As a smokescreen for attacking Sichuan, or as a diversionary tactic, the revolutionary army prepared to launch a feint attack from the south and west, targeting the Qing army in Kunming and the surrounding areas. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

The revolutionary army can ignore the gains and losses of one city and one place, but the Qing army cannot, Kunming is a provincial capital, once lost, the political impact is too great, and the Qing court cannot bear the blow.

From this aspect, it can also be seen that although the Qing army was besieging, it was actually passive. The distribution of forces with five fingers in unison cannot form an absolute superiority in forces against the enemy at a certain node, and it is naturally difficult to open a breakthrough and expand the results of the battle.

On the other hand, although the revolutionary army was inferior in strength, it was capable and daring to fight. After rest and training, the morale was even stronger, and the in-depth political and economic work also provided a guarantee for the logistics of the revolutionary army. With Wu Luzhen and Chen Wenqiang in the presence, the threat can be ignored for the time being, so that the revolutionary army can concentrate its forces and make breakthroughs in key areas.

"Lijiang, Yongsheng, Huaping, Yanbian." Chief of Staff Ge Zhichu's whip moved on the large map on the wall, and Lang Lang's voice echoed in the hall, "The gesture is to form a flanking attack with the troops feinting against Chuxiong, but the direction of our attack is north, not south. Of course, whether to go directly north to Sichuan, or to enter the Guizhou realm first, and then turn to Sichuan, must be flexibly adjusted according to the actual situation. If it is directly north into Sichuan, then the Yi people in Liangshan are a great obstacle. Entering Guizhou first and then entering Sichuan seems to be a long distance, but the place passed through is already the rear of the Qing army's defense line, and the guards are weak, and the difficulties are smaller. ”

Looking at the generals who were listening attentively below, Ge Zhichu smiled and continued: "Moreover, entering Guizhou first can also create the illusion of encircling the Qing army in Kunming, so that the enemy can move in a hurry. Reveal bigger flaws. This is the strategic concept of the General Staff, and everyone can speak freely and discuss and study together. ”

The troops of the Western Yunnan Military Region must be mobilized in the Sichuan operation, and who will lead them and how many men and horses will be mobilized are very important. So. As the chief of staff, Ge Zhichucai came to Dali in person, not only to listen to opinions, but also to give guidance.

"Chief of Staff, is the Sichuan army a lone army that wants to open up in Sichuan alone?" Yang Wenkai pondered for a while, and then took the lead in asking: "Just like the previous Western Yunnan Advance Detachment, choosing the enemy's weak place to attack the city and seize the land, trying to develop. ”

"Yes, it is difficult for the Irikawa troops to get external support, at least in a short period of time." Ge Zhichu nodded. said: "Of course, if you want to be cautious, the troops in Sichuan can temporarily consolidate their foundation with Yanbian County as the center, and link up with the Western Yunnan Military Region to develop again." ”

Yanbian County is located in the west of Liangshan Prefecture, bordering Miyi County in the north, Huaping and Ninglang Yi Autonomous Counties in Yunnan Province in the west, and Yongren County in Yunnan Province in the south. It is located on the border of Sichuan and Yunnan, and it is also one of the counties and towns through which the Sichuan-Yunnan Tea Horse Ancient Road passes. If you occupy Yanbian County and the surrounding areas. It almost cut off the Sichuan-Yunnan access road, threatening Chuxiong in the south and Kunming in the southeast.

In other words, the General Staff Headquarters was also worried about the drawbacks of going deep alone and dividing troops, and the plan drawn up was relatively relaxed, and as long as Sichuan was also involved in the war group, the basic goal would be achieved. As for whether to go deep into Sichuan. Or if Guizhou Province is also involved, it depends on whether the situation is favorable and whether the troops are sufficient.

The reason why the revolution should be pushed to as many provinces and regions as possible was of political and military significance, and secondly, it made the Qing court's finances even more embarrassed. More difficult to support. Since the uprising in the southwest, the Qing court has done its best to suppress the revolutionary army, and Guangxi, Guangdong, Yunnan, and other provinces have to send troops and money to assist, and the amount handed over to the central government has been greatly reduced, and some of them even need subsidies from the central government.

The more provinces involved in the war, the greater the manpower, material resources, and funds needed, the more reason the local governors had to withhold taxes, and the more financially strained the Qing court became.

Although the General Staff Headquarters had set up a loose plan to minimize the possibility of failure, for some generals of the Western Yunnan Military Region, leading troops into Sichuan could be regarded as a good opportunity to make meritorious contributions. Who doesn't want to lead an army alone, who doesn't want to forge ahead and lay a foundation?

"The reality of the Qing army in Sichuan has just been introduced, but the victory or defeat of the battle cannot only take into account the comparison of military strength." Ge Zhichu cautiously reminded: "The party forces in Sichuan, mainly Brother Pao, are very powerful. If used properly, they could be a boost to the revolutionary army; If they cannot be mastered or controlled, they will also be the source of trouble in Sichuan. Therefore, everyone must have a clear enough understanding of the arduous nature of this task. ”

"May I ask the Chief of Staff, how many troops will be in the Irikawa Army?" Qiu Jingxia had been listening and remembering quietly before he asked.

"It depends on how many troops the Western Yunnan Military Region can deploy." Ge Zhichu smiled faintly and said, "If you can ensure that the base is stable, it is naturally better to transfer more." The opinion of the General Staff was that there should be at least 3,000 troops, and that they should be determined and tenacious. This also involves the issue of local troops going out to fight in the provinces, and ideological work cannot be neglected. ”

The western Yunnan Military Region has expanded rapidly, and there are not a few newly recruited soldiers, so if they fight in this province, there should be no problem, but if they are far away from their hometowns and relatives, they may not be as determined as real revolutionaries. This problem was not only for the revolutionary army, but also for the Qing army that came to besiege the provinces, and it was even more serious. Morale is low, cowardly and fearful, always thinking about not being a ghost in a foreign land, always thinking about returning home safely.

"In order to maintain the firmness and tenacity of the troops, I am afraid that we will have to draw from all units and not use the current formed personnel." Qiu Jingxia deeply agrees with this.

During this period, the generals of all units devoted their minds to training the troops, and the intensity was unprecedented, which also meant that the combat effectiveness of the troops was constantly improved and the regularization of the troops was further deepened. In the process of training, the generals have close and frequent contact with the soldiers, and have a deeper understanding of the psychology of the soldiers.

Relocation is a deep-rooted mindset of the common people, and the soldiers are equally affected. If it is said that it is to protect the homeland and defend the land and defend the policy of benefiting the people enjoyed after the recovery, then it is not necessary to say that there is no major problem in fighting a war in the hometown or even in the province. If it is said that it is an expedition of thousands of miles and has to take root and establish a foundation, I am afraid that it is not easy for many soldiers to accept it.

In the final analysis, it is still the ideological consciousness that has not kept up, and the psychology of being a soldier and eating food cannot be reversed in a short period of time.

"If it is voluntary, can it speed up the formation of the troops in Sichuan?" Ge Zhichu asked uncertainly.

"It's one way to go, but it's also more likely." Yang Wenkai smiled bitterly and said, "Although the base area is relatively well guarded, we can't underestimate the spying of the Qing army too much. ”

At this moment, a confidential staff officer hurriedly walked into the meeting hall and handed the telegram to Ge Zhichu. Ge Zhichu picked it up and took a quick look, and couldn't help frowning.

................ (To be continued.) )