Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

Chapter 576 Friends are made through battle

With the end of the Second Battle, the world was stunned by the performance of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

In just two battles, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army inflicted extremely heavy losses on the United Nations forces led by the United States.

The US military is now far from going home before Christmas; the enormous political crisis brought about by the defeat alone is enough to make their lives miserable.

The atmosphere inside the Oval Office of the White House was somewhat somber.

None of the high-ranking officials present spoke, or rather, they didn't know what to say.

Seeing that everyone was silent and seemed to be thinking about something, Truman looked at Marshall.

"Minister, please speak first."

“Alright.” Marshall stood up. “Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen.”

"Although I reported 1,300 dead at the previous press conference, the actual number of casualties was more than 40,000."

"On the western front, the 2nd Infantry Division lost more than 80 percent of its strength, the 25th Infantry Division lost 60 percent of its strength, and the Turkish Brigade was almost completely wiped out."

"On the Eastern Front, the 1st Marine Division suffered 7,000 casualties, the 7th Infantry Division suffered 5,500 casualties, and the 3rd Infantry Division suffered more than 2,000 casualties."

"As for the Southern Army, three divisions have already been wiped out, and the remaining divisions have also suffered heavy casualties."

"This battle can be described as the biggest defeat in American military history since the attack on Pearl Harbor."

"It may even become the biggest military disaster in American military history."

Hearing Marshall's series of figures, everyone felt a headache coming on—that's forty thousand people!

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Bradley directly targeted MacArthur in Tokyo.

"The Korean War unexpectedly turned from a victory into a humiliating defeat, which was entirely due to flawed decision-making!"

"I believe the person in charge must be held accountable!"

The people around nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing that the meeting was about to escalate from discussing what to do to dealing with whom, Truman could only helplessly interrupt, saying, "Gentlemen, this is not the time to talk about these things."

Truman knew very well that the person most responsible for the failure of this war was MacArthur.

However, being a five-star general is an extremely high honor in the U.S. military, and the person who bears the greatest responsibility is destined not to pay any heavy price for it.

Otherwise, it would bring shame upon the entire U.S. military.

But this also prevents them from bringing the matter to the forefront.

Otherwise, with unclear rewards and punishments, voters wouldn't know how to vote.

"Gentlemen, the defeat in the Korean War is a foregone conclusion. We need to take immediate action, or the consequences will be unimaginable."

Truman stated that he could not accept the US military being pushed into the sea again.

Once the Southern Dynasty is lost, the United States’ influence in East Asia will decline sharply.

"Mr. President, with the current troop strength in North Korea, we may be somewhat overwhelmed in the face of the Chinese army, after all, they still have hundreds of thousands of troops in the Northeast."

"My suggestion is to immediately and fully activate wartime status."

Upon hearing the Secretary of State's suggestion, Truman shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, no, that's absolutely not going to work."

"If we have to fully unleash the war machine to fight China, what will our allies think of us? Will they still have the confidence to stand with us against the Soviet Union in Western Europe?"

If the US were to show its allies that it couldn't even handle China, they would immediately side with the Soviet Union.

For the United States, this is even more terrifying than losing the South.

After all, the United States’ strategic focus has always been, and can only be, Europe.

Once the Soviet Union gained control of the discourse in Eurasia, the United States would only become an isolated island.

“Mr. President, even without publicly declaring a state of war, we must shift our focus significantly toward military matters.”

Regardless of the official stance, the Secretary of State believes that it is now necessary to significantly increase military spending to expand military production and recruit more personnel.

The previous small-scale re-enlistment of WWII veterans was clearly insufficient, and large-scale recruitment was necessary.

Before Truman could reply, someone suddenly said, "Mr. President, I think General MacArthur's proposal is worth considering."

“Absolutely not!” Marshall retorted directly. “If we use the atomic bomb, America’s international reputation will plummet.”

"Moreover, China has a vast territory, and dropping atomic bombs on China may not necessarily achieve good results."

"China only has a few heavy industrial cities now. Even if we level them, it probably wouldn't help."

"On the contrary, this will lead to a life-or-death struggle between China and the United States."

China is an agricultural country, with more than 90 percent of its population living in rural areas.

There are only a few big cities. Even if we bomb them all, what difference will it make?

Go fry wheat again? Or fry corn?
"So what? China doesn't pose a threat to the United States." The person who proposed using the atomic bomb seemed indifferent.

He made this suggestion because he felt that China could only be beaten and could not fight back.

"China can't do anything about the US right now, but have you ever thought about the Soviet Union?"

"What if the Soviet Union secretly provided atomic bombs?"

“Our military bases in the South and Japan will be within their strike range.”

"Once East Asia falls completely into the hands of Soviet Russia, Southeast Asia will also submit to Soviet Russia."

"At that time, the United States will inevitably be completely suppressed by the Soviet Union."

Marshall's point was simple: in this world, America's real adversary was Soviet Russia.

If the United States and China go to extremes, there will be no benefit other than mutual destruction.

Even so, China still lacks the means to strike the US mainland. If the Soviet Union or Russia were willing to provide China with long-range bombers, Alaska would likely be within their strike range.

If the United States were to suffer a nuclear attack, the Soviet Union would be laughing all the way to the bank, and all those high-ranking officials in the White House would be forever nailed to the pillar of shame.

"Even if we don't actually drop an atomic bomb, we can still use it as a threat!"

"The sword of Damocles hanging overhead is more terrifying than any falling sword."

Marshall shook his head: "I don't object to that, but I'm cautious about whether it will be effective."

After several hours of discussion, the group reached a consensus on allocating funds to the military-industrial complex, but no other constructive suggestions were put forward.

However, at the press conference the following day, Truman made comments about the atomic bomb.

"The United States is actively considering the use of nuclear weapons on the battlefield, and the use of nuclear weapons will be the responsibility of the battlefield commander."

This statement caused an uproar at the press conference.

Everyone believed that General MacArthur, the supreme commander in the Korean War, had been authorized to use the atomic bomb at any time.

Meanwhile, MacArthur had been clamoring for a nuclear strike against China all along.

However, to Truman's utter surprise, after he brought up the atomic bomb, China showed no fear whatsoever, while European countries were terrified.

Almost immediately after Truman's speech, the ambassadors of various European countries to the United Nations surrounded the U.S. ambassador in layers.

The British Prime Minister, urged by Parliament, went straight to the United States to discuss this critical issue with Truman in person.

While the leaders of the United States and the United Kingdom were discussing the matter behind closed doors, U.S. Army Chief of Staff Collins was ordered to go to North Korea.

He needs more detailed information to help the White House assess whether the Korean War is still a viable option.

Tokyo.

When Collins met MacArthur, MacArthur had lost his former confidence.

"Can I fight?"

MacArthur shook his head vigorously. "Without the maximum number of ground troops to reinforce them, the Allied forces will either be driven back in defeat or forced to hold their beachheads."

"We have no hope other than defense."

"The continuous depletion of strength will only lead to the annihilation of the entire army in the end."

Collins's expression turned grave upon hearing MacArthur's analysis.

This is not good news.

However, Collins did not believe it entirely, after all, the halo of MacArthur's Incheon landing had been shattered.

Washington didn't believe a word MacArthur said.

Collins's initial flight to Tokyo to seek MacArthur's advice was merely a procedural necessity.

After having an in-depth conversation with MacArthur and confirming that MacArthur had no other opinions besides the word "doom," Collins flew directly to the front lines in Korea.

In Seoul, he met with Sir Rin Walker of the Eighth Army and General Almond, commander of the 10th Corps.

"General MacArthur meant that with the current troops, the war was no longer going to break out."

"What's your opinion?"

After Collins explained MacArthur's ideas in detail, he looked at Walker and the others.

Walker spoke first: "Before that, I'd like to know the White House's plans. What is the Department of Defense doing right now?"

"The White House is already developing plans that project military spending to rise to $330 billion for the entire year of 1951."

"At the same time, the Ministry of National Defense's conscription plan has been fully implemented, and the total military strength is expected to expand to 300 million."

Walker and Almond exchanged a glance, both somewhat shocked by the White House's extravagant gesture.

Before the Korean War, the United States had a total of 146 million troops, and its total defense budget in 1950 was $130 billion.

If the White House's plan is approved by Congress, it would mean doubling the troop strength and increasing military spending by 1.5 times.

During this period, the US dollar was pegged to gold, and it was referred to as "US dollar" rather than the "US dollar" that would later be used to exploit the world.

The US dollar is very valuable now.

"However, as you all know, plans are plans, and they can't change the course of the Korean War in the short term," Collins added.

"My purpose in coming here is to find out whether this plan is necessary."

Collins was very serious at this moment. If, like the previous North Korean offensive, the US military was pushed into the sea in a short period of time, then all the plans would be in vain.

MacArthur's opinion was now irrelevant, making Walker and Almond's opinions crucial.

"Judging from the current situation, the UN forces are no match for the Chinese forces."

"But if it's just about defending a limited area in southern Korea, the UN forces can still manage it."

Walker's meaning was simple: even if the battle with the Central Army reached a stalemate at the 38th parallel, he had no confidence.

But if it's just about holding the southern mountain area, or rather, holding Busan, as before, he's still confident.

After all, the UN forces' naval and air superiority was not just for show.

Collins breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Walker's words.

He was terrified that Walker might share MacArthur's opinion.

"I will immediately report everyone's opinions to the White House," Collins affirmed.

"I think that as long as we can stabilize the situation in a short period of time, the situation on the Korean battlefield will improve soon."

Upon returning to the United States, Collins reported Walker's opinion to Truman, who was still negotiating with the British Prime Minister.

As for MacArthur's opinion, although Collins reported it, it was clear that no one took him seriously.

After hearing Collins's account of what he had seen and heard in North Korea, Truman finally had a better understanding of the situation.

Truman quickly reached an agreement with the British Prime Minister.

The Korean War can continue, but it must be confined to North Korea and the battlefield must absolutely not be expanded to China.

Even a cross-border 'accidental bombing' like the one before is unacceptable.

If the United States were to use an atomic bomb, it would have to notify Britain in advance.

In this way, the possibility of the war spilling over was basically controlled.

Having confirmed that there was nothing more for Britain to do, the British Prime Minister left the United States satisfied.

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army's two consecutive victories not only shocked the United States, but also its allies, the true instigators of the Korean War.

Looking at the battle report in his hand, he could hardly believe his eyes.

As the mastermind behind the entire war, he never imagined the script would turn out this way.

When the United States officially joined the war, he thought the war was hopeless.

After all, apart from the Soviet Union itself, who could rival the US military?

Soviet Russia had virtually no hope for the fighting capabilities of the Chinese army.

The reason is quite simple: the Chinese army (the Kuomintang) was defeated by the Japanese army, and the Japanese army was defeated by the American army.

This is also a key reason why the Soviet Union withdrew its promise to provide air cover to the Chinese People's Volunteer Army at a crucial moment when the Volunteer Army was about to enter Korea.

As the elder brother in the camp, this can be described as a very serious act of betrayal.

He would never have gone to such lengths if he wasn't absolutely certain that the Chinese People's Volunteer Army had no chance of winning.

After all, no one wants to waste planes on a war they are destined to lose.

Now, the good news has reached Moscow, and the entire Soviet leadership is shocked.

Amidst their shock, they also felt a mix of emotions, a bittersweet feeling.

The good news is that my allies are very supportive.

Without any air support, they were able to force the US military to retreat 300 kilometers within seven days.

This might be even more effective than the Soviet troops themselves.

What worries me is that my allies are too supportive.

This prompted Soviet Russia to reflect on whether its previous actions were somewhat inappropriate and whether it should make amends.
Soon, a congratulatory telegram was sent to China.

Of course, at this time, a congratulatory telegram is nothing special.

Immediately after the congratulatory telegram was sent, the 50th Soviet Air Force Division stationed in Andong received the order.

"To protect the rear of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in North Korea with all our might."

It should be noted that prior to this, the Soviet Air Force had a clear prohibition: "No aircraft may cross the Yalu River."

Previously, even when Soviet and American planes were face to face on the Yalu River, the Soviet military would pretend not to see them as long as the American planes did not enter Chinese territory.

From this moment on, the Soviet Russian Air Force officially intervened in the Korean War.

The logistics lines of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army received crucial air support.

At the same time, the Northern Dynasty also changed its previous strategy of vying for command.

The other side took the initiative to suggest that the Chinese and North Korean armies should be under unified command, and that the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, being experienced, should rightfully have a Chinese comrade in command.

The Sino-North Korean Allied Forces were formally established.

What was originally a drawn-out matter was completed immediately after the Chinese People's Volunteer Army won these two victories.

Sometimes, friendships are forged through shared experiences.

(End of this chapter)