Jagged Warlord

Time soon came to 1918, and it was a time of testing.Panting and bloodstained, the opponents of Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, Romania, etc., sharpened their swords and waited for the blow they knew was coming.

Berlin intensified the pressure after Trotsky refused to meet Germany's conditions and announced his "no war, no peace" policy.Pushing forward with only weak resistance, German units captured the Baltic provinces in February, pushed into Ukraine and Kyiv, and even penetrated into Crimea and the Caucasus.As the "White Army" opposed the "Red Army", civil war broke out in Russia, and the country was in chaos.Petrograd was threatened by the German advance, and Lenin moved the capital to Moscow.Surrender was inevitable.

On March 3, the Russians signed the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty, the Brest Peace Treaty.This is a peace treaty with harsh conditions.Poland, the Baltic provinces, and Finland all seceded from Russia.Turkey got the Kars, Ardahan and Batumi regions in the Caucasus.An independent Ukrainian state—actually a German puppet, the granary of Berlin—was declared.Russia lost 3% of its territory VI, 20.00% of its arable land VII, "20.00% VI of railways, 20.00% III of textile industry, 30.00% III of iron and steel industry, and 70.00% V of coal mines".Some, but not all, of these losses were later canceled by Germany's defeat.

As a result, the war on the Eastern Front was over before the Chinese participating troops had time to reach the Eastern Front.This was what Li Mohan had expected. Even so, Li Mohan still obtained a written promise from the great powers to stop paying Boxer indemnity and obtain all the salt tax as military expenses through the condition of sending troops to Russia.Russia has withdrawn from the war, but war fever still prevails in Russia.Anti-Bolshevik armies fought the Reds on many scattered fronts.A large group of about 4 men, the Czech Legion, composed of Austro-Hungarian deserters and prisoners, took part in the last Kerensky offensive.It opposed the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty and the Bolshevik government, determined to fight alongside the Allies on the Western Front, and began an epic march through the heart of Russia towards Vladivostok.This group soon seized the Trans-Siberian Railway and ignited the anti-Bolshevik fire in Siberia.Its forces approached Yekaterinburg in the Urals, where the Tsar and his royal family were imprisoned by the Bolsheviks on July 7.

Fearful of a tsarist restoration, the Soviet ordered and oversaw the execution of the last Romanov tsar, Nicholas II, his wife, children, and all their then meager entourage.Nothing could be more convenient than to let them die in a mean cellar.

Right now, although the war in the European battlefield has not yet ended, the great powers have begun to feel uneasy about the Red Russian regime in Russia.

At the beginning of 1918, under the leadership of the five-color national flag, nearly 4000 Chinese troops marched into Vladivostok, into Siberia, and into the forest, sea and snowfield where the Yellow Dragon flag once flew.

When this vanguard crossed the border and drove into Vladivostok, they saw slogans written in Russian everywhere on the streets, and the strong wind blew up the papers all over the ground.Then it fell again.There are ruins everywhere on both sides of the street, and you can step on bullet casings just a few steps away.On the edge of the barricade built with sandbags, there were wounded soldiers lying numb and sluggish.Dark red blood can still be seen on the sacks filled with mud and sand.There were few pedestrians on the street, and occasionally I saw a few people running with their heads down. Seeing someone with a gun was like seeing a ghost.

Finally, Xie Shuxin, the head of this unit, led the guard platoon to the hall of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Vladivostok, and shouted at the door: "Open the door, we are the squadron."

After knocking for a long time, someone poked his head out from the upstairs window, and when he saw the five-color flag, that person shouted into the building with tears in his voice: "Masters, the President and the Prime Minister sent troops to rescue us~" , he shouted to Xie Shuxin again: "Master, the gate is blocked from the inside, please wait a moment, I will arrange for someone to open the gate."

Soon, the hall of the Vladivostok Chinese Chamber of Commerce became the office building of the "Vladivostok Reception Office for Chinese Residents in Russia".The squadron rebuilt barricades in the several blocks around the guild hall, erected wires, set up machine guns, and turned the guild hall into a fortress.

Ding Yiming, chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Vladivostok, led representatives of the Chinese businessmen to work in the army, but Xie Shuxin insisted on not accepting their gifts. "President Jiang, we have military law and discipline. After accepting your gift, I will become the battalion commander later." Xie Shuxin declined with a smile.

Ding Yiming smiled and said: "I have long heard that Prime Minister Li Mohan is good at running the army, and Commander Xie is strict with his orders. I saw you today, and I have heard it. But these are not gold, silver and jewelry, but some shochu and dry food. Vladivostok is very cold. It’s cold, the right is to warm up the soldiers. It’s not a violation of military discipline~ Don’t you think so?”

all say yes

"That's good~" Xie Shuxin said: "Even if our regiment requisitioned it from you, I will send the receipt to you later, and you can cash it in the General Logistics Department in the future."

Ding Yiming said: "Teacher Song is too polite. In fact, we have been doing business here for many years. This thing is not even half a cent. If you had come a few days earlier, our loss would be very small. too much."

Xie Shuxin said: "The world is not peaceful, and it is difficult for you businessmen."

Ding Yiming said: "Who says it's not? Let's take the Russians in Vladivostok as an example. If the officers and soldiers are not effective in suppressing bandits, they will bully us Chinese. The Russian general Kasyev in Vladivostok is good at bullying the Chinese. A month ago, He confiscated 665 million rubles in cash from the Chinese merchants when he said that the Chinese merchants were connected to red bandits. Half a month ago, he confiscated more than 1000 million rubles in goods from the Chinese merchants. This time it was even worse, and there was no reason."

The Kolchak government, the "White Guard" in charge of the Far East, actively searched for private wealth in order to prepare for war, and overseas Chinese, especially those who were slightly rich, became the main targets of exploitation.The Belarusian government constantly asks overseas Chinese to change their "residence ticket" and blackmails them. The "residence ticket" of 1 ruble is charged 10 rubles to the Chinese. The military and police strictly interrogate them. Those who do not have a ticket or expired will be fined or even imprisoned.Chinese leaving the country can only carry 500 rubles in cash, and any excess will be confiscated.

A Chinese businessman sighed, and said: "It's enough to just grab things, but the opposing armed factions in Russia all force the strong men of overseas Chinese to put on a dirty military uniform. These people can only understand "Ula" Chinese people were thrown into the hail of guns and bullets. Even those who were not forced into strong men were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered in front of groups of robbers in uniform."

"Too much bullying~!" Xie Shuxin said angrily, "I can report this matter to the division. We are not in the past now, and we cannot tolerate being bullied like this."

Xie Shuxin soon received a call back from the division headquarters. This relayed the secret telegram sent by the Ministry of Freedom to Song Huanzhang's Ninth Division, authorizing Song Huanzhang to use means including force to protect overseas Chinese when necessary.At the same time, China sent the cruiser "Hairong" to Russia to protect overseas Chinese.

But the move angered Japan.At this time, Japan is committed to establishing a joint defense system between China and Japan in order to seize its own privileges in the "Northern Manchuria area".China's independent action greatly disrupted Japan's plan to sign the "Sino-Japanese Joint Defense Military Agreement".It can be said that the "Hairong" was ordered to go to Russia. Because its strength is still weak, it has little practical significance for protecting overseas Chinese. , It was a "soft" confrontation against Japan's persecution in the weak environment at that time.

Despite Japan's diplomatic pressure, Li Mohan, a nationalist who hates Japan, tried his best to deal with Japan while urging the "Hairong" to make a trip as soon as possible and cook raw rice.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs kept urging the Ministry of the Navy to "start sailing immediately", and telegraphed the Consulate General in Vladivostok to effectively provide coal, fresh water, food and other supplies for the "Hairong". On April 4, under the repeated difficulties of Japan, the "Hai Rong" sailed away from the domestic military port, and on April 9, amidst the cheers of overseas Chinese, entered the port of Vladivostok.

At this time, in the port of Vladivostok, there was already another merchant ship "Flying Whale" flying the Chinese five-color flag. The "Flying Whale" belongs to the state-owned enterprise "China Shipping Merchants", and this time it was sent to Vladivostok to evacuate overseas Chinese.This is also the first time that the Chinese government has used civilian vehicles to evacuate overseas Chinese.As early as it was confirmed that the cruiser "Hairong" was going to Russia, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked the Ministry of Communications and the three northeastern provinces to urgently send additional locomotives and merchant ships to expedite the evacuation of overseas Chinese by land and sea. The "Flying Whale" set off on April 4 and arrived in Vladivostok early.

After the arrival of the cruiser "Hairong", the evacuation work of the "Flying Whale" received great support. At the request of the Consulate General, the cruiser "sent 4 troops to stand in line on the shore." In the face of force, the Russian border inspectors could only back down, "before it can be shipped." On the third day (April 18) after the arrival of the cruiser "Hai Rong", the "Flying Whale" was fully loaded with 1165 overseas Chinese and sailed back to Yantai Port.

The "Hairong" cruiser was in Vladivostok, and it also sent troops to land many times to protect the Chinese workers who were surrounded by locals because they were fighting for job opportunities.However, the old Maozi of the fighting nation was not frightened, so after several armed demonstrations failed, Song Huanzhang ordered officers at all levels to decide whether to use force according to the actual situation.The officers and soldiers who had been holding back for a long time mercilessly spread bullets on the mob, and all those who were shot and survived were thrown into Heilongjiang.

The arrival of the squadron has greatly boosted the ambitions of overseas Chinese.The troops stationed in Russia continue to send small teams to carry out rescue and protection tasks at the request of overseas Chinese.In cities where the troops stationed in Russia could not be stationed, overseas Chinese began to set up their own militia "business groups", and the consulate quietly assisted them in purchasing guns and ammunition to enhance their self-defense capabilities.Under the awe of the troops stationed in Russia, Chinese diplomats braved hardships and dangers on the front line of Irkutsk, where the civil war was the most intense, and dispatched trains from Moscow and Harbin, escorted them all the way, and rushed to transport 3 trapped Chinese workers and overseas Chinese.