Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

"good.'

Wei Hongjun and Deng Guo jointly replied to the Central Committee.

Support troops to cross the 38th parallel.

The Central Committee quickly replied, agreeing with Wei Hongjun and Deng Guo's opinions and allowing the Volunteer Army to cross the 38th parallel. At the same time, the Premier publicly stated to the world that China welcomed the armistice on the Korean Peninsula and welcomed the arrival of true peace on the Korean Peninsula.

But there are prerequisites for a ceasefire.

China insists that the withdrawal of all foreign troops from the Korean Peninsula and the resolution of North Korea's internal affairs by the Korean people themselves are prerequisites for any peaceful resolution of the Korean issue. If the US government truly wishes to engage in peace talks, then the US invading forces and their vassal forces should withdraw from the Korean Peninsula. This is the sincerity of peace talks. At the same time, the People's Republic of China demands that the US invading forces withdraw from Taiwan and that its representatives obtain legal status in the United Nations. These are not only the legitimate demands of the Chinese and Korean peoples, but also the urgent desire of progressive public opinion worldwide. Resolving the Korean issue and other major issues in Asia is impossible without these key points.

China has also begun to make its own demands.

China does not rule out negotiations, but negotiations must have preconditions. The United States is currently at a disadvantage, so if it wants to negotiate, it must show some sincerity, not just talk.

The Prime Minister also criticized the US for lacking sincerity in its peace talks demands.

The US government and its invading forces, now facing defeat on the battlefield, are proposing a ceasefire followed by negotiations, apparently to gain breathing space and prepare for further action. The Chinese government will absolutely not agree to such sham peace talks and will actively expose the US government's sinister plot.

After obtaining the Central Committee's consent, Wei Hongjun, Deng Guo, Jin Xiong and Park Yiyu jointly signed and issued orders to the Chinese and North Korean troops.

That means the troops crossed the 38th parallel.

1950年10月23日，13兵团的38军112师第一个跨过三八线。

The 38th Army, the predecessor of the Northeast Field Army's First Column, consisted of the First and Second Training Brigades, brought to the Northeast by Yang Dezhi from Yan'an, along with the Second Special Forces Brigade of the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Military Region. The 112th Division, the First Training Brigade, was also brought to the Northeast by Yang Dezhi from Yan'an. It was a unit developed by Yang Dezhi in Hebei, Shandong, and Henan during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The 113th Division, the Second Training Brigade, was originally transferred to Yan'an by the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region. It was home to the First Regiment, the most famous main force of the First Division of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Region. The 113th Division's first commander was Tao Laifeng, who had previously served with Wei Hongjun in establishing the Shengxian base. When he arrived in Yan'an, he was commanding the First Regiment and had a distinguished record during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. However, its performance during the Liberation War was less than satisfactory, with mediocre battlefield performance, which did not fit Yang Dezhi's combat style. Consequently, it gradually withdrew from the frontline forces and, under Yang Dezhi's command, took on logistics responsibilities. It currently serves in the Guangxi Military Region.

The current Chief of Staff of the Volunteer Army, Chen Zhonghe, is from the 38th Army.

When he first arrived in Northeast China, Chen Zhonghe commanded the Second Special Forces Brigade, leading it to become the First Column of the Northeast Field Army. Later, he served as Chief of Staff of the First Column. When the First Column was reorganized into the 38th Army, Chen Zhonghe served as Deputy Commander of the 38th Army and Commander of the 114th Division. When Yang Dezhi led the 13th Corps into Guangxi to combat banditry, Chen Zhonghe was initially slated to take over as Commander of the 38th Army. However, Yang Dezhi took a liking to Chen Zhonghe and transferred him to the 13th Corps Headquarters, Guangxi Military Region.

If the Chinese People's Volunteer Army had not been formed, Chen Zhonghe would have been the deputy commander of the Guangxi Military Region or transferred to the South China Military Region.

The 112th Division was the first unit.

Soon the 74th Division of the 220th Army also crossed the th parallel.

All the disputes surrounding the 38th parallel fell silent after the Volunteer Army officially crossed the 38th parallel, because soon the Chinese and North Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel on a large scale.

854 The US military's reluctance

"Oh, Matt, you know. Our intelligence system is rotten, and our intelligence officers are a bunch of rubbish. 700,000 to 800,000 Chinese troops entered North Korea, but they didn't get any intelligence. How ironic, how absurd, this is a huge misjudgment, and our intelligence officers should be pulled out and shot."

After Ridgway retreated to Busan, he simply completed the defensive deployment.

Ridgway was still relatively decisive.

All troops were gathered in Busan, and the rest of the country was handed over to the police department of the Syngman Rhee government. Ridgway's meaning was simple: all other places on the Korean Peninsula could be abandoned, as long as Busan could be protected, then the US military could land on the Korean Peninsula through Busan at any time.

After dealing with things here, Ridgway flew to Tokyo.

He needed to talk to MacArthur.

But after meeting Ridgway, MacArthur began to make excuses for the failure of a battle.

Constant complaining.

MacArthur then continued, "Our air force also has problems. We sent out so many reconnaissance planes, but they didn't even notice the Chinese army entering North Korea. Furthermore, they didn't realize there were 700,000 to 800,000 Chinese troops hiding right under our noses. Oh, my God, that's 700,000 to 800,000 troops, not 700,000 to 800,000 ants, and yet the reconnaissance planes found nothing. It's incredible. Not only did our intelligence department fail to perform, but our air force also completely failed to perform as it should have."

The more MacArthur complained, the more impatient Ridgway became.

It's already this late, and MacArthur is still talking nonsense.

But Ridgway couldn't get angry either.

After all, when Ridgway graduated from West Point and was hired as an instructor, MacArthur was the president. And although Ridgway rose quickly in the military, his military status was not as high as MacArthur's.

Now he needed MacArthur to hand over the entire Korean work to him, so it would be difficult to offend MacArthur.

"The reason we were so passive on the Korean Peninsula was because Truman was too weak and didn't listen to my advice. We should have invested more resources and been tougher from the start to successfully resolve the threat posed by the communist Soviet Union."

MacArthur kept complaining.

Finally, he said: "Now many people are complaining about the defeat. But this defeat was just an accident. An accident that none of us expected."

Ridgway really couldn't bear to listen any longer.

Ridgway should have come to speak with MacArthur before taking office, but the situation was too critical. The troops at the Imjin River were in a state of panic. They were all remnants of defeated troops, each one like a frightened bird. Walker had died, and MacArthur, as the leader, should have stayed at the Imjin River, commanding the troops and calming their spirits. Instead, MacArthur flew to Japan, leaving the chaotic troops behind. Ridgway had no time to waste elsewhere. So he went directly to the Imjin River. Now that he finally had some time, he rushed over without hesitation.

But MacArthur just kept talking nonsense to him.

In his heart, Ridgway looked down on MacArthur, a second-generation man who was good at talking big.

When a lion fights a rabbit, he also uses all his strength.

However, since the outbreak of the Korean War, MacArthur had been boasting constantly and repeatedly misjudging the situation. First, he declared that Chinese troops would never enter North Korea, then, after engaging in a firefight with the Chinese People's Volunteer Army, he claimed that the number of Chinese troops entering North Korea was small. He then assured Truman that the Chinese and North Korean forces could be easily defeated in a short period of time, and formulated a plan for a full-scale offensive, only to fall into the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's trap.

After taking office, Ridgway did some research.

At the time, both some frontline US military commanders and some generals in Syngman Rhee's puppet army paid close attention to the Chinese army. They offered MacArthur some advice, arguing that the troops should not attack so quickly and blindly. This included Smith of the 1st Marine Division and Paik Sun-yup of the puppet 1st Division.

But MacArthur paid no attention to these suggestions.

Instead, they criticized them and asked them to move forward quickly.

Now that they have failed, they are starting to blame others. So Ridgway asked: "Do you think the Chinese army did not win the previous battles by relying on strength?"

MacArthur paused.

Speaking of the Chinese army, they truly smacked MacArthur in the face, disgracing him worldwide. MacArthur had originally hoped to exploit the Korean War to advance his political career. Many believed MacArthur was using the Korean War as a pretext for a run for president. However, he was thrashed by the Chinese army, leaving him with nothing.

Of course, he was beaten up, but MacArthur was not going to admit defeat. So he said directly: "Our intelligence department's assessment of the Chinese army is completely false. In our intelligence department's assessment, the Chinese army is just a group of peasants armed with outdated weapons. But it is obvious that the Chinese army is a well-trained force. They have received Soviet weapons and equipment, and are well-organized and have a strong fighting spirit. Our intelligence department is really negligent."

Ridgway was really helpless.

What is this thing MacArthur is talking about?

After shifting the blame again, MacArthur continued, "Although the Chinese military is stronger than we expected, China is still an agricultural country. Their weapons and equipment are mainly provided by the Soviet Union, but this support cannot be unlimited. This time, it was just our carelessness and failure to take the Chinese army seriously that led to our defeat, not because the Chinese army is really that powerful."

MacArthur was arrogant and Ridgway was annoyed by him.

But General Ridgway agreed with MacArthur's words.

Not convinced.

Despite suffering a crushing defeat, the US military remained unconvinced. Many viewed the US military as ambushed by the Chinese before it could even deploy its forces. This meant the US military hadn't yet fully mobilized its forces. Consequently, many in the US military blamed the ambitious but incompetent MacArthur for the defeat. They refused to acknowledge that the US military's combat effectiveness was inferior to that of the Chinese.

Ridgway held the same view.

Although their views on the Chinese military have improved somewhat, and they now believe it is more combat-capable than they imagined, that's all they can say. They don't believe the military of an agricultural country can be that powerful.

The belief that the Chinese victory was largely unexpected has always been there. This resentment has a strong following in both American political and military circles. Therefore, when General Ridgway came to Korea, both political and military circles urged him to rebuild the Eighth Army and then deal a good job with the Chinese army.

The American political and military circles will never be willing to admit defeat without having a serious confrontation with the Chinese army.

"So what do you think we should do now?

"We must teach this ignorant Chinese a lesson. We must mobilize all the forces we can, including landing in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea to cut off the Chinese army's retreat."

Li Qiwei smiled bitterly.

I actually asked MacArthur, a lunatic, this question.

Landing from the Bohai and Yellow Seas would require a significant number of US troops. Since the end of World War II, the US has been reducing its military, and the US currently has only a few troops. The devastating defeat in Korea has already depleted the US Army. Landing from the Yellow and Bohai Seas would require another two million troops.

So Ridgway changed the subject and asked, "What if the Soviet army joins the war?

MacArthur thought for a moment and said, "If Truman remains as weak as he is now, the Eighth Army will have no choice but to withdraw from Korea. We should be tough on the Soviets. Only if we are tough will the Soviets refrain from sending troops into Korea."

Although MacArthur was arrogant, he was also wary of the Soviet army.

"Do you think the Syngman Rhee and Chiang Kai-shek armies can be trusted?"

"You can trust it for a short time."

"What if the battle goes against you?"

Ridgway is really nervous now.

There were few American troops in Busan, and most of them were logistics units and remnants of defeated troops. Ridgway withdrew the 3rd and 7th Divisions to Japan for rest and replenishment. The veterans urgently mobilized to Korea were not assigned to the 3rd and 7th Divisions, but were instead organized into new tank, artillery, and infantry battalions directly under the Eighth Army. He worried that the low morale of the 3rd and 7th Divisions would affect the new recruits. However, the emergency reinforcements totaled only about 10,000 men, hardly enough for the current situation.

The main forces in the Busan Defense War were Syngman Rhee's puppet army and the national army troops from Taiwan.

Syngman Rhee's puppet army recovered the fastest.

The puppet 1st and 5th divisions were basically intact, and after a little reinforcement, they became the main force. The other puppet 2nd and 7th divisions that had been disbanded were also quickly restored because Syngman Rhee had been training new recruits.

At the same time, Syngman Rhee restored the Capital Division.

Now Syngman Rhee has another 100,000 troops in Busan. Then there are Chiang Kai-shek's troops.

Ridgway lacked trust in these troops.

MacArthur said: "Trust? How can we trust these troops? If the battle situation turns unfavorable, they may betray us. But this will not happen. The Chinese army does not have such capabilities."

During some brief conversations between Ridgway and MacArthur, Ridgway roughly understood MacArthur's ideas.

Although he shifted the blame in various ways, he also admitted that the Chinese military was stronger than he had imagined. However, that was the only reason MacArthur didn't believe the US military was truly invincible to the Chinese. In this respect, MacArthur's thinking was the same as Ridgway's.

Ridgway believed that he would not be as foolish as MacArthur and enter the encirclement of the Chinese army.

So Ridgway finally asked: "Depending on the situation in Korea, can I choose to attack?"

MacArthur spread his hands and said: "Of course this is your power. The Eighth Army is yours now. You can do whatever you want."

This is exactly what Ridgway was waiting for.

So after Ridgway and MacArthur had a casual chat for a few words, they left MacArthur's residence. After leaving MacArthur's office, Ridgway felt much more comfortable.

MacArthur suffered such a huge defeat, but Truman didn't even let him go.

However, Ridgway knew that MacArthur could not stay in his current position for long. After all, he had brought such disgrace to the United States in the world.

While Ridgway and MacArthur were talking, Truman met with British Prime Minister Attlee in Washington. Since the news that the United States was going to use atomic bombs on the Korean Peninsula, public opinion in Britain was boiling.

Neither of them agree.

As a result, Attlee had to rush to Washington.

When Attlee met with Truman, he didn't hesitate to ask directly, "Does the United States really want a ceasefire?"

"Of course. From a military perspective, a ceasefire is beneficial to us now. But as you can see, the Chinese clearly disagree. They're even taking advantage of our desire for a ceasefire to make more demands, raising their bargaining chips. However, there are some demands we cannot agree to."

Truman certainly understood why Attlee came to Washington.

Truman also welcomed Attlee.

Because the United States currently has no direct channels of communication with China. Among Western countries, the relationship between Britain and the People's Republic of China is more delicate, and there are many channels for communication and mutual exchange of views.