In Moscow in January, it was cold and snowy, and the pedestrians on the road were cautiously covering their scarves or wearing masks, and they were in a hurry, and occasionally a group of internal affairs troops wearing red armbands passed by, and the pedestrians gave in, and secretly said in their hearts, where did the counter-revolutionaries appear, these internal affairs soldiers always shuttled through the city, arresting this today, arresting that tomorrow, today is a political axe clerk, tomorrow may be a general.

The purge has passed, but the arrests are not over, especially after the news of the defeat came back from the front, when the news of the unprecedented bombing of the Kyakhta region by the Chinese reached Moscow, many more people were punished, and all departments were arrested.

However, the Bolsheviks did not seem to have the anger they had imagined, but a faint sense of relief.

"Damn, I've finally found something to distract them."

Yes, the attention of the political axe was successfully diverted, and the people believed that small China, which could not have a fatal impact on the powerful Soviet Union, just found something to do for the political axe, so that they could put the high-pressure policy towards the people, on the internal level, on the Chinese.

There were also party members who led a march to protest against China's aggression, and then a high-ranking political official, a senior general who held the rank of deputy national defense commissar, came forward to declare that he would carry out the strongest counterattack against China's aggression.

However, the Soviet political axe quickly blocked the news, except for Moscow and other major cities, the Soviet people under the dictatorship did not get much information, the news is still slowly spreading, and the people of Moscow, who got the news, are watching and waiting for the decision of the political axe.

The political axe was slow to make a decision, and the deputy defense commissar who came forward to declare himself was severely reprimanded by Comrade Stalin, and of course, a total information blockade followed.

"Comrade Stalin, Comrade Timoshenko and Comrade Meretskov came."

Moscow, the Kremlin, the guard officer reported in a whisper outside the hall where Stalin was dealing with government affairs.

"Beria, I don't want such a thing to happen again, and those who deliberately leak information will be punished for counter-revolution."

Stalin waved his hand, and the reprimand he had just given Beria eased his anger a little, and when he heard the report of the guard officer, he realized that there was more troublesome matter to deal with, "Come in." ”

He also said to Beria, the deputy minister of the interior who replaced Yezhov, "Your information will be reported to me with them later." ”

Beria, who had been reprimanded for a long time and had a large handful of intelligence reports in his hands, had not yet had time to speak.

It was the Soviet General Timoshenko who commanded the Soviet invasion of Finland after the Manila Incident, and the General Meretskov, the new Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. (Manila Incident: In order to achieve the goal of invading Finland and gaining territory, the Soviet Union claimed that the Finnish army shelled the village of Manila and caused the death of Soviet soldiers, and prepared to attack the Soviet Union in November 39.) The whole Manila incident preceded the 'Hudairi incident' less than a month earlier, and it was Stalin's ambition that he dared to provoke other countries in two directions.

However, it was precisely this two-front layout that made the entire Soviet Union appear so passive when the Chinese angrily fought back and gave Stalin a beating that far exceeded expectations.

"Comrade Stalin!"

"Comrade Meretskov, how is the matter in the Finnish direction, how is it going."

Stalin, although he had just finished looking at the situation in the Finnish direction, still asked. In this case, if Timoshenko, as the person in charge, did not know all aspects of the situation as his staff officers, he would encounter his unprecedented anger.

Timoshenko saluted again, then walked to the world map on one side of the wall, pointed to the location of Finland, and said, "At present, all preparations are basically completed, a large number of tanks, aircraft, and heavy artillery clusters have been basically deployed in place, and the Leningrad direction has also been prepared, and it is expected that in half a month, that is, in early February, according to the original plan, 25 divisions, a total of 490,000 Red Army will launch a general offensive against the Finnish army, and it is expected that it will only take four to five months for us to force Finland to submit, So as to achieve the desired combat effect. ”

It was a large-scale military operation, not counting the civil war since the support of the Spanish Civil War, and it was another large-scale military operation after the partition of Poland with the Germans. According to the Soviet-German Non-Aggression Pact, Finland would be a 'lunch' for the Soviet Union.

490,000 Red Army, more than 1,100 fighters of all kinds, more than 880 tanks, and more than 3,000 artillery pieces will constitute an absolute advantage over the Finns.

"Hmm." Stalin nodded noncommittally, and then said angrily, "Yesterday, the Chinese launched a shameful sneak attack on the great Soviet Union in the direction of Kyakhta, four border airfields suffered extremely heavy losses, more than 800 aircraft, nearly 1,100 pilots fell victim to Chinese aggression, and four airfields were bombed into ruins.

The mighty USSR has never suffered such a humiliation, and we must immediately prepare for a counterattack. A full-fledged counterattack. ”

Timoshenko and Meretskov had anticipated Stalin's wrath before they arrived, but they did not expect him to demand an immediate full-scale offensive, which was unrealistic.

Timoshenko was about to speak, but Stalin turned to Beria again, "You tell me all the information so that they can make a judgment." ”

Beria saluted, then opened the information folder in his hand and began to read the information.

"On December 26, 1939, Mongolian intelligence officers discovered signs of large-scale movement of the [***] squadron, and before enough, one Chinese mechanized infantry division and three infantry divisions of the Chinese went north, and then a BT17 tank division of the Siberian Military District engaged a Chinese semi-tank division, and our side lost."

"On December 28, 1939, intelligence officers in Suiyuan, Inner Mongolia, discovered that there had been a large-scale movement of the [***] team, and at least one tank division of troops had moved north from Suiyuan to the Sino-Soviet border. Our army had three infantry divisions, two tank divisions, and two air divisions at the same time to support the arrival at the border. Due to the fact that the squadron moved faster than us through the Suiyuan-Kulun railway, the border war that broke out ahead of schedule put our army, which was not prepared, into a passive position. ”

"On January 11, 1939, our intelligence officers discovered that the Chinese Air Force had abnormal take-offs and landings at several air bases in Mongolia, and after the intelligence department judged that it was the combat readiness training of the Chinese, they lost their vigilance against it. Previously, because the Chinese were preparing to secretly and simply mobilize the air force, we did not get any information that the Chinese might carry out large-scale air strikes. ”

On January 15, 1939, Chinese Minister of National Defense Cai Ye personally held a major press conference and disclosed a large amount of evidence to nearly 100 reporters, announcing that the Soviet Union had launched a war of aggression against China and that China had launched an effective counterattack.

At the same time, Sun Changqing, Chinese State Councilor, Vice Chairman of the Supreme Power Council, outgoing Premier of the State Council, and China's No. 2 power figure, met with the delegation and clearly pointed out that China and China have a wider space for cooperation in the Far East, and explicitly expressed support for increasing the number of troops stationed in the DPRK.

At the same time, Chinese Premier Zhou Guolai met with the German ambassador to China and the US ambassador to China to exchange views on Sino-Soviet relations and the Sino-Soviet border war, and the Chinese tried to gain the support of Germany and the Americans, and reached an agreement of some kind of intention. ”

"In late January 1939, the elite troops of the Xinjiang Provincial Corps and the Northeast Garrison Region of China were transferred to the Sino-Soviet border on a large scale. At the same time, it is believed that at least one Chinese tank corps, several mechanized divisions, almost 10 infantry divisions, several air divisions were transferred to the territory of Mongolia. In Mongolia, near our border, the Chinese are urgently building several large airports, which are expected to be basically operational by February. ”

"Yesterday, the German political axe reiterated to us the sanctity of the Soviet-German non-aggression pact, but the Americans made it clear that once a war broke out between China and the Soviet Union and affected Sino-US trade, sanctions would be imposed on trade between the United States and the Soviet Union."

The intelligence was compiled into a heavy fact, and the Chinese were preparing for a big war with the Soviet Union.

After Beria finished speaking, Stalin put down the big pipe in his hand and said, "The Chinese have just announced the expansion of their army by 1 million, several border garrison areas have entered a state of combat readiness, and have summoned our ambassador to protest our aggression, and China has said that if we continue to expand the scale of the war, China will not hesitate to go to war with us in multiple directions." ”

Beria was slightly shocked, most of the intelligence returned to China, and he would come to him first, but now it seems that Stalin may have another secret department.

"Are we ready for an all-out war with the Chinese?"

Stalin asked the Chief of the General Staff and Timoshenko, who had returned home to report on his work.

Timoshenko: "Stalin, if there is a war with the Chinese, then we will face at least two fronts, maybe even three. According to intelligence, it is already difficult to satisfy the greedy Yue himself in Southeast Asia, and their nearly 4 million army can be put into the Far East at any time once they get the tacit approval of the Chinese. The resources of the Far East and Siberia have long been coveted.

Moreover, in the event of a full-scale outbreak of the Sino-Soviet war, the war in the Finnish direction was not a big problem, but the Germans were likely to act. ”

"Comrade Timoshenko, we have signed a Soviet-German non-aggression pact." Beria objected.

"Comrade Beria, treaties have always been torn up, and the premise for the Germans to abide by the treaty is that the millions of Soviet troops on the Western Front will remain there motionless, and once they are transferred to the Sino-Soviet battlefield, I guarantee with my military rank that the Germans will definitely accelerate the pace of aggression against the Soviet Union." Timoshenko, one of the few people who dared to speak out in front of Stalin, further said, "Comrade Stalin, although I am not particularly aware of the strength of the Chinese army, but, at least in the eyes of the Chinese, this is a border war provoked by us, although they have taken a shameful counter-sneak attack, but once China and the Soviet Union go to war in an all-out war, we will at least throw millions of troops into the war with the Chinese." Perhaps it is not enough, with their population and industrial scale, the scale of their economy, they can at least arm tens of millions of troops. If we add to this myself, we will face a locust-like army of Chinese people who will try to rob the whole of Siberia, the whole of the Far East, with the most greed. ”

Stalin pondered for a long time, and then said unashamedly, "Put away your German threat theory, they don't dare to attack us, unless we take the initiative to attack them, Finland is what you should care about." Even if China and the Soviet Union were to fight, the Finnish side would ensure victory. Comrade Meretskov, what about your opinion. ”

Meretskov saluted and said, "Comrade Stalin, the Chinese and Soviet sides have not always been the focus of our defense or offensive. We were not ready for a full-scale war in the direction of the provinces, in the Far East, or even in the Mongolian direction. Although the Chinese shamefully attacked us, however, their transportation was more convenient than ours, and they could quickly attack in multiple directions. Half of their elite troops are deployed in the north, and if necessary, they can mobilize at least 2 million men for war in a month.

And it will take us at least half a year to put 2 million people into the war. The first batch of troops participating in the war will not exceed 1.2 million people.

The most important thing is that from this border war exposed a lot of problems, we are already at a disadvantage in terms of aircraft, tanks, perhaps from Germany or the United States technology, the Chinese aircraft and tanks can be extremely good, once the Chinese gather more than 1,000 tanks on the border, more than 1,000 aircraft, we approximately, about twice the number of preparations, to ensure balance.

Moreover, the coldest winter in Siberia is approaching, and the climate in China is much better, and we are facing severe climatic difficulties. ”

Stalin would not have believed these data in any case had it not been for the comments he had just received from intelligence services and military experts about the new weapons of the Chinese, as well as detailed battle reports from the front.

"The most important thing is not how the war was fought, but what benefits the war did for the USSR. I basically agree with Comrade Timoshenko that if we go to war with the Chinese, then, most likely, the Germans will change their strategy towards us. If we do not mobilize European troops, we will have to carry out a large-scale military expansion. ”

Meretskov is very clear that Finland's problems are the same as Mongolia's, the difference is that the Finns do not have such a large territory as China, do not have such a strong economy, political axe and army, if the time is advanced by 20 years, Mongolia and even Xinjiang Province, or the entire Northeast, may become the pocket of the Soviet Union, but now, all this seems extremely difficult.

Whether to bet on Europe or go all out to fight the Chinese to the death was a decision that only Stalin could make.

Stalin pondered for a long time, although national affairs were not decided quickly, but the words of Meretskov and Timoshenko still spoke of some of his worries.

As the supreme leader of the Soviets, he may have been a little arrogant, he never looked at Finland or Poland or even the Germans, but if a full-scale war with the Chinese broke out hastily, and it was a full-scale war with little gain, it would be detrimental to the Soviet Union.

Stalin never even thought of a total war with the Chinese, even when China was at its weakest, but now, when the risk of a full-scale war comes, the trade-offs need to be carefully considered.

"There is a national defense meeting in the afternoon, and you all prepare for it, and repeat what you have just said at the meeting, and see what the other marshals and generals think. This is a meeting on the fate of the Soviet Union, and I hope you will take it seriously. ”

Hanjing, the office center of the head of state of China.

Luo Feng was standing in Zhang Shusheng's office, reporting to him on the situation in the Soviet Union.

Compared with China's intelligence infiltration of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union's intelligence infiltration of China was much worse, you know, the Soviet Union did not take China seriously, but China regarded the Soviet Union as a destined opponent, and the degree of attention paid to it by both sides was not the same.

"There are signs of large-scale movement of Soviet troops in Siberia and the provinces of Xinjiang and the Far East. Kyakhta and several other airports are also undergoing emergency repair work, but it is expected that it will take at least 2 to 3 months for these front-line airfields to form a large-scale combat force, even if a large number of field airfields are built before, supporting facilities and fuel supplies cannot keep up, and the coldest season in Siberia has come, and a large-scale war is expected to break out, at the latest after the heavy snow begins to melt.

There was a summit discussion going on in the Soviet Union, many generals and marshals did not agree with each other, the vast majority of people were against a full-scale war, believing that a border war was enough, and Stalin, who seemed to be a talented man, was actually very cautious and indecisive, and he had always been obsessed with the European side, and it was difficult for him to make up his mind to start a full-scale war with us in a short time. Luo Feng briefly recounted the situation in the direction of the Soviet Union.

Zhang Shusheng nodded, he had a certain expectation of the reaction of the Soviets, with Stalin's surname, the chance of turning to a full-scale war with China was less than 10%, and even if a full-scale war came, China was confident that it would turn it into a border war, and the Soviet Union would not want to go straight in.

A situation of total success or total defeat between China and the Soviet Union could only be the result of a full-scale mobilization and a full-scale invasion.

"Keep an eye on the movements of the Soviet Union, and I expect that the scale of this border war will expand, even in the direction of the Far Eastern borders or provinces. If I were Stalin, it would be best to achieve victory in a local war. ”

Although this sneak attack on the Soviet Union caused heavy losses to the Soviet Union's front-line airfields, it was far from the point where the Soviet Union was wounded or unbearable. If we talk about the scale of the war, the Battle of Nomenkan in later generations was much larger than the beginning of this border war. However, the victorious Soviets did not take advantage of the victory to pursue Yue himself, and did not even take a follow-up punishment action, but retreated to the country, until the military strength of Yue Ben in Northeast China was reduced to a minimum, and the Soviets basically cleaned up the mess in Europe, and the million Red Army moved to Northeast China, saying that it was to support China, but in fact, the reason was very complicated. This series of reasons, up to now, is also roughly the factor that the Soviets are facing consideration.

After letting Luo Feng go down, Zhang Shusheng opened the battle plan against the Soviet Union formulated by the General Staff on the table. If the Soviets insist on launching a large-scale all-out war, or a full-scale invasion, China will only have a part in the war.

If it is only a large-scale border war, like the later Battle of Nomenkan, China will use at least 300,000 to 500,000 troops, at least 1,000 aircraft, more than 1,100 tanks, and nearly 3,000 artillery pieces to fight against the Soviets' legions. Depending on the strength of the Soviets, this figure could be appropriately increased to ensure that the war would not affect the country and would only be fought on the Khudairi-Kyakhta line or in the border areas.

What China needs to do is to guard against retaliatory bombing by the Soviets, and a number of border airports will be put into combat readiness all year round, and the long-range warning radar in the direction of the Soviet Union must not only be turned on around the clock, but also strengthen the number to guard against a sneak attack by the Soviet Union. Even if there are only a few large cities in China within a few hundred kilometers of the Sino-Soviet border, it is still necessary to take key precautions, and if China can think of a surprise attack, the Soviets may retaliate.

According to Zhang Shusheng's prediction, the most likely surname is a medium-scale border war, as well as a long-term border air war.

This will deplete China's strength to a certain extent, but it will not be harmful, on the contrary, it will be able to adopt the method of wheel warfare, train a large number of troops, especially new recruits, for a long time, and have enough enemies for them to conduct actual combat training, and at the same time let the Chinese people know that the world is not at peace, the country is at war, and it is concentrating national forces for economic construction, and at the same time, it will use the Sino-Soviet war as an excuse to expand its army on a large scale and cover up the fact that China has increased its armaments.

"Knock Knock Knock ......"

There was a knock on the door, and Zhang Shusheng came back to his senses, "Come in." ”

"Chairman of the Committee, I have just received information that Britain and France have jointly increased their troops on a large scale in the direction of Burma, and two aircraft carrier fleets are heading towards Singapore."

(To be continued)