Chapter 210: Declaring war on Japan

On the evening of 26 April, an emergency military meeting was held in western Sichuan, and Wang Yuze attended the meeting. 9 Read the main topic of the meeting, there was only one, and that was how to defeat the Japanese army.

"Marshal, the army of eight divisions led by the Japanese Army General Yama Prefecture Aritomo has set out from the Liaodong Peninsula and is expected to arrive at Shanhaiguan in the next day. At the same time, Japanese Vice Admiral Sukehiro Ito had already led the Japanese Combined Fleet from the Sasebo Naval Base, and the target was supposed to be the Ikawanishi Fleet in the East China Sea. At present, the 2nd Cavalry Corps is already ready at Shanhaiguan and is ready to meet the Japanese army. Vice Admiral Deng Shichang, commander of the Navy's First Fleet, also sent a telegram saying that all the officers and men of the First Fleet were ready to defeat the Japanese Combined Fleet! Xiong Wu reported to Wang Yuze.

"The Second Cavalry Army faced the Japanese Army divisions, was the strength too weak? Can you send troops to support them? Wang Yuze said. The main capabilities of the cavalry corps are in terms of rapid maneuvering and interspersing, as well as field warfare, and defensive operations are not their forte.

"The Second Cavalry Corps can be allowed to strengthen its position, and the troops of the five divisions that are currently attacking from Taiyuan to the Beijing Division, the forward has arrived in Baoding. It is possible to order the army of two divisions, bypassing the Beijing division, and going straight to Shanhaiguan. The task of conquering the Beijing Division can be handed over to the First Cavalry Army and the other three divisions! Deputy Chief of Staff Cai Yunjian said.

"It works! Now the Manchus in the Beijing division only have 100,000 remnants of the defeated generals, and they are not vulnerable at all. Three infantry divisions plus a cavalry corps are enough to defeat them! Wang Yuze nodded.

"Immediately send a report to the 3rd and 11th Divisions, and ask them to change their combat objectives and accelerate their march to Shanhaiguan!" Xiong Wu immediately gave the order. The staff officer of the General Staff Headquarters immediately went to give the order.

"What about the Navy? How long will it be before it will fight the Japanese Combined Fleet? Wang Yuze asked. For the army, Wang Yuze is very relieved. With the strength of the Western Sichuan Army, there would be no problem in defeating Little Japan. But on the naval side, there is relatively less certainty. After all, this was the first battle of the Kawanishi Navy, and the Japanese Navy had just defeated the Beiyang Naval Division, and its morale was at its peak. In addition, there are many other factors to be considered in naval battles, in addition to the warships and soldiers of both sides, so the variables are also the greatest.

"At the speed of the two sides, it is expected that they will meet in three days. Marshal, now we have not declared war on Japan. When the time comes, you will open fire, okay? Secretary of the Navy Zhang Cheng asked.

"What's so bad about that! Isn't Japan not an undeclared war against the Beiyang Naval Division? Cai Yun said.

"Inform the cabinet that tomorrow we will declare war on Japan! Japan is a rogue state, and we are not. In today's world, the West is still dominant, and if we want to rise, we can only do it according to the rules of the West. But that's fine, let's beat Japan with dignity! Let them, who are the real powerhouses of the Far East! Wang Yuze said.

"Yes, Dashuai!" Xiong Wu, Cai Yun and Zhang Chengdu replied.

"Your generals are very important to whether we can rise smoothly. Only by defeating Japan cleanly and completely cutting off Japan's ambitions can we win enough time for development. In addition, it will be able to deter the great powers and make them dare not do anything to us casually. In this battle, only victory is allowed, not defeat! Wang Yuze said solemnly.

"Yes, handsome! The Western Sichuan Army will guarantee victory! Xiong Wu also replied sternly. Everyone knows very well what this battle means for Kawanishi. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for Kawanishi. With the help of this war, Western Sichuan will not only be able to unify the whole country, but also establish its own position in the world and strive to be among the world's great powers.

Immediately after the meeting, Xiong Wu issued Wang Yuze's order to all the troops, telling them to ensure the final victory. In particular, the naval fleet must completely defeat the Japanese Combined Fleet, and if the navy fails, the road to the rise of western Sichuan will inevitably suffer heavy losses.

After Deng Shichang received Xiong Wu's telegram, he also felt the weight of the pressure. He summoned the captains of the navy's capital ships and cruisers and conveyed Wang Yuze's orders. The captains of each ship pledged to do their best, even at the risk of their lives, to achieve victory. On the whole, the Kawanishi Navy still has a good chance of winning. Four 10,000-ton battleships, four heavy cruisers of nearly 10,000 tons, six cutting-edge light cruisers, plus seven light cruisers and 16 destroyers ordered from the West, the western Sichuan Navy has an absolute superiority in terms of the number of warships, tonnage, and artillery. The only thing that is lacking is probably the suzhì of the navies of both sides. The western Sichuan Navy has been in force for less than two years, and the training is not enough. Although with the help of the fire control system, the western Sichuan Navy can exert a strong combat power, but it has not been tested in actual combat, and it is difficult to guess what kind of result it will be. However, the soldiers were full of blood and thirst for victory. This will give the Kawanishi naval fleet a strong will to fight.

After coming out of the General Staff Headquarters, Wang Yuze did not return to inspect the embassy, but went to the Prime Minister's Office. Prime Minister Liang Xingrong, Deputy Prime Minister Yang Hua, and Foreign Minister Ng Dinh Fong are already waiting for him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Japanese have already started to act. At present, 150,000 Japanese troops have set out from Liaodong and are attacking Shanhaiguan. The combined fleet of the Japanese Navy has also left the base. It is expected that the war will first break out between the navies. In order to avoid passivity, I have already decided to officially declare war on Japan tomorrow! Wang Yuze said.

"Boss, isn't it early? Although Japan initiated the operation, it did not choose us. If we declare war on our own initiative, then we are on the wrong side! Liang Xingrong said. Perhaps because his concept is different from Wang Yuze, after Wang Yuze succeeded as the marshal, he could not agree with many of Wang Yuze's practices, which made some problems arise between the Sichuan West Cabinet and Wang Yuze. Of course, this has not had much impact on the development of western Sichuan now. But if it goes on like this for a long time, it will always have a bad impact. There is no right or wrong in this, it is just a difference in the concept and the way of doing things.

"There is no justice or injustice. The world now is just like the Spring and Autumn period in our country. There was no righteous war in the Spring and Autumn Period, and the same is true now. If a country does not want to be enslaved by other countries, then it can only rise up and resist, develop and grow, and then invade and enslave other countries. There is no other way! Wang Yuze explained.

"Since war is inevitable, I think it would be better for us to declare war on Japan as soon as possible. I kind of understand that between countries now, what is important is not morality, but strength. As long as we can defeat Japan, then we are righteous. If we fail, then we are unjust. Moreover, declaring war at an early date can also allow the army to take the initiative. Deputy Prime Minister Yang Hua said. After becoming deputy prime minister, although his status was higher, his actual full strength was even less. The affairs of the cabinet are generally handled by Liang Xingrong, and as a deputy, he is very idle. Although he is Wang Yuze's father-in-law, if he wants to become prime minister, he will inevitably need Wang Yuze's support. Therefore, he supports any decision made by Wang Yuze. Prime Minister of Kawanishi for a four-year term. Liang Xingrong was the first prime minister, and his term was only half a year away. Therefore, Yang Hua has been aiming for the position of prime minister in half a year. At that time, Liang Xingrong will stay in office, or he will succeed in taking over. Among them, Wang Yuze's opinion is very important.

"I also think we can declare war on Japan. After all, defeating Japan is the most important thing! Foreign Minister Ng Dinh Phuong also said.

"Well, tomorrow the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will issue a statement declaring war on Japan!" Wang Yuze directly gave the order.

"Yes!" Wu Tingfang commanded.

Liang Xingrong sighed in his heart, is he really old? They can't keep up with the thinking of these young people. So, is it time for him to retire? Liang Xingrong thought secretly in his heart.

The next day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kawanishi held a press conference, announcing a diplomatic declaration of war against Japan. At the same time, a note was sent to the Japanese consul in Chengdu conveying the decision of the western Sichuan side.

In the afternoon of the same day, Japan also declared war on Kawanishi, and its attitude was also very tough, saying that the imperial warriors of the Japanese army and navy would let Kawanishi know the power of the Japanese Empire.

The Great Powers did not react too much to this, but called on both sides to exercise restraint and to sit down at the negotiating table and negotiate to resolve the dispute. It's just that neither Kawanishi nor Japan took the advice of the great powers seriously.

In fact, Kawanishi is not independent now, and has no qualifications to declare war on Japan at all, which is legally invalid. However, both Kawanishi and Japan have apparently chosen to forget about this. The war between the two sides is about to break out.

Immediately after the choice against Japan, the General Staff Headquarters issued a new order to all units, requiring them to continue the offensive until the final victory in western Sichuan. At the same time, western Sichuan issued a new round of army expansion orders, which will expand the army by 20 divisions at one time. Of course, this is not just for Japan, but also for the future. After the overthrow of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in western Sichuan, it will directly face the threat of the foreign powers, and it is very necessary to maintain a strong army. For example, the polar bears in the north want to hold the territory of China, without a strong army, it is simply impossible. The shipyards of the Navy have also accelerated the construction of warships.

PS: The third update is here! Take the bus back to Chengdu in the afternoon! (To be continued.)