Crimson Dawn

Russia's defeat in the Battle of Warsaw was, in a sense, a phased sign of the Russian Revolution.Poland itself claims to be doomed, but in fact the Kingdom of Poland still exists in theory, but the Russian Tsar concurrently assumed the position of King of Poland.If it is really completely divided, the original Polish region will become a province of the three countries of Prussia, Austria and Russia, and Poland will not be able to successfully restore the country after 123 years of complete destruction.

After the restoration of the country, Poland completely exposed its essence as a doormat. Piłsudski, who was in power at the time, tried to restore the border between Poland and Russia in 1772, so he launched an attack on Soviet Russia.With the support of the Allied Powers, the Polish forward hit all the way to Kiev.The Russian Red Army launched a comprehensive counterattack against the Polish invading army and drove the Polish army back to Poland.

After the Russian Communist Party led by Lenin resisted the attack of the Allied Powers, it also believed that it was necessary to change its original policy. If Poland, the biggest running dog of the Allied Powers, could be eliminated, it would not only recover the lost ground, but also completely change the situation in Europe.Workers in Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia refused to load the trains with aid to Poland. Workers at the British docks demanded that the British government immediately end the war with the Soviet Union. Once the Polish issue was resolved, the internal conflicts of various countries after the war would be like a powder keg. Europe Upheaval is about to happen.

Of course, the Allied Powers knew this terrible result. Britain and France desperately sent supplies to Poland through the port of Danzig. Poland's strong second-hand spirit also played a positive role at this time.

The Russian Communist Party also encountered its own problems at this time. Comrade Lenin was in poor health, and there was a heated "discussion" within the party about the position of his successor.Comrade Stalin has a tough personality, and his popularity in the party is really not very good.Therefore, Comrade Stalin, who performed well in the early stage of the Polish campaign, was later replaced by Tukhachevsky in command, which laid the root of the failure of the Polish campaign.

Tukhachevsky was indecisive, full of plans for a good fight.A few years later, when the Central Military Commission of the People's Party analyzed the failure of the Polish campaign, it concluded that "a perfect campaign is never the same as a successful campaign. Perfection is an after-the-fact evaluation, and victory is always based on current conditions." Take full advantage. Tukhachevsky's performance in the Polish campaign proved that he was not a good front-line commander. When a military commander falls into the thinking trap of wanting to fight a good battle, he deviates from the realistic Mindset..."

Piłsudski didn't have the problem of complaining about Khachevsky. This soldier from Yeluzi was only thinking about how to effectively use the cards in his hand. He didn't even have any idea about the combat ability and morale of his troops. fantasy.So when facing Iron Stalin, Piłsudski was repeatedly deflated.Tukhachevsky discovered various "disadvantages" of the Russian Red Army, and tried to eliminate the adverse effects caused by the disadvantages before fighting a textbook-like "perfect victory".

After experiencing all kinds of hardships and hardships, as long as he wins, Piłsudski, who doesn't want to look good, was really overjoyed when he found that the Polish army still had the will to fight.He immediately formulated a military plan for the current war situation, taking huge risks to violently attack the troops commanded by Tukhachevsky.Tukhachevsky's troops were defeated, and the Russian Red Army had to withdraw from Poland.Russia's attempt to change the situation in Europe through war failed.

Throughout 1921, major countries in the world were working hard to clean up the situation after World War I.The Polish campaign was over and the Russian borders were basically stabilized.On the open sea, the competition is doubly fierce.

Britain pursues the idea of ​​​​the first navy, which means that the British fleet will overwhelm the sum of the second and third navies.Relying on its rapidly expanding industrial and financial strength, the United States has challenged Britain, the world's number one naval power.U.S. Secretary of the Navy Daniels announced that he will build 130 seven warships within five years and "build the most powerful and best navy in the world."

Not to be outdone, Prime Minister Lloyd George said: "Great Britain would rather spend the last penny and maintain the naval advantage over the United States or any other country."

In order to compete with the United States and Britain, Japan ambitiously formulated the [-]??[-] Fleet Plan, that is, to have two powerful fleets, each with eight capital ships, and to update them every eight years.

Immediately afterwards, France and Italy also excitedly joined the competition.In this way, the great powers, you build one and I build two. From the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, an arms war that cannot see the smoke of gunpowder is intensifying.

But not long after, the great powers began to taste the bitterness of the arms race.With the launching of warships one after another, military expenditures have increased sharply, and the finances of various countries have been stretched.

The United Kingdom cannot afford to accompany it first.It has long been deprived of financial resources by the war, and now it is struggling to join the arms race, which is really miserable.Japan is also unable to do what it wants. In order to implement the [-]??[-] Fleet Plan, the navy appropriation has accounted for one-third of the entire national budget.Although the United States is rich and powerful, it is not easy to truly overwhelm Britain and Japan.

Beginning in 1920, the economic crisis that spread to capitalist countries broke out, and the voices of the people of all countries for disarmament became louder and louder.The naval arms race among the great powers is in trouble.

The United States then convened a peace conference, hoping to resolve the situation caused by the arms race.Upon receiving the invitation from the United States, China quickly replied to the United States, "The Chinese navy is too weak to participate in such a meeting."

It is true that China has no plans to build large-scale surface ships in the near future.The Central Military Commission of the People's Party formulated the "flying, diving and fast" naval development idea.Aircraft, submarines, and torpedo boats are the future development direction of the Chinese navy.The construction of large surface ships is all placed on civilian ships.

Chen Ke has never had the romance of a decisive battle with a large formation of battleships. The goal of the future Republic is a war with an aircraft carrier formation and large-scale ocean-going submarines as the core.In Chen Ke's thinking, battleships are mainly bombardments, not decisive weapons.That being the case, whether to participate in the naval treaty is very meaningless.

But Americans don't think about it that way. China didn't get real benefits at the Paris Peace Conference.It doesn't matter how the People's Party resolves issues such as concessions in China.At least in terms of law, China's concessions with foreign powers and legal issues remain unresolved.If you want to dismantle the Anglo-Japanese alliance, you must rely on China's support in the Western Pacific.

So the United States once again invited China to join the Washington Conference.At the same time, it promised that the United States will do its best to help China solve the "legacy of history" issues.At the same time, it promised that the United States will strive for a better naval quota for China.

As a last resort, the Chinese side finally sent a delegation to the United States to attend the meeting.

Gu Weijun has attended the meeting this time as the deputy head of the Chinese delegation, headed by Minister of Commerce Wang Bin.Wang Bin's job is not military negotiations, but trying to lobby countries to establish a Pacific trade zone.

In November 1921, the Washington Conference finally convened.

From the arrangement of seats at the meeting, we can also see the subtleties. The United States, the world's largest industrial country, and China, the world's No.1 largest exporting country, sit together.British and Japanese representatives sat together.The two emerging powers, China and the United States, are already the most powerful industrial nations on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. In 1921, the crude steel output of the United States reached 2000 million tons, and China barely broke through the 500 million tons level.

The economic crisis dealt a heavy blow to the industrial strength of capitalist countries. In 1920, the output of crude steel in the United States exceeded 4200 million tons, and that in the United Kingdom also reached 900 million tons. In 1921, the crude steel output of the United States was only half of that of 1920, and that of the United Kingdom dropped to 370 million tons.As a small partner of the United Kingdom, Japan's crude steel production has increased year by year. In 1921, it was about 45 tons.This amount is even less than one-tenth of China's.

Representatives from the United States, Britain, France, Italy, Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and China gathered together. Gu Weijun looked at the representatives from various countries and felt rather uncomfortable.Most of these nine countries participated in the Eight-Power Allied Forces 20 years ago, and China was the target of the Eight-Power Allied Forces' aggression.In the current meeting to formulate the future order of the Pacific Ocean, China still has no power to dominate the situation.

Of course, Gu Weijun knew that this idea was silly. China faced Britain, France and the United States, all of which were old capitalist countries.If Gu Weijun's goal 20 years ago was to completely abolish unequal treaties and let China gain its own liberation.Today, this goal has been basically achieved.

The rise of China has not satisfied Gu Weijun. He finds that his hope now is that China can reach or even exceed the status of these great powers, and eventually exist as the world leader or even the ruler.It's like Gu Weijun doesn't take Belgium, Holland and Portugal in his heart at all.

Japan, as a pawn of the United Kingdom, coupled with their personality of taking advantage of small advantages, so at the beginning of the meeting, when the Japanese representative spoke, he brought up the old story again, demanding that China fulfill its obligations under international treaties.After all, Gu Weijun is a young man, and he quickly adapted to the changes in China.If Gu Weijun was still a little afraid of Japan's clamor at the Paris Peace Conference, now he doesn't care about it at all.If it weren't for the fact that the Chinese representative was Wang Bin, Gu Weijun would have immediately demanded that Japan get out of Lushun in China.

Wang Bin was not so excited. He said slowly: "Since we are here to discuss the naval restriction agreement. I think the Pacific region should have a more peaceful attitude. For example, it is better to limit the existence of battleships and cruisers in the Pacific Ocean. In the entire Pacific Ocean, there should be no With these large warships, I think it will bring more peace to the world."

The reaction of other naval powers to Wang Bin's words can only be described in two words, that is contempt.But the Netherlands and Portugal, especially the representatives of the Netherlands showed a smile of approval on their faces.The representative of the Netherlands knew that he was here to make up the numbers anyway, and saying nothing was as if he hadn't said anything.He simply broke his can and said: "I am more supportive of the Chinese representative's point of view."

The mouse actually wanted to bring a bell to the cat, and Wang Bin's "ridiculous proposal" was immediately rejected by the naval power.

In such a high-level meeting, the last thing you need is "face".Even if the proposal was rejected, Wang Bin did not show any embarrassment.Unable to put a bell on the cat, Wang Bin brazenly made the next proposal. "Our country's shipbuilding capabilities are very backward. Since the purpose of restricting the navy is to achieve a balance, and it is a balance of force. Then our country must ensure the balance of our navy's combat. On this point, I think it is necessary for our country to make a statement in advance."

Without Wang Bin's special emphasis, all countries know that China's shipbuilding capabilities are very backward.However, Wang Bin brazenly put forward the theory of balance of force, making it clear that he wanted to enclose land.The British representative said with a mocking tone: "I don't know what level the Chinese side hopes to achieve?"

"The tonnage of capital ships is at least 120% of that of the Japanese Navy. Of course, we hope to be 150% of that of the Japanese Navy." Wang Bin said boldly.

As soon as this number was mentioned, the faces of representatives from various countries changed.Even if it was a shameless interest meeting, Wang Bin's brazenness reached the point where he was about to break through the lower limit.

"China already has an army of 550 million! We absolutely do not allow China to have so many navies!" The Japanese representative almost roared.

Facing the slave-crazy Japanese representative, Wang Bin said with a hearty smile: "Many countries know about our situation in China, and I also know that many countries have an evaluation of the Chinese army. Our Chinese army is called a slave army. In Among our 550 million army, there are more than 350 million engineers and railway corps. These troops are responsible for China's railway construction and infrastructure construction. The time for military training is far less than that for engineering. Even the remaining troops, at least one year For half a year, I was engaged in infrastructure construction. Roads and canals were built. During the harvest time of the busy farming season, the army even helped farmers harvest. I am proud to tell you that our army is more like a militia. Their tasks It is to defend the people and build a better life with the people. It is not to build a professional army armed to the teeth like your motherland."

Hearing what Wang Bin said, the British representative said unbearably: "Then I would like to ask you to explain why your militia has invited so many Germans to China for military training. As far as we know, the Germans People have a high evaluation of your** team. They think your** team has extremely high combat effectiveness."

"It's not a German, but a former German soldier." Wang Bin corrected immediately.The military cooperation between German ex-soldiers and China is not too classified.The simulated German staff headquarters and command system formed by nearly a thousand former generals, former colonel officers, and former lieutenants with rich combat experience opened the eyes of the Workers and Peasants Revolutionary Army.The German who started the world war is not for nothing.After years of accumulation of military theory and military technology honed in actual combat, the Revolutionary Army of Workers and Peasants inspired a lot.

Similarly, the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, which has always insisted on mobile warfare, also left a deep impression on the German army.With a strong offensive spirit and flexible column tactics, the Germans were even very fortunate that the Chinese had no interest in participating in the world war.If such millions of troops appear on the European battlefield, Germany will inevitably pay a heavy price.

The two sides competed with each other in assault tactics, especially summarizing the tactics of World War I in the assault battle with high-intensity firepower density.The British apparently gathered intelligence about these collaborations.

The countries participating in the meeting also knew more or less about this information, and Japan and the United Kingdom publicly disclosed this information, which had no effect on China at all.However, other countries have heard about 550 million troops and the military training of the German Army to the Chinese Army.Their faces changed almost at the same time.

As a result, the meeting on the first day almost became a verbal questioning and even a verbal crusade against China.

Gu Weijun was still tender, and when the big powers almost unanimously opposed him, his heart still beat a lot faster.Wang Bin acted as if nothing had happened and only emphasized one thing, "We in China have experienced too much in recent decades, and these experiences make us certain of one thing. We must be able to defend China's security."

After the meeting that day, Gu Weijun asked Wang Bin with unbearable nervousness how to proceed with the negotiations in the future.

"Comrade Gu Weijun, we said at the Paris Peace Conference that a country's strength and potential are not the same thing. At the Paris Peace Conference, at most we have potential. Now the UK and other countries are opposing our strength. "Wang Bin is not at all shaken by being criticized by other countries during the day.

"But doesn't this give other countries various excuses." Gu Weijun continued to ask.

Wang Bin said with a smile: "That's rare and strange in other countries. Let's not talk about the total number, let's calculate the per capita with them! As long as the per capita is calculated, we can see who these countries are really militaristic!"

"It's per capita..." Gu Weijun felt a little enlightened.