Chapter 464: Sell Your Teammates, Guan Special, and Go South
The military department could no longer tolerate Matsuoka's interference in the southward expansion policy. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. biquge。 info They want to expel Matsuoka from the cabinet. In this way, the control of the country by the military is more convenient.
What is the approach of the military?
On July 16, Konoe resigned en masse as a cabinet, and after all the cabinet members resigned to the emperor, the emperor allowed and asked Konoe to form a new cabinet.
The guards immediately formed a cabinet. The method of forming a cabinet was very straightforward, and his cabinet was the original team, and the only change was that the post of foreign minister was changed to Admiral Sadajiro Toyoda. As a result, it became clear that only Foreign Minister Matsuoka really resigned.
Since then, the foreign minister has also been replaced by a person from the southward faction.
This is militarism. Military personnel decide all major policies. Anyone who disobeys the decision of the military will either assassinate him or use some small trick to expel him.
This expulsion of Foreign Minister Matsuoka was like a game played by later generations, in which the person in command said to a platoon of people that those who are willing to carry out this arduous task should take a step forward. As a result, this row, except for one of them, the others took a step back together, and only he was still in place.
Although he didn't want to do it, he was sold by all his teammates.
Thus came to an end the diplomatic career of one of the most eloquent figures in the history of Japanese diplomacy, who faced it with wisdom and retired to his small home at the foot of Mount Fuji.
Matsuoka Yoyou, who grew up in the Japanese diplomatic service, went to the Manchurian Railway at the age of 41, and returned to the diplomatic department after 918 to inspire and advocate fascism, although he quit the cabinet before the Pacific War, he was still listed as a Class A war criminal after the war, and died of illness during the trial.
The German ambassador further inquired about Japan's reply to Hitler's request, and the Japanese side replied: We are holding special exercises of the Kwantung Army to send additional forces to Manchuria.
This was not entirely to cope with the German allies and to prepare for war against the Soviet Union.
In the event of a German victory, Japan could send troops, and there would be great benefits. If the war is unfavorable for Germany, it is not too late to send troops.
From this plan, it can be seen that the Japanese did not want to do everything desperately, and wanted to maintain an alliance with Germany.
On July 9, the start of the Guan special performance was announced.
Japan's conscription and military operations at home began.
July 17th. Yichun.
When Koji learned of the personnel changes in Japan, he immediately drafted a telegram and sent it to the Soviet Far East Command. This is a short analysis of the recent debates in Japanese politics and the dismissal of Matsuoka, who was an active advocate of northward expansion. Japan's decision was that the Japanese army was ready to advance south. The information also copied part of Japan's "Outline" on it.
July 17th. Moscow.
Soon, this piece of information reached Stalin.
Sorge's intelligence also came, and the content of the two pieces of information was basically the same.
Stalin immediately summoned all the members of the political bureau in Moscow to a meeting to discuss this information. He himself was very happy with this sub-information, and he was a little happy and couldn't believe it.
Stalin was in a bad mood, because just a few days ago, from July 2 to 9, in just eight days, Minsk had fallen, with 500,000 people lost and more than 300,000 Soviet soldiers captured.
While the political and political bureaus were being discussed, Yichun once again received information: Japan planned to hold a special exercise of the Kwantung Army. Details to be checked.
Zhukov, who had just returned from Leningrad, also took part in the meeting.
Zhukov presided over the defense of Leningrad, stabilized the Soviet army's position so that the besieging German army could not break the city, and in addition, organized water passages to deliver food and ammunition to the city. As soon as the battle line was solidified, he rushed back.
Now he is in poor health, the wound he was assassinated two years ago is faintly painful, and he has been in a coma several times after exertion. This time, Zhukov, out of trust in Yichun, believed that the two pieces of information were accurate and true.
Stalin basically agreed with Zhukov, except for the request to continue the investigation of the situation with the Guan special performance, and to prepare for the transfer of troops from Siberia for reinforcements.
In the past few days, there has been a little better news, and that is the aid from the allies.
On June 26, the United States announced that it would not use the neutrality bill to exclude the Soviet Union.
The USSR reacted immediately. On July 8, the Soviet ambassador to Washington, Omansky, submitted a manifest of goods to the US State Department requesting supplies.
This is a long list, worth almost two billion dollars, including three thousand fighters and three thousand bombers.
Washington is hesitant. Such an aid package was so large that the United States feared that the Soviet Union would soon lose and that the supplies would fall into the hands of the Germans.
The United States then began to investigate and evaluate the fighting in the Soviet Union.
The US Secretaries of the Army and the Navy believed that the USSR would only support it for three months.
Major Ivan Yeaton, the U.S. military attache in Moscow, was pessimistic about the chances of the Soviet Union surviving. The British chiefs of staff in London were even more pessimistic, believing that within six weeks the Germans would enter Moscow. However, the US ambassador to the Soviet Union, Steinhardt, was more optimistic.
The biggest problem was the difficulty of obtaining intelligence about the Soviet Union, and it was difficult to make an assessment of the situation in the Soviet Union. Roosevelt decided to send his personal representative in Britain, Harry Hopkins, from London to Moscow for talks with Stalin.
Stalin may not have been clear about the specific situation in the United States and Britain, but he knew that the other side needed to understand the situation, so he was ready to seriously and further contact the Americans.
Now the Germans have advanced to Smolensk, which is not far from Moscow, and if the city is lost, then Moscow will have no barriers.
The Japanese army, a large number of factories near Moscow have retreated, although the German bombing caused a lot of transport losses, but Moscow is after all far from the German airfield, and a large number of transport work here has only been sporadically attacked.
Today, the people of Moscow have begun to dig trenches near Moscow. Fortifications around the city were also being built. Although there were no troops in the city, the Danse internal affairs forces and militia were armed and ready to start the defense of Moscow. At the current pace of German advance, within a month, the Germans will be able to reach the city of Moscow.
The blocking of the southern and northern fronts was in a good situation at the moment, and the German offensive had been delayed a lot.
July 18th. Yichun.
Xiao Lu had just returned to Yichun and ordered the staff to draw up a battle plan. The campaign assumed that the Soviet Union would transfer troops from the Far East to encircle Moscow, and that the Japanese army would take the opportunity to attack the Soviet forces in the Far East, and that the General Staff would need to consider all possible situations and work out all possible battles for the Northeast Democratic Alliance, including even plans to liberate the entire Northeast and fight to the Far East.
The battle plan was required to be developed in early August.
Koji had just chaired the fourth review and discussion meeting on the battle plan. This plan is very close to the vision of the trail.
Guan special exercise began, which will put tremendous pressure on the Northeast Anti-Japanese Coalition Army. The Kwantung Army massively increased its forces for the purpose of the Soviet Union. Although there was a stage for the Germans to see, it was difficult to rule out the possibility of war against the Soviet Union as soon as the opportunity arose.
At this critical moment, the Anti-Japanese Federation must deal with it carefully, and it is absolutely impossible for the Kwantung Army to dispatch troops to clear out the Anti-Japanese Federation. The Anti-Union needs to be careful not to disrupt the strategy of the Japanese army. This kind of low-key behavior is completely consistent with the practice of the Chongqing government in Guannei. To put it nicely, this is the norm in the phase of strategic stalemate. To put it mildly, this is waiting for the fisherman's profit
However, being careful is not about inaction. The Northeast Anti-Japanese Federation took action and used various means to guide Japan in the strategic direction. War should be waged only when necessary. Xiaolu's most ideal plan was to let the Kwantung Army and the Soviet Union fight.
The Kwantung Army fought the empty Soviet Far East, and the result was inevitably a great victory for Japan, and even the seizure of the Soviet Far East, inflicting heavy losses on the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union would have struggled to the death, but dealing with Germany and Japan at the same time would inevitably lead to a major defeat. If you don't do it, you'll lose the country.
In order to avoid the loss of the country, the Soviet Union made concessions to the allies. That's where China's opportunity comes. Sandpiper and clam compete for fishermen and profits, and the Northeast Anti-Japanese Federation can attack Japan from behind. In the face of the defeated Soviet Union and Japan, the Northeast Anti-Japanese Federation will win a huge victory. If done correctly, the Northeast, and even the Soviet Far East, will change hands.
Is this a possibility?
The changes are complex, and the possibilities are many. The worst outcome is that the Soviet Union will fall, Japan and Germany will divide the Soviet Union, and the Japanese Kwantung Army will turn around and destroy the Northeast Anti-Japanese Alliance. In addition, the Japanese Navy defeated the United States in the Pacific Ocean, and the United States, Japan, and Germany divided the world.
Is this a possibility?
The special combat team had already been arranged, and Xiaolu had given them an order to reconnoiter the distribution of Japanese troops on the northeast, west, north, and east fronts. This information keeps coming back. The plans of the General Staff are constantly being revised in the light of new information.
Two submarines with a long endurance, namely the second and third submarines, were also sent out. The second went to the vicinity of the Black River, while the third went to the Ussuri River to conduct reconnaissance there. The sailors from Dalian are now proficient in maneuvering submarines, and there is no problem in carrying out sneak attacks.
The troops in various places have been mobilized and asked to make a detailed battle plan for attacking the Japanese troops in accordance with the new battle plan, and in addition, the troops near the Sunwu Heihe River, the troops near Hailar, and the three large army clusters near the Suifen River have moved to the pre-planned positions and are making a comprehensive plan to attack the Japanese army.
Troops in the entire northeast are not allowed to launch campaigns of any scale, and battles in which more than one squad participates must be reported to Yichun.
The whole Yichun, the whole Northeast, all tensed.
At present, in the past week, a large number of new Japanese recruits have arrived at the Luda Wharf. These recruits basically did not stay at the brigade and were transported to various parts of the northeast overnight. A large number of weapons and other supplies were also brought in.
The Northeast is on the eve of war, and everyone who cares about the current situation in the Northeast feels it.