Anti-Japanese War: The whole world is a base vehicle

Chapter 126: Driving away wolves and devouring tigers?

When Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi entered the Governor-General's Palace again, he looked at the familiar scene and memories of the past instantly flooded into his mind.

He couldn't help but think of the former governor, the man who once gave orders here.

Unfortunately, that guy refused to join Vichy France and stuck to his principles and beliefs.

However, in this turbulent time, his persistence did not bring good results, and he was deprived of his post as governor.

Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi was filled with emotion. He knew very well that in the torrent of war, personal destiny was often full of helplessness and uncertainties.

The experience of the former governor made him realize more deeply that in this complex situation, one must judge the situation and make wise choices in order to survive and develop in troubled times.

"Your Excellency the Governor." Seeing De Gu, Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi said with a kind face.

Now that the two sides have become allies, their attitudes will naturally be better.

After all, in this complex situation, alliances are crucial and a good attitude helps maintain cooperation between the two sides.

And De Gu looked at Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi with a hint of fear in his eyes.

The scene of thousands of French soldiers being brutally killed by the enemy seemed still vivid in my mind.

Thinking of this, Governor Degu felt terrified and extremely angry at the same time.

He knew very well that the sacrifice of these French troops had brought huge losses to the colonies, and the man in front of him was the culprit behind all this.

However, now they have to become allies. Such helpless and contradictory emotions are intertwined in Governor Degu's heart, making him feel particularly heavy.

"Now we are allies. According to the provisions of the alliance, we will plan all occupied territories, but I hope you can give me a few more days." Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi said very politely.

He was well aware that under the current circumstances, it was crucial to maintain good relations with the French colonies.

Although the Japanese army had the upper hand in previous battles, as allies, mutual respect and consultation were needed to achieve common interests.

Hearing this, Governor Degu nodded and then said, "No problem."

However, he still felt somewhat unhappy.

The Japanese army, whom they once looked down upon, could now bully them so wantonly.

This huge contrast filled Governor Degu's heart with resentment and humiliation.

But in the face of reality, he had to temporarily compromise and cooperate with the Japanese army.

This complex emotion intertwined in his heart, making him full of worries about the future.

"I wonder where your army is going next?" Governor Degu asked out of curiosity.

There was a hint of expectation in his eyes, hoping to get some information about the future movements of the Japanese army from Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi.

After all, in this turbulent situation, understanding the direction of action of allies is also of great reference value for one's own decision-making.

"We should go north along Borneo and completely eliminate the British colonies in Southeast Asia." Imamura Jun said casually.

However, this was just his guess.

In fact, he didn't know what fate awaited him next.

Based on his understanding of the base camp, he knew that there would be no good consequences for an underdog's actions.

He was well aware that his strategy of forcing the headquarters to move south in the attack on Annan might cause dissatisfaction and punishment from his superiors.

Therefore, he was full of worries and uneasiness about the future.

Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi's answer made Governor Tokugu fall into deep thought.

He began to think about the impact of Japanese actions on French colonies.

If the Japanese army really moved north along Borneo, the situation in the French colonies might become more complicated.

He needed to keep a close eye on the movements of the Japanese army and make corresponding preparations to protect French interests in Southeast Asia.

When Viceroy Toku suddenly raised the issue of attacking Siam, Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi was indeed very surprised and confused.

The main reason was that Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi was surprised by the proposal to attack Siam.
"What?" Imamura Jun said subconsciously.

This reaction fully reflected his surprise.

He probably did not expect that Governor Degu would suggest such a strategic direction at this time.

Then, he quickly thought about the proposal in his mind and felt that attacking Siam was not a good option.

But they soon felt that attacking Siam involved some uncertainty and risks, or that it was not in line with the Japanese army's current strategic focus and resource allocation.

If the telegram sent from the base camp was a commendation, he would naturally give up.

This means that his actions have been recognized, and he will naturally continue to move forward in the established strategic direction and give up the option of attacking Siam.

For in this case there was no need for him to risk opening up a new battlefield, but he could continue Japan's war efforts along the approved lines.

However, it would be a huge blow to him if the base camp ordered him to retire.

In this case, he must find other ways out for himself.

Attacking Siam might become a potential option.

Because attacking Siam would allow him to prove his value and ability again when he was facing the crisis of retirement.

By achieving victory on a new battlefield, he might be able to redeem his military career and avoid being forced into retirement.

In addition, he also heard that Siam might have rich resources, such as food and rubber, which were crucial to Japan's war machine.

At the same time, occupying Siam could strategically expand Japan's sphere of influence and strengthen its position in Southeast Asia.

By then, I believe those people in the base camp will shut up completely.

"Why?" Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi asked Governor Degu why he proposed to attack Siam. It was obvious that he was very cautious and curious about this proposal.

After all, he couldn't make a decision easily without fully understanding the reasons.

There must be some considerations behind the sudden proposal to attack Siam.

According to his thinking, Governor-General Degu may have believed that attacking Siam could change the geopolitical landscape of Southeast Asia and have a positive impact on the interests of French colonies.

Or he may have received some intelligence that Siam was a weak link in the current situation and could be easily attacked.

Occupying Siam would expand the influence of Vichy France.

After all, they had just suffered a devastating defeat, and the million-strong army on the front line was unable to defeat the German army. It was really embarrassing.

If we can have a victory at this time, it will still help boost morale.

Of course, there is another view, that is, to kill someone with a borrowed knife.

After all, there were considerable conflicts between Siam and French Indochina, mainly territorial disputes. He had heard about some of them, but he didn't really know the details.

"We have had problems with Siam," Governor Degu began.

"They occupied some of our territory, and of course, we sank some of their warships."

This statement is obviously an attempt to flatter oneself.

After hearing what Governor-General Tokugu said, Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi had a new understanding of the proposal to attack Siam. On the one hand, Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi began to consider the possibility of "killing with a borrowed knife".

I even think it's very likely.

There was a territorial dispute between French Indochina and Siam. Governor-General Degu's suggestion to attack Siam was most likely to use the power of the Japanese army to resolve the conflict with Siam and achieve his own interests.

This strategy of killing someone with a borrowed knife is not uncommon during wartime, and various forces often use other forces to achieve their own goals.

So, he was not angry.

Given the British nature, allies are meant to be betrayed.

It was impossible for the Japanese army to really expect Vichy France to give them much help.

The relationship is one of mutual benefit.

Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi had good reason to be skeptical of Governor Tokugu's claims.

First of all, Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi believed that the real combat effectiveness of the French army was limited.

He had a relatively clear understanding of the strength of the French army and knew that the French army did not demonstrate strong combat capabilities in many situations.

Governor-General Degu claimed that he had gained a lot of advantages in the conflict with Siam, but this was inconsistent with Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi's understanding of the strength of the French army, so he thought it was nonsense.

Second, the conflict between the two sides is indeed complex and has a long history.

Conflict between Siam and French Indochina had been going on for hundreds of years before the arrival of the French army.

This shows that the territorial dispute is a long-standing issue involving many factors and cannot be simply attributed to one side having the upper hand as Governor Degu said.

After the arrival of the French army, the conflict weakened but did not disappear completely.

This shows that even with the intervention of external forces, the root cause of the territorial dispute has not been resolved.

This historical conflict was difficult to be properly resolved in a short period of time, which also increased Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi's caution about the proposal to attack Siam.

Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi needed to take all these factors into consideration and weigh the pros and cons of attacking Siam.

He could not make a decision easily just because of Governor-General Degu's proposal, but had to evaluate the possible consequences and impacts of attacking Siam based on Japan's overall strategic interests.

"I will consider the Governor's proposal."

Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi's response was rather cautious. He did not immediately agree to Governor-General Degu's proposal to attack Siam, but chose to observe the situation before making a decision.

When Governor Tokugu heard what Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi said, a trace of disappointment flashed across his face.

He might have expected that Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi would readily agree to his proposal so that he could achieve his goal.

But Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi's cautious attitude made him realize that his plan might not be carried out so smoothly.

Afterwards, the two sides discussed the issue of Annan's transfer.

The main issue is how the Japanese troops will evacuate.

After Governor Degu left, the adjutant raised a question: "Mr. Division Commander, why didn't you tell him that a free army had appeared in Annan? It was suspected to be supported by the Soviets?"

The adjutant's question reflected his confusion about Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi's decision.

He believed that the important situation of the emergence of the Free Army in Annan should be mentioned in the previous exchange, especially since this Free Army was suspected to be supported by the Soviets, which could have a significant impact on the situation.

"Do you think the other party will believe it?" Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi asked first, then sneered.

"Before we came, there was no free army, at most there were some guerrillas. But after we came, the guerrillas gradually grew stronger and even occupied several counties."

These words made the adjutant choke.

Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi's question really hit the nail on the head.

Under such circumstances, if we tell Governor Degu that there are free forces suspected to be supported by the Soviets in Annan, the other party will most likely not believe it easily.

First of all, before the arrival of the Japanese army, there were only a few guerrillas in the Annan region. After the arrival of the Japanese army, a so-called free army gradually grew stronger and occupied several counties.

This easily leads people to suspect that the emergence of this Freedom Army was somehow related to the actions of the Japanese army.

Governor Degu might think that the Japanese army was making excuses or trying to divert attention, and would not easily believe that the Soviets were supporting this free army behind the scenes.

Secondly, from a realistic perspective, as the governor of a French colony, Governor-General Deguin was already wary and skeptical of the Japanese army's actions.

It was difficult for him to believe the sudden emergence of a mysterious Free Army suspected of being supported by the Soviets without any solid evidence.

"Hey, the commander is wise." The adjutant was full of admiration.

He really didn't think so much about it, mainly because the opponent suddenly appeared and was using Soviet equipment.

It was obviously supported by the Soviets.

I really didn't expect that the French would think that it was they who supported it.

Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi did not react much to the compliment from his subordinates.

Mainly, he was surprised and wary of the emergence of the Free Army and realized that the situation might become more complicated.

Because they had just entered Annan, this free army appeared not long after, and its size expanded very quickly.

Anyone who is not a fool will definitely think that it was done by the Japanese army.

So he also understood that under such circumstances, it would be difficult to convince Governor Degu of this situation and it needed to be handled with caution.

The best way is to further investigate the true situation of this Free Army, including its size, organizational structure, weapons and equipment, and whether it is really supported by the Soviets.

Only with sufficient evidence and information can we convince Governor Degu during communication that it was not them who did it.

"Okay, let's report this matter back to the headquarters and let them worry about it." Lieutenant General Imura Hitoshi thought for a while and decided that it would be better to leave it to professionals and not get involved.

Because he always felt that there was something more complicated behind this matter.

Just then, the communications staff came in with a telegram, looking unhappy.

"Your Excellency, division commander, a telegram from headquarters."

Looking at the expression of the communications staff officer, Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi immediately understood that it was definitely not a commendation.

"What's the content?" Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi was too lazy to answer and asked directly.

"You will be sent to the headquarters as a staff officer." The communications officer said hastily.

Staff attached?
Fu is the abbreviation of auxiliary officer, an officer who has no specific exclusive position/function and assists the chief officer in handling various business matters.

To put it bluntly, he's just a handyman.

Of course this is much better than being ordered to the reserves.

But if I really agreed.

I'm afraid retirement is really not far away.

Thinking of this, Lieutenant General Imamura Hitoshi suppressed his inner anger.

"It looks like we really need to consider attacking Siam."

(End of this chapter)