The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

"Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.

"Comrade Zhukov.

"Hey?

In the cafeteria of the Frunze Military Academy, Chen Tianheng waved his hand twice in front of Zhukov. But Zhukov seemed unperturbed and focused on picking at the roasted beans and mutton on the plate in front of him.

Chen Tianheng: "Are you sure you can pass tomorrow's Advanced Combat Science exam? Do you want me to speak to Instructor Pokrovsky?"

Zhukov: "No."

"Georgy has actually learned everything, but after learning it he shifts his interests to other things," commented Konstantin Rokossovsky, who was dining at the same table.

Chen Tianheng: "Wouldn't it be more perfect if we could pass with all five points?

Zhukov and Rokossovsky arrived in Frunze on the same day, and their school started two months later than Chen Tianheng.

This was quite a coincidence, as Rokossovsky, commander of the Mongolian Independent Cavalry Division, had traveled from Outer Mongolia to Irkutsk, then on to Moscow via the Trans-Siberian Railway. Zhukov, on the other hand, was in Minsk, a short train ride from Moscow in about half a day, and they both arrived at the school on the same day.

Since they arrived on the same day, they were in the same Advanced Campaign Studies class. As for Chen Tianheng, he had already dropped out with a score of five. This course only lasted three weeks, followed by an exam, and then students could take other courses.

However, after noticing that Sokolovsky and Zhukov had already registered at the school, Chen Tianheng still paid great attention to this class.

"Five points doesn't mean you can win." Zhukov replied after chewing a huge baked potato a few times and swallowing it raw.

Chen Tianheng: "That's true. No military academy teaches the 'secrets to winning a war'."

Zhukov: "From the European War to the Sino-Japanese War, when two armies fought, it was extremely difficult for one army to win. Sometimes both sides invested the same number of troops, and you won, but you didn't know how you won. You didn't win, but you didn't know why you didn't win.

Chen Tianheng: "So?"

Zhukov: “So, it’s a complicated question.

Rokossovsky: "I think the purpose of the military academy is to make us understand that winning a battle is a complex problem and to teach us what the complexity is. This is actually not easy. Many generals still think that winning battles and wars is a simple matter.

Now 32 years old, Zhukov is mainly thinking about this issue.

Zhukov never attended a junior military academy. He served as a private in World War I and was promoted to sergeant and non-commissioned officer through military industry. After the October Revolution, he became an officer and led troops. In 1924, he was promoted to commander of a cavalry regiment and later went to the Cavalry Command School for further studies.

After graduating from his advanced studies, his original cavalry regiment was disbanded. Zhukov spent the past two years working at Belarusian State University, serving as the head of the military service department, responsible for the reserve military training and military theory education of university students. This position is similar to Ai Yuejin's from Russian University.

In comparison, Rokossovsky's military command experience at this time was slightly higher than Zhukov's. Before coming to Frunze, he was in a command position and was a division commander.

"Are the soldiers and junior officers of the Mongolian Independent Cavalry Division Mongolian?"

Chen Tianheng asked Rokossovsky.

"They are mostly Mongolians. A small number of officers are from our side. I and the staff of the divisional staff are all from our side. These Mongolians are not good at anything except riding.

Chen Tianheng hummed: "There is no war in Kulun. The reason these Mongolian troops exist is just to show that Mongolia has its own armed forces.

Rokossovsky: "No, the risk of an uprising in Ulaanbaatar is always there."

In November 1924, Outer Mongolia held the first meeting of the State Great Khural, announcing the establishment of the Mongolian People's Republic and changing the name of its capital, Kulun, to Ulaanbaatar.

Kulun is the old name for Mongolia before its independence. Unlike Dihua, it doesn't carry expansionist connotations. Instead, it means "fenced grassland" in Mongolian, referring to the royal grassland. Ulaanbaatar, with its cultural heritage far less, means "red hero" in Mongolian. ("Ulan" and "Batar")

Chen Tianheng: "If Kulun rebels, the Guangzhou United Government has a unit originating from Kulun, the Kulun Independent Regiment. This independent regiment is quite powerful, and there are plans to expand it in the future."

"Haha," Rokossovsky laughed, "it's not easy to get from Guangzhou to Mongolia.

Chen Tianheng: "I think so too. However, it is not impossible to reach. At that time, the Kulun Independent Regiment or Independent Division can work together with the Independent Cavalry Division to suppress any rebellion.

Rokossovsky: "..."

However, Rokossovsky had no say in Mongolian affairs; he was merely the commander of a cavalry division. The three of them chatted, and Chen Tianheng brought up this topic primarily to build closer ties.

"Director Wang, have the clothes arrived?

"Here we are. Look, Xuan Xiafu has already put on his clothes. But Xuan Xiafu is not here today.

Wang Ruofei handed a bag of clothes to Chen Tianheng.

It has been more than half a year since Guangzhou was captured, and the new military uniforms have only recently been ordered for mass production in the country, and will not be replaced until next month.

Because in Guangzhou, the revolutionary army found a warehouse with a large inventory of Northern Expedition uniforms...

Save wherever possible. Since there are still enough uniforms for the Northern Expedition Army to be distributed and used for at least half a year, the production of new uniforms was delayed. It was not until June that the General Logistics Department received the first batch.

Chen Tianheng unpacked the package and looked at the revolutionary army’s latest uniform, the Type 28 uniform.

--It probably looks very similar to the Type 87 military uniform, or a simpler version of the Type 87 military uniform.

The officer's cap was a wide-brimmed cap. The shape of the wide-brimmed cap was completely new in China at this time, and it was very different from the wide-brimmed caps worn on the old Beiyang Army uniforms, the Nanjing Army uniforms, the Northern Expedition Nereid Army uniforms, and the Soviet Army uniforms.

The Northern Expedition Army's wide-brimmed hats, which were modeled after Soviet military uniforms, were very large, but they actually looked out of place on Chinese heads.

Foreigners have smaller heads relative to their shoulders and body, so it makes sense for them to wear a large, wide-brimmed hat that significantly expands to the left and right, creating a more imposing presence. However, Chinese people, on the other hand, have larger heads relative to their shoulders, and wearing such a hat would make them look like "big-headed soldiers."

Therefore, the "Type 28 Military Uniform" was designed with reference to the hat of the Type 87 Military Uniform, reducing the extent of the space expanded to the left and right sides and increasing the height of the front of the hat, making the round face longer and more handsome.

The red hat wall is of course a necessary element, while the Air Force has a sky blue hat wall.

Navy? The navy’s military cap is designed separately.

The soldiers' uniforms of the Type 28 military uniform are a combination of daily wear and training uniforms. The daily wear of soldiers and officers has stand-up collars, instead of the suit-style lapels of the Type 87 military uniform.

It's not that small lapels are undemocratic, but rather that they place a high premium on the materials and workmanship of clothing (given Guangzhou's current counterfeit and ready-to-wear industries). If a small lapel isn't well made, it'll look baggy and shapeless, detracting rather than adding points. Buttoning a stand-up collar will create a neat and tidy appearance, even if the materials and craftsmanship aren't up to par.

In view of the fact that current printing and dyeing technology is relatively crude, the Type 28 military uniform does not have camouflage and is not grass green. The main color is gray.

So it is a simple version of the Type 87 military uniform.

However, although the design is based on simple materials and workmanship, the Type 87 military uniform still has a set of short-sleeved summer uniforms in addition to the daily uniforms/training uniforms.

Because Guangzhou is so damn hot...

Chen Tianheng took out his military uniform jacket and took off his Sun Army cap and put on the wide-brimmed cap of the Type 28 military uniform. "How is it?"

Wang Ruofei: "Xuan Xiafu thought this uniform was particularly good and loved it, and we all felt the same way. The key thing about this uniform is that it's very good-looking and has Chinese characteristics."

Chen Tianheng: "I can walk around Moscow in the uniform of the revolutionary army, right?"

Wang Ruofei: "Of course there is no problem. Didn't I just say that Xuan Xiafu went out for a walk in his new military uniform?

Chen Tianheng raised an OK sign and said: "I will go out for a walk tomorrow too.

Wang Ruofei: "I also heard that Chiang Kai-shek in Nanjing has also issued new military uniforms."

Chen Tianheng: "Knock! Don't tell me they copied ours again.

Nanjing.

He Zhonghan, who was about to take up the post of military attaché at the Chinese embassies in Britain and France, wore the newly designed "Min 17-style" military uniform.

In fact, in the later stages of the Northern Expedition, the newly ordered uniforms for the Northern Expedition Army were not entirely based on the Soviet-provided designs. Local factions often made minor changes to the details when placing orders, depending on the clothing factories they were working with. Some units also made their own rank epaulettes.

In June 1928, the Nanjing government issued the Interim Regulations on Army Regular and Dress Uniforms, which also standardized the style of military uniforms.

He Zhonghan is now wearing the standardized "Min 17-style military uniform".

"In order to embody the spirit of equality between officers and soldiers in the revolutionary army, our military uniforms, from generals to ordinary soldiers, all wear this 'combat cap'.

He Zhonghan nodded, took the hat and put it on, then said to his secretary: "This German-style cylindrical cloth military cap may not look ostentatious, but the material and workmanship are not cheap.

Secretary: "Ah, sir, the combat caps are just the same style, but the materials used for officers and soldiers are completely different."

He Zhonghan: "Then, I heard that in Guangzhou, the Chen-Deng rebels' new military uniforms, the officers were dressed in neat, wide-brimmed officer hats.

The secretary nodded.

He Zhonghan: "This is simply... simply too ironic.

"Principal. Director He.

He Zhonghan, wearing the brand new Type 17 military uniform, saluted Chiang Kai-shek and He Yingqin.

"Junshan, on this mission to Europe, besides your daily military attaché duties, another mission is to inspect Western European military equipment in order to select suitable weapons as the future standard equipment for the revolutionary army.

Chiang Kai-shek said to He Zhonghan, "What do you think about this?

He Zhonghan: "Principal, I learned a lot of intelligence techniques and skills in the Soviet Union, and I will use them in Europe. Apart from anything else, when those European arms dealers quote their prices, I will definitely be able to get the cards behind these manufacturers.

Chiang Kai-shek: "As for the current situation, there is no rush to place orders. The selection of arms and weapons is extremely important."

"Principal," He Zhonghan paused and asked, "I understand that the revolutionary army has hired German military advisors to participate in its training and staff command. I wonder if when we order and import arms and ammunition, we must choose German-made ones?"

He Yingqin: "That's not necessarily true. If we want our revolutionary army to be well-equipped, we don't have to stick to the weapons and equipment of any particular country; we should choose the best.

He Zhonghan nodded: "Student understands.

Chiang Kai-shek: "Junshan, you should also pay attention. The Chen-Deng rebels in Guangzhou also have a secret delegation, scouting for weapons and equipment in Europe. We should try to find out what kind of weapons this secret delegation is looking for."

Chapter 10: The Middle East Road? There's no way to fight

Frunze Military Academy.

Zhu Mutou and Luo Shuai were finally dragged into the water by Chen Tianheng.

Ah, this is the nickname Chen Tianheng gave to Zhukov and Rokossovsky. Zhukov's woodenness does not mean that he is Xu Sanduo. In fact, Zhukov has a cunning side, but he feels that there is no need for cunning in daily life, so he appears very wooden.

Rokossovsky was handsome, really handsome. If he hadn't been in a military academy with all its monks but in some other university, he would probably be considered one of the two most handsome men in Frunze University, along with Chen Tianheng.

"You mean you've been inside every building in Frunze and know what kind of institutions they are?

asked Rokossovsky.

Chen Tianheng: "Except for the student dormitory, I've been to all the other places. I have to make sure I learn everything I need to learn in Frunze."

Zhukov chewed his roasted lamb slowly, and only spoke after finishing his meal: "Actually, it doesn't make much difference whether you go or not. When the time comes to know those things, someone will naturally tell you. It may be a staff officer assigned by your superiors, or a thick stack of war information."

Chen Tianheng: "Georgy, I still want to tell you that China is not without cavalry units, nor is it without battlefields suitable for cavalry or armored mechanized warfare."

Zhukov: "Of course I know there are. But you also agreed with my deduction. When your sphere of influence expands to North China and Northwest China in the future, there will be no suspense in the military, and there will be no need for military personnel support. I believe that at that time the Soviet Central Committee will not feel it is necessary to send any military advisory group to China to help.

Chen Tianheng: "Have you ever imagined a scenario where, when we are on the verge of unifying China, certain countries, fearing this soon-to-be-reunified country, launch a full-scale attack on us?"

Zhukov looked at the ceiling, thinking intently.

Rokossovsky: "If that is the case, it is uncertain whether the Soviet Union will send people to China. You must know that we do not want to have a direct conflict with Western capitalist countries.

Chen Tianheng: "What if Comrade Stalin decides to support China?

Rokossovsky: "Then I will strongly request and write a written report requesting that I be transferred to China."

Chen Tianheng: "It's a deal.

Zhukov: "Defense, where defense is the key.

Zhukov's train of thought did not follow the last sentence of the conversation between Chen Tianheng and Rokossovsky, but Chen Tianheng's words "being attacked from all sides".

Chen Tianheng: "Then where do you think we should defend?

Zhukov: "I don't know. But you need to establish a continuous defense line in depth in the places where you must defend the most.

Chen Tianheng: "Then you can also be considered one. You should also write an application report to come to China in the future."

Xu

“Andrei Medvedev.

Chen Tianheng: “Yes!”

Shaposhnikov appeared outside the teaching and research office, Chen Tianheng answered, and he winked. Chen Tianheng understood that the General Staff had work to do.

"I heard that the dean has already written a final review for you.

Chen Tianheng: "Really? There's still half a month left of the three-month course. ...What's the comment?"

Shaposhnikov: "Comrade Medvedev has demonstrated exceptional military prowess and is a student who could have served as a senior military officer while still in school. He is calm, confident, and composed, unites his classmates, and is very interested in military technology.

Chen Tianheng: “As expected.

Shaposhnikov chuckled, "Comrade Triandafilov's evaluation of you is higher, but after comprehensive consideration, the dean still thinks it is more reasonable to use some clichés.

Triandafillov, professor and director of the Department of Tactics, was a leading figure in the Soviet Red Army in both tactics and campaigns. In 1931, his plane crashed while on a military exercise, and the Soviet Union subsequently banned or restricted high-ranking officials from flying.

"Report! The materials from the Far East Military Region General Staff have been delivered.

Daily work at the General Staff. A large box of documents from the Far Eastern Military Region was unpacked and distributed according to category to the appropriate departments and bureaus of the General Staff's Operations Department and the Post-Secondary Department. Prior to this, Chen Tianheng and two other assistants prepared a summary of the plan for Shaposhnikov.

What is the defensive operation plan for the Middle East Railway?

The Chinese Eastern Railway, stretching from Chita to Vladivostok, spans Northeast China. The section from Manchuria to Qiqihar, Harbin, and Suifenhe is all within Chinese territory. This is considered the easternmost branch line of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and the distance to Vladivostok is shorter than the main line.

After the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, Russia, Germany, and France returned Liaodong to Japan, and Tsarist Russia received a reward: Western recognition of Tsarist Russia's sphere of influence in Manchuria led to the construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway and the right of way through the region. During the Russo-Japanese War, Japan ceased fighting before it reached the main line of the railway, and Tsarist Russia, and later the Soviet Union, retained the right of way through the railway.