Chapter 202: The Sino-Japanese War Breaks Out

(Thank you for the commuter pass!) ）

"Dashuai, the Oriental island country of Japan, really dare to wage war against the Manchus?" Even at this time, the top echelons of the Western Sichuan Army and the cabinet still had doubts about this. 9 Reading 44rc. In any case, there is a big gap between Japan's national strength and that of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. As long as the Manchu army was not too bad, Japan had no chance of winning at all.

"At most, next month, the war between the Manchus and Japan will break out!" Wang Yuze said with great certainty. Because, the first stage of the Sino-Japanese War mentioned in the history books began on July 25, and it is only a month from now.

"Dashuai, when are we going to make a move? Do you want to strike together with Little Japan, attack from both sides, and completely overthrow the Manchu Dynasty? Deputy Chief of Staff Cai Yun said.

"After the defeat of the Manchus, we will take action. At this time, the Manchus suffered heavy losses under the attack of Japan, and if we attacked again, they would have no way to resist it at all. In addition, after the defeat of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, it was inevitable to sign a treaty with Japan that would lose power and humiliate the country. When the time comes, they will be spurned by the people of the whole country, and this is our chance to take their place! Wang Yuze said. In today's China, there is no shortage of Manchu loyalists, especially those who read and the so-called elite, who are even more loyal to the monarch and patriotic thoughts, and regard western Sichuan as rebellious bandits. Wang Yuze just wanted these people to know the Manchu Qing traitorous face. When the time comes, what face will they have to be loyal and patriotic.

"That's a good idea. However, since we want the Manchus to fight to the death with Japan, then we cannot send troops to the border. Instead, they will withdraw the army. Let the Manchus believe that we have no threat to them, so that the Manchus will be relieved to fight with Japan! Xiong Wu reminded. The main force of the current Manchurian New Army is deployed at the junction with western Sichuan, and the precautionary psychology of western Sichuan is very heavy!

"The specific arrangements will be made by the General Staff Headquarters. In addition, I will ask the cabinet to show support for the Manchus, and even support them with a batch of weapons, so that they can fight the Japanese with confidence! Wang Yuze said.

"Yes, Dashuai!" Xiong Wu and Cai Yun both received the order. Subsequently, the Western Sichuan Army carried out a large number of challenges, and the army in the rear was still secretly advancing to the front line. However, the troops stationed at the front line retreated one after another. This made the Qing army on the opposite side very confused. However, the retreat of the western Sichuan army is also a good thing for them. At least you don't have to worry about it, for fear of when the western Sichuan army will fight again.

After the Jeonju Peace Conference was reached, the Korean government demanded that the Qing and Japanese withdraw their troops, but the Qing government demanded that the Japanese troops withdraw first. Keisuke Otori also verbally signaled to Yuan Shikai, the minister of the Qing court in Korea, to withdraw his troops. However, the number of Japanese reinforcements continued to increase, reaching more than 20,000 people, and sure enough, Keisuke Otori began to continue to provoke, denying that Korea was a vassal state of China, and at another time proposing that China and Japan work together to "assist" Korea in "reforming" its internal affairs. Both China and the DPRK have solemnly refuted and rejected these unreasonable demands of Japan. However, the Japanese side has already achieved its goal -- on the one hand, it has kept its own troops in Korea in the name of "assisting the DPRK in reforming its internal affairs," and on the other hand, it has dragged down the Qing troops stationed in the DPRK, thus creating conditions for the outbreak of war. At the same time, Japan finally found an excuse to provoke the First Sino-Japanese War.

During July 94, Japan's conspiracy to launch a war has become more and more obvious, Chinese domestic public opinion and the Qing army generals in Korea have asked the Qing court to increase troops to prepare for war, and the court has also formed a main battle faction (imperial party) headed by Prince Gong Yixin and Hubu Shangshu Weng Tongyi (Guangxu Emperor's teacher), but the Empress Dowager Cixi did not want her 60th birthday to be interfered with by the war, and Li Hongzhang also tried to reconcile in order to preserve the strength of his lineage of the new army and the Beiyang Naval Division. These people formed the Juhe faction (Hou Dang) in the Qing court. Li Hongzhang was well aware of Japan's wolf ambitions, but he did not seriously prepare for war, but blindly pinned his hopes on the United States, Britain, Russia, and other European and American countries to stop stressing the stop. Due to the interests of the above-mentioned countries, the United States, Britain, and Russia only expressed their "condemnation" of Japan, and the mediation failed.

In the early morning of July 2, 94, the Japanese army raided the palace of Seoul, held the Korean king Yi Xi (Joseon Gojong of Korea) hostage, dissolved the pro-Chinese government of Korea, and supported the king's biological father, Xingxuan Daejun, Yi Yuying, to become regent, and established a pro-Japanese puppet government with Kim Hongji as the actual head. The Japanese government ordered Kim Hongji's cabinet to sever relations with the Qing Dynasty and "entrusted" the Japanese army to expel the Qing troops stationed in Korea. After taking control of the Korean government, on July 25, 94 (June 23 of the first year of the lunar calendar), Japan attacked the battleships "Jiyuan" and "Guangyi" of the Beiyang Naval Division on the surface of Toshima, Korea, and the Battle of Toshima broke out. At this point, Japan finally detonated the First Sino-Japanese War.

After the news of the Japanese attack on the Qing army came, the Qing court was in chaos. The main battle faction and the main peace faction quarreled with each other. At this time, Kawanishi came out. The Cabinet of Western Sichuan took the initiative to contact the Manchu government, and Western Sichuan supported the Manchu Qing in their war against Japan, and would provide the Manchus with 20,000 new rifles and 200 cannons free of charge, and also supported the Manchu government with 10 million taels of silver. At the same time, the Western Sichuan Army withdrew from the border and promised not to launch an offensive against the Manchus during the war. Although some people in the Manchu government pointed out that this was the wolf ambition of western Sichuan, wanting to make the Manchus and Japan lose both, and then reap the benefits. However, Prince Gong Yixin pointed out. If the Qing army could defeat Japan, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance the prestige of the Qing Dynasty. It will also enhance the international status of the Qing Dynasty. At that time, if western Sichuan started a war against the Qing Dynasty, the great powers would inevitably support the Qing Dynasty. At the same time, Sichuan West has made a promise to the whole world that it is impossible for Sichuan West to break its word and gain weight.

Under the influence of these factors, the Empress Dowager Cixi finally nodded and agreed to declare war on Japan.

On the day of the 94th month (the first day of the seventh month of the twentieth year of Guangxu), China and Japan officially declared war. In its edict declaring war, the Qing Dynasty pointed out that Korea had always been a vassal state of China, and that China had sent troops at the request of the Korean government. In his edict declaring war, Japan's Meiji Emperor Muhito took a-for-tat response, claiming that "Korea was the first independent country to join forces with other nations under the Empire's commands" and that the reason for the war was that "the Empire then persuaded Korea to reform its government...... Although the DPRK had promised, the Qing State had always secretly tried every possible way to hinder the ...... He even sent large soldiers to attack our ships in the Han Sea, which was extremely arrogant. He stated that his purpose was to "save Korea from chaos forever," "maintain peace in the East as a whole," and "proclaim the glory of the empire to China and the rest of the world."

After the declaration of war between China and Japan, the Manchurian new army was transferred from the border with western Sichuan to the northeast and Korea by railway, and 100,000 new troops were transferred to the northeast and Korea. All this shows the determination of the Manchus to win this war. At the same time, Japan also launched a-for-tat mobilization, adding another 10 divisions in addition to the six divisions that had been added previously. In order to win this war, Japan even borrowed money from other countries. At this time, the world's leading capitalist countries were gradually transitioning to imperialism, and Japan's aggressive acts were supported by the Western powers to a certain extent. The United States wants Japan to be its assistant in its aggression against China and Korea; Britain attempted to use Japan to contain Russian power in the Far East; In order to seize new interests by taking advantage of Japan's invasion of China, France also supported Japan's invasion of China. Russia, although it had great ambitions for Northeast China and Korea, was not yet ready, so it adopted a policy of non-interference towards Japan. The acquiescence or connivance of the Great Powers became a favorable condition for Japan to carry out its aggressive plan.

In late July '94, the Chinese and Japanese armies went to war in Korea. After the Qing army was attacked by the Japanese army in the waters of Toshima, it was soon attacked by the Japanese army at Chenghuanyi on land, and because the Korean government had been controlled by Japan, the Qing army stationed in Asan by Ye Zhichao and Nie Shicheng was forced to make a detour to Seoul and retreat north to Pyongyang, an important town in northern Korea and the capital of Pyongan Province.

On September 7, the Battle of Pyongyang broke out. This was a large-scale battle between the Manchu and Japanese armies. At that time, Pyongyang was garrisoned by the 5th and 8th towns of the Daqing Army, with a total strength of more than 40,000 troops. The Japanese 2nd Mission and the 5th Division attacked Pyongyang, with a total strength of more than 37,000 troops. The two sides were evenly matched. The terrain of Pyongyang City is also very dangerous, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Moreover, the Qing army also had the support of the Korean people. At that time, although the Korean government was forcibly drawn to the Japanese camp, the observation of Pyongan Province in Korea made Min Byung-seok actively assist the Qing army in the battle, and even the puppet monarch Li Yuying, who was pushed to power by Japan, secretly transmitted information to the Qing army. Unfortunately, the Qing army did not make full use of these advantages, and due to the command error of its commander Ye Zhichao and his escape from the battle, the Qing army failed, so that it affected the entire battle situation.

On September 7, the Japanese army besieged Pyongyang in four directions, and the troops were scattered, due to Li Hongzhang's operational policy of "first defending the situation, and then trying to forge ahead" and the timidity of the Qing general Ye Zhichao, the actions of Zuo Guigui and others in the Eighth Town to attack the Japanese army were constantly obstructed by Ye Zhichao, and the Japanese army completed the encirclement of Pyongyang on September 4.

The battle was very fierce, and although the Manchurian army was at a disadvantage, it still resisted the Japanese attack. Ye Zhichao was greedy for life and afraid of death, and when the battle situation was stalemate, he actually planted a white flag at four o'clock in the afternoon to stop resisting and ordered the whole army to retreat. The Japanese set up an ambush on the retreat of the Qing troops. On a rainy night that day, the retreating Qing army was ambushed, and the formation was in chaos, with nearly 5,000 dead and more than 000 captured. The Battle of Pyongyang ended in a crushing defeat for the Qing army. In the next six days, the Qing army ran 500 miles, fled all the way to the Yalu River, and crossed the Yalu River on the 2nd to return home. The Japanese army marched all the way and occupied the entire territory of Korea.

ps: The second update arrives!.