Glorious Mission 1937

Japan's first attack on French Indochina was a month earlier, when France had surrendered and signed an armistice with Nazi Germany, which established a Vichy government in areas not occupied by France, which controlled much of France China's overseas colonies, including the Indochina Peninsula, which is the last area of ​​China that can be contacted with the outside world except for the Burma Road.

Before the Japanese invasion of French Indochina, the road was blocked, but there was still a railway line that allowed supplies to be transported from Haiphong to Yunnan, China. This railway was the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway.At that time, the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway could directly receive the materials aided by the United States to China. In addition, the few remaining naval warships of the Nationalist Government also used it as a temporary naval base, passing through the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway between Haiphong and Yunnan. More than 10000 tons of munitions, fuel and other materials can be obtained.Despite repeated bombing by the Japanese, the railway line remained open.

In order to force the Nationalist Government to surrender and cut off the Nationalist Government's foreign aid, Japan began to put pressure on the 'Vichy Government' to close the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway.After being rejected by the French side, Japan's "South China Front Army" moved quickly and organized the "Indochina Dispatch Force" to invade the Indochina Peninsula. Under the command of the Japanese commander Takuma Nishimura, there was a fleet, carrier-based aircraft on the aircraft carrier, and garrison troops. Air support was provided by Japanese shore-based aircraft on Hainan Island, China.

It took the Japanese army just four days to force the French Indochina colonial authorities to surrender after paying less than 200 casualties.

With such a precedent, the Japanese government has no burden for victory in the war.They firmly believe that stationing in the south of French Indochina will not be much more difficult than stationing in the north of French Indochina.But in view of the large number of British troops stationed on the Malay Peninsula near the south of French Indochina, the Japanese base camp decided to go all out.

为了准备进驻法属印度支那南部，陆军于9月29日命令编制第25军。第25军以近卫师团和独立混成第21旅团为骨干，任陆军中将坂田二郎为军司令官。海军方面。进驻后编制了南遣舰队。

However, at this time, the vast majority of the 25th Army's troops are still in China, and some are stationed in Tokyo, Japan. It will take at least 20 days to assemble them all.In order to stabilize the French army in French Indochina and the French Foreign Legion, the Japanese side decided to talk to the French first.

Negotiations with France began on October 10, and Kato's ambassador to France directly negotiated with the Vichy government.Germany was initially entrusted with mediation, but Germany refused on the grounds that it was inconvenient to exert pressure on the Vichy government.Since this negotiation was originally conducted to stabilize the French, the Japanese attitude was very tough. The Japanese government sent a telegram to Ambassador Kato, asking the Vichy government to reply before 3 noon on October 10.

Japan's idea is very simple, if the French government agrees to a series of conditions proposed by Japan.Then Japan does not mind the continued existence of the French colonial authorities.You don't have to bear the stigma of aggression after you get what you want.There is probably no better deal in the world than this. [

But if the French government doesn't know how to flatter, the Imperial Japanese Army doesn't mind sending troops to flatten French Indochina. Anyway, the government has agreed with them to use force against French Indochina.

Perhaps it was the tough attitude of the Japanese that frightened the French.Or Japan's status as an ally of Germany played a role. No matter what the reason was, it turned out that the French were persuaded.

On October 10, French Indochina accepted the vast majority of Japan's demands.So far, an understanding has been reached on the common defense of French Indochina.First, strict respect for French territory and sovereignty.Secondly, the understanding reached by the two parties is not an offensive one, but a defensive alliance.Once again, the Japanese government should emphasize the purpose of the first item.The statement was also necessary to order no local resistance in French Indochina.Finally, when the garrison is necessary, the Japanese side is asked to withdraw its troops.

The above-mentioned understanding was formally signed on October 10 as a Japanese-French protocol on joint defense of French Indochina.According to this protocol, on October 5, negotiations on the details of stationing in the local area began between the French Indochina agency sent by the headquarters and the French Indochina government.

当天夜里8点达成协议。大本营陆军部于10月9日收到了加藤大使关于正式换文完毕的报告，随后向第25军司令官发出自10月10日从三亚港出发，开始进驻的命令。这样，10月12日，日本军队迈出了进驻法属印度支那南部的第一步。

The Japanese stationed in the southern part of French Indochina greatly stimulated the Americans and the British. Originally, the strong rise of Japan made the United States and the United Kingdom extremely worried. In addition, Japan has the status of a German ally. Now the Japanese have turned to the British. The ally France started, which is suspected to be a naked provocation in the eyes of the United States and Britain.

In order not to irritate the Americans, the Japanese government specially ordered Ambassador Nomura to directly notify Miss President Roosevelt of Japan's intention to enter French Indochina before publishing it publicly.Let him explain the reasons for the presence, while emphasizing that Japan will always work hard to improve the Japan-US relations that are being negotiated.However, on October 10, the United States issued an order to freeze Japanese assets, and Britain and the Netherlands followed suit at the same time.

On the eve of ordering the freezing of Japanese assets, President Roosevelt made the following speech at the Citizens' Volunteer Committee of the Washington Civil Defense Bureau: "Now here is a country called Japan. Let alone whether this country and this empire have ambitions at this time. Aggressive purpose of southern expansion, they don't have any oil they want in the north anyway. So, if we cut off the oil, Japan may have gone to the Dutch East Indies a year ago, and we may have already carried out war."

President Roosevelt said these are obviously purposeful. After the speech, the United States announced the freezing of all Japanese assets in the United States, and the above-mentioned matter of cutting off oil has now become cold due to the freezing of assets. fact.

After finishing these Americans, they were not satisfied. At the same time, they sent Ambassador Curry to Chongqing to talk with the national government, so that they could send someone to Huaxia Company to find Yan Changxi.

This is the second time that Special Envoy Currie has been ordered to go to China. Not long ago, he held talks with the National Government in Chongqing, and successfully dispelled the shadow of the National Government about the US-Japan talks. billion in loans.

So this time when Special Envoy Currie came to China, he received extremely high courtesy from the Nationalist Government. The Nationalist Government even held a high-level welcome reception for Special Envoy Currie, and invited the military and political officials of the Nationalist Government to participate.

The purpose of Curritt's visit to Chongqing this time is very simple. Since the US government has decided to freeze all Japanese assets in the US, it means that the US government has decided to break with the Japanese government.That being the case, the United States will not forget China, a pawn against the Japanese.Although it is said that the Japanese war of aggression against China broke out with the deliberate connivance and secret support of the Americans, the Americans at this time obviously will not admit that they need China, China's huge backing force and war potential to contain them Live Japanese.

So Special Envoy Currie came, and he wanted to make a guarantee with the Chinese government that he would never negotiate peace with the Japanese privately, and he would assist the United States, Britain and other countries to strengthen their defense against the Japanese in the next period of time.

Of course, the Nationalist Government readily agreed to this. Although Lao Jiang had received a large amount of weapon assistance from Chen Feng, he had newly formed more than 20 Japanese weapon masters. These Japanese weapon masters performed extremely bravely in the Changsha battle, which made Lao Jiang extremely happy.However, Lao Jiang still deeply felt that the strength in his hands was weak, especially when a large amount of information about the Eighth Theater was sent back to Chongqing. Lao Jiang had realized that although he was still the military and political head of the Nationalist Government, he was still the highest leader of the Chinese War of Resistance. The leader, but in fact he is no longer the most powerful man in China. The actual king of China is the young man in the north, who is about the same age as his son. [

This made Lao Jiang extremely depressed and at the same time worried. Although Chen Feng has always been docile in front of Lao Jiang, at least he did not confront the Central Army, but Lao Jiang is very clear about politics. Sometimes it doesn’t mean that you don’t want to do it. You can listen to it or not, especially a powerful leader, you accept many people who are chasing you to make a living. If you can, your subordinates have to eat chaff. If you have the ability, everyone spends the New Year every day.

Once the strength of Chen Feng's troops exceeds that of the Central Army, the Eighth Route Army, the Guangxi Army, the Sichuan Army, and the Jinsui Army, or even the sum of these forces, even if Chen Feng has no intention of becoming king, those arrogant soldiers in the Eighth Theater will The mighty general might also force him to rebel, after all, Chen Feng's lack of progress blocked the progress of everyone in the eighth war zone, just like the Chen Qiao mutiny in history.

As a general of the Later Zhou Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin can be said to be the pillar of the Later Zhou Dynasty. Although Zhao Kuangyin himself had the heart of disobedience, it was the persecution of his subordinates who finally forced him to take that step. The emperor was taboo, and the final result was known without thinking, so Zhao Kuangyin had to establish himself as the emperor.

Chen Feng's current situation is so similar to that of Zhao Kuangyin at that time, Lao Jiang has no choice but to guard against it!Moreover, the situation in China at this time was millions of times that of Hou Zhou back then. At that time, the national strength of Hou Zhou was not much different from that of the foreign enemy Khitan.

But can China's national power compare with the Japanese now? Obviously not, except the army can compete with the Japanese one or two, the navy and air force are not even a fraction of the Japanese, so Lao Jiang is now suffering from internal and external troubles!