be the commander, leaving five divisions in the western Liaoning area to monitor Tang Qiuli's troops, while the Kwantung Army would gather eighteen divisions in the border areas as offensive strength. The main force in the Far East mobilized 600 aircraft, ten cavalry regiments, and six heavy artillery brigades of technical arms to strengthen the offensive power of the Kwantung Army.

This is already one-half of Japan's domestic reserve heavy equipment. In the war against the Soviet Union, Emperor Hirohito spent a lot of money to get the Soviet Union to fly to the Far East. The Sea of ​​Japan became the inland sea of ​​the Japanese. All wars Preparations were completed within fifteen days, and the attack time was set at four o'clock in the morning on September 10th.

Tang Qiuli received Liu Tiehan's telegram and assembled the Kwantung Army troops in Shenyang and transferred a large number of troops to the East Manchuria area recently. Tang Qiuli knew that the Japanese were about to take action. In order to make the Japanese feel at ease, he and the Soviets killed all the troops. In order to survive, Tang Qiuli ordered Liu Tiehan's East Point troops to retreat from the Beizhen, Panjin, Panshan lines, and then to the Linghai line.

This is a reassurance to the Japanese. You can rest assured and fight with Lao Maozi. It is also a deliberate show of weakness. I am unable to attack the heart of Northeast China.

While the Japanese were setting their strategy, Stalin, who was far away in Moscow, was also convening a meeting of the Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. A series of attacks occurred within two days on the 23rd and 24th, which gave the military generals a It is a common judgment that the Japanese want to take advantage of the fact that the main force of the Far East Military Region is surrounded in Outer Mongolia and the Second Army is about to go to the battlefield in Outer Mongolia to carry out a substantial invasion of the great Soviet Far East.

This is indeed the case. After Timoshenko's Second Army marched to Outer Mongolia, there were less than 60,000 local troops in the entire Far East region guarding the Sino-Soviet border that was hundreds of kilometers long, while the Japanese Kwantung Army had 90 There are tens of thousands of people, a disparity in power, a huge gap.

The Japanese are absolutely capable of taking advantage of people's danger. The history of this country is full of aggression. The two countries are feuding countries, and the Japanese even took the Northeast from our hands. This is originally a Russian tradition. Therefore, the opinion of the military, especially the General Staff, is to resolutely fight back and cannot tolerate such provocation by the Japanese.

This opinion was brought to the Politburo meeting, and the supreme leader, Comrade Stalin, made the decision to immediately teach the Japanese a severe lesson and cut off their ambition to peek into the Far East.

Stalin has been troubled recently. Tang Qiuli took the initiative to come to the door. Outer Mongolia is still surrounded by Zhukov and hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Tang Qiuli's troops have gone deep into the Lake Baikal area to destroy the local Soviet garrison troops. , was defeated and defeated, the Transcaucasian Front Army has not yet been formed, and it is impossible to form combat effectiveness in a short period of time.

Now, the Japanese are coming again and have repeatedly attacked the Far East. The most terrible thing is that in the direction of the Japanese attacks, there is a Haishanwei, which is the only outlet for Stalin to compete for interests with the Americans in the Pacific. This must not be allowed If there is any mistake and the power of the sea is lost, the Soviet Union will be cut off from the road to the Pacific Ocean.

Stalin was now in a dilemma. The Far East, especially the military port of Haishan, could not be lost. Zhukov and hundreds of thousands of Soviet soldiers had to be rescued. Outer Mongolia could not be lost either. But in the Far East, there were only so many troops that could be used. Xinge's second army can only be used in one direction.

The troops in Europe could not be transferred to the Far East, and it was too late. Stalin had insomnia, severe insomnia. The great Soviet Union encountered an unprecedented crisis. Looking at the Japanese protest letter, Stalin was so angry that he almost killed people. By living in such a despicable and shameless country and invading other people's territory, I have become a victim.

The atmosphere at the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was dull and depressing, with only the sound of Stalin smoking his pipe.

(To be continued)