The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 650: Second update!

It was not until the noises in the city gradually became sparse that Sun Tongpao issued an order for the entire army to attack. The field army soldiers who received the order then began to attack Chita.

The regiment's 75mm field guns and mortars immediately launched a fierce bombardment on Chita, inflicting heavy casualties on the already demoralized and exhausted Russian troops. Human armies are such strange things; no matter how elite a unit is, once morale is affected, its combat effectiveness plummets. Under such circumstances, a crushing defeat is the essence of this.

After the artillery bombardment, the field army launched an all-out offensive. After the riots in the city, the Russian army's morale was completely shattered. They were in a state of confusion and panic. How could they have any confidence in holding Chita? Their resistance became weak, and facing the fierce attack of the field army, they had no intention of resisting. Many Russian soldiers even abandoned their weapons and hid in civilian houses in an attempt to escape.

With Russian morale completely shattered, resisting the field army's attack was practically impossible. In the first round of the attack alone, soldiers entered Chita through a breach. Since this wasn't a domestic battle, these field army soldiers immediately set fire to the city, creating even greater chaos. Initially, the field army expected a tough street battle. However, facing the wall-penetrating tactic, the Russians had no effective countermeasures, as this was their first experience.

The field army advanced step by step, making very smooth progress. In the end, the Russian army completely collapsed and could only desperately retreat to the rear. If the Russian army had fought the field army in street battles, it might have caused certain troubles and heavy casualties. But unfortunately, these Russian troops simply did not have the courage to fight. Under the relentless pursuit of the field army, by the evening of that day, the field army had basically captured Chita.

The field army captured very few prisoners during this battle, and upon examination, they were all Russian soldiers, with no revolutionaries found. The historical record of the battle states that the Russian army, overwhelmed by the pressure of the siege, mutinied. Unable to withstand the pressure, the Russians slaughtered the city at will, disrupting the city's defenses and allowing the field army to easily capture this central city in East Siberia...

Of course, there were later rumors that the Field Army was responsible for the utter annihilation of the Russian Revolutionary Party in Chita, betraying its promises and allowing them to profit. Some even claimed that Chita would still be Russian territory if it weren't for this. However, these were unverified claims, devoid of any evidence. China naturally refuted them, solemnly declaring them an imperialist conspiracy and an ugly attempt to split the country.

The war report Liu Wenxiu received regarding the liberation of Chita was far more detailed, detailing the agreement with the Russian revolutionaries and the concern that this was a Russian ploy to lure the enemy, leading to miscalculation and the possibility of extending the war. Of course, the fact that all the revolutionaries in Chita had been killed during the crackdown was emphasized. When Zhang Yinghao read this, he immediately guessed what had happened, but he only smiled indifferently.

This kind of behavior may seem despicable and dishonest, but Zhang Yinghao recalls examples of this happening, and this one happened in the Soviet Union. On August 1, 1944, at the end of World War II and before the Soviet Union liberated Warsaw, Poles, determined to take their country's fate into their own hands, organized a massive uprising of over 8 soldiers. However, the uprising was quickly and brutally suppressed by the German army. The insurgents engaged in brutal street fighting with the Germans, while simultaneously appealing to their allies for assistance.

The British army was too far away from Warsaw, and although the Soviet Union did not refuse to lend a helping hand, it put forward a condition - the uprising must be carried out according to the Soviet army's plan, which the Poles naturally refused to accept.

Two months later, Warsaw was completely captured by the German army. The German army surrounded the entire city and launched a brutal massacre. A total of 25 Warsaw citizens died in the massacre...

However, the massive Soviet army, though close at hand, ignored Warsaw's pleas for help. For two months, the Soviets sat back and watched, watching the Germans take over. Only after the Germans had dealt with all the problems and wiped out the Polish resistance did the Soviets finally take Warsaw.

After reading the content, Zhang Yinghao's expression did not change at all. He just made a note of Xue Dabin in his mind, thinking that he was a responsible soldier.

History does not condemn the victors, nor can it condemn the victors, because history is written by the victors. Warfare is the art of deception; this has been Chinese wisdom for millennia. As long as there were no overt violations of discipline, Zhang Yinghao wouldn't have cared less about the number of Russians killed. He would have even allowed for more deaths, which would have ensured lasting peace and stability in the newly liberated areas.

After capturing Chita, the field army had many things to do. The first step was naturally to destroy the Russian grassroots political organizations, preferably to eliminate all Russians. Because Zhang Yinghao himself did not remember the specific contents of the Treaty of Nerchinsk, Zhang Yinghao's plan was to abolish the Treaty of Nerchinsk and the subsequent unequal treaties signed with the Russians after this battle, and to recapture all the territories that had been forcibly occupied by the Russians.

Of course, achieving this is not easy. The field army must not only win on the battlefield, but also withstand the pressure from other major powers at the negotiation table.

In Zhang Yinghao's plan, under the given circumstances, the easiest way to defend the northern territories was to build a railway. Furthermore, it would take relatively little time, so perhaps the engineering corps could construct a railway from Chita to Kulun. This was the simplest, most direct, and least complex method. Once the railway was completed, these areas would essentially become completely Chinese territory.

However, having said that, in this era, although building railways has countless benefits, the disadvantages are also obvious at this time. If one is not strong enough, once the railways are used by the enemy, it will be a huge disaster. If the country is weak, without the courage to fight to the death, and without sufficient strength to defend the country, then the railways will be built to serve the invading army. For example, in the past, when Japan invaded China, trains directly deployed Japanese troops from the capital to Jinan and other places, greatly accelerating the pace of the Japanese invasion.

People say the Russians are a fighting nation. But if you consider the fact that the Russians use different track widths than neighboring countries, you'll understand how fearful they are. They're deeply concerned that other countries might use their railways to invade, hence the different track gauges used. Furthermore, in past history, the Soviet Union never directly confronted the United States, but instead struck back at its fraternal neighbors. This is a classic example of a nation that tolerates itself externally but is relentless internally. Therefore, whether the Russians are a fighting nation is truly debatable.

By this time, the field army's intentions had become clear. They not only wanted to recover the Chinese territories occupied by Tsarist Russia, but also to expand the territory, and to completely and thoroughly annihilate the Tsarist Russia's Far Eastern Front.

Chita was destroyed, and there was no railway transportation and no logistical supplies? Where could the Tsarist Russian army and people in the east go? Extinction is only a matter of time, and surrender may be the best way out! If the Far Eastern Front was annihilated, or if tens of thousands of troops were captured like during the Russo-Japanese War, then the door to the Lake Baikal region of Tsarist Russia would be completely opened to the field army. If it was even more serious, the Ural region would also be unstable. At that time, Tsarist Russia could only be in a completely defensive position.

After halting in Chita, the field army immediately launched offensives across the Far East. Aside from minor skirmishes in some areas during the elimination of the Russians, the situation had gradually calmed down. It was already past June, and the war's toll had far exceeded initial expectations. Without the control of the Chinese Eastern Railway to support logistics and years of advance preparation for war, the field army might not have been able to hold out. Even with the vast quantities of supplies captured from Japan and Russia, and some additional supplies replenished by the logistics department, it was still far from enough; the hole was simply too large.

Chapter 651: First update!

The war between the Liberated Areas and Russia had captured the world's attention. While the war hadn't lasted long, its impact was immense. After all, while the world hadn't been peaceful since the 20th century, large-scale conflicts and wars had only occurred a handful of times. The Russo-Japanese War in the Far East, followed by the Field Army's drive of Japan from Manchuria, and the current war between the Field Army and Russia were all large-scale wars involving tens of millions of troops on both sides. These wars were among the most significant of all, drawing the attention of politicians and military leaders worldwide.

With the advancement of science and technology, military technology has also made rapid progress. The emergence of various new weapons and technologies requires battlefield testing. Therefore, all countries are closely watching this war. France and Russia are allies, so it is natural for them to send observers to the Russian Army. Britain, the United States, and Germany are all important commercial partners of the liberated areas and have also sent military observers to the Fifth Field Army.

This will not only allow them to understand in detail the use of various new weapons and new tactics, but also enable the countries behind them to be the first to know about the development of the war situation.

Before the war began, almost all nations were pessimistic about the Field Army. After all, China's steel production was only a fraction of Tsarist Russia's. However, soon after the war broke out, the Russians suffered heavy losses in the Far East. This rate of loss was terrifying. If the Field Army could maintain this pace of annihilation, wouldn't the entire Russian Army's 1.4 million standing troops be wiped out in less than half a year? Of course, this was only theoretical; in reality, it was almost impossible to achieve.

It was precisely because of the Field Army's swift victory over Japan and Tsarist Russia that, after the intensification of conflicts, European nations became even more eager to resolve them through force. Each side believed they could defeat the other in a month at most, quickly ending the war. This led to a significant increase in conflicts among European nations compared to previous generations. However, they both overestimated themselves and underestimated their opponents. Who could have imagined that this war would become a war of attrition lasting several years?

Similarly, the overwhelming military might displayed by the Field Army shocked other nations. Britain and France, while relieved, were also deeply concerned. They were relieved because the Field Army's strength and luck might allow them to defeat the Russians. If so, Russia's expansion into the Far East would ultimately fail. At that point, Britain and France would naturally find ways to divert Russia's attention from the Far East to Europe.

The worry is that if Russia suffers too heavy losses in the war, or even suffers serious injuries, it will not be able to play the role it should in suppressing Germany.

A further concern is that a strong field army, or rather a strong China, would clearly not be in the interests of the great powers like Britain and France. Their colonies in Asia would be greatly threatened. Would the suffering they inflicted upon the Chinese over the past half century make them resentful and retaliate against them? That would be a disaster for the great powers, especially Britain and France.

The US government had previously been completely skeptical of the Field Army, and was only reluctant when the Liberated Areas approached them for loans and bonds. Ultimately, they were only willing to provide the Liberated Areas with millions of dollars in loans, requiring them to use exported goods like bristles as collateral. However, the Field Army's strength now clearly showed the potential to defeat Tsarist Russia, giving the Liberated Areas a greater chance of achieving final victory in the war.

Representatives of the US observation group even believed that the field army had become a world-class force. This led the US government, upon receiving the report, to immediately decide to provide the liberated areas with an additional $50 million in loans. If the liberated areas needed more loans, the two sides could discuss further.

After all, the liberated areas were currently pro-American. Many American students held high positions within the Progressive Party, and the Americans believed they could easily win over the liberated area governments. Of course, by this point, the Americans were equally wary of the field army and the liberated areas. If the liberated areas threatened American interests, the US would likely turn against them and suppress them.

The Germans were ecstatic about the Field Army's performance. Germany's aggressive purchase of bonds issued by the Liberated Areas wasn't out of kindness; its primary purpose was to get the Chinese to contain, or even weaken, Russia. Now that the Field Army had begun operations and was achieving unexpected results, how could Germany not be ecstatic? Furthermore, the strength the Field Army had demonstrated in this war—while its firepower and other aspects were inferior to those of the great powers, its combat effectiveness was already world-class, a truly astonishing achievement. If the Forward Party could unify all of China and secure sufficient population resources, wouldn't China easily be able to arm millions of troops? If the Liberated Areas could become Germany's allies, Germany's power would undoubtedly rise to a new level.

It could be said that it was precisely because of the performance of the Field Army that even the stoic Germans, for the first time, considered the Liberated Areas worthy of becoming their allies. However, Zhang Yinghao would not tie himself to the Germans. China was still in a state of poverty and backwardness. Even if it joined the Germans, in this era of sea power, the Liberated Areas had no ability to help the Allies achieve final victory. Zhang Yinghao was well aware of the United States's war potential. Once mobilized, the United States could basically defeat the entire world.

If China sides with Germany and loses the war, Zhang Yinghao's years of hard work will be in vain. Of course, it is still necessary to be polite to the Germans. After all, Germany's funds and technology are what the liberated areas need.

Furthermore, Zhang Yinghao had never considered forming an alliance with any country or group. Just like China in his previous life, Zhang Yinghao felt that with over 10 million square kilometers of land and a third of the world's population, as long as China remained stable internally, it was fully qualified to confront the entire world. Furthermore, with no serious ideological confrontations currently emerging, Zhang Yinghao naturally wouldn't seek trouble by desperately exporting revolution, emphasizing the overthrow of imperialism, or even hyping up class struggle before the great powers...

Back to the point, the Field Army's fighting style, especially its use of concentrated firepower, provided much inspiration to the other great powers. Heavy machine guns are indeed powerful, but currently, they are not valued by the world, and many countries even refuse to use such weapons. After all, in this era, industry was underdeveloped, steel production was insufficient, and logistics and transportation were difficult. For most countries, using such weapons would be a waste of ammunition and too expensive.

It is no wonder that when this gun was first introduced, Li Hongzhang, a paperhanger, also went to see it. During the demonstration, the machine gun directly knocked down a large tree. After watching it, Li Hongzhang gave such an evaluation: too fast, too fast. After asking the price, he said it was too expensive, too expensive.

Many people think that Li Hongzhang was ignorant, lacked vision, and missed a golden opportunity. In fact, given the circumstances at the time, Li Hongzhang's choice was not wrong. The Maxim heavy machine gun theory stated that it could fire 600 rounds per minute. Even industrialized countries like Europe and the United States could not afford it, considering it a waste of bullets. Even more so for a country like China, where producing bullets was difficult. Heavy machine guns might be affordable, but the massive amount of bullets was a real money-consuming beast!

Even now, many countries were completely ineligible for this type of heavy machine gun. The Liberated Areas had gritted their teeth and equipped their troops with Maxim heavy machine guns as a precautionary measure. Only with this kind of heavy firepower could the nascent field army withstand the armies of powerful nations like Japan and Russia in the early stages. Once the People's Liberation Army had adapted to warfare, even without heavy machine guns, Zhang Yinghao was confident they would not fear the armies of the great powers.

Zhang Yinghao's words about not being worried about this battle were false. After all, the Great Powers were not easy to deal with. China's steel production was only a fraction of that of the Great Powers. The Great Powers also possessed powerful armies, equipped with heavy machine guns and Krupp cannons. With years of training, their combat effectiveness far surpassed that of ordinary armies. Winning a war against the Great Powers without a few unexpected tactics was difficult.

If the Field Army could truly deploy hundreds or even thousands of heavy machine guns in a single battle, their deployment would likely scare the heck out of the armies of the foreign powers. However, even if they truly possessed hundreds or even thousands of heavy machine guns, Zhang Yinghao couldn't produce that much ammunition. A heavy machine gun without ammunition was worth less than a firewood stick. The ammunition consumed in a large-scale battle was a headache for the logistics department.

Moreover, the field army's tactics also used a large number of cheap grenades and pistols. Before World War I, heavy machine guns, grenades, and pistols were somewhat neglected. In fact, during the Russo-Japanese War, heavy machine guns and grenades performed very well and began to receive some attention, but soon everyone had to give up because the countries did not know how to fight modern wars, so they were naturally very blind. With limited military funds, these expensive things had to be stopped. After all, these things were too expensive to train.

However, gold always shines, so during World War I, these weapons regained their due brilliance. Even with the heavy machine gun gaining importance, some series of tactical styles began to change. Many original tactics were changed due to the popularity of these new weapons. Even in World War II, when China was fighting against the US and aiding Korea, and even during the counterattack against Vietnam, these weapons were still able to play a huge role. Especially in China, with its vast territory and complex and varied terrain, grenades are a very useful weapon.

Of course, there were many other things that impressed the great powers, such as the multifunctional engineering shovel equipped by the field army, which was invented and improved by Zhang Yinghao himself. It has all the functions of scraping, slicing, chopping, digging, roasting, etc. It can even be used for stabbing. It is full of functions. There is nothing that cannot be done as long as you can think of it. It also brought a very large order for the liberated areas and made a small fortune.

Chapter 652: Second update!

While victory in the war was indeed a cause for celebration, it also brought with it a number of challenges. One of these was the issue of prisoners of war. Furthermore, since the PLA had reclaimed territory that had been occupied by the enemy for years, the issue of how to deal with the people of Russia, North Korea, and Japan in these newly liberated areas required proper handling. This was particularly true given Russia's national conditions, as many of the Russians who came to the Far East to make a living were former serfs, extremely poor, and had come to settle in the Far East as families. Therefore, even Russians couldn't be dealt with in a blanket manner.

After much deliberation, the Progressive Party ultimately decided to base the process on a voluntary basis. Those willing to stay could apply for a temporary residence permit and be allocated farmland to support their livelihoods. After a few years of observation, they could apply for Chinese citizenship. Of course, the Russians' settlements had to be broken up, and they could not live together in clusters.

All Russians unwilling to stay were sent to Vladivostok. Of course, those Russian women who were still able to make a living were persuaded to stay, and even arranged blind dates for them. After all, if they could be paired with Chinese men, it would solve the problem of a single Chinese man's lifelong problem, so why not? Of course, all of this was done on a voluntary basis, and married women were naturally not eligible for remarriage, as otherwise it would become a completely hateful act.

To be honest, many Mao girls have regular facial features and slender limbs. Apart from their relatively short shelf life, they are very consistent with Chinese aesthetic standards. This also led to the spread of false rumors across Northeast China that joining the field army would give you a wife. The army naturally came out to refute the rumors, but this caused the number of people joining the army to skyrocket, which is very strange.

At this time, all the captured Russians were participating in the construction of Northeast China, which was in dire need of labor. The Northeast was already a vast and fertile land with a sparse population. With so many people working, as long as there were no major floods or droughts, and if large-scale farming was organized, the locals could grow enough food for two or three years in one year. Furthermore, the field army never forgot to plant and store food on a large scale, so feeding the captives was not a big problem.

In addition, after checking these prisoners, the field army also found a lot of useful talents, some of whom were technical personnel, but there were no senior talents. The field army will naturally not waste these talents. Those who can be used will be given better treatment and allowed to work for the liberated areas. Those who are determined not to be able to be used or are determined not to be willing to work for the liberated areas will be used as prisoners of war and will be dealt with in the future. National hatred and personal hatred must be clearly distinguished, and they cannot be made without reason.

Of course, the field army can also secretly kill these "useful people", and can also do it without anyone noticing, but Zhang Yinghao will never allow this to happen. It is not a woman's kindness, and of course it is not the so-called kindness. If it is a war,

At the time, Zhang Yinghao did not care how many soldiers were killed or even how many civilians were accidentally injured. However, when facing prisoners after the war, Zhang Yinghao was unwilling to violate the party discipline and military discipline in the slightest, and he was even more unwilling to have some cruel and murderous demons appear in the party.

Of course, these people can also be sent to work in coal mines and other mining sites, but if the persecution is blatant, it will also undermine the party discipline and military discipline. If these people suffer grievances but strengthen their will while working and become hardworking and persevering, once they retaliate, it will cause heavy losses to the country and will be even more difficult to guard against.

So many movie plots from his previous life told Zhang Yinghao that when dealing with an enemy, if you can't kill him with one shot, then pretend to be nice to him. It's best to nurture him, slowly wear down his will, or let him become more and more aggressive like a hungry wolf, then turn him into a sheep, or shoot him to death when the hungry wolf gets too proud of himself.

At this time, the most bustling area in the Far East, apart from the labor sites in the liberated areas, was Vladivostok. Just when the Russian army thought that the field army would attack Vladivostok in one go, the field army only made a few tentative attacks before stopping. Vladivostok was simply encircled with barbed wire, trenches and bunkers. Faced with these things, the Russians naturally realized the power of barbed wire and trenches. They also knew that even if they broke through the Chinese encirclement, they would not be able to return to Europe. Therefore, they did not actively attack the field army and continued to defend Vladivostok honestly.

The Vladivostok Fortress is the most important and strongest stronghold of the Russian army in the Far East. If the field army can capture Vladivostok, the Russian army will have no foothold in the Far East. However, it is also very difficult to achieve this strategic goal.

The Vladivostok Fortress has always been valued by Russia and has been one of the five strongest coastal fortresses in the world since 1895. This includes a sturdy coastal battery No. 223 built on Russky Island, equipped with five 280mm and ten 240mm coastal guns, collectively known as the Russky Island Fortress.

Across the Ussuri Bay from the Russky Island fortress, the Cholykin Peninsula Fortress was also constructed. This fortress, equipped with 240mm and 152mm railway guns, served as a coastal defense system to prevent an enemy attack from the sea. To protect the city center, Governor-General Alexeyev allocated funds for the construction of the Lujiawaya Fortress on the hills northeast of the Golden Horn Bay. Further back, behind the Second River, near the city center, the First River Fortress was built, thus linking the entire Vladivostok fortress from the outside in.

The defensive strength of the Vladivostok fortress was only slightly inferior to that of the Port Arthur fortress. Facing such a defensive system, if the field army had launched a forceful attack, it would have been impossible to predict the number of casualties. Therefore, after careful consideration and comparison, the field army resolutely abandoned the offensive plan and temporarily adopted a siege. Furthermore, now was not the best time to attack, as Vladivostok had been frozen for over three months. A four-pronged attack during the sea's freezing period was the best option.

With the rest of the Russian Far East Governorate falling to the control of the Field Army, Vladivostok had become the last Russian stronghold. Even so, the Russian Far East Governor-General Ruzynskiy refused to give up hope. Although Vladivostok's remaining soldiers were few, relying on the city's sturdy fortifications, Governor-General Ruzynskiy was confident they could still easily withstand the Field Army's advance. With luck, they could even inflict heavy losses on the Field Army. Everyone knew that this stronghold would be crucial for future Russian counterattacks and for demonstrating the Russian military's presence.

Seeing that the field army had no intention of attacking and only occasionally fired at the forts, the dignitaries in the city were once again in the mood to hold a reception and exchange feelings. Because they all knew that the Chinese had no navy, which meant that as long as there were no accidents, their lives were no longer in danger. They were all wealthy and powerful people. When the time came, they could just board a ship and leave this troubled place and still live a carefree life. Naturally, they began to relax.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the situation we face is extremely dangerous. Those damned yellow monkeys have already captured the entire Far Eastern Governorate, excluding Vladivostok. But rest assured, I can assure you that the Chinese army will never capture Vladivostok. The fortress we have painstakingly built here for decades will not only protect us but also make those yellow monkeys pay a heavy price! Moreover, His Majesty the Emperor has mobilized a large force. I believe the great Russian army will soon re-enter the Far East. We will not only reclaim the Far Eastern Governorate, but also completely eliminate the yellow monkeys, reclaim the Chinese Eastern Road, and reclaim Port Arthur. Come, long live His Majesty the Emperor! Cheers! We won't leave until we're drunk!"

"Long live His Majesty the Emperor!"

Chapter 653: Third update!

When the people below heard this, no matter if it was insincere or not, they immediately followed suit and shouted loudly, then drank the wine in one gulp, feeling very relaxed.

Governor Ruzynski had a smile on his face at this time. He said this firstly to explain the current difficulties and unite the people, and secondly of course to express his determination and then give hope. No matter whether others believed it or not, he believed it himself.

Lieutenant General Shirokov, the commander of the fortress guards, immediately agreed: "Yes, Your Excellency, Governor, you are absolutely right. The Vladivostok Fortress cost the empire countless sums of money to build and is one of the strongest fortresses in the world. Even if those yellow monkeys have a few heavy artillery, they can't capture Vladivostok. If the yellow monkeys dare to attack, our army will make them bleed like a river and their corpses will be everywhere!"

The other Russian generals were also optimistic about holding the Vladivostok fortress. Of course, this was inevitable; the army was only concerned with fighting, not managing the household. Those who could attend the reception were all upper-class aristocrats. They didn't really care whether Vladivostok could actually be held. They had no plans to stay there long anyway. They had money, so wouldn't it be nice to sail away? Worry? Fear? That wasn't the case.

However, among these generals, there were some middle-aged men in suits, but there were no smiles on their faces. These people were administrative officials of Vladivostok, and one of them was the mayor of Vladivostok, Murdoch.

"Your Excellency the Governor, I have to tell you that we are running out of food stored in Vladivostok. There are more than 60,000 soldiers and over 700,000 civilians in the city, and they need to consume a large amount of food every day. Because of the war that lasted for a year and the domestic riots that made logistical supply difficult, our food reserves can only last for three months at most." Mayor Murdoch said.

Although he also did not believe that the Chinese could capture the Vladivostok fortress, he was worried that the Chinese would adopt the siege method, which would starve all of their more than 700,000 soldiers and civilians to death.

The generals' loud talk suddenly stopped like a duck with its neck pinched. Everyone suddenly realized the problem. Even if the Chinese couldn't invade, if they didn't get supplies, they would starve to death.

"In addition, Vladivostok's industrial base is almost blank. Apart from the shipyard, there is no decent industry at all. The supply of our weapons and ammunition is probably also a big problem." Mayor Murdoch continued.

Suddenly, the generals' faces turned even uglier, and they immediately started discussing. They were indeed defending the strongest fortress in the world. But without weapons, ammunition, and sufficient food, they wouldn't be able to hold out for long. Wasn't the surrender of Lushun a logistical problem?

Despite the increasingly chaotic scene, Governor Ruzynski remained expressionless. He smiled and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, rest assured. I've already considered this issue. Although our enemies have temporarily cut off our supplies, they lack a navy. We can resupply by sea, or purchase food through trade. His Majesty the Emperor will fully support us. Perhaps the first batch of supply ships has already left port. They will arrive in Vladivostok in two or three months at most. By then, we will have manpower, weapons, ammunition, food, and medicine. As long as the fortress can withstand the attacks of the yellow monkeys, we can hold out until we finally defeat them."

After hearing Governor Ruzynski's words, the generals all looked relieved, their backs straightened considerably. As long as they could get supplies, they had nothing to worry about. The Chinese had no navy, so they couldn't completely blockade Vladivostok, so they were still invincible.

However, the worry on Mayor Murdoch's face didn't dissipate much. Although the Chinese lacked a navy, he was certain the Tsar would not abandon this eastern outlet, and they could indeed receive supplies from the sea. However, Russia was simply too far away from the Far East. Without two or three months of sailing time, ships couldn't reach Vladivostok. Even if they did arrive, they probably wouldn't be able to bring much supplies. Furthermore, Vladivostok was still frozen for over three months, creating too many uncertainties. Their maximum timeframe for resupply was only about half a year.

Most importantly, if the war didn't stop, Vladivostok would become a wound that would forever bleed Russia. Although the hundreds of thousands of people here wouldn't break Russia, they would still be a huge burden. If anything unexpected happened, the people here would inevitably be abandoned.

However, just as Mayor Murdoch was about to say something, Governor Ruzynski stopped him with a stern look. Vladivostok was facing its most dangerous moment, and he absolutely would not allow Murdoch to say anything that would undermine morale. Murdoch, reflecting on this, could only sigh inwardly and remain silent. However, his anxiety only intensified.

Suddenly, someone outside ran in to report that a large group of Russians had broken through the field army's blockade and entered Vladivostok. Because the field army had arrived so suddenly, no mines had been laid near Vladivostok. Even if they had, they would have been detonated by the field army's artillery. Therefore, these old, weak, and sick Russians, who had been allowed in by the field army, naturally made it into the Russian defense zone in Vladivostok.

Upon hearing this news, the crowd, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, immediately turned pale. As soon as they heard this news, they understood the Chinese's sinister intentions. They were using these people to expedite the depletion of the city's supplies. Their hearts were truly damned. But would Vladivostok dare refuse to accept these people? Of course they didn't. If they refused to accept these people, causing the army to lose morale, Vladivostok would be useless. The revolutionaries in the city might even incite another uprising. After all, the previous uprising had been suppressed not long ago, and the Vladivostok Republic was even established. And in previous history, another uprising did indeed occur shortly thereafter.

Vladivostok Mayor Merkdo said nothing, but immediately rushed to the front line. At this time, the field army also stopped firing, waiting for these people to enter Vladivostok. After these old, weak, and disabled Russians left the field army's position, the troops immediately blocked the defense line again. Of course, the field army would not let all these old, weak, and disabled people into Vladivostok at once, but in batches. Otherwise, if the Russians packed the people in the city like sardines, they would be able to pack them all up and transport them away at once.

Of course, if people in Vladivostok wanted to leave by land, they could do so. If they left secretly, they could be shot and killed during pursuit. If they came to the position head-on and wanted to leave, the field army would settle them down and let them work.

When Mokto arrived at the front, he saw a large group of elderly, weak, and disabled people, supporting each other and marching towards Vladivostok. Many were carrying stretchers containing seriously injured people. Although the medical facilities of the field army were extremely limited, the doctors, guided by humanitarian principles, provided these injured people with basic medical care, disinfecting, stitching, and bandaging their wounds.

The Field Army's position was not far from Vladivostok, after all, Vladivostok's artillery had a considerable range. To ensure the soldiers could reach Vladivostok safely, the Field Army thoughtfully gave each of them a bowl of porridge and two potatoes before releasing them. After all, the Field Army had confiscated nearly all of their property in the Far East, so a bowl of porridge and two potatoes was something they could afford.

Chapter 654: First update!

The Field Army had done its utmost to treat these Russians. The Chinese have always been benevolent, and the Forward Party's education of the Field Army was never one of coercion or oppression. China's profound cultural traditions and moral principles forbid the strong or victorious from bullying the weak; instead, they demand compassionate care. Only victors can be magnanimous. If Zhang Yinghao knew, he would support his comrades' actions.

However, these people's life would definitely not be easy after entering Vladivostok. After all, they had no money and basically no value to be exploited. The old Russians in the city were not the Forward Party. The more difficult it was, the more it could reflect the advanced nature of the party. Naturally, they were immediately treated unfairly. Especially those who were injured. Because the medical conditions in the city were so poor, there was no condition to change their dressings and treat them in time. Soon, wound infections occurred, which led to high fevers. Many wounded died. Soon, some words spread among these wounded, such as it would be better to stay as prisoners with the Chinese, at least there would be doctors to treat them; it would be better to stay with the Chinese to work, at least there would be a bite to eat, etc. These words had a great impact on the morale of the Russian army.

At the same time, these old, weak, sick and disabled people also brought the Russian soldiers captured by the field army to the Russian army in Vladivostok. Basically, they had food to eat while working. For the rationing system currently implemented in Vladivostok, this was naturally much better.

In fact, Zhang Yinghao did consider whether to convert some Russians to Chinese nationality. After all, many of those who came to the Far East to seek a living had made the long journey to the Far East, unable to survive in Europe or endure the Tsar's brutal oppression. However, thinking of the possible emergence of the Soviet Union, Zhang Yinghao gritted his teeth and simply gave instructions, leaving the details to the comrades to decide. Of course, Zhang Yinghao believed that it would be best to send these people away as much as possible.

Perhaps these people wouldn't oppose the leadership of the Forward Party, but they could still be a problem in the future. Just like the Russian revolutionaries the Field Army had previously let go out of revolutionary camaraderie, after the Field Army entered Outer Manchuria, many revolutionaries immediately abandoned their struggle against Tsarist Russia and transformed into patriots defending their homeland. Aren't they also currently resisting the Field Army's military operations in the Far East? Therefore, it's best not to leave any future trouble. If they had known the Russians were so vulnerable, they wouldn't have allowed them to disrupt the Russian army's rear, and they wouldn't have let these Russian revolutionaries go.

It is also because of this that the Forward Party's policy on dealing with the Russians has changed several times. This does not mean that the Forward Party is fickle. On the contrary, it is the result of seeking truth from facts and making immediate changes based on specific circumstances.

When Zhao Yong first attacked Vladivostok, he truly intended to launch a real attack. However, he only feinted a few times to test the enemy's firepower before being stopped by a timely telegram from Liu Wenxiu. In reality, if the Field Army had to sacrifice human lives, given Vladivostok's current supply situation, it would have been possible for the Field Army to capture Vladivostok, just as the Japanese had captured Port Arthur. However, if it required the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, the Field Army would certainly not do it.

Zhang Yinghao could only accept a cost of tens of thousands of casualties to capture Vladivostok. Any more than that would be uneconomical. However, Vladivostok was known as one of the five strongest fortresses in the world. The field army had suffered tens of thousands of casualties in the face of fierce Russian resistance during the attack on Shuangchengzi. If the Russians inside the city fought to the death, the casualties would have doubled. Zhang Yinghao was well aware of the difficulty of capturing such a fortress.

In reality, Zhang Yinghao believed that Vladivostok's current role for China was very limited. Although it was the home port of the Russian Pacific Fleet, China had a long coastline and numerous good ports. China lacked both warships and merchant ships, so from this perspective alone, Vladivostok was not a significant concern for China.

Moreover, the liberated areas were currently unable to establish a navy and had no immediate need for such a naval port. Although Vladivostok was still under Russian control, the entire Far Eastern Governorate, with the exception of Vladivostok, was now essentially under the control of the Field Army. All land routes between Russia and Vladivostok had been severed by the Field Army, turning it into a veritable enclave. Vladivostok was merely the last remaining isolated island. Could they escape the fat meat that was already in their grasp? Vladivostok was destined to remain in Russian hands for a short time.

Under such circumstances, sacrificing human lives to capture Vladivostok was extremely uneconomical, and Zhang Yinghao naturally wouldn't do such a foolish thing. After receiving news that the field army had suffered 10,000 casualties in liberating Shuangchengzi, Zhang Yinghao no longer intended to take on this difficult task. Even if an armistice agreement was signed with Tsarist Russia immediately, what would happen if Vladivostok remained in Russian hands? In Zhang Yinghao's eyes, there were plenty of opportunities to capture Vladivostok, and there was no need to rush. Time was his best friend.

At this time, Liu Wenxiu also arrived at the Vladivostok front along with these old, weak and sick Russians. When he saw the huge fortress group in Vladivostok and the effect of the field army's artillery bombardment, he naturally no longer had the idea of ​​using human lives to break open Vladivostok.

"Commander-in-chief, do you mean that there is no plan to recapture Vladivostok in the short term? Give up the attack on Vladivostok and there is no need to send troops to take the initiative to attack for the time being?" asked the frontline commanders and fighters.

Facing Vladivostok, it seems that the only option is to siege it, except for a violent attack.

"Yes! I'm here to unify our thinking." After looking around at the officers and soldiers, Liu Wenxiu continued, "Since Vladivostok's defenses are strong enough and we can't capture it in a short period of time, we might as well adopt a siege. Vladivostok is here anyway, and it can't escape. We should try to resolve the issue politically. Leaving three infantry divisions behind to dig our newly designed tunnel fortifications should be enough to encircle Vladivostok."

"Commander-in-Chief, we can only besiege Vladivostok from land. The Russians can still resupply Vladivostok from the sea. A 10,000-ton ship can deliver a month's worth of food to the city at once. We have no way of blockading Vladivostok."

In fact, everyone can understand these problems with a simple calculation. If the Russian army supplies from the sea, it will not play a big role in the siege of Vladivostok on land.

"I know. Who told us that we don't have a strong navy now? If we had a strong navy, maybe we could have taken Vladivostok long ago by advancing both by land and sea. Since there is no way to stop it, we only need to be on guard against the Russian army in Vladivostok suddenly jumping out to cause us trouble. After our army wins the victory on the Western Front and completely defeats the Russians, we can completely solve the problem of Vladivostok." Liu Wenxiu said.

As long as the field army wins on the Western Front and maintains the victory, no matter how stubborn Nicholas II is, both sides will probably have to sit back at the negotiating table to resolve the issue.

At that time, the liberated areas could have easily negotiated the surrender of Vladivostok. Of course, the prerequisite was that the field army had sufficient leverage to force the Russians to compromise. Using rhetoric desperately was better than forcing the field army to take Vladivostok at great cost.

The generals all answered immediately: "Yes, Commander-in-Chief!"

"Commander-in-Chief, should our artillery and other weapons continue to bombard the city?"

"Of course! Now the war is not over yet, so the shelling cannot stop. Although we have switched from attacking Vladivostok to a long-term siege, the shelling cannot stop. We must record the data of each shot and study it. In this way, while training the artillery, it is best to destroy the Russian fortresses step by step and approach the city of Vladivostok step by step. If the Russians are unwilling to compromise in the future, we may eventually need to use war to solve the problem. From now on, we must prepare for using war to solve the problem in the future." Liu Wenxiu said.

However, the Eastern Front Command had no time limit for liberating Vladivostok. As long as the preparations were sufficient, the field army might be able to further reduce casualties.

The field army used heavy artillery to continuously bombard the Vladivostok fortress. Because artillery shells were expensive and hard to come by, only a few rounds could be fired each day. The main purpose was to annoy the Russian troops inside the city and prevent them from getting enough rest. To prevent a counterattack from the city, the field army would immediately move their positions after firing in one place. Although this method was tiring for the soldiers, it was safer and there were few casualties.