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Text Chapter 517 British Compromise

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    The fall of Turtle City, the fall of Xuanchuan, the fall of Taichuan

    Telegrams of lost territory flew into Seoul like snowflakes. The streets were filled with panicked citizens. Japanese military police and Korean volunteers patrolled back and forth. The occasional gunshots added a bit of tension to the city.  .

    When Nagata Tetsuyama and Hatoyama Ichiro arrived at the base camp of the Japanese Korean Army, the entire command headquarters was in chaos like a headless fly.

    The two came here from Osaka on a naval destroyer and transferred to Busan.  Since enemy submarine activities have been discovered outside the port of Inchon, the navy cannot ensure the security of North Korea's west coast, so the army can only go through the Tsushima Strait, which lengthens the army's reinforcement distance by 550 kilometers.  The long road will make the support longer and more expensive, but compared with the chaotic scene in front of him, Nagata Tieshan is more concerned about the disorder here.

    "Your Excellency, Commander, the eastern front of the Chinese Army has broken through the Taichuan line. They have separated the troops. The first road is attacking Xichuan eastward, the second road is approaching the Qingchuan River, and the third road is moving towards Jiechuan! The Chinese Army on the Western Front  We have also arrived in Dingzhou. Colonel Hasegawa is fighting hard with the cooperation of the navy. We need to decide immediately whether to give up or support!" Major Rensuke Isotani stood in front of the North Korean Army Commander, Lieutenant General Tachibana Koichiro, and reported loudly with thick eyes.  Deep distrust.  It has been 48 hours since the Chinese National Defense Forces crossed the Yalu River to attack Turtle City, but the commander has yet to come up with an overall plan. Is it a strategic retreat or an active response?  The soldiers on the front line receive no instructions at all. Is this still a battle?

    Facing the gaze of Major Rensuke Isotani, Lieutenant General Tachibana Koichiro's face seemed to freeze.  He was not surprised that the Chinese National Defense Forces attacked North Korea, nor was he surprised that the North Korean Army cooperated. What surprised him was that the opponent's breakthrough speed was so fast!  In just three days, they advanced 50 kilometers in depth, leaving less than 100 kilometers away from Pyongyang.  This speed is too fast!  In the face of superior tanks and artillery, all defense lines are broken like paper, especially Chinese tanks. Just one breakthrough can cause the entire defense line to fall.  How to fight?  How to fight?  The first commander of the North Korean army was already having a boil in his heart. Now he wished that generals like Dashanyan and Heimu Weizhen were still there.  If only the generals who fought against Russia were here.  Then he only needs to do a good job of leading the troops to charge, but he still needs to bear such an important responsibility.

    "Your Excellency, Commander! We need orders, the frontline troops need combat orders!" Seeing that Tachibana Koichiro couldn't come up with a solution so far, Isotani Rensuke asked loudly again.  Anyone can hear the harsh tone in his voice.  This is extremely unusual in the hierarchical Japan, which shows that these staff officers and officers have great distrust of the commander.  Nagata Tieshan sighed deeply. These older generation of army generals were really old and could no longer keep up in the face of new wars.  However, the concept of seniority and birth in the domestic military circles has allowed them to continue to be aloof and vegetarian. Now that they are fighting, they cannot come up with specific methods and tactics.  On the other hand, Yang Qiu was very good at employing people, and the Beiyang officers who could not keep up with history were almost eliminated.  The European War was used to train Mesozoic officers. In this battle, generals such as Yue Peng, Cai E, Feng Guozhang and Zhang Xiaozhun were all put aside, and two new generation officers, Qin Zhangshu and Zhang Tingfu, were used.

    Tachibana Koichiro was at a loss. When he saw Nagata Tetsuzan and Hatoyama Ichiro coming in, he immediately felt like he saw a savior. The former had led the Japanese Army observation group through the European War, so he hurriedly came over and asked: "Nagata-kun, are you here?  alright."

    Nagata Tieshan heard the weakness in his tone, sighed secretly, walked to the map and asked: "Major, have all the positions on the Turtle City and Taichuan lines been breached?"

    Isotani Rensuke had also heard about Nagata Tetsuzan, and seeing that he finally looked good, he immediately said: "Not yet. Many positions are in our hands. But the goal of the Chinese army is very clear, and their troops are not scattered. They are concentrated in large numbers.  Tanks and heavy artillery attacked Pyongyang in a straight line, giving up clearing the two flanks and only using a small number of troops to protect the flanks."

    Nagata Tieshan looked at the map and understood his opponent's tactics.  Just try to avoid the complex mountainous areas and push forward towards Pyongyang regardless.  Major General Qin Zhangshu is very smart and does not want to get entangled in the vast mountainous areas. He just wants to capture Pyongyang as soon as possible. As for the mountainous areas, he can attack them slowly later.  His flanks are now empty.  Very easily intercepted by breakouts.  But it is not easy to break through. First of all, northern North Korea is mountainous, making it difficult for heavy troops to move. Moreover, the other side has the help of more than 60,000 North Korean rebels who are familiar with the terrain. It is completely possible to establish a flanking warning line of defense before arriving in Pyongyang.

    After thinking of this, Nagata Tieshan turned to look at Tachibana Koichiro, who simply walked down the slope and said, "Nagata-kun. If you have any good ideas, just tell me."

    "Yes!" Nagata Tieshan gave him face, bowed and pointed to the Qingchuan River: "We should order all troops north of the Qingchuan River to withdraw to the other side of the river as soon as possible, then blow up the Qingchuan River Bridge and blast the ice on the river, and concentrate  Strength to protect the Cheongchon River"

      Tachibana Koichiro has long been a master of six gods. When he heard this method, he immediately shouted: "This method is very good, Major Isotani, go and give the order."

    Isotani Rensuke looked down on these old officers, but if the troops could not be gathered as soon as possible during the current wartime emergency, the National Defense Forces might break through and enter Pyongyang in one go, so he turned around and went to convey the order.  This behavior, which did not even salute or bow, made old officers such as Tachibana Koichiro very angry, but it was recognized by many young officers and staff officers.  Ichiro Hatoyama was a confidant of Giichi Tanaka, so he took the opportunity to ask Koichiro Tachibana about the situation in North Korea. Tetsuyama Nagata stood alone in front of the map and was about to take a detailed look at the situation when a voice sounded from behind him: "Thank you, Nagata-kun.  Saved the lives of tens of thousands of Imperial soldiers on the front lines.¡±

    Nagata Tieshan turned around and saw a senior officer in his thirties walking towards him.  His eyes lit up obviously when he saw Colonel: "Okamura Neji?"

    "Nagata-kun, long time no see."

    Okamura Neji and Nagata both graduated from Rokushi. Although not as famous as the latter, they are still considered outstanding among their peers, so they know each other.  He was also very happy to see Nagata Tetsuzan in North Korea. He looked at Hatoyama Ichiro and Tachibana Koichiro not far away, and sighed: "Our Imperial Japanese Army really needs a reform, Nagata-kun, are you right?"

    Nagata Tieshan looked at him, then at the old officer in the distance, and nodded.

    Nagata Tieshan¡¯s tactics of decisively abandoning the area north of the Chongchuan River finally curbed the breakthrough of the National Defense Forces. After the bombing of the Chongchuan River Bridge and the Japanese army¡¯s ice-breaking blast on the river, the National Defense Forces were temporarily blocked on the north bank of the river and faced off with 100,000 Japanese troops across the river.  But Qin Zhangshu and Zhang Tingfu were not idle either.  While waiting for the arrival of the engineering bridge-building equipment from behind, they carried out a large-scale sweep of the area north of the Qingchuan River, occupying most of the area north of the river in just a few days.  On November 18, the 31st Brigade of the National Defense Force entered North Korea from the direction of Hyesan on the Tumen River.  At the same time, the 44th Brigade set out from Hunchun, led by more than 5,000 war horses and Korean guerrillas, and advanced along Wulongchuan toward Jinqing.

    At this point, the Korean battlefield is fully open!

    While North Korea was fighting, the Taiwan Strait was also clouded with war.  In order to transport more troops before the Japanese fleet broke through the mine array, all ships along the coast of Fujian were mobilized, especially the nearest Xiamen, which became the main boarding point.  On the 13th, 14th and 15th alone, two brigades of the 7th Division of the National Defense Forces stationed in Fujian and Guangzhou arrived in Changhua.  By the 18th, the total number of troops who landed on Taiwan Island had reached 27,000, 270 artillery pieces, and more than 1,000 light and heavy machine guns. There were also 70,000 troops rushing from Jiangxi, Guangxi, Zhejiang and other places to the coast of Fujian to prepare for landing.  Taiwan.  With the arrival of follow-up troops, the Taiwan Army not only controlled Changhua, but the engineering troops built an airport 50 kilometers away from the coast in Changhua in the shortest possible time.  With the establishment of the airport, Taiwan not only welcomed the Air Force for the first time, but the General Staff also mobilized 20 Albatross transport aircraft.  It also dispatched 48 additional fighter jets and bombers to Taiwan to cooperate with the army's offensive in the direction of Keelung and Taipei.

    The northeast and southeast coasts are filled with smoke, but a car flying the Japanese flag is parked in front of the Presidential Palace of the Republic of China in Nanjing.  People coming and going are very curious about this Japanese car that has been parked here for several days and don't understand why it has not left.  In the security office of the Presidential Palace in the distance, the car was marked with a number, and two heavy machine guns were aimed at it day and night, ready to blast it to pieces at the slightest disagreement.

    In the Presidential Palace, Wang Anlan opened the window screen to look at the car, turned around and said: "President, Vice President, the Japanese Ambassador is still outside? Do you want it?"

    Li Yuanhong and Yang Qiu sat opposite each other on the sofa, discussing the current war situation.  Hearing Wang Anlan's words, he also frowned: "This Japanese is really patient."

    Tang Shaoyi, who was about to resign in a few months, and his successor Hu Weide sat next to him, laughing and saying: "The Japanese have always been perseverant, and I admire them very much for this. The mission sent by Prime Minister Tanaka must be to delay us in the peace talks.  For a while. Now he has miscalculated and cannot go back to explain. If he can¡¯t even meet him once, he may step down if he goes back."

    "Then do we want to see him?" Hu Weide said: "Now it doesn't matter whether we see him or not. We have obvious advantages over North Korea, but we still don't know about Taiwan. It's better to see him and stop the Japanese navy to buy more time.  Send troops to the island.¡±

    Yang Qiu shook his head: "The Japanese are not fools, and the government has never been able to control the navy and army, so it is too early to meet and negotiate now!"

    Li Yuanhong knew what Yang Qiu was thinking and said: "Chen Hua, procrastinating like this is not an option. The Japanese navy now has obvious advantages. Sa Zhenbing said yesterday that he was under great pressure. He lost 6 destroyers and 3 destroyers in half a month.  Submarines cannot completely guarantee the defense of the two straits, and the Japanese navy is still restrained and has not bombarded our city. If"

    His words made everyone really worried about the Japanese naval superiority.It is indeed too big, and once unrestricted bombardment of the coastline will definitely cause heavy casualties and losses, so what Li Yuanhong said makes some sense.  Yang Qiu also knows that the Japanese navy has not yet completely let go of the war. The main problem here is the British. If the British finally support Japan, then the entire line from Dalian to Sanduao will be bombarded.  By this time, he was actually very nervous.  He is not worried about war. In fact, as of now, the National Defense Forces have not fully exerted their strength. At least both sides are still in the situation before the decisive battle.  But if we really want to let go and fight a decisive battle, it will inevitably take several months of intense consumption. Even if Japan has domestic problems, it will not end immediately, and the price will still not be small.

    So the most important things now are Cai E and Yang Du!

    How are the negotiations in Shanghai going?  After the United States and France have successively expressed their stance, does the British Empire really want to cling to the Anglo-Japanese alliance?

    The atmosphere on the banks of the Huangpu River was depressing. Soldiers in uniforms of the National Defense Force and the National Guard almost took over the entire Shanghai. The 12 240mm, 280mm and 305mm heavy guns on the Wusongkou Fort were on alert. Reconnaissance planes rushed toward the sea one after another.  Warships of all sizes on the river had their gun jackets removed, waiting for orders to attack. Ships from various countries stranded due to the blockade of the strait crowded the river.  Factories of all sizes were working overtime and were told to prepare for evacuation. The Jiangnan and Qiuxin factories, which are symbols of Shanghai, were working hard to produce the materials needed by the army. The two Combined Forces-class battleships in the dock were surrounded by  Electric flowers flashed.  The rivets jingled unconsciously.

    Since the first year of the Republic of China, this city known as the Paris of the East has never been so nervous!  Although theoretically it is unlikely that Japan will bombard Shanghai, and it is not easy to reach the Huangpu River with the current offensive methods, not to mention Japan is also worried about completely angering Britain and the United States and causing them to get closer to China.  But the preparations of the National Defense Forces were not taken seriously for a moment.

    There were also quarrels in the British Business Club. After Bernard returned, he immediately restarted the Sino-British package negotiations. Both sides knew that time had become the most important key.  There are only 10 days left before January 1st. After the United States and France have successively begun negotiations with the Chinese Navy on the sale of battleships, it is actually impossible for the two countries to change the joint statement issued on January 1st. In this case, the British Empire  Either accept the declaration together, or wait for China to unilaterally declare the abolition of all unequal treaties.  Then clinging to the Anglo-Japanese alliance.  When the British Empire cannot and does not have the strength to intervene, even if the Japanese navy wins and secures Taiwan, the loss of North Korea will mean the collapse of the Anglo-Japanese alliance in disguise, and will also damage Sino-British relations. Yang Qiu will definitely have no reservations at that time  Turn to the United States.

    So at this time, the British government could no longer afford to wait. After Yang Qiu promised that there was no need for colonies, Lloyd George's telegrams came almost one after another.  Urging negotiations to be concluded as soon as possible.  Cai E and Yang Du, who were sitting opposite, also couldn't wait. The Japanese navy was blocked outside Sanduao, Keelung and the Taiwan Strait, and a breakthrough was only a matter of time.  Once the strait minefield is breached.  Tens of thousands of troops will lose support, and it is difficult to say whether they can win.  Therefore, all negotiations with Britain must be completed before this. Japan will be desperate only if Britain agrees to abrogate unequal treaties.

    Bernard not only knew his own, but also his opponent's trump card, and said simply: "You two, time is running out, we might as well be more direct. The Dushanbe area does not belong to your country's previous territory, so the British Empire cannot  Recognize this area. Andijan must be bounded by the Kentau Valley, and the western area is not within the scope of discussion. The British Empire in the Zhambyl area is willing to accept your opinion, based on the southern part of Lake Balkhash, divided along the Chu River, and the eastern part belongs to Almaty.  The territory of your country, but the west still belongs to Kazakhstan. At the same time, your country cannot deploy more than 10,000 regular troops in the area west of Andijan, but this will not be within the limit if a war breaks out. At the same time, your country must supervise immigrants not to cross the Wakhan and Penchi rivers into India  region. Similarly. Our country will stop the work of the Consulate General of ** and recognize your country¡¯s sovereignty over the ** area, but your country must respect local religion and shall not station large-scale troops in the ** area, and daily security forces shall not exceed 10,000.  Civil Guard

    The British government supports the demarcation of the border between the Yenisei River and the East and West Sayan Mountains, and will support your country in taking back Krasnoyarsk, including Usuyalitai, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, and Chita  , Hailanpao, Temple Street, Vladivostok, East Kazakhstan, Almaty, Kyrgyzstan, Andijan, eastern Tajikistan and other regions, but the northern permafrost region is not within the scope of discussion!  We also do not support your country¡¯s demands on the Sakhalin and North Korea issues.  Sakhalin needs to be resolved by Japan, Russia in the future and your country. The North Korean issue needs to be resolved through consultation between your country and the Japanese government.

    In the southern region, we are willing to cancel all previous treaties and cancel concession areas such as Tianjin, Yantai, and Weihai, but we must follow the example of Hankou in establishing the Yantai Sino-British Trade Zone.  The concessions in Shanghai and Guangzhou must be postponed until 1925. Hong Kong needs to wait until 1935 and continue to lease the naval base to our country¡¯s Far East Fleet. Before that, our country promises to gradually withdraw from the above areas.garrison, and gradually transfer the civilian police to your jurisdiction.  Your government must publicly commit not to lease these areas to countries outside the British Empire.  At the same time, Taiwan must be demilitarized!  Naval fortresses are not allowed to be built, and military ports are not allowed to be built in the Kaohsiung area in the south. Only the Marine Corps and the National Guard are allowed to be stationed.  At the same time, your navy must declare to our Far East Fleet before entering the South China Sea, and must not disrupt waterways or other acts.

    Your country must immediately stop purchasing battleships from France and the United States. However, considering your country¡¯s maritime security needs, you can continue the lease agreement for two American battleships, but the lease agreement shall not exceed 10 years.  Your navy must join the upcoming naval negotiations and accept supervision from the international community. At the same time, future shipbuilding plans must disclose the specific tonnage, size, and weapon types to the international community and accept supervision and inspection.  As compensation, your government needs to provide the British Empire with commercial contracts worth US$500 million within five years. The British Empire will also fulfill these contracts without reservation.  "

    Bernard pushed the map forward: "You two, this is the final bottom line of the British Empire!"

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