young marshal spring and autumn

At this time, the financial crisis of the Beijing government became more and more serious.The Beijing government is pinning its hopes on borrowing from foreign banks.However, because Britain and the United States wanted to replace the Jin cabinet, which was not conducive to the immediate line, they firmly refused to agree to the loan, so the loan from the four-nation bank group was in vain, and the hope of the Beijing government was shattered.

When the Jin cabinet encountered such a serious financial crisis, the domestic banking group not only sat idly by, but also made trouble.The domestic banking consortium is in the hands of the old Department of Communications, and they hope that Jin's cabinet will fall because of this.This provides a rare opportunity for the old transportation system to collapse.They knew that to overthrow the cabinet, they must obtain the support of the great warlords, so Ye Gongchuo, a staunch member of the old transportation system, secretly sneaked into Shenyang.He suggested to Zhang Zuolin that if he wants to control the Beijing government, he must first control the central finance, and the first step is to buy the shares of the Bank of Communications.Zhang Zuolin thinks this plan is very clever.They agreed privately that the Feng Department would use investment to control the Bank of Communications.Zhang Zuolin was rich and powerful. He borrowed 4000 million public funds from the three northeastern provinces to lend to the Bank of Communications. The monthly interest was [-]% and the money was collected every six months, thus controlling the central bank.

On August 8, Zhang Hanqing sent a secret telegram to Zhang Zuolin in Wuchang: He demanded that the Beijing government order the withdrawal of the immediate Xiao Yaonan troops stationed in Hubei under the threat of a suspension of payment.He also threatened to overthrow the cabinet and forced Prime Minister Jin Yunpeng to transfer his younger brother Jin Yun'e's soldiers into the battle to drive Hunan, and in one fell swoop relieved Jin's entanglement between the provincial capital and the front line.In order to divide the lineage, Feng Yuxiang was sent as the guard envoy of Hubei, Henan and Anhui.

The direct line finally failed to form the same strength as the official history, and the lack of influence in important financial rights was an important reason for Wu Peifu's final softening.Because of Zhang Hanqing's participation, Wu Peifu was unable to get involved in Hubei, and in the end he failed to become a tour envoy between the two lakes as he wished in the official history.

Zhang Hanqing solved Liu Xiang in Sichuan, and then dealt with Zhao Hengti in Hunan.Under the siege of four soldiers and horses, the Hunan army was defeated. Zhao Hengti knew that there was nothing to be done, and repeatedly asked for forgiveness. The last benefit was not obtained from Hubei. Instead, the People's Army and the Hubei Army were stationed in Yueyang, occupying Hunan's Peking University Door.

Foreign aggression has been eliminated, and the agenda for Hubei Province's autonomy has also been put on the table.Zhang Hanqing only kept the 1st Division stationed in important places such as Hankou, Wuchang, and Xiangfan, and stationed the 4th Cavalry Division in Yueyang, Hunan.

But Zhang Hanqing will not come to make wedding clothes for others in vain.He sent a telegram to "please" the central government to make Wang Jinshan's 3rd mixed brigade and Zhao Ronghua's 18th mixed brigade into the first division in Hubei, with Zhao Rongxin as the division commander, stationed in Yichang, and took over Jingzhou. The People's Army sent people to adapt it.On the grounds that Wang Ruqin of the 8th Division stationed in Shashi was looting and had no way to discipline him, he was dismissed from his position as the commander of the 8th Division and transferred to the nominal patrol envoy of the Yangtze River. Commander in Chief.Sun Chuanfang is also a great hero in the future in the official history. Although he is not willing to be under others for a long time, he is also a person who can adapt to the wind and is good at watching the situation.Seeing that the Feng faction has reached half of the country, and has the power of the central government, which is beyond the reach of all parties, so he tried his best to claim credit for Zhang Hanqing, and he worked very hard in dealing with Wang Ruqin.Wang Ruqin did not have many troops. Under the threat of Zhao, Wu and the superior force of the 8st Brigade of the 3rd Division of the People's Army, he had to give up his command.

Zhang Hanqing's famous name for Sun Chuanfang can be described as thunderous. By transferring him from the 18th Division to the 8th Division, and placing the headquarters of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in Jiujiang in the form of a central telegram, Sun's traditional influence was weakened and put an end to it. Its influence in Hubei.On the other hand, it also suppressed the possible support of the Jiangxi Chen Tiaoyuan Department for the direct lineage, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

The designation of the 2nd Division (2nd Brigade and 4th Regiment) of Wang Zhanyuan's Department was revoked and merged into the special warfare brigade, designated as the 7th Division of the People's Army, with Ji Yiqiao and division commander.Incorporate the 18th Division (2nd Brigade and 4th Regiment) into the 4th Division of the People's Army Cavalry——As cars are gradually equipped with Fengjun, Zhang Hanqing has already planned to gradually reduce the proportion of cavalry in the army.The 4th Cavalry Division equips part of the cavalry regiments to the 5th and 6th Divisions in Shaanxi and the [-]st Division in Hubei. These veterans of the People's Army who have been fighting with Zhang Hanqing for a long time are both restraint and direct for the newly formed Shaanxi and Hubei garrisons. Influence.

So Zhang Hanqing sits in the three provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu and Hubei. He has 7 divisions of the People's Army with more than 20 troops. He also indirectly controls 2 divisions in Hubei and 2 brigades of the Zhihu Army. . "Northern Feng" and "Southern Feng" (People's Army) together accounted for nearly half of the Chinese army at that time.

At this time, the Northeast Fengjun has completed the establishment of 9 divisional artillery regiments, and another 3 independent artillery regiments have been formed. The divisions of the Fengjun Army have become the only living forces among the forces of the Republic of China that are not inferior to the Japanese regular divisions in terms of division-level firepower configuration. .At the end of 1921, the Feng army had formed a booming air force of 2 seaplane squadrons (12 aircraft each), 1 land aircraft squadron, and 1 reconnaissance aircraft squadron (4 aircraft).

After settling the situation, Zhang Hanqing took the time to visit the Hanyang Arsenal, which he wanted to rely on as the capital of the "revolution", but he was disappointed if he didn't look at it.

Relying on the benefits of the Han River, Hanyang Arsenal was able to manufacture rifles, machine guns, mortars, and various types of shells and bullets. It was one of the three major arms factories in old China, and its important position was still above Taiyuan Arsenal.However, the crude equipment and rough workmanship made this young marshal feel disgusted.No wonder the use of "Made in Hanyang" to explain the poor equipment of the Chinese army during the Anti-Japanese War really deserved its reputation.Compared with Fengtian Arsenal, it can be regarded as a step from primitive to modern.Fengtian Arsenal produced 15 cannons, 30 mortars, 36 machine guns, 1 rifles, 10 shells, and 100 million bullets per month. It was the largest ordnance factory in China at that time and ranked among the best in Asia.

Such an arsenal cannot satisfy the combat mission of the People's Army in any case.It is depressing to think that the equipment replenishment of his 7 divisions has to be transported thousands of miles from the northeast to Yinchuan, Lanzhou, Xi'an and Wuhan via Guisui (now Hohhot) people.However, Beijing-Han and Jinpu, the important lines of communication with the north, have to go through the direct line of land. These important strategic materials have caught their eyes. Isn't it meat dumplings?

There is a way to solve the troubles of the People's Army, and that is to borrow the convenience of the Beijing-Hanzhou Railway to transport the equipment of the Fengtian Arsenal to the Hanyang Arsenal, so that it has the ability to independently produce guns and ammunition.In this way, the problem of the self-sufficiency of the People's Army's equipment can be solved, and the second can prevent the Zhili from being happy when they see it. Except for the Hanyang Arsenal, all the equipment needed by the Zhili is purchased by the central government, or directly assisted by Britain and the United States. There is no production capacity. Although these important military equipment are good things, they cannot be directly turned into military power when they are in hand. Wu Peifu is not so stupid as to directly blame the Feng Faction and the People's Army.

At this time, the Yangtze River is the sphere of influence of Britain and the United States, and warships from all sides are rampant.The Southern and Northern Fengjun have the power of Bao Juyunei. At present, China has no power comparable to it. American observers were the first to realize this change.At the suggestion of US Secretary of State Charles E. Hughes, the 29th President Warren Harding revised the policy of supporting the direct line.Admiral Joseph Strauss, the commander of the Asian Fleet who had just taken office, was ordered to call on Zhang Hanqing on the US policy in China.

Zhang Hanqing actively expounded Feng's policy towards the United States and the United Kingdom, and hoped that the two sides will continue to build on the good foundation of the Tianjin meeting. China is also willing to become an important support force and logistical support partner for the United States in the Western Pacific.Many years later, Admiral Joseph clearly remembered the scene of meeting Zhang Hanqing: "The young marshal rarely reiterated the words 'support' and 'partner', and his tone was full of confidence and strength."

Under the care of Joseph, the People's Army purchased two small battleships "Villalobos" and "Elcano" belonging to the US Yangtze River Patrol, and named them "Jiangping" and "Jiangning" respectively. The meaning of "peaceful" in the river.If the People's Army wants to control the Yangtze River, the army alone cannot complete the task of defending such a vast river basin.

The Yangtze Patrol was made up of six ships older and more outlandish than the Isabel.Among the strangest were the warships "Elcano" and "Villalobos".Both warships were captured from the Spaniards after Dewey's victory in Manila Bay. The "Elcano" has a displacement of 1885 tons, and the "Villalobos" has a displacement of 1886 tons. They were built in [-] and [-] respectively, and they were all built with cast iron. The "Elcano" has a draft of ten feet and a speed of only eleven knots. The weapons on board are very powerful. The main weapons are four four-inch cannons and four cannons that can fire six-pound shells. The crew has a total of [-] people, and they can only live in the primitive living environment.The ship was powered by two coal-fired Scotch boilers, which could also burn wood in an emergency.There is very little electricity on board, and lighting is usually by candles.

The Villalobos is slightly smaller than the Elcano, but slightly more comfortable.The ship still retains the iron hull of the past, but the superstructure of the ship has been replaced by a wooden box-like structure, which makes the crew's living quarters more spacious and better ventilated. The Villalobos, with a draft of nine feet, two six-pounders and two one-pounders, and a speed of eleven knots, was the same as the Elcano. Also, because the speed is too slow to move upstream (referring to the part of the Yangtze River above the city of Yichang, 950 miles from the sea, where the wave speed is often as high as [-] knots).

The U.S. Navy recognized that this force was not sufficient to effectively patrol the Yangtze River.As early as 1920, the Navy requested funds in its appropriation request for the construction of new gunboats for the Yangtze River Patrol and the South China Patrol.Throughout the 20s, the Asian Fleet and the General Council of the Navy spoke in numerous correspondence about the need to design and build new gunboats.For example, the captain of the gunboat Pampanga stated on June 1920, 6 that his ship was "not at all fit for the patrol duties to which it was commanded".Following this, the General Council recommended in August 7 that the "Villalobos" and "Elcano" should be declared "unserviceable, rendered obsolete and ... sold".At that time, the "Villalobos" was estimated at $1920, and the "Elcano" at $8.

It should be said that these two warships were urgently needed by the People's Army and played an important role in the ensuing battle on the Yangtze River.In order to show its friendly attitude towards Zhang Hanqing, the United States sold it together with the weapons on board at this price.It has a stronger symbolic meaning: the United States has decided to look for a new agent in China, and Zhang Hanqing is the undoubted first choice.