The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

"Mr. Bai, our concession was signed and approved by your central government. If your current government is the successor to the Qing Dynasty, you should recognize the validity of the treaty and provide protection for the lives and property of British people in Wuhan. We have consular jurisdiction..."

"We rose up to overthrow the Qing court because the Qing dynasty signed too many treaties with you. Therefore, we do not accept any of the treaties signed by the Qing dynasty.

As for protecting the lives and property of you British people, the current situation is that you want to take on this responsibility.

"You are not protecting your people. On the contrary, you are suppressing the Chinese people's demonstrations with force. The problem now is that you are running rampant with your mighty ships and artillery, and the safety of the Chinese people's lives and property is not guaranteed..."

"What do you mean?"

"Hmph, your marines have landed, your warships are ready to fire, and you've set up barbed wire and roadblocks around the concessions, with sentries armed with bayonets. So, you're already protecting the lives and property of your own citizens. And your military and police are killing and injuring our own people. So, the current situation is the opposite of what you're saying. Your demands are unreasonable..."

"However, your military and police are now stationed at the border of the concession."

"Yes, because you killed and injured our people, so they are there to protect our people from being killed by your British military police bayonets, shouldn't that be the case?"

"If this is your attitude, then Mr. Bai, there is nothing more to discuss. You will be responsible for any consequences..."

Hearing this threat, many comrades from the military immediately couldn't stand it. Damn, it's a war! Who's afraid of who?

So, one officer stood up and said, "Fuck it, just take responsibility. It's just a war, right? If you're afraid of death, you're not a hero."

"Yes, if you want to fight, then fight. Arrest all the foreigners in the concession." "If you British dare to come, we will kill and bury you."

Comrades in the army are like this, they are straightforward and they believe that the strong are respected. Politicians may be able to swallow their anger when threatened, but if the army can be threatened, it will be doomed.

Hearing these words from their comrades, the British's faces immediately darkened. They immediately realized that there was no way to talk about this. Apart from war, they felt that they could no longer protect the interests of the British Empire.

Comrade Bai Jianyong, upon hearing this, was concerned that the comrades might go too far, declaring war rather than negotiations. So he interrupted them, and the British thought Bai Jianyong would appease them after stopping them. Unexpectedly, Bai Jianyong responded directly, "Don't be so sullen. While these comrades may have gone too far, their words are true. I have only one thing to say: This is China, and we Chinese people have never been afraid of you, Britain. We are now demanding that you withdraw your Marines and order your sailors to return to their ships..."

After listening to this, the British man thought for a long time and said: "We demand the evacuation of our compatriots..."

"Either your warships can leave the Yangtze River immediately, and we can guarantee the safety of life and property of all British people in the Wuhan Concession; or you can use your warships to evacuate the British, and we will allow the British in the concession to leave on your warships. But we cannot allow your warships to leave after your expatriates..."

Bai Jianyong's reasoning stemmed from his concern that after the British evacuated their citizens, the British warships, freed from their worries, would launch an indiscriminate shelling. The PLA would then be left with few countermeasures, a situation they couldn't tolerate. Of course, if the British agreed to this plan, the perpetrators of the previous suppression of the Wuhan protests might escape punishment. However, this was all they could talk about. There was still time to act, and revenge wasn't imminent.

"why?"

·…………-

However, the vast majority of Wuhan residents clearly had no intention of giving the British much time. While Bai Jianyong was negotiating with the British, Wuhan's anti-British struggle reached its peak after receiving news of the liberation of the British Concession in Jiujiang. Naturally, the people were eager to reclaim the concession. Shouting slogans, and under the cover of the People's Liberation Army, armed with carrying poles and clubs, they dismantled the fences and barbed wire of the British Concession, broke down the iron gates, and poured into the British Concession. To prevent the British from resorting to warship bombardment, the PLA surrounded the British Concession on three sides, with their cannons pointed at the British warships and the concession. If the British gunboats dared to fire, the artillery would immediately launch a barrage against the British, ultimately destroying both sides.

Of course, to prevent interference from other powers, the PLA's artillery wasn't just aimed at the British Concession; it was also aimed at the concessions of the other five countries. The PLA had already surrounded the concessions of the other five countries, ready to attack at any moment. If any country dared to interfere or resist, the PLA would immediately attack, bombarding them with artillery, ultimately liberating the Wuhan concessions in one fell swoop.

Backed by armed force, the courageous Wuhan citizens immediately surged into the concession like a tide. As more and more people rushed into the concession, the Indian police and British soldiers and police, realizing the situation was dire, fled to the consulate and the police station. The masses directly overwhelmed the feeble resistance of the British police in the concession. Just like in the British concession in Jiujiang, the masses directly occupied the British concession in Wuhan.

On the same day, the People's Liberation Army forcibly took over the British Concession in Wuhan.

Chapter 450:

Zhang Yinghao breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the telegram announcing the PLA's official entry into the British Concession in Wuhan without British warships firing. He also experienced the feelings of the young man with a mustache when the German army entered the Rhine demilitarized zone. Although Zhang Yinghao didn't know why the British chose a policy of appeasement, allowing the PLA to smoothly reclaim the concession, no matter how the situation developed in the future, Zhang Yinghao knew that the reclaiming of the concession was a fait accompli, and that he couldn't spit out the meat he had eaten. As long as they relied on Hanyang Steel and the Arsenal, the demise of the Qing Dynasty and the expulsion of the foreign powers were truly just around the corner.

With the People's Liberation Army as their backing, and with the strong support of the revolutionary masses, the British government lost control of the concessions after storming them and removing the boundary markers. The new governments in the liberated areas forcibly and unconditionally reclaimed the British concessions in Wuhan, Hankou, and Jiujiang, Jiangxi. This was a significant achievement in the Chinese people's anti-imperialist struggle, and a major victory in the history of the Chinese people's anti-imperialist struggle since the Opium War. It greatly inspired the Chinese people. The recapture of the British concessions was one of the most significant events in modern history, changing the destiny of a nation.

The official recapture of the British concessions in Jiujiang and Hankou, occupied for decades, by the new government greatly ignited the Chinese people's patriotic enthusiasm. This marked the first time since the Opium War that concessions had been reclaimed from imperialist control. Encouraged by the news, citizens from all walks of life took to the streets. Workers, peasants, and people from all walks of life in provinces and cities like Guangdong, Anhui, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Beijing issued declarations in support of the Hankou and Jiujiang incidents, issuing telegrams calling for "the people of the nation to unite and overthrow British imperialism," "to avenge decades of humiliation inflicted on China," and "to reclaim all concessions throughout the country."

However, success is both accidental and inevitable. Changing conditions naturally alter the outcome. The same is true of mass movements across the country. Without the backing of the People's Liberation Army's violent apparatus, success may not be reproducible when the political and military environment shifts. Zhang Yinghao's proposed "revolutionary diplomacy" can only be a unique product of a specific political environment. The rules of the game in international politics today are both the law of the jungle and fundamental principles. Mass enthusiasm, without the backing of military force, is weak and powerless in the face of gunfire, and cannot achieve lasting victory.

Jiujiang and Wuhan had already been occupied by the People's Liberation Army, leaving neither the Qing nor the foreign powers with much recourse. Driven by the needs of governance and self-interest, the Qing conspired to collude with the foreign powers and launch a campaign to eliminate communists in cities like Guangzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Zhenjiang. To prevent similar incidents in Hankou and Jiujiang, the foreign powers and the Qing government agreed to resolutely safeguard their respective interests in China.

The British bombardment of Jiujiang and the violent suppression of the Wuhan people's demonstrations were met with national outrage. The PLA's recapture of the British concessions in Jiujiang and Wuhan was met with nationwide jubilation, with people taking to the streets in an effort to achieve greater victory. Demonstrations of tens of thousands of people took place in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, and other cities. The Forward Party, in turn, organized large-scale strikes by tens of thousands of workers across the country to denounce the atrocities committed by British imperialism and to storm the concessions in Nanjing, Shanghai, and other places, achieving significant victories.

Faced with the overwhelming public outcry, the Qing Dynasty and the foreign powers still chose to suppress the movement with force. Fierce clashes broke out between the people and the concession authorities, and the mass movement was brutally suppressed by the imperialists and the Qing government.

The Shanghai Labor Union sent several teams to march and give speeches in the concession. Some workers were arrested on Nanjing Road. The remaining workers and the public, totaling more than a thousand people, followed them unarmed to the door of the police station and demanded the release of the arrested. The British police chief, Emmanuel, actually ordered the shooting of the crowd, killing four workers on the spot and seriously injuring 28. The concession authorities also mobilized the army.

The troops declared martial law and randomly shot people. Such atrocities aroused strong anger among Shanghai workers, students and citizens. The tragedy shocked the whole country again. The workers in Nanjing responded the next day. Workers in major cities across the country also went on strike one after another to protest against the imperialists.

Protest movement.

Public opinion is boiling and everyone is united.

However, imperialism colluded with the Qing government to sabotage the workers' movement and prepare for a new bloody massacre. Warships from various countries converged on the waters of Nanjing and Shanghai, particularly British warships, which retaliated by firing directly at the civilian population. The Nanjing Massacre resulted in over 500 casualties, a tragedy far more severe than those in Hankou, Jiujiang, and Shanghai. Massacres in Zhenjiang, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Guangzhou soon followed, inflicting heavy casualties.

The story of Wuhan and Jiujiang taking back the British concessions failed to be repeated in other cities, which once again proved the fragility of mass power. Mass movements must be backed by armed forces. Otherwise, facing an enemy armed to the teeth, there is no chance of winning.

However, the Chinese people will not be intimidated by the guns of imperialism. Although the bombardment of the great powers and the suppression of the Qing Dynasty caused heavy casualties among the people, under the leadership of the Forward Party, the people have begun a resolute and orderly struggle.

The general strike, general school boycott and general business boycott began. At the same time, the movement continued to develop and expand. People in major cities across the country, such as Beijing, Tianjin, Nanjing, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, Guangzhou, and hundreds of towns and cities, marched, demonstrated, went on strike, boycotted classes, and boycotted businesses.

The city, electricity, donations, and boycotts of goods from powerful countries expressed support.

The nationwide anti-imperialist wave has finally taken shape.

Faced with the rapidly changing situation in the Far East, the great powers were overwhelmed.

Seeing the situation in the Far East spiraling out of control, especially after the People's Liberation Army reclaimed the British concessions in Hankou and Jiujiang, the foreign powers were deeply incensed. The concession authorities and foreign governments responded swiftly. To protect concessions in Shanghai and other places and their interests in China, the International Trade Corps stepped up training and began deploying troops to the Far East.

British Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannen suddenly announced: "The British government has decided to send another fleet and 2.1 British soldiers to Shanghai, Yantai, Hong Kong and other places under the name of the 'China Expedition', to "maintain international order in the Far East" at all costs. At the same time, it has notified the United States, France, Japan and other countries to cooperate in this action."

Britain quickly dispatched a fleet and troops from Hong Kong to Shanghai for garrison. They also mobilized the largest-ever British force in China, assembling in Shanghai and Hong Kong. The United States also dispatched all available warships and troops from its bases in the Philippines. France, Russia, Japan, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Portugal also sent warships and troops, bringing the total number of foreign troops stationed in Shanghai to over 30,000. This formed the largest coalition of ten nations ever deployed in Shanghai, poised to engage the People's Liberation Army head-on.

By this time, barbed wire fences had been erected around the concession, and machine guns were set up. To ensure safety, foreign soldiers stationed sentries five miles beyond the border, from the train station in the north to the Xujiahui section of Hongqiao Road in the west. A long, snake-like formation of foreign soldiers stood guard. At one point, the number of foreign warships crammed into the Huangpu River reached 77.

Chapter 451:

Faced with these military actions and political alliances of the great powers, Zhang Yinghao had no way to stop them. No matter what measures the great powers took against China, Zhang Yinghao knew that he could only bear it helplessly. Protests were futile. Who told the Liberated Area to offend all the great powers now, and its strength was not strong, so its words were not taken seriously?

However, many of the foreigners who came to China were merchants and capitalists, who, for their own benefit, also needed to maintain good relations with the Chinese. However, this nationwide boycott of foreign goods, supported by the Progressive Party, became a weapon, persisting for several years. Most foreigners were forced to leave China, and only after the People's Liberation Army, led by the Progressive Party, liberated the country did this anti-foreign sentiment essentially end.

This wave of pressure, sparked by the British, not only caused a decline in the Great Powers' trade with China but also resulted in heavy losses for their merchants in China. Without competition from foreign goods, the liberated areas naturally provided a vast market for their products, leading to significant industrial development. News of this spread back to Britain, with The Times reporting on the incident. The British Foreign Office was even questioned by MPs in the House of Commons.

After taking back the British Concessions in Jiujiang and Wuhan, Zhang Yinghao no longer paid too much attention to this matter. At this time, a comrade from the confidential office handed Zhang Yinghao a telegram. Zhang Yinghao took it and understood the meaning of it at a glance.

The imperialist powers and the Qing dynasty colluded to suppress the mass movement with armed force. Especially after the Nanjing Massacre, when warships shelled the protesters, forcing some movements underground and others into the countryside. Rural China was where conflict was most acute. Led by "intellectual men," the local masses naturally launched an anti-foreign religious movement. Across the country, mobs stormed churches, killing missionaries and burning them. The situation intensified. Especially in areas with underground armed forces, the foreign forces were no match for the masses, and those who didn't have time to flee were killed one after another...

After reading the telegram, Zhang Yinghao immediately recalled the information sent from Taiyuan. Among them was a mention of Yu Xian, a high-ranking Qing official known for his role in killing foreigners. Yu Xian had been appointed Governor of Shanxi in 1900. While in office, Yu Xian was fiercely xenophobic. He instigated the Boxer Rebellion to burn churches and massacre Christians, treating the Boxer leaders with respect. He then falsely claimed to missionaries that he lacked sufficient military force to protect them in the counties and orchestrated a plan to gather all the missionaries in the province in a single room in the provincial capital, Taiyuan. On July 9, 1900, at the west gate of the Governor's Office, Yu Xian massacred all 46 foreigners, including women and children. Among them were 12 Italian Franciscan bishops, monks, and nuns, 34 British Baptist missionaries, and 11 children. Yu Xian even personally murdered Bishop Ayr-Esquieu of the Catholic Diocese of Northwest Shanxi. In Shanxi Province, a total of 191 missionaries and over 10,000 Chinese Christians and their families and children were killed. 225 churches and hospitals were burned down, and over 20,000 houses were demolished. This was the province with the highest death toll.

Zhang Yinghao thought of the wave of xenophobia in China during the Boxer Rebellion and sneered inwardly. Kill them all! There might be some innocent victims, but such a massacre would definitely do more good than harm. There are simply too many wolves, tigers, leopards, and other evil spirits in China right now. Killing some of them would be a good way to purify the land. Let's create chaos! Chaos would only cause the foreign powers to panic, and perhaps their pressure on the liberated areas would be reduced. Moreover, with 450 million Chinese people, who could possibly stop this tide of people demanding liberation?

After reading the telegram, Zhang Yinghao put it down and also let go of the fact that people from all over the country were killing foreigners. Those who dared to kill foreigners now were all local "bigwigs". When the People's Liberation Army marched into these places in the future, perhaps these people would play an unexpected role, and many of them might even become his comrades.

The recapture of the British Concession did not affect the fighting in other areas. The PLA offensive continued, and the battle to liberate Jingzhou, which Zhang Yinghao was currently focused on, had also reached its final stage. As the PLA gradually gained a foothold in Yichang, Xiangyang, Jingmen, and other places, and cut off the Yangtze River waterway, Jingzhou had become a dead end and a thorn in the side of the PLA, which had to be removed.

The People's Liberation Army was originally advancing with great momentum, but the Eight Banners soldiers in Jingzhou chose to fight stubbornly, causing the People's Liberation Army to suffer a great loss in Jingzhou, and the regiment commander Long Tongxu was almost killed in the explosion.

Understanding the desperate resolve and fighting spirit of the Eight Banners of Jingzhou, PLA troops from various regions began to converge on Jingzhou. To completely dismantle the Banner troops, the frontline commander ordered the city's supply lines cut off. Jingzhou was left isolated, without reinforcements or food supplies, and its fall was imminent. Completely surrounded on all sides, the Banner troops panicked, and they began searching the city's residents, looting food and other valuables. To delay the PLA's siege, the Banner troops detained Han civilians in the west city, joining them in a desperate defense...

As the People's Liberation Army from Yidu and Yichang arrived to support them, the gathering of more and more troops made the situation increasingly unfavorable for the Jingzhou Bannermen. Without the support of Xiangyang and Jingzhou, and without the logistics base of Wuhan, how could the tiny city of Jingzhou hold out for long against modern weapons?

Before the general offensive began, even though the Eight Banners had inflicted considerable casualties on the PLA, the PLA still hoped to show some leniency and allow the Banners to survive, issuing an ultimatum: If they didn't surrender, Jingzhou would be destroyed by artillery fire, leaving no trace of the people inside...

However, the Eight Banners officers in Jingzhou were also very resolute and still led the Eight Banners soldiers to fight to the death...

Zhang Yinghao admired the courage of the Eight Banners of Jingzhou, though he knew they stood in the way of the people's liberation and would ultimately be crushed to pieces and lost to history. However, even after the battle, he continued to follow the progress of the battle in Jingzhou, eager to see what choice the Manchus there would ultimately make...

After the general offensive began, the PLA planned to launch a concerted attack to liberate Jingzhou. Taking advantage of the fact that the Eight Banners of Jingzhou were primarily defending the west of the city, they used the boats they had collected and correctly formulated a strategic plan to attack Jingzhou from four directions, by land and sea.

The soldiers formed skirmish lines and, under the cover of artillery fire, coordinated their operations and quickly captured Baling Mountain and Wancheng Dike, killing over 200 Banner soldiers. The next day, the People's Liberation Army captured Meihua Bridge, forcing the Qing army to retreat to the mountainous terrain southwest of Daijia Bay and Beizi Bridge. The fighting was indeed fierce, and many Banner soldiers were killed...

Meanwhile, another PLA unit had already captured Shashi, a city east of Jingzhou known as "Little Hankou." With PLA support, a dozen progressive local youths formed a Shashi Revolutionary Propaganda Association and began promoting the revolution. With tens of thousands of attendees daily, the lectures played a crucial role in calming public opinion.

To describe the Eight Bannermen of Jingzhou as besieged on all sides is no exaggeration. However, facing certain defeat, Hengling organized a counterattack of 5,000 Eight Bannermen, but was ultimately defeated by a single PLA regiment, with over 600 killed. The Eight Bannermen's combat effectiveness declined exponentially. Simultaneously, the PLA launched a surprise attack on Jingzhou's west gate, completely cutting off the garrison's retreat. The Eight Bannermen retreated repeatedly, retreating to the Caoshi and Tumen areas outside the east gate, where the two sides remained in a standoff.

At this point, the PLA also engaged in a frenzy of activity. However, to minimize the casualties of the war, the frontline headquarters sent another letter to Shouqi at the last moment, urging him to "lead the people and surrender." If he continued to resist, "the Qing government would treat Jingzhou with the same tactics it had used against Jiading and Yangzhou." The frontline headquarters also published documents such as "A Letter to the Jingzhou Garrison" and "A Letter to Appease the Elders of Jingsha," striving to win the surrender of the Bannermen and popular support, thereby stabilizing local order.

.…out out u.

Three days later, the PLA's heavy artillery units arrived, greatly enhancing the siege firepower and making the PLA even more powerful.

On the contrary, Shouqi was hesitant at this time. If he asked for peace, he was afraid of the court's punishment for losing territory; if he defended the city, he was afraid of the tragedy of the city being destroyed and the massacre."

At this time, the Eight Banners officers also had serious disagreements, and they also held their own opinions, and the people were in panic...

Seeing that the Eight Banners of Jingzhou were still refusing to surrender, the frontline command lost all patience and launched a fierce attack on Jingzhou City with heavy artillery, turning all resistance into ashes. The PLA infantry then launched a final general assault on Jingzhou City, quickly capturing the southwest and northeast gates.

After more than seven hours of fierce fighting, pro-war figures like Jingzhou Vice Governor Hengling, realizing the situation was hopeless, pulled out their pistols and committed suicide. Chief of Staff Depei and General Enpei also committed suicide. Many Banner soldiers also drowned in the river, and many Manchu women and children in the city also committed suicide by taking the poison they had prepared.

Shouqi ultimately surrendered to save his life, and most of the remaining bannermen laid down their arms. Thus, the Eight Banners garrison in Jingzhou, which had existed for 250 years, finally fell prey to the revolutionary tide, marking the end of the Qing Dynasty's Eight Banners Army in Hubei.

Chapter 452:

Zhang Yinghao sighed as he listened to the Eight Banners garrison in Jingzhou's final stand, which ultimately reduced Jingzhou to ruins and included numerous tragic mass suicides of the elderly, the weak, women, and children. War was like this: mountains of blood and corpses. The myth that war kept women away was simply the stuff of fantasy. In real war, the weak suffered the most, while bandits, hooligans, and thugs often thrived.

Now the People's Liberation Army swept across the two lakes with overwhelming force, and had reduced the losses to a minimum. Of course, this was also the result of Zhang Yinghao's strenuous control, otherwise, the land of China would have been covered with casualties.

..aane

After Zhang Yinghao confirmed the liberation of Jingzhou, he called in comrades from the commerce, industry, and agriculture departments for a meeting. To truly control a region, one must control the vast majority of local transactions and manage the necessities of life. Only then could the liberated area government quickly connect with the people and gain their support.

"Comrades, Wuhan, Hubei, is now one of China's only two heavy industrial regions besides Chongqing, so we must manage it well... All departments must immediately dispatch key personnel to manage our newly liberated areas well, and to achieve as much complementarity as possible with Sichuan. The factories left over from the Westernization Movement in the newly liberated areas must not be abandoned, and production must continue... And comrades Liu Jiesen from the Ministry of Water Resources and Zhang Guozhu from the Ministry of Agriculture, they say that when Hubei and Hunan are prosperous, the rest of the world is well fed. Your two departments have a heavy task ahead of them! And then there's the issue of cooperatives and supply and marketing cooperatives..."

The establishment of cooperatives and supply and marketing cooperatives has been a constant process. However, supply and marketing cooperatives now employ a model that combines both establishment and cooperation, significantly alleviating the shortage of manpower. While the shortage remains severe, it's being gradually managed. After all, in rural areas, a single supply and marketing cooperative is sufficient for every brigade.

In fact, Zhang Yinghao cared most about the supply and marketing cooperatives, because these seemingly insignificant small shops were related to the stability of prices in the liberated areas and played a role in controlling prices. In other words, these small shops actually played an important role in giving value to the banknotes in the liberated areas. Without the supply and marketing cooperatives, banknotes would have difficulty circulating in the countryside...

After the meeting, Zhang Yinghao returned to his office and before he could even sit down, he received a telegram asking how the five foreign concessions in Hankou should be handled.

Zhang Yinghao felt that it was indeed not advisable to make too many enemies at the moment, and his immediate reply was very simple: as long as foreigners do not cause trouble, the status quo will be maintained for the time being.

This is Zhang Yinghao's attitude now!

At the same time, the Ministry of Commerce was instructed to immediately establish business contacts with Germany and begin doing business with them. The countries most eager to do business with are Germany first, followed by the United States. Germany has nearly completed its Second Industrial Revolution, and its productivity has greatly increased. However, the German market itself is too small, unlike the United States, which has a vast domestic market, so sales of German products remain a major problem.

Britain, the empire on which the sun never sets, now controls numerous colonies and numerous strategic waterways and ports, such as the Strait of Malacca and the Suez Canal. Selling goods to the Far East without British permission and assistance is no easy task. In the past, Russia's fleet, dispatched to the Far East, lacked British support and was ultimately easily defeated by Japan, resulting in near-total annihilation.

The world's colonies have been divided up, so if Germany wants to expand its market now, the Far East is the best choice. Zhang Yinghao is also willing to do business with the Germans. With France and Britain as obstacles, Zhang Yinghao is not worried about how much trouble Germany will cause in the Far East.

Thinking of Germany, Zhang Yinghao immediately called Chen Wei from the Science and Technology Commission and Li Tianqiao from the Intelligence Department and said, "Immediately mobilize all your forces and go to Germany to retrieve all the information you can. Especially information on chemistry, physics, etc. The Liberated Areas also need to contact Germany immediately and do business with them, so both sides should act simultaneously..."

The synthetic ammonia technology that Zhang Yinghao had been obsessed with had not yet been fully mastered. In fact, at that time, Germany did not pay much attention to emerging industries such as synthetic ammonia. However, when preparing to launch a war, Germany realized its military value and fully understood the importance of these things.

Previously, the Liberated Area had relatively little contact with Germany, primarily due to its lack of access to the sea. Sichuan, located inland, was largely under British control. But things are different now. With more places and goods available for trade, mutual demand has naturally increased. Whether a deal can ultimately be concluded with the Germans depends not on Zhang Yinghao's side but on whether the Germans actually want to do business...

Zhang Yinghao had already repeatedly urged colleagues from all departments to contact Germany and begin business. If his colleagues still didn't take his request seriously, he'd be left with no other options. During the meeting, Zhang Yinghao had already thought about this: he planned to demand results from his own orders for future tasks. For example, he planned to issue orders for 10,000-ton hydraulic presses, ammonia reactors, and heavy artillery larger than 150mm. This meant he would demand results from his orders, a task-based approach that prioritized results over process. He would assign tasks to those who could perform well, and eliminate those who failed...

In reality, the PLA's sweeping actions had already alarmed the elites of all the European and American powers. These countries had already begun assessing the situation of the Chinese rebels and the Qing Dynasty. As for contact with various progressive parties, by this point, it was inevitable. Otherwise, a group of diplomats wouldn't be rushing from Shanghai to Chengdu right now!

Wherever the People's Liberation Army went, land reform and nationalization of mines were carried out. Countries that have traded with Sichuan are well aware of Sichuan's trading style, which is trade balance and preferential treatment for large quantities, which is actually equivalent to barter trade.

At the end of the meeting, Zhang Yinghao was still worried and sent a notice or telegram to the relevant comrades, informing them: We need to obtain mining, metallurgy, materials, processing, machinery manufacturing, chemistry, electricity, internal combustion engines and other related technologies from the Western powers. The most important direction is to trade with European countries such as Germany and the United States...

Zhang Yinghao had long harbored a plan in mind, and now, after the liberation of Wuhan, his resolve was even stronger. China must establish a relatively self-sufficient and comprehensive industrial system to become a truly great power, possessing the capital and strength to rival the entire Western powers...

However, the concept of an industrial system is easier said than done. In later generations, there are no more than ten countries with an industrial system. Furthermore, with the development of industry and the upgrading of the industrial chain, the number of countries with relatively complete industrial systems will only decrease.

As for the present, only Britain, Germany, and the United States possess this system, and even France is barely there. As for Japan, Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Russia at this time, the gap is truly huge. Even so, these countries are still the world's top tier. World War I and World War II were essentially wars between these countries for markets and raw materials.

Later generations of China were truly a unique phenomenon, an anomaly. With the development of aerospace, nuclear power, and information technology, only three countries remained with complete industrial systems: China, the United States, and the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, although Russia inherited much of its legacy, it remained stagnant until the rise of Vladimir Putin, which saw a slight turnaround. China, on the other hand, had accumulated considerable experience and was poised to eventually surpass the rest of the world, returning to the pinnacle of global development.

Chapter 453:

Zhang Yinghao knew that few people in the liberated areas truly understood industry, let alone the path to industrialization. Even he himself was no stranger to it. But Zhang Yinghao knew that the path to industrialization was not mysterious: its foundation lay in individual factories and its cornerstone was a vast workforce. The key lay in developing production.

Zhang Yinghao knew that as long as he created a new class of productive workers in China, China's industrialization would naturally follow its proper path. Just like during the Cultural Revolution, the two lines of struggle—focusing on revolution to promote production versus focusing on production to promote revolution—were fiercely contested. However, neither side dared to deny the fact that revolution and production mutually promoted each other, regardless of the order of precedence. Their fundamental principles were the same. Therefore, no matter how fierce the struggle between the two factions, it was ultimately manageable, as their fundamental goal was to develop production.

After briefly arranging a series of matters in the newly liberated areas, Zhang Yinghao's attention shifted away from these areas. At this moment, Liu Qi walked in and said to Zhang Yinghao, "Chairman, the battle report from the north is that Niangzi Pass is still occupied by Duan Qirui, and we are currently unable to capture this pass."

Zhang Yinghao recalled the previous telegrams. Although the workers at the Jingxing Coal Mine and the local comrades had unexpectedly liberated Niangzi Pass, they had no artillery and were seriously short of guns, so their firepower was naturally weak. Faced with Duan Qirui's attack, under the roar of artillery, the comrades were ultimately forced to withdraw from Niangzi Pass, leaving it to the Beiyang New Army.

Although Li Fugui arrived in Taiyuan and liberated it in just three days, he did not have many troops with him. In addition, due to the poor communication in that era, he was unable to provide timely support for Niangzi Pass. Of course, even if Li Fugui wanted to, he did not have much spare energy to support Niangzi Pass. In the end, this important pass fell into the hands of Duan Qirui.

In fact, for Zhang Yinghao, his attitude towards war is to fight if he can win, and run away if he can't. His attitude towards the pass is to take it if he can, and give up temporarily if he can't. There is really no need to fight to the death with the Beiyang New Army for a pass, which will only increase casualties.

However, crossing Niangzi Pass was indeed extremely important. If the People's Liberation Army captured it, they could directly send troops to Hebei and threaten the capital. Therefore, Zhang Yinghao knew that this place was a place that the Qing Dynasty must defend. However, Niangzi Pass, in Duan Qirui's hands, could constantly threaten the heartland of Shanxi, which was a thorn in the side of the People's Liberation Army and the Liberated Areas. Moreover, the stability of the situation in Shanxi was also related to a series of subsequent operations. Therefore, it was best to seize Niangzi Pass to ensure peace of mind.

Zhang Yinghao thought for a moment and said, "The art of war says to attack where the enemy must be rescuing. Let's use the strategy of besieging Wei to save Zhao. No matter how strong the Beiyang New Army is, it will be useless. They only have a few regiments. Moreover, the Beiyang New Army also needs to defend the capital, and another regiment is stationed in Shandong, which clearly puts them short of manpower. We only need to send out one army to make a grand gesture of attacking Zhengding. At the same time, we must prevent the delivery of food, munitions, and other supplies to Niangzi Pass, pretending to cut off Niangzi Pass's retreat and force them to retreat. Furthermore, we should send out guerrilla forces and mobilize our comrades in Hebei. If Hebei shows any signs of being liberated, these Beiyang New Army troops will inevitably retreat."

"Chairman, if we do this, the Qing Dynasty should also know our purpose. Will they still let the new army at Niangzi Pass retreat?"

Zhang Yinghao smiled faintly and said, "Haha, there are still some capable people in the Qing court and the Beiyang government. However, when luck comes, heaven and earth will work together, and when luck is gone, heroes cannot be free. No matter how heroic they are, it is in vain. Of course, if they had not embarked on a path that was bound to fail, their achievements would be far greater than what they are now. Not to mention others, people like Sheng Xuanhuai, Yuan Shikai, and Wang Shizhen, there are few people in our liberated areas who can compare to them. In terms of wisdom and means, they are all superior to us. So when dealing with such people, we can only take the right path, use open strategies, and defeat them head-on, and we can't think of crooked ways..."

"Chairman, you are being too modest! They are definitely no match for you!"

Zhang Yinghao waved his hand and said: "I just stand with the people and serve the people, that's all!"

Whether or not Niangzi was imprisoned by the Forward Party would not affect the true purpose of the liberation of Shanxi. Zhang Yinghao knew that after the Russo-Japanese War, the path of Tsarist Russia's eastward development was cut off by the Japanese, and they began to truly focus their efforts on planning Mongolian independence and separation from China, trying to make their Far East more secure. Zhang Yinghao naturally could not allow Mongolia to separate from China. Therefore, the true strategic goal of the Shaanxi Military Sub-district in this Liberation War was not to liberate Shanxi, but to move northward and liberate Mongolia.

The main force of this march into Mongolia was cavalry, including the reorganized rebel troops such as Ma Fuxiang and Dong Fuxiang. After several months of training and learning, these rebel troops were also capable of being used.

However, the Forward Party and the People's Liberation Army did not liberate the Mongolian region by relying on military force, but by doing business along the way.