Looking at the three Chinese generals a little puzzled, he glanced at Stilwell, and knew in his heart that this old friend should have guessed the mentality of the British, but for the sake of the same text, he was reluctant to say the reason, which was not only a little ashamed, but also wanted to save a little face for the British.

His body was more closely related to the British than Stilwell, but he would never hide it, because he had done too shamelessly in this matter!

So he continued: "For Britain, 'Europe first and then Asia' is the basic national policy, they believe that only the defeat of the German army in the European theater can ensure the security of the homeland, for this reason, the British government constantly requires the United States to send ground troops into Europe to fight, and on the other hand, use American military aid to arm new recruits and troops withdrawn from the colonies.

"In this case, the Burma battlefield in Southeast Asia was not important to Britain at all, and the British army could abandon Burma and retreat to India, and they could hand over the mess to the Chinese Expeditionary Force, while they could concentrate their resources in Burma and overseas Chinese to India to ensure that their own interests were maximized. As for the loss of Burma, it was a life-and-death event for China, but it had nothing to do with the British. ”

Hearing this, the three Chinese generals were so angry that their faces turned red.

Stilwell also had a thoughtful expression.

"Do you think that's all there is to it?" Li Junhao took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "If it is just like this, with 100,000 Chinese expeditionary forces entering Burma, more than 40,000 British troops are far better equipped than the Japanese army, and then using the inventory and military supplies aided by the United States, slightly strengthen the equipment level of the Chinese expeditionary force, and defeat the attack of four or five Japanese divisions and regiments There is still a great chance of victory, but why doesn't the British army do this?" ”

Liao Yaoxiang's eyes lit up, and he replied: "I know, this is because the British army doesn't want to win at all, and doesn't want to keep Burma!" But it's not in Britain's interest, is that? ”

In this regard, Dai Anlan and Yu Shao are also puzzled.

"General Liao's first two judgments are right, but the last sentence is wrong." Li Junhao said, "No victory, no preservation of Burma, is the most in the interests of Britain at the moment." After speaking, he looked at Stilwell, "General, why don't you explain to the three generals next?" ”

"Let's talk about it!" Stilwell knew that he was making fun of himself, and said helplessly. But in his heart, he was secretly scolding, this is all a dirty thing made by British politicians who play politics, let yourself say anything!

Li Junhao continued: "First of all, since the 130,000 British and Indian troops stationed in Malaya and Singapore were defeated by 40,000 Japanese troops and surrendered, now the British army is no longer able to send reinforcements to Southeast Asia, and to protect India, the most important British colony in Asia, the British government believes that the existing troops are still not enough, so they can only find ways from around India, and the British and Burmese troops are of course the first to be transferred, for this reason, even if they lose Burma.

"British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, 'We would rather lose 10 Burma than India.'"

"After the Japanese army had already invaded Burma, the British and Burmese troops wanted to withdraw safely to India, and even took away the wealth and a large amount of various materials accumulated over the years, which could not be done by themselves.

"It just so happened that China needed to protect the Yunnan-Burma Highway, the last land aid route, from being blocked by the Japanese army, and was anxious to send troops into Burma, so the British allowed the expeditionary force to enter after the Japanese army had already broken through the Thai-Burmese border."

At this time, Stilwell couldn't help but interject: "Og, why don't you say that you also have your credit for this?" ”

Li Junhao glanced at him speechlessly, waved his hand and signaled not to talk about it; And the three Chinese generals were stunned when they heard it, and General Pan Sen could still participate and decide on such a thing?

Without mentioning this, Li Junhao continued: "Actually, from the very beginning, the British wanted the Chinese Expeditionary Force to be the queen of the retreat of the British and Burmese troops. Therefore, now that the main force of the Fifth Army of the Expeditionary Force has reached Tonggu, an important node between the north and south of Burma, the Anglo-Burmese army will naturally take advantage of the situation to retreat, leaving the Chinese Expeditionary Force to stop the Japanese army.

"The key to this is that in the calculations of the British 'politicians', if the Japanese army occupies Burma in the end, it is not a big deal, as long as India is preserved.

"After the Allies won the victory, the defeated fascist country Japan still had to honestly return Burma to the British, as for whether the Burmese people would suffer during the period, and whether the Chinese theater needed the Yunnan-Burma Highway, that was not something that the knights of the British Empire needed to consider!

"When you think about it, you should understand, right?"

He already felt that he had made it quite clear, but the three Chinese generals were still a little ignorant!

Well, he only went on to explain: "The British thought that if China or the United States, as allies, had defeated the Japanese army and occupied Burma, it would probably not have left, and it was not in the interest of the British to monopolize the colonies." Therefore, in the past, the United States had repeatedly proposed to send troops to help defend Southeast Asia, but Britain refused.

"What the British government really hopes is that the Chinese Expeditionary Force can contribute to the withdrawal of the Anglo-Burmese army to India with its wealth, but it never wants the Chinese Expeditionary Force to really defeat the invading Japanese army!

They believed that after the Chinese expeditionary force completed the task of covering the retreat of the British and Burmese troops, it was okay to return to China immediately, and it didn't matter if it was wiped out by the Japanese army, as long as it could not stand in Burma.

"Also, if everything goes according to the calculations of the British, after the loss of the Yunnan-Burma Highway, the United States' aid to China will no longer be able to be sent to China, in this case, it is better to give it all to the British, anyway, are they all allies?"

When Li Junhao's words were finished, the tent was silent except for the rustling of pencils in Xiao Yu and Shui Jingyun's hands, and the four generals were silent with gloomy faces.

The lungs of the three Chinese generals were about to be blown up, and they did not suspect that Li Junhao's words were alarmist, because in the capacity of the other party, it was unnecessary. Because of this, they now resented Britain as much as they are grateful for Li Junhao's outspokenness.

Stilwell also remembered that a few months ago, the U.S. Army did propose to send troops to help defend Britain's Southeast Asian colonies, but the British refused, and then the Japanese army began to invade the Philippines, and the U.S. military's attention was put there, and the matter of sending troops to help defend was put on hold; Now that I think about it, the real reason for this is definitely what Li Junhao just said.

He now had a strong desire to write a detailed report on the matter to the War Department, with advice on how to beware of British machinations.

(End of chapter)