The Fourth Outstanding Person of Huangpu Military Academy

Didn't they say that only the first five students scheduled for today's meeting were members of the War Research Society? How could they have found a "good general" among the ordinary students?

Chiang Kai-shek: "This good general is also my fellow Zhejiang native!"

Chapter 39

Chiang Kai-shek began to interview the students of the first class individually in batches.

According to insider information disclosed by the guards at the military academy's office building that day, of the dozen or so cadets Chiang Kai-shek met on the first day, three were considered "good generals": Chen Tianheng, Jiang Xianyun, and Hu Zongnan. Three were considered "talented generals": Chen Geng, Zheng Dongguo, and Xu Jishen.

Except for Hu Zongnan, the other five were members of the War Research Society and the Young Military Association.

Sun Yat-sen's Generalissimo's Office of the Army and Navy.

It is also the current headquarters of the Kuomintang.

This Italian-style building was originally the manager's office of the Guangdong Cement Factory, which was a government-supervised and merchant-operated factory in the late Qing Dynasty. In 1917, when Sun Yat-sen went south to launch the Protection of Law Movement, he was inaugurated as the Grand Marshal of the Military Government of the Protection of Law in the Republic of China, and this place became the "Grand Marshal's Mansion."

Chen Tianheng and Jiang Xianyun came here on the orders of He Yingqin to deliver the final examination and interview results of the second batch of students and archive them in the archives of the Kuomintang headquarters.

"Judging from the number and size of the guards at the door, it seems that Premier Sun is not here today," said Jiang Xianyun.

Chen Tianheng: "As long as Secretary Mao is here, that's enough."

Mao Runzhi was currently an alternate member of the Kuomintang Central Executive Committee (a member of the Central Committee). He served as Director of the Secretariat of the Kuomintang Organization Department and a member of the Peasant Movement Committee. He maintained an office at Kuomintang headquarters. However, Mao Runzhi was usually not in his office, not even in Guangzhou. Today was an exception. Chen Tianheng and Jiang Xianyun had specifically inquired before entering the city on business, and they learned that Mao Runzhi had returned to Guangzhou from Jiangxi three days earlier.

Pushing open the office door, Mao Runzhi was writing a manuscript at the desk with a cigarette in one hand and a pen in the other.

"Oh, Guo Liang told me you two were coming to the Party headquarters today to do some work, and sure enough, you showed up before noon. I haven't seen you two in half a year, and you've both gotten a lot darker."

It is true that we haven't seen each other for half a year. Since the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, everyone has been busy with a lot of things such as the military academy and the peasant movement.

Chen Tianheng and Jiang Xianyun stepped forward and saluted: "Hello, Secretary Mao!"

Mao Runzhi looked at Chen Tianheng, then at Jiang Xianyun, and nodded, "Okay."

After saying that, he put the cigarette into his mouth and took a deep puff, "cough, cough, cough."

There was still tea in the teacup on the table. Mao Runzhi quickly picked up the teacup and took a sip. "Puff——"

This was going to be a hassle. Mao Runzhi swept the spurted tea and tea leaves off the table, his flushed face returning to normal. Then he said, "This is the first time one of our party members has saluted me."

……

To understanding.

Since July 1921, the Party has been an academic organization that studies and discusses Marxism-Leninism, a labor movement organization that establishes trade unions to lead the workers' movement, and a peasant movement organization that mobilizes peasants to fight for their own rights and interests. However, it has never been a military organization and has no military department.

Putting himself in their shoes, Chen Tianheng felt that if he were in such a state of mind, he would probably be so excited that he would be at a loss.

Jiang Xianyun: "Besides the two of us, there's also Chen Geng. There are also more than 50 members of the Young Military Personnel Association, of whom there are already 11 candidate members and 20 activists."

Chen Tianheng: "The War Research Society now has 26 members, and there is a large overlap between its membership and that of the Young Soldiers' Association. Secretary Mao, we will soon have an army."

"If we had established an armed force earlier, Comrade Li Lisan and other comrades on the Beijing-Hankou Railway would not have died, or at least not so much. Now we have finally taken a step in this direction..." Mao Runzhi paused and suddenly said, "Don't tell anyone about my embarrassing appearance just now."

Jiang Xianyun: "I won't say it. I've felt the same way recently."

Chen Tianheng: "Secretary Mao, can you write about this in your memoirs when you retire?"

Mao Runzhi: ...

……

"Now, farmers' organizations are no longer limited to southern Hunan or the Hunan region. Jiangxi and Hubei have also begun to establish farmers' associations and farmers' and workers' unions. Fujian also has farmers' associations, and Comrade Peng Pai has set off a huge wave of farmers' movements in Fujian. Dr. Sun Yat-sen called on several southern provinces to launch the Northern Expedition. After the Northern Expedition began, the farmers' associations organized by the farmers' associations provided strong support for the Northern Expedition Army. At the same time, the farmers' associations will also be tempered and grown during the war. In the future, we will have many areas where we need military talents."

Mao Runzhi briefly told the two people about the current situation of the peasant movement.

Jiang Xianyun: "The Peasant Movement Training Institute should teach basic military skills to those key members."

"For the peasant armed forces to complete the transformation from peasant self-defense forces to self-defense armies, military guidance is indispensable. However, in the future, the party's armed forces must include both peasant self-defense forces and, more importantly, a revolutionary army that will serve as the main combat force. Both are indispensable. The comrades you have united and gathered at the Whampoa Military Academy are extremely valuable, but it would be much better if you could expand the organization's membership."

Chen Tianheng: "We came to the Party headquarters today to submit the entrance examination and assessment reports for the second batch of Whampoa Military Academy students. The second batch of students will officially start school soon, and then the Youth Army Association and the War Research Association will be able to recruit a new batch of blood."

The second class of Whampoa Military Academy had a similar number of students as the first, both at just over 400 (though the first class later added nearly 200 students from the Military Academy). However, the second class's student body was likely inferior to the first, as many senior KMT officials were tired of writing letters of recommendation for the first class. By the time the second class arrived, they realized that nearly all the promising students around them had already been recommended.

Therefore, many of the students admitted to the second phase of Huangpu Military Academy were those who were eliminated in the first phase of the final examination (more than 400 people were admitted in the first phase, and there were 1200 people who took the final examination).

"Chen Tianheng, we need to recruit fresh blood from the second batch, but there are still many outstanding students in the first batch with potential to be tapped."

Mao Runzhi picked up a newsletter on the table. "There's an excellent article on the front page of this issue written by a student from your first term. It's signed by... He Zhonghan. Also, Chiang Kai-shek recently had a one-on-one interview with Whampoa students. It's said that he discovered a man named Hu Zongnan who could be a good general. You see, among the students of your first term, besides the few dozen you've recruited, there are still quite a few talented people."

Chen Tianheng: "I've met both of them. Speaking with He Zhonghan, I felt he'd read quite a bit, including books on Marxism-Leninism. He also had his own theories and perspectives, which were somewhat different from what our organization was looking for. Hu Zongnan, on the other hand, didn't have his own theories, but he also didn't indicate any leaning towards communism."

Mao Runzhi: "Neither the Youth Army Association nor the War Research Association should require Communist Party membership as the entry threshold. I can see He Zhonghan's views and the Three Principles of the People in his articles. He is probably not a rare example among the Whampoa cadets. A young man who has come all the way to study at the Whampoa Military Academy must have a deep desire to engage in revolution, to transform our society and our country. As long as he demonstrates a deep understanding of democracy and people's livelihood, and establishes a belief in the supremacy of the people's interests, then such comrades will remain part of our camp and are trustworthy."

Chen Tianheng: "Hmm..."

Since Secretary Mao said so, and Secretary Mao also appreciated He Zhonghan's article, it seems worth a try.

"Secretary Mao, let's have another exchange of ideas with He Zhonghan," Chen Tianheng said. "Xianyun, you and he are both on the same team. Do you want to talk to him first, or should we both talk to him together?"

Jiang Xianyun: "Let me communicate with him first."

Chen Tianheng: "Okay, you discuss first. If you can't handle it, we can go together. As for Hu Zongnan, I'll go first."

……

Hu Zongnan had actually applied to join the War Research Society before, but Chen Tianheng didn't approve it. More precisely, he didn't allow Hu Zongnan to enter the final test.

A month after the application was submitted, someone suddenly told Hu Zongnan that he was preparing to take the membership assessment for the War Research Society.

Question 1

“The workers’ ...

A) 22122112

B) 22112122

C) 22112112

D) 11221221

E)21221121

What?

what is this?

The mimeographed test paper has a total of 60 questions.

He could understand the questions, but he just didn't understand why he had to take this kind of test after joining a war research society.

Forget it, just write it.

……

"Hu Zongnan, 102. Tsk..."

The test papers were collected and graded. Hu Zongnan's IQ was 102. Chen Geng sighed.

Jiang Xianyun: "It's over 100. 100 is the average."

Chen Geng: "But the lowest score among our current members of the War Research Association is 110, and most are above 120. If he passes the final assessment, it will break our record for the lowest score."

Chen Tianheng: "I've thought about it. We might revise our process for recruiting new members slightly, giving applicants more opportunities. Someone like Hu Zongnan could join us for a period of time, called a 'probationary period.' If the probationary period proves he can keep up with our progress, then we'll let him join. If he can't, then forget it. Of course, there are some exceptional candidates who don't need a probationary period."

In this way, Hu Zongnan participated in the activities of the War Research Society.

The daily activities of the War Research Society are divided into two categories: study sessions and seminars.

A study session is when everyone reads the same book or looks at the same battle example, and then gathers together to express their opinions.

Seminars usually discuss open-ended issues, particularly possible future wars or combat styles.

The seminar was truly eye-opening for Hu Zongnan. First, it was attended by instructors from the Whampoa Military Academy, some of whom were quite senior. Second, the open nature of the seminar made it akin to a brainstorming session, with everyone's thinking so swift that even when someone had a new idea, they would shovel and modify the sand table terrain at breakneck speed.

"This is the French troop deployment in the Rhineland. Pay attention to the Franco-German border situation and the surrounding military deployments. After the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Locarno, both Britain and France obtained the rights of the victorious nations, including the right to station troops. However, Britain only maintained a symbolic presence in Germany, and even this symbolic presence is being continuously reduced. France, on the other hand, maintains a substantial presence and has taken the Rhineland into its own hands."

Ye Jianying presided over today's seminar.

"So, if Germany implements the so-called Rheinlandbesetzung, a remilitarization plan, is it possible to advance into the Rhineland? To what extent would France have to mobilize to stop the German advance? Hu Zongnan, tell me your opinion."

"Ah I?"

Hu Zongnan was particularly distressed today because half of the materials distributed at this seminar were in foreign languages ​​(there was no time to translate them), and the discussion was about the possible future Franco-German conflict. But since Ye Jianying had mentioned him, Hu Zongnan stood up unsteadily and said:

"Report to the instructor, I think it is possible for Germany to march into the Rhineland, but it is unlikely for Germany to march into the Rhineland."

Jiang Xianyun: “…”

Chen Tianheng: “…”

Chapter 40

After meeting with Mao Runzhi to discuss the issue of expanding the team, Chen Tianheng realized that he had habitually avoided some people when selecting members for the War Research Society some time ago.

In addition to Hu Zongnan and He Zhonghan, Gui Yongqing and Yu Jishi were also passed over.

The famous classmate Sun Yuanliang also passed.

Long-legged General Sun Yuanliang. Gui Yongqing is also famous, not for commanding the Republic of China Navy, but for his statement before the Battle of Lanfeng: "It is extremely difficult to defeat a large force with a small force, but how difficult is it to defeat a small force with a large force?" (Then the Battle of Lanfeng collapsed.)

As for Yu Jishi, he didn't have that many remarkable military achievements, but he had one important problem: his hometown was Fenghua, Zhejiang, and broadly speaking, he was a distant relative of Chiang Kai-shek. This made him a key figure for Chiang Kai-shek to win over.

Now the War Research Society and the Young Soldiers Association are re-screening the candidates who were previously passed.

But unfortunately, Hu Zongnan was not selected even after the re-screening (sad).

He Zhonghan was an unexpected surprise. After their first meeting, Jiang Xianyun said that He Zhonghan was a good comrade who not only agreed with the Young Military Association's ideas but also had a very good conversation with Jiang Xianyun.

"Zhonghan, Marxism is a broad and rigorous science. It takes time to truly understand and master it. It requires a long process of interactive study and practice."

Chen Tianheng also joined the second chat and gave He Zhonghan a heads-up first.

He Zhonghan: "Actually, I haven't read too many books by Marx and Engels yet, but I find his theories, to be quite fascinating."

Chen Tianheng: "Moreover, China's social conditions and history are completely different from those of Europe. Many questions do not have ready-made answers in the theories of our predecessors. We must constantly explore and summarize them in practice."

He Zhonghan: "That is, if we continue to carry out the revolution and find that some aspects of Marxist-Leninist theory are not applicable to China, then we should change what needs to be changed."

Jiang Xianyun: “Yes.”

Chen Tianheng: "Actually, all theories and all things are the same. To grasp them, you must grasp the core, not the exterior. Only the core remains unchanged. If you don't change even the superficial details, you're called a fundamentalist. Both Christianity and Islam have such sects. The core of Marx's theory can be summed up in four words: seek truth from facts."

He Zhonghan: "It's about analyzing specific things. If you find something that doesn't make sense, then it must be a problem with the theory or the wrong application of the theory, not that the thing that happened was wrong, right? This is indeed how it should be, after all, materialism."

Chen Tianheng laughed and said, "The kind of person you're talking about can be described in one sentence: 'I'm not wrong, it's the world that's wrong.'"

After passing the Qingjun Association, He Zhonghan reported to the War Research Association and passed the membership assessment in one go.

Although Chen Tianheng knew that He Zhonghan had basically never led troops to fight in history, he was smart and could do anything well, and his upper limit was very high.

……

"All of you, stand at attention!!"

"Now, please allow Marshal Sun to give the lecture!"

In front of the Grand Marshal's Mansion.

9 month 7 day.

More than 400 teachers and students of Huangpu Military Academy stood at attention in a line.

"Why is September 7th called the National Humiliation Day? Because it's the day the Boxer Protocol was signed."

Sun Yat-sen chose this day to deliver a speech to the teachers and students of Whampoa Military Academy because September 7 was the "National Humiliation Day" in the Republic of China.

Sun Yat-sen was accompanied by Wang Jingwei, a member of the KMT Central Executive Committee and currently the KMT's Minister of Propaganda; Liao Zhongkai, a member of the Central Executive Committee, Minister of Finance, and Party Representative to the Whampoa Military Academy; and Hu Hanmin, a member of the Central Executive Committee and Governor of Guangdong Province.

"Some say, 'The Treaty of Xin Chou was signed because the Eight-Nation Alliance entered Beijing during the Boxer Rebellion, and the Eight-Nation Alliance entered Beijing because of the Boxer Rebellion.' That's true, but what I want to ask is, why did the Boxer Rebellion happen?"

"To answer this question, we must first understand how the so-called great powers treat the red people of America, the black people of Africa, the brown people of Australia, and the Indians of Asia. They have changed the color of half of the five continents. They have wiped out or enslaved half of three of the five major races."

"Let's think about it: Can China be an exception? Can it receive special mercy and special courtesy from him?"

"...By the 24th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty, the idea of ​​dividing China had reached its peak. No wonder the Boxer Rebellion occurred two years later!"

"...Not only did they use their political and economic power to deprive the Chinese of their material possessions, they also used religious power to deprive them of their spirit. A group of priests, relying on their national strength, protected believers, interfered in lawsuits, and oppressed those outside their faith, doing everything they could to the point of leaving those they abused heartbroken. This was also a major factor in the Boxer Rebellion!"

……

Sun Yat-sen's speech had a heavy accent, but Chen Tianheng could understand it.

Chen Tianheng found this speech quite interesting. — Later, on the internet, who was it that claimed that Sun Yat-sen (out of regionalism) praised the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and disparaged the Boxer Rebellion?

"Brother Yu, you are familiar with the principal. Do you have any inside information? Why didn't the principal come today?"