Han Yunhua is worried about the arrival of his mother-in-law here, but Chiang Kai-shek does not have this leisure, and now the old Jiang's hair is about to grow out, and the bare head has not had time to clean up for a few days.

The negotiation talks sent by Chiang Kai-shek were still in Yan'an, but the devil did not give Chiang Kai-shek the opportunity to blackmail [***]. Lao Jiang was originally going to take this opportunity to blackmail [***], and if possible, it would not be impossible to take one back from Guisui or Chahar, but the next series of military operations of the army destroyed Lao Chiang's plan completely, and the plan of blackmail [***] had to be changed.

Soon after the Battle of Xuzhou, the two armies began preparations for the Battle of Wuhan. The North China Front and the Central China Front had long planned to seize Wuhan, and the senior officers of the Kuomintang also expected such a military operation. Therefore, the two sides mobilized a large number of troops around Wuhan and prepared for a decisive battle of the main force in the Wuhan area. However, due to the sudden intrusion of the Inner Mongolia Military Region, the North China Front had to turn its guns against the Eighth Route Army, and the Battle of Wuhan was forced to be delayed.

After the Battle of Saibei, the Inner Mongolia Military Region won a decisive victory, and the North China Front suffered heavy losses, and at the same time, the most worrying thing for the base camp of the Yue Army was the blow to morale, although the myth of the invincibility of the Yue Army was broken by the Eighth Route Army as early as the Battle of Pingxingguan. However, the only battle of Taierzhuang was completely defeated on the battlefield in China, but at that time, the Yue army was facing hundreds of thousands of troops in the Fifth War Zone of the National Political Axe, although most of these troops were local miscellaneous armies, but the number was more than several times that of the Yue army. Moreover, the commander of the Battle of Taierzhuang was Li Zongren, one of the few senior officers in China, so although it was embarrassing in China, the base camp of the Yue army was still able to accept this result. Although the officers in the army, from Emperor Hirohito to Major General, were very arrogant, they still understood the truth of victory and defeat. However, the defeat in the Battle of Saibei made it difficult for the base camp to accept, and it was not a shame to lose to the regular troops of the Kuomintang, but it was really uncomfortable to lose to the Tubalu led by the Chinese [***].

Although after the analysis of the data previously handed over to the base camp by General Terauchi Shouichi, Lieutenant General Tojo Hideki, Lieutenant General Itagaki Seishiro, Lieutenant General Tani Shofu, Lieutenant General Gokan Jun, and Lieutenant General Rennuma Pan (who was killed), this Inner Mongolia Military Region is indeed a bit weird, and it is definitely a little different from the ordinary Tubalu, but those senior officers in the base camp still think that everything is empty in the face of absolute strength, and although there are some natural factors that are not transferred by human will in this defeat of the North China Front, However, the vast majority of the problems still lie within the North China Front, especially the commander of the North China Front, General Terauchi Shouichi. The main reason for this defeat was that General Terauchi Shouichi was too stupid and was led by the nose by the hateful commander of the Inner Mongolia Military Region, which ultimately led to the final defeat.

Although General Terauchi Shouichi was transferred back to China, the morale of all the soldiers of the North China Front was still very low, and if there was no great victory, it would be difficult for the morale of the soldiers to recover in a short period of time, so the base camp decided to launch a major campaign in North China or Central China with the North China Front as the main force, targeting the elite troops of the National Political Axe, saying that the army would use the most elite troops on the Chinese battlefield to sacrifice the flag, and to use the blood of the most elite soldiers in China to awaken the belief that the Yamato warriors would win.

The Lugou Bridge Incident opened the prelude to the all-out war of aggression against China. Under the ferocious attack of the Yue army, Beiping and Tianjin fell one after another. On August 13, the Chinese army attacked Shanghai on a large scale, and on August 14, the Kuomintang political axe, under the impetus of the heavy military pressure and the nationwide anti-Japanese anger, officially issued the "Declaration of Self-Defense and War of Resistance", declaring: "China is forced by the endless aggression and is now compelled to practice self-defense and resist violence. "The Chinese [***] team fought on the front line of Songhu for 3 months, and on November 12, Shanghai was lost. After the fall of Shanghai, the Kuomintang issued the "Declaration on the Relocation of the National Political Axe to Yucheng" on November 20, announcing the relocation of the capital to Yucheng. However, the military and political organs of the Kuomintang did not immediately move west to Sichuan, but first moved to Wuhan.

On 13 December, after the fall of Nanjing, the Kuomintang Central Party Department, the Military Committee of the Kuomintang, the Executive Yuan, the Supervisory Yuan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and other departments, as well as the main party, government, and military leaders, all moved to Wuhan, and Wuhan became the political, military, diplomatic, economic, and cultural center of the whole country at that time, and became the de facto wartime capital. Wuhan is an industrial and commercial city second only to Shanghai, and after the fall of Nanjing, Wuhan's position is even more prominent. The purpose of the army's march into Wuhan was to encircle and annihilate the main force of the Chinese field army, to undermine the morale of the Chinese people, and to force the Chinese political axe to submit as soon as possible. After the capture of Xuzhou in May, the army actively prepared to expand the war of aggression. It was decided to first capture Anqing with one part of the army as an advance base for attacking Wuhan, and then attack the area north of the Dabie Mountains along the Huai River with the main force, capture Wuhan from Wusheng Pass, and advance west along the Yangtze River with the other part. Due to the breach of the Yellow River, it was forced to suspend the plan to attack Wuhan along the Huai River and attack along both sides of the Yangtze River instead.

In the summer and autumn of 1938, Wuhan was the focus of the Sino-Chinese war, and the high commands of the two sides made careful military arrangements around the offensive and defensive of Wuhan. After the capture of Nanjing, the War Department of the base camp began to study the so-called "operation to capture Hankou." As soon as the Battle of Xuzhou ended in May 1938, it was decided to carry out the "Hankou Operation" in the autumn of that year, and on June 15, the Imperial Council officially decided to "carry out the operation to capture Hankou". On the 18th, the War Department of the base camp quickly issued an order to "prepare for the Hankou operation" and decided to "capture Hankou in early autumn." At the same time as formulating a plan to attack Wuhan, the base camp began to deploy troops in an all-round way. In May 1938, the War Department of the base camp decided that the attack on Hankou would be under the "unified command of the Central China Dispatch Army" and that efforts should be made to strengthen the strength of the Central China Dispatch Army. By the beginning of July, the strength of the Central China Dispatch Army had suddenly increased from three divisions after the Battle of Xuzhou to 14 divisions, two brigades, and two detachments, and was organized into four combat units, including the Second Army, the 11th Army, the troops directly under the Central Government, and the Aviation Corps.

The commander of the Central China Dispatch Army, General Shunroku Hata, and the commander of the 2nd Army, Lieutenant General Minoru Higashikurenomiya, have jurisdiction over the 3rd, 13th, and 16th divisions, the 5th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade and its directly subordinate units. Lieutenant General Okamura Ninji, commander of the 11th Army, has jurisdiction over the 101st, 106th, 27th, and 9th divisions, the Hatata Detachment, the 6th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade and directly subordinate units, etc. There are 5 divisions and regiments directly under the direct jurisdiction of the Dispatch Army, including the 18th, 116th, 15th, 27th, and 22nd. Lieutenant General Yoshitoshi Tokugawa, commander of the Aviation Corps, has jurisdiction over the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Flying Regiments, directly subordinate units, and ground support units. The total strength is about 300,000, and there are 300 aircraft of various types and 120 ships of various types. And it was necessary for the North China Front to send part of its troops, but due to the outbreak of the Battle of Saibei, this plan was helplessly put on hold.

On September 12, the Central China Dispatch Army adjusted the battle sequence, and its commander Shunroku Hata commanded the 2nd and 11th armies, with a total of about 140 brigades and 250,000 troops, responsible for the operation against Wuhan. With Okamura Ninji commanding the 5 and a half divisions of the 11th Army to attack Wuhan along both sides of the Yangtze River; Minoru Higashikunomiya Minoru commanded four and a half divisions of the 2nd Army to assist Wuhan along the northern foot of Dabie Mountain. As well as more than 120 ships of the Navy and the 3rd Fleet of Shiro Kawako, more than 500 planes of the Air Corps led by Tokugawa Yoshitoshi, the first pilot to fly into the sky, and five divisions directly under the Central China Dispatch Army were assigned to guard Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and other areas to consolidate the rear and ensure the operation. The North China Front dispatched the 14th Division, the 20th Division, the 108th Division, the 6th Division, and the 3rd Brigade to participate in the operation against Wuhan.

In order to defend Wuhan, the Central [***] team formed two corps on the left and right flanks with 129 divisions, which were responsible for the defense of Jiangbei and Jiangnan respectively; Its operational policy is to make use of the Poyang Lake, the Dabie Mountain barrier, and the hills, lakes and marshes on both sides of the Yangtze River to implement a strategic stalemate, strive to fight for 4~6 months, and inflict maximum attrition on the enemy.

Chiang Kai-shek was shocked by the repeated large-scale moves of the Yue army, and according to the information obtained by the intelligence department, he learned that the scale of the military operation and the number of troops dispatched were unprecedented since the War of Resistance Against Japan. Chiang Kai-shek hurriedly mobilized the troops of the 5th and 9th theaters to prepare for defense, and a large number of weapons and ammunition were distributed to all units.

As early as the preparatory stage for the Battle of Wuhan, Chiang Kai-shek knew that it would be difficult to defend Wuhan, Wuhan City was a city with developed water and land transportation, and the armored units and ship units of the army could participate in the operation against Wuhan, and although there were many armed forces deployed in the Wuhan area, the combat effectiveness of these armed forces was not very good, especially those troops who had withdrawn from Xuzhou to Wuhan in the Fifth War Zone. Due to Chiang Kai-shek's habit of political axe, the local troops were annexed as soon as they ran out, so many troops had not been effectively replenished for nearly four months after the end of the Battle of Xuzhou. Therefore, the troops withdrawn from the Fifth Theater are now demoralized, the morale is discouraged, and the combat effectiveness of the troops is very weak.

Moreover, the Nationalist Axe is now in trouble with [***] because of the Chahar matter, and the two sides are quarreling in Yan'an, and to be honest, Chiang Kai-shek is not optimistic about the prospects for the Battle of Wuhan. But the bayonet of the Yue army had already reached the heart of Jiang someone, and he had to fight whether he wanted to or not.

However, as early as March 29, 1938, Chiang Kai-shek summoned all the senior military and political officials of the Kuomintang to convene the Provisional National Congress of the Chinese Kuomintang in the Song Qing Gymnasium of National Wuhan University at the foot of Luojia Mountain in Wuchang, which was the most important meeting held by the Kuomintang political axe after the outbreak of the all-out war of resistance against Japan. One of the most important results of this four-day meeting was the adoption of the "Program for the Founding of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression", which put forward the domestic and foreign policies of the Kuomintang during the period of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and this "Program for the Founding of the War of Resistance against Japan" was later criticized as the famous program of the Kuomintang's "one-sided line of resistance against Japan". And to a certain extent, the determination to open up the boiled had a positive impact on boosting morale and boosting the people's hearts at that time. In particular, when the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression entered the period of the Wuhan War of Resistance centered on the defense of Wuhan, this program played a positive role in the defense of Wuhan.

Zhou Enlai, the deputy director of the Political Department of the Military Committee of the National People's Political Axe, pointed out in an editorial written for Xinhua Daily: "Wuhan is the birthplace of the Republic of China, the highest peak of the Northern Expedition of the Great Revolution, and now the center of the Chinese nation's War of Resistance. "The patriotic parties of the whole Chinese nation should swear that China will no longer be separatist, that the united front will be forever consolidated and developed, and that the great Chinese nation will be united forever until the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the success of the founding of the country!" "Xinhai, the Northern Expedition, and the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, these three historical periods will cause the great cause of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." Guo Moruo, then director of the 3rd Department of the Political Department of the National Political Axe Military Commission, wrote in his famous book "Hongbo Song": "The Three Towns of Wuhan, since the Northern Expedition, have been suffocated under the shadow of swords and swords for a whole decade", "Wuhan, which has been sleeping for ten years, seems to be gradually recovering to its breath in the Northern Expedition era", "The Three Towns of Wuhan are indeed resurrected!" ”

Subsequently, Xinhua Yuebao, the organ of China, published an editorial entitled "Defending Great Wuhan" with an eye-catching title, calling on the people of Wuhan to actively organize and arm themselves to participate in front-line operations for the defense of Great Wuhan. All the young fighters who were willing to take part in the activities of the enemy's rear quickly organized themselves and heroically went to work in the enemy's rear.

Subsequently, the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang and the Political Department of the Military Committee of the Nationalist Political Axe issued the "Propaganda Outline for the First Anniversary of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression", officially putting forward the slogan of "defending Wuhan". In mid-September, [***] and seven other [***] political officers proposed in the "Our Opinions on the National Political Participation Conference" that they should "mobilize military, human, financial, and material resources to defend our military, political, economic, and transportation areas." Chen Cheng, commander of the 9th Theater and commander-in-chief of the Wuhan garrison, pointed out in the article "Defending Great Wuhan with All Efforts": "Defending Great Wuhan is the most urgent task at present. "Today, Wuhan has become the most important stronghold in the third phase of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, this is the base of our revenge against shame, and it is also the cornerstone of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and now it is said that the people of the whole country, especially every military and civilian in Wuhan, should arouse the greatest hatred of the enemy, and everyone should make up their minds to live and die with Wuhan to defend this important fortress of national defense, which will surely deal a fatal blow to the enemy and create an extremely favorable situation in the decisive battle in the future."

It can be said that with the attention of all sectors of society, the Battle of Wuhan has become the most eye-catching event on the battlefield in China. Due to the great battle between the Inner Mongolia Military Region and the North China Front Army, the Nationalist Political Axe was relatively well prepared in the preparations for the Battle of Wuhan, so the relevant military operations of the Yue Army could be reported to the Wuhan Garrison Headquarters in a very short time.

On September 9, people from all walks of life in the three towns of Wuhan held a huge "Defend Greater Wuhan" singing procession, and under the command of the famous musician Xian Xinghai, the marching crowd sang in unison The music composed by Zheng Lucheng (the composer of the "Military Song of the Chinese People's Liberation Army") and the sand brigade? "Defending Great Wuhan" written by Erdong, the passionate singing resounded in the sky of the three towns of Wuhan:

The blood boiled in Poyang, sparks flew in the Yangtze River, and the whole country issued a violent roar to defend Wuhan!

Wuhan is the center of the National War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Wuhan is the largest metropolis today, and we must resolutely defend it, just like the Spanish people defend Madrid.

Crush the enemy's attack, consolidate the anti-Japanese front, and use our infinite power to defend Wuhan!

…………………………………… After reading the telegram sent by the comrades in Wuhan, he sent a telegram in the name of the Central Committee to the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army, the Inner Mongolia Military Region, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region, the headquarters of the 120th Division, the headquarters of the 129th Division, and the headquarters of the 115th Division, asking them to express their views on this matter.

The development of things was already within Han Yunhua's expectations, so he didn't have anything to say, after all, Han Yunhua had already reported to the central government about the Battle of Wuhan and what the Eighth Route Army should do, so Han Yunhua just sent a telegram back to Yan'an according to the original idea. The content of the telegram is basically the same as what he reported to the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army and Yan'an after the Battle of Saibei, which can be summed up as follows: "Send troops to assist the Kuomintang in defending Great Wuhan in exchange for the permanent occupation of Chahar and Suiyuan." ”

There is no movement here, but the Kuomintang can't wait, after all, the battle of Wuhan is about to break out, and many units of the army have begun to encircle the Wuhan area, although there is no official fire yet, but Chiang Kai-shek also understands that this calm will not last more than a week. Therefore, he ordered He Yingqin to return to Wuhan as soon as possible, end the trip to [***], and make appropriate concessions on the issues discussed by the two sides, provided that after the outbreak of the Battle of Wuhan, [***] could not stand idly by.

With Chiang Kai-shek's instructions, and the Party Central Committee had already prepared, the two sides quickly reached an agreement.

On September 15, He Yingqin, Minister of Military Affairs of the Kuomintang, signed the "Joint Declaration on the Chahar and Suiyuan Incidents of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party" on behalf of the Kuomintang and the [***], which stipulated: Chahar and Suiyuan are the territories recovered by the Eighth Route Army from the Yuekou, and before the end of the War of Resistance against Japan, the political axe (national political axe) can allow [***] to use these two places as places to raise food and wages. But as a price, after the outbreak of the Battle of Wuhan, [***] should send a strong force south to help the national political axe to resist the attack of the Yue army, and the number of troops should not be less than 10,000 people.

After the signing of the "Joint Statement on the Chahar and Suiyuan Incidents of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party", the whole country rejoiced, and the first crisis since the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party was finally resolved without danger, and the resolution was quite perfect, and the final outcome was that the two sides worked together to fight against the Kou in the Wuhan area, and this result was not only surprised by people from all walks of life in China, but even Chiang Kai-shek and [***] were amazed.

Chiang Kai-shek was surprised that [***] actually agreed to the condition of sending troops to fight against the Yue Kou and jointly encircle Wuhan, which did not seem to be quite like [***]'s style. And the surprise of [***] and others was directed at Han Yunhua, they didn't expect that things would really develop according to the trajectory expected by that little guy, and the Kuomintang was really willing to give up such a large piece of territory to [***], incredible!

(To be continued)