Bright Sword: From Northwest Shanxi to Shangganling

In 1973, with the formal withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam, South Vietnam was completely at a disadvantage in the fighting.

By April 1975, the North Vietnamese army had entered Saigon with a crushing offensive.

With the fall of the South Vietnamese regime, the 20-year Vietnam War came to an end.

During the Vietnam War, China deployed a total of 32 personnel, including anti-aircraft artillery, engineering, and logistics troops, to provide support.

It also provided Vietnam with aid in the form of weapons, equipment, food, medicine, and other supplies worth approximately US$200 billion free of charge.

With the unification of South and North Vietnam, Vietnam's military strength increased significantly, with a total force of 100 million and a large number of new weapons left behind by the United States when it withdrew.

Having defeated Japan, France, and the United States in succession, Vietnam's confidence grew ever stronger.

Vietnam did not consider that its victory was due to the amount of assistance it received, but rather believed that its military wisdom was extraordinary and unique.

At this point, Vietnam had begun to look down on China.

Vietnam believes that even if China has some skill in tactics, decades of teacher-student relationship mean they have already learned all of its tactics.

The number of border clashes between the two sides began to increase year by year.

The Chinese government has repeatedly warned the Vietnamese authorities, but Vietnam has consistently ignored these warnings.
By 1977, the pro-Soviet faction in Vietnam had gained full control, and the pro-China military generals were purged.

At the same time, a large number of grassroots Chinese party members were also expelled or purged.

Subsequently, with the instigation and support of Soviet Russia, Vietnam broke its promise and began to frequently carry out armed provocations on the border, and illegally occupied some islands of NSQD.

These islands were already undisputed by 1956, when Vietnamese representative Pham Van Dong publicly acknowledged that they belonged to China.

When questioned by China, Pham Van Dong, again representing Vietnam, surprisingly replied that Vietnam had previously placed the fight against US imperialism above all else, and that the statements should be interpreted in the context of the historical context at the time, and that all the statements were now invalid.

At the same time, Vietnam also began a purge of the Chinese community throughout the country, with millions of Chinese having their property seized and being deported, and nearly 30 people losing their lives.

Moreover, besides those of Chinese descent, Vietnamese people with ties to Chinese also met with bad ends, with many driven to suicide.

Regarding the issue of ethnic Chinese, China has held eight rounds of talks with Vietnam, but Vietnam has stated directly that this is Vietnam's internal affair and China has no right to interfere.

China was so angered that it hurled insults and completely terminated its aid to Vietnam in 1978.

The unrest caused by anti-Chinese sentiment and the cessation of Chinese aid had a significant impact on Vietnam's economy.

When China stopped providing aid, Vietnam couldn't even guarantee the electricity needed to start operations, and with a large number of skilled workers fleeing overseas, Vietnam's industrial output plummeted.

Despite Vietnam's hasty alliance with the Soviet Union and the signing of a treaty of friendship and cooperation in November 1978, Vietnam's economy remained in dire straits.

In return for gaining access to Vietnam's military bases in Da Nang and Cam Ranh Bay and expanding its military sphere of influence into the South Pacific, the Soviet Union provided Vietnam with substantial military aid.

In addition to conventional guns and cannons, the Soviet Union also provided a large number of advanced aircraft, tanks, anti-aircraft missiles and other equipment.

With the addition of a large amount of American equipment captured from South Vietnam, Vietnam believed that it had effectively become the world's third-largest military power.

With the support of Soviet Russia, Vietnam, feeling the urge to retaliate, embarked on a path of external expansion in order to alleviate its domestic economic difficulties.

In late December 1978, Vietnam launched a full-scale invasion of Cambodia, which progressed rapidly.

Vietnam's actions have directly disrupted the geopolitical balance in Southeast Asia and posed a significant threat to China's interests in the region.

China will not stand idly by in the face of Vietnam's actions and has sternly demanded that Vietnam cease its invasion and immediately withdraw its troops.

However, Vietnam, which was eager to accept French colonies in Southeast Asia and even unify the entire Indochina Peninsula to establish an Indochina Federation, completely ignored China's demands.

Moreover, with Vietnam's victories in invading Cambodia and Laos, nationalist sentiment within Vietnam grew increasingly agitated.

For Vietnamese nationalists, the Indochina Peninsula was no longer enough to satisfy their appetite, and a strong sense of revenge against China began to spread in Vietnam.

For Vietnam, although the Chinese people had always tightened their belts to support Vietnam in its fight against the French and the Americans, stopping support after decades would be a betrayal of Vietnam.

Vietnam's top leader, Le Duan, went so far as to pin the blame for Vietnam's economic collapse on China.

In short, to put it simply, not providing unlimited support to Vietnam is tantamount to betraying Vietnam.

Seeing that Vietnam was unyielding and increasingly arrogant, Xinhua News Agency published an editorial on December 25, 1978: "Don't say we didn't warn you."

Hopefully, this will bring Vietnam to its senses.

However, the strong military pressure did not frighten Vietnam.

Vietnam was not only unperturbed, but even unusually excited.

In Hanoi, Le Duan was very confident as he looked at the newspaper's response to the Chinese editorial, "Not an inch of land will be lost, not an inch of land will be abandoned, and victory will be assured in the first battle."

Vietnam has a million-strong army, thousands of tanks and armored vehicles, hundreds of aircraft, and the most advanced air defense missile system. It is not afraid of China at all.

However, not being afraid doesn't mean not making preparations.

"Jin Yong, order the frontline troops to fully enter combat readiness."

"If China dares to attack, we will give them a good beating, keep them outside the border, and seize the opportunity to counterattack into Chinese territory."

"The war should be fought on Chinese soil as much as possible."

“No problem.” Vietnamese Defense Minister Van Tien Dung nodded.

"My Vietnamese army is very brave, while the Chinese army is not brave at all. I think one Vietnamese soldier can beat 30 Chinese soldiers."

"If a firefight breaks out, we can reach Zhennanguan in three days and Nanning in a month."

Upon hearing Van Tien Dung's words, Le Duan recalled Vietnam's previous provocations against China.

Even when they provoked China in the past, China never retaliated.

With Soviet support behind the scenes, it is even less likely that China will be able to launch any effective counterattack against Vietnam.

Thinking of this, Le Duan couldn't help but fantasize: "I really hope that China takes the initiative, so that we can take advantage of the situation to take over Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan."

“There will be an opportunity,” Wen Jinyong said. “The Soviet Union has deployed a million troops on China’s northern border, which has greatly tied down China’s energy. Once we complete the integration of the Indochina Peninsula, we can join forces with the Soviet Union to launch a pincer attack from the north and south.”

"Jin Yong, if we want to achieve this goal as soon as possible, we must quickly eliminate the resistance forces in Cambodia. It's up to you."

"I have ordered the troops to blockade and then suppress the villages in Cambodia. Anyone who has any doubts will face certain death."

Because of the various actions of the Pol Pot government, the Cambodian people did not actually resent the Vietnamese army.

When the Vietnamese army first entered Cambodia, it was a smooth and successful journey.

However, as time went on, the Cambodian people realized something was wrong.

Their home was completely bare.

Everything was taken away by the Vietnamese army; they didn't even leave behind a single broken piece of furniture.

The civilians who went to reason with them were also shot dead by the Vietnamese army.

The Cambodian people once thought that the Japanese devils had returned.

With such poor discipline in the Vietnamese army, it was natural that Cambodian guerrillas were also increasing in number.

After repeated negotiations and warnings with Vietnam proved fruitless, the Central Committee officially issued an order to prepare for a self-defense counterattack against Vietnam.

Troops began to assemble on the borders of Yunnan and Guangxi.

A large number of new recruits were added to the divisions, and the original Class B divisions were quickly restored to the Class A divisions.

At the same time, the military districts bordering Soviet Russia and Mongolia also entered a state of first-level combat readiness, ready to guard against a Soviet invasion at any time.

Nanning, Western Front Command Post. A young man in a green military uniform walked to the door of an office.

"report!"

Li Yunlong looked up, a smile spreading across his face, and immediately waved, saying, "The aid to Korea has arrived, come in quickly."

After Chen Yuanchao stood up in front of the table, Li Yunlong asked, "Your father sent you here this time. Have you thought about which unit you want to serve in? Just tell me, and I promise to arrange it for you."

"Thank you, sir."

"I'm thinking of becoming a company commander on the front lines, or even a platoon leader if that doesn't work out."

Upon hearing this, Li Yunlong shook his head repeatedly: "No, no."

"Why don't you stay by my side and act as my advisor for now?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuanchao immediately objected, "Uncle Li, you can't show favoritism!"

"The tanks are all at the front lines, and you want me to stay in the back? How will I ever be able to hold my head up again?"

Now is the time to make our mark and achieve great things. If we stay in the rear, won't we have to salute them when we see them in the future?

"Why can't you hold your head up?" Li Yunlong said, "You need to stay calm, there will be opportunities in the future."

Chen Yuanchao curled his lip, so it wasn't the time for you to be jumping up and down cursing because you didn't get to be the main attacker.

"What the hell are you thinking?"

"No, nothing."

Li Yunlong turned and chuckled, "Aid Korea, it's not that I don't want you to go to the front lines, but to tell you the truth, it's mainly because I don't understand your father's fighting style."

Leading Chen Yuanchao to the sand table, Li Yunlong said, "What do you think Chief of Staff Chen means?"

"The infantry didn't act until the third day after the fighting started? What were they doing for the first two days? Didn't that give the Vietnamese army time to react?"

"If you ask me, all's fair in war. We should launch a surprise attack on the enemy's lines and then make a deep penetration. That would definitely be enough to encircle and annihilate those Indian divisions."

"I don't know either," Chen Yuanchao shook his head.

"You don't know?"

"Military exercises on the grasslands, aren't you always the villain? You should be quite knowledgeable about foreign warfare methods, right?"

“We are the Blue Team, not the villains.” Chen Yuanchao was somewhat speechless.

"Stop talking nonsense." Li Yunlong waved his hand: "You've all been using the latest foreign equipment, haven't you? Even if it's just talk, you should know what it means."

"Uncle Li, I'm just a lowly captain, I really don't know anything about this."

“My dad hardly ever talks at home, and even if he did, I wouldn’t understand.”

"Never mind," Li Yunlong said helplessly. "You'll know when the fighting starts. Just stay with me for now. I'll transfer you to the front lines after your father's battle is over."

"Ok."

It's good to wait a while; at least we'll know which unit will be the spearhead.

Since we're going to the front lines, we'll definitely be going to the most dangerous places.

Just then, a guard came in and reported, "Sir, it's time."

"I see."

Li Yunlong picked up his hat from the table, put it on, and said to Chen Yuanchao, "I need to go to the conference room for a combat meeting. Have the guards help you settle in first."

"Yes!"

Inside the meeting room, the operations staff presented the layout of both sides on a map.

The Vietnamese army has three military regions along the border: the Second Military Region, which corresponds to the Yunnan direction; the First Military Region, which corresponds to the Guangxi direction; and the Third Military Region, which is located on the easternmost coastline.

On the surface, the Vietnamese army only has 7 main divisions and 18 independent regiments on the border, but in addition to these troops, the Vietnamese army also has another important force, namely the militia self-defense forces.

Vietnam has just experienced a 30-year war, and it is no exaggeration to say that the entire population was mobilized for war. In Lang Son province alone, the militia numbered over 6.

While these militias are relatively weak in direct combat, they pose a significant threat when it comes to guerrilla warfare.

In response, China has divided its operations into two fronts, east and west, resulting in a total of four directions of combat.

The main offensive was launched on the eastern front, with the objective of capturing Lang Son and threatening Hanoi.

After the staff officer finished his introduction, Li Yunlong said angrily, "Damn it, 200 billion yuan raised a thankless wretch. This time, I'll make him spit it all out!"

Ding Wei, who was standing to the side, said, "Old Chen is a damn good judge of character. Back then, I only saw the north, but he saw long ago that Vietnam was an ingrate."

“That’s true,” Li Yunlong said. “Fortunately, Old Chen was prepared in advance, otherwise our plans for Vietnam might not have been so accurate.”

Because of Tran Thanh Hung, during this honeymoon period of more than 20 years, the Vietnamese army enjoyed professional guidance from a senior Chinese advisory group, but their deployment and terrain were also thoroughly investigated in advance.

"It's a pity that Lao Kong can't participate in this battle," Li Yunlong said.

"Old Ding, who would have thought that the two of us would be commanding troops together to deal with that bastard Vietnam?"

Back during the Sino-Indian War, Li Yunlong and Ding Wei were transferred to the Northwest. If India became too difficult to defeat, they would also participate in the war.

However, India's fighting capacity is like the stomachs of soldiers who have eaten curry rice—it's all diarrhea.

Therefore, neither of them got to fight, but they were never transferred back until several years later when they finally understood what had happened.

Ding Wei, standing to the side, was not surprised. "Vietnam and the Soviet Union have signed an agreement. Once war breaks out, Vietnam may launch an attack. We must take precautions."

"Old Kong is steady and good at defense; he is more suitable for deploying defenses in the Northeast than either of us."

If war were to break out, the Northeast would definitely be the main target of Soviet Russia's attack, as the Northeast Plain is the most suitable place for large-scale maneuvering of mechanized troops.

"Moreover, I estimate that this counterattack against Vietnam will not last very long," Ding Wei added.

"The superiors' orders are to strike quickly, advance quickly, and withdraw quickly; it is absolutely impossible to waste time and energy in Vietnam for an extended period of time."

In the war against Vietnam, the Vietnamese army was not the strongest enemy. For China, the real formidable enemy was the endless mountains and the six-month-long rainy season.

Historically, it was easy for the Central Plains dynasties to conquer Hanoi, but in weather conditions with an average rainfall of 1000 millimeters, they would be dragged down and killed by guerrilla warfare against the Vietnamese army.

Even if we only hold our ground and don't fight, heatstroke and malaria will take down half the population in just a few months.

Only the locals can adapt to this kind of climate.

If we really want to fight Vietnam, taking the sea route is the only option.

However, the Soviet/Russian navy is currently present in Vietnamese waters, and the Chinese navy is not yet able to confront the Soviet/Russian navy.

According to the plan, China's development direction is to develop missiles first, then aircraft, and finally the army and navy.

Therefore, the target of this counterattack was only a major town in northern Vietnam.

Li Yunlong's eyes widened. "No matter how long or short it is, even if it's only for a day, we must beat him until he's done for."

"Such a small country as Vietnam has become quite cunning!"

(End of this chapter)