On October 11, 1923, in the early hours of the morning, the urgent telephone bell broke the silence of Tokyo's Kasumigaseki Zhizhèngfu, and Saionji Gongwang picked up the phone wrapped in pajamas. Free eBook Download //

Hokkaido is lost!

This news is so surprising that the Navy's Hokkaido Squadron and the Army's Hokkaido Garrison actually defected at the same time! The rebels captured Hokkaido without bloodshed, and they also had a naval fleet strong enough to control the Karatsu Strait! This made Xiyuan Temple faintly regret helping Kita Yihui to be the consul of this temporary zhèngfu. However, since he has already sat on this position, he has to fight for the future of Riben, and in any case, he can't let that group of GC thieves control Riben, because that will mean that Riben will fall into the abyss of no return

As soon as he thought of GCISM, such a picture suddenly appeared in the mind of Xiyuan Temple Gongwang. Like a chain, the red sè is like a chain that stretches from the island of Katajima, the Ryukyu Islands, and the Ryukyu Islands to the island of Taiwan, completely isolating China from the sea...... Coupled with the Soviet Union, which borders China in the north and west of the border, it has almost become a red sè encirclement network, leaving China in an embattled situation! If the Soviet Union and GC International had re-exported GC doctrine to the South Seas and India, China would have been completely imprisoned in a red cage! The far-sighted Chinese marshal should be able to see this too, right?

Thinking of Chang Ruiqing's thunderous appearance, Xiyuan Temple let out a long sigh, since a red sèri would have brought so much trouble to China, then the Chinese should not be able to save Riben to death, right? No. Not only China, but also Britain and the United States will not want RIBEN to be red! Perhaps the civil war provoked by Ricamoto GCD and Hirohito was an opportunity for Riben to get out of the predicament?

"Based on the information we have so far, we are convinced that the Hokkaido Detachment and the 103rd Division of the Army have defected. In addition, the main force of the First Front Army of the puppet rescue ** has begun to cross the Soya Strait and land in Hokkaido. Due to the suddenness of the incident, our defense in Aomori Prefecture is very empty, and if the false rescue ** takes further action in time, it is estimated that it will break through the Kamatsu Strait and land on Honshu Island......"

At 8 o'clock in the morning of the same day, at the emergency meeting of the temporary zhèngfu, the Minister of War Tian Zhongzhong was briefing the senior officials of the provisional zhèngfu with a black face on the latest war situation. But what he knows about the situation is also very limited, and he can only take it for granted to estimate the next move of the rescue of the zhì.

There was a sound of inhaling in the conference room. Although everyone had expected that there would be a civil war in RI, no one expected that the other party's actions would be so fast! They didn't even wait for Hirohito and Katayama, who had visited Moscow, to sneak back to Huatai Island before they suddenly attacked, and they didn't know how to turn a whole fleet and a division of the army against them! Looking at Hokkaido, which has been dyed red on the map. I had just talked with the British and American ambassadors all night, and Takahashi was finally able to find a way to borrow money, and asked in a deep voice: "What happened to Hongo Botaro and Hyakutake Saburo?" Why did you come to GCD? Are they all GCD spies lurking on our side? ”

Everyone wants to know this question, these two guys are not low on the temporary zhèngfu side, why did they suddenly defect? Of course. They couldn't have imagined it. RI GCD actually "bought" Hokkaido with a full 20,000 taels of gold! Their thinking is still stuck in the national war and has not changed to the civil war in time. Tian Zhongzhong was sweating all over his head, and said in a low voice: "Mr. Takahashi, it must be that the military is dissatisfied with our compromise policy with China...... Economic problems may also be a reason. ”

"Takahashi-kun, how are you talking about borrowing money from Britain and the United States? Is it possible to borrow a sum of money for military expenses? Xiyuan Temple Gongwang took over the topic and asked.

"There's some eyebrows." Takahashi is a clear road. "The U.S. ambassador said that the U.S. could provide us with a financial loan of $200 million, on the condition that all the capital ships and cruisers of the combined fleet of the United Fleet would have to anchor in Manila before we defeated the GCD."

"No, Your Excellency the Consul, RI can't live without the Combined Fleet!" It was Yuzaburo Kato who spoke. He continued: "Now that the peace agreement between RI and China has not yet been finalized, the combined fleet is our only bargaining chip. In the unlikely event that the peace talks break down......"

"Kato-kun, don't say more." The prince of Xiyuan Temple waved his hand and interrupted: "Let's prepare for Manila for the Combined Fleet, because we need the Americans' borrowing too much to stabilize the situation." ”

It's true that Ri Ben temporary zhèngfu needs money too much. Disaster relief in Tokyo and Yokohama needed money, money was needed to stabilize the rapidly depreciating RI currency, money was needed to import enough food to feed the people, and an unpopular reactionary civil war also cost a lot of money.

The conference room fell silent all of a sudden, and everyone knew that without this dollar loan, Riben would probably not be able to sustain himself for a few days. But even with a $200 million loan, they won't necessarily win the war. If the main forces of the Combined Fleet are allowed to anchor in Manila, will the United States allow them to return to Chisèriben in the future? Although they are all anti-G and anti-people reactionaries, they love RIBEN no less than Hirohito Katayama, even if it is a red Sè RIBEN is still RIBEN!

Seeing that everyone didn't speak, Xiyuan Temple Gongwang also sighed: "Gentlemen, my opinion is that if we really lose this war, the future RI will become a vassal of the Soviet Union!" And if the powerful combined fleet remains in Riben, it will only become a tool for the Soviet Union to conquer the world, and it will not only bring no benefits to RIBEN, but will also invite unimaginable disasters, so I would rather leave this fleet in Manila......"

……

While the temporary zhèngfu in Tokyo was busy borrowing money with the mortgage of the combined fleet, the situation in the country was deteriorating sharply for them!

On October 15, on the fifth day of Hokkaido's change of hands, the former 103rd Division, which had already hung the sign of the 7th Division, forcibly crossed the Karumsu Strait with the help of the Hokkaido Detachment and invaded Aomori Prefecture in the northeast of Honshu. At the same time, the main force of the First Front Army crossed the Soya Strait from the southern part of Katai Island and entered Hokkaido in a steady stream under the banner of resisting China and saving the country.

On 16ri, Hirohito and Katayama arrived in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, on a Soviet-supplied plane. The National Salvation Committee was declared the only legitimate zhèngfu of the whole riben. He also announced to the world that the purpose of the National Salvation Committee is to lead the people of RIBEN against the Chinese invading army and to defend the territorial and sovereign integrity of RIBEN in order to achieve this goal. The National Salvation Committee is willing to cooperate with the Qiēri Benzheng forces and friendly countries around the world who are willing to help the people of the country resist China. At the same time, Hirohito also announced that he would retire after completing the historical mission of resisting China and saving the country, and would not seek to restore the status of emperor, and that in the future, the national system of Rimoto would also be decided by the people of Rimoto. Finally, Hirohito also called on all officers and men of the army and navy to abandon the traitorous zhèngfu in Tokyo, stand with him and the National Salvation Committee, and fight for the Duliziyou of Richoto.

As soon as the news came out, the whole country was shocked! Demonstrations for and against Hirohito took place almost simultaneously in various parts of the country, and fierce clashes between the two factions took place in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, and other cities. Since the real power of the National Salvation Committee is in the hands of the RIBEN GCD. As a result, the wealthy class in the local area began to flee in advance. The steamers to Yanpo, Taiwan, and the Ryukyus were almost all wealthy people with their families and well-dressed, while the land and stock prices of the local land were rimmed. In addition, the exchange rate of the RI dollar has also plummeted, and foreign companies that have invested in RI have set off a frenzy of withdrawal!

By October 25, Ri Ben temporarily announced that it had reached a loan agreement with the United States, and continued to make moves to stabilize the market. The RI dollar exchange rate has fallen by half in just a few RI years. The price of rice has risen by as much as 120 percent! Private and foreign companies in RI have closed their doors, and the number of unemployed people has skyrocketed several times in a short period of time.

A week later, on November 1, exactly two months after the Great Kanto Earthquake. Large-scale mass demonstrations and protests took place again in the cities of Tokyo and Yokohama, and this time the topic of their protest was against civil war and hunger in Russia!

……

"Mr. Chairman, I think you are well aware of the current dire situation in your own country, right? As a member of the civilized nation and a major power in the Pacific, should China and the United States do something to stabilize the political situation? The continued turmoil in RIBEN is also not in the common interests of China and the United States. ”

On the morning of November 1, two months after the Great Kanto Earthquake, Chang Ruiqing was sitting in the reception room of the Tangshan Military Commission Building in Nanjing, listening carefully to the visit of the Governor of the United States and the Philippines, Leonard Brown. General Wood's nonsense. Leonard. Wood served as Chief of the U.S. Army General Staff from 1910 to 1914. He is an American-** nationalist who actively advocates arms expansion and warfare, and competes with Europe and Japan for world hegemony. It has an extraordinary influence in the military and political circles of the United States. This time, it was his idea to "invite" the main force of the Combined Fleet to Manila at the cost of a loan of $200 million. Now, as the special envoy of US President Coolidge (Harding had a heart attack on August 2, he hangs up) has come to Chang Ruiqing to discuss ways to save the Republic of China.

Chang Ruiqing frowned and listened to Leonard. Wood's nonsense, he already knew what the American envoy was hauling about. This Yankee must have wanted China to make concessions in the Shanghai negotiations. To help the reactionary zhèngfu to resolve the crisis of rule, right? Hmph, what wishful thinking! Although he thought so in his heart, Chang Ruiqing's face was still full of sincere smiles, leaned forward slightly, and said: "Mr. Governor, for this neighboring country, I and Mr. Sun Yat-sen, the former leader of China, have always wanted to get along with them...... But this country has failed our friendship! I don't think the friendship between the two countries can be built on the basis of unilateral efforts, right? A bad neighbor like Riben who has repeatedly and repeatedly harmed us deserves the punishment he deserves! ”

"Mr. Chairman, I think you misunderstood me." Leonard. Wood wrinkled his already white eyebrows, looked at the Chinese ruler in front of him who was about to be deified, smacked his lips slightly, and said lightly: "What we in the United States are worried about now is that the current crisis in RIBEN is likely to turn into the best opportunity for the GC Soviet Union to export revolution...... And we believe that the redness of RIBEN is only the beginning of the Soviet Union's reddening of Asia, and it is very likely that the next will be the turn of the Philippines, then the Dutch East Indies and French Indochina, and then British Burma and British India! If you really get to that point, you China will be surrounded by the forces of GC International! Mr. Chairman, shouldn't we now join hands to prevent this catastrophe? ”

"Block?" Chang Ruiqing asked with a wry smile: "Do you think there is such a way now?" ”

The Governor General of the Philippines smiled and said, "Yes, Mr. President." The solution to the further deterioration of the situation in this country is, of course, a question of whether we are willing to do it or not. Now the Navy has lost its combat effectiveness due to lack of fuel, and in fact they will soon be anchored in Manila...... In this case. If China, with its most powerful army in the Pacific, and the United States, with its most powerful navy in the Pacific, join forces to help, what else can be done in the Western Pacific? ”

"Do you mean the joint intervention of China and the United States in the civil war?" Chang Ruiqing asked in surprise.

"No, of course not to intervene in the civil war, but to mediate jointly. We have noticed that after the devastating earthquake of September 1, the status of His Excellency the Chairman of the National Committee in the minds of the people of RI has changed subtly. And we in the United States also have a lot of friends in RIBEN, if China and the United States can join forces. It should be possible to prevent the situation from escalating further. ”

Leonard. Wood paused for a moment before continuing: "At the same time as mediation, we should also jointly enforce an arms embargo against RIBEN. At present, most of the arsenals in RI have stopped production due to lack of raw materials and social unrest. If there were not enough weapons and raw materials for the production of weapons to be imported, their civil war would naturally not be able to be fought. In addition, we should also jointly urge Ri Ben temporary zhèngfu to do his best to return to the people, it is clear that they are a regime that lacks a popular base. This is the root cause of the current crisis in the country. ”

Arms embargo?!

The word co-spy slipped through Chang Ruiqing's heart. The American general in front of him should not be a member of the American GCD Party, right? Where is the solution he is proposing now to help Ri Ben temporary zhèngfu? Obviously they didn't die fast enough!

……

Just as the news of the announcement of the joint mediation of the civil war between China and the United States and the imposition of an arms embargo on RIBEN reached RIBEN. Tokyo's temporary zhèngfu didn't actually put much effort into the civil war. The mess they took over was really nerve-wracking. The biggest crisis they are facing right now is said not to have occupied the entire Aomori Prefecture and is preparing to attack the two prefectures of Morioka and Akita in the south, but the runaway inflation!

The minds of this temporary zhèngfu are mainly civil officials and politicians in the Taisho era, and they may not be good at fighting and killing, but they are still good at managing the economy. They all understand that now the economy of Riben has collapsed! If they can't save the economy from collapse, they won't be able to win the civil war anyway. Therefore, the premise of winning the civil war is to save the economy, and the premise of saving the economy is to stabilize finance. Or that all they can do now is stabilize their finances.

The industrial structure of RIBEN has long been the economic model of a colonial empire, and the raw materials and markets are mainly dependent on the colonies. Locally, the manufacturing industry is vigorously developed. But now the Far Eastern States, the most important colony of RIBEN, have been occupied by China and RIG, and the Korean Peninsula and Taiwan have also been plunged into war or chaos. Without the markets and resources of the colonies, the Great Recession was almost inevitable, and with the Great Kanto Earthquake and the subsequent revolution and civil war, economic collapse was inevitable.

However, for ordinary people in RIBEN, they do not want and do not need to know the deep-seated causes of the collapse of the RIBEN economy. What they focus on is what is on the surface, unemployment and inflation. The former smashed their jobs, and the latter turned the little wealth they had accumulated over the years of thrift into ashes. At this time, whoever is in power in RIBEN will definitely become the object of resentment of the people! So in a sense, the revolution of September 3 was not so much about overthrowing Emperor Hirohito as it was about relieving him.

And the temporary zhèngfu who took over this mess had to grit his teeth to treat the symptoms when he knew that there was no way to cure the root cause. But it is impossible to solve the problem of unemployment, and now the entire industrial capital is busy withdrawing, and even if they do not escape, they will not be able to start hiring workers. Therefore, the temporary zhèngfu can only cure the target of inflation. Their solution is to sell the dollar and withdraw the RI dollar, hoping to use this method to temporarily maintain the credit of the RI dollar.

This "currency war" began on October 20, 1923, when $200 million in cash was urgently transferred from the vaults of American-funded banks in Shanghai to RI. In the foreign exchange market (black market) in Tokyo, Osaka and other places, the bank began a large-scale sell-off of dollars to eat the RI dollar. According to the estimate of Takahashi Isaki, the interim minister of finance of RI Ben, the current circulation of RI yuan in the local market is about 40 to 5 billion yuan, and the exchange rate of RI currency has fallen to about 1 US dollar to 20 yuan on October 20. If the banks and consortia of RI Ben can tighten the monetary system, the foreign exchange held in Zhèngfu's hands will be enough to redeem most of the RI currency in the market, and in fact, the exchange rate of RI currency will definitely recover sharply by this time, and the credibility of RI will be re-established...... At least for a few months, right? With this buffer period, Riben may be able to think of more ways to stabilize the economy.

But the outcome of this currency war was beyond the expectations of most RIs! (To be continued.) )