1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll

Working yourself to death every day but not having enough to eat or wear warm clothes?

We're lucky we didn't starve to death!

My mother and sisters were raped, my father and brothers were killed? Can you guess why I came here alone?

The shared experience quickly brought the two sides closer together. Some soldiers who were better at Chinese took the initiative to chat with the cadres, while others acted as translators, conveying the content of their conversation to other soldiers.

Then, more and more soldiers joined the discussion and soon came to a conclusion that they had never dared to think of before:

We, the slaves, were suffering before we came to the Red Army! We were the oppressed, the poor people! Those lamas were deceiving us!

We clearly didn't do anything bad! So why should we suffer like this?

In fact, these ideas have not been completely unthought of before.

After all, humans are carbon-based creatures. We get tired when we work, feel pain when we get beaten, and feel uncomfortable when we go hungry. We also occasionally wonder if something is wrong.

However, under the brainwashing of religion, the torture of hunger and suffering, and the threat of whips and sticks, this weak "rebellion" was quickly extinguished without a trace and hidden in the deepest part of the heart until the end of life.

Now that the Red Army had successfully drawn it out, and without those restrictions around them, they were out of control and triggered an extremely strong reaction.

The best example of this is that more than a dozen soldiers took the initiative to admit that they or exposed certain people as "spies" sent by Mongolian princes and nobles in order to obtain the "secret of the Red Army's strength."

Now, the secret of the Red Army's strength seems to have been vaguely discovered, but these people have unsurprisingly chosen to betray their former master.

Don't think that just because they are spies, they are no different from other slaves.

Just like King A and King Kang, both in words and deeds, they attached great importance to the construction of the army, spending huge sums of money to build relationships and buy equipment, but when it came to the lower-level soldiers and servants, weren't they just as brutal, scolding, and wantonly killing them?

Because in their eyes, these people are not human beings.

Why should we treat others as “human beings” if they are not even of the same race as us?

You can't possibly think that immortal cultivators would treat ordinary people as human beings, right?

Please, many people who are better off financially than you no longer treat poor people as human beings, not to mention that they are of different classes.

The more particular and clever ones would even make promises to the spies about what would happen after the mission was accomplished.

It's not a formality, it's just an order - go kill Tang Sanzang and his disciples.jpg!

Therefore, the spies have no loyalty at all. Even if you try to persuade them with faith, they will immediately betray you if you give them even a little more benefit.

Things have developed to this point, and it seems unnecessary to hold a grievance meeting anymore, because everyone knows that everyone in this army has become a human being, or at least has human consciousness.

How could one endure darkness when seeing a brighter future? Well, it’s not entirely impossible.

Go back and lurk!

Get more people to join the Red Army!

In short, the powerful army that the princes thought the Red Army would help them train was indeed powerful, but it was absolutely impossible for it to fall into their hands as they imagined.

The approach of seeking truth from facts and adapting to local conditions made the construction of the cavalry division astonishingly fast.

In just one month, this force has undergone earth-shaking changes.

Although they were far from what Li Desheng had envisioned as "an elite force capable of shocking the entire grassland," at least when they were taken outside for training, even if there was only one of them, all the herders would kneel down as if they had seen a god!

Because of that aura, you can tell at a glance that he is not a slave like them!

However, most of the soldiers who would have been proud of this before did not feel satisfied or happy at this moment:

Because they saw the company commander, battalion commander and regiment commander take the initiative to dismount and help the herdsmen up, and saw the panic expressions on the herdsmen's faces, it was as if they saw the lowly self they once were.

I, a month later, will be even worse, right? But now, I know I'm different. Is this...

liberation?

liberation!

I am a human being, not a slave!

367 Corps University's stars shine

"...So, to sum up, I think Comrade Li Desheng's judgment on the war against Japan is wrong... too conservative!"

Li Desheng, Xu Xiangqian, and Ma Shiwu were walking to the door of a classroom at Yulin Middle School when they heard this voice. They paused in silence:

"Now, our Red Army has 10 troops marching north alone, and they are well-equipped and highly motivated. How can we be defeated by the Japanese? How can we continue the war for a long time? Relocating to Chengling is a complete betrayal of our own shortcomings!"

Li, Xu, and Ma exchanged glances. It was the real college student He Wei (He Shifu). This kid was still so reckless...

However, compared to when he had previously taken the lead in provoking Comrade Ma Shiwu in front of General Zhu, he has now somewhat restrained himself;

At least I no longer hold my head high and speak Cantonese, which no one can understand, every day. I have started to learn to speak northern dialect or Sichuan dialect to communicate with my comrades.

Well, it seems that he is particularly restrained in front of Comrade Ma Shiwu.

After all, he had been beaten up twice due to the absolute gap in strength, and was completely overwhelmed in terms of knowledge. He lost with a sincere sense of conviction.

Otherwise, why would he take the initiative to apply to join the Red Fourth Front Army and ask to go north with it and study at the "Northward Corps University"?

The Northward Corps University was a large base for CCP cadres and staff to study, which was gradually established by Comrade Li Desheng during the suppression of the Red Fourth Front Army and the Hubei-Henan-Anhui base area. It was similar to the later "Yan'an Anti-Japanese Red Army University";

This university will select outstanding students from various places for short-term training, including military, economics, politics, culture, science and other aspects of knowledge. Those who do not "graduate" will not be eligible for the next round of promotion.

After winning the Battle of Wuhan, the university grew stronger and stronger. Currently, the total number of full-time and part-time students has reached 900. It is regarded by Li Desheng as "the cradle of future cadres of the country, the party and the army."

Because, there is a certain database here, and she wants to compile books covering all aspects of knowledge, and the only thing that limits her is the speed of the printing press and her free time;

Therefore, the cadres who come out of here will see their mental outlook and knowledge and ability greatly improved, even if they only receive a short-term training of one week.

The three of them quietly walked into the classroom and sat in the last row. Because everyone was discussing so seriously, no one noticed them and they continued to watch "Master He" debate with other students.

He Shifu's point was clear: the Red Army should now speed up its advance and launch an immediate attack on the Japanese, rather than slowly advancing northward while establishing and consolidating bases along the way.

His reasons were quite sufficient:

1. The Red Army is no longer the same Red Army as before. It has a large number of people, strong soldiers and horses, and is well-equipped. It even has heavy artillery, vehicles and airplanes. Even if it does not have as many as the Japanese, it should be no problem to deal with the Kwantung Army.

2. The Red Army's current "slow-down action" is handing a knife to the Kuomintang reactionaries, allowing them to accuse the Red Army of "wandering without fighting" and "annexing local areas in the name of resisting Japan," thus undermining the CCP's public opinion.

3. This approach cannot fully mobilize other anti-Japanese forces in the short term. Even Yang Hucheng, who cooperated with the Red Army, was essentially just trying to protect his own territory and would not actually allocate many troops to fight against Japan.

how to say?

At first glance, it does make some sense, but those who were "criticized" such as Li Desheng did not immediately refute the other party;

They did not believe that there would be no one to oppose this "quick victory" rhetoric that was currently extremely popular throughout the Communist Party of China and the Red Army.

Sure enough, a student immediately jumped out and said, "Comrade He Wei! You are blindly optimistic!" "Oh? Blind? Optimistic?"

He Wei's temper improved a bit. At least he didn't immediately roll up his sleeves and try to solve the problem with his fists. Instead, he still folded his arms and looked down on others.

"Then tell me, where was I being blindly optimistic? Is it that we don't have heavy artillery, or that the Yulin airport hasn't been built? Is it that we are too few in number, or that the grasslands are unsuitable for cavalry and motor mobility?"

"Is it that there aren't long articles in newspapers across the country accusing us of only seizing territory and not resisting the Japanese, or is it that Yang Hucheng and his people aren't trying to protect their territory?"

"Our Red Army went north to fight the Japanese. How can we not fight the Japanese and instead compete with the Kuomintang and local warlords every day? How can this still reflect the great role we should have played in the anti-Japanese war and our legitimacy?"

The debater was silenced before he could even state his reasons, and many people remained silent, just applauding silently to show their support for He Wei's point of view.

This is the rule of "Corps University".

In this university, regardless of position, everyone is addressed as "Comrade XX" and can speak freely. It doesn't matter if you say something wrong. Others are not allowed to interrupt or label you. If you support, applaud; if you disagree, keep quiet; if you have an opinion, speak up.

The atmosphere was quite free, so free that there were even many people like He Wei who openly criticized some of Li Desheng's policies.

Moreover, He Wei's views have actually been shared by a considerable number of cadres within the Party and the military over the past few months. How could it be possible that no one applauded?

Xu Xiangqian glanced at Li Desheng, then at Ma Shiwu, and seeing that neither of them spoke, he also kept silent.

The debate continues.

"I oppose Comrade He Wei's views."

A young cadre stood up and began to calmly criticize each point:

"First, although we have obtained artillery, vehicles and other equipment by defeating the Kuomintang, the quantity is still relatively small. We are also seriously short of spare ammunition and maintenance logistics, and we have not built enough factories.

"It's fine if we don't start a war now, or if we only engage in a low-intensity war. But if a full-scale war breaks out with the Japanese, this amount of ammunition will be quickly used up within 10-20 days, and will not be enough to support subsequent military operations."

"Even if we can continue fighting with the spoils of war and the unwavering will of the soldiers, casualties will undoubtedly be high. Comrade Ma Shiwu has emphasized countless times that problems that can be solved with ammunition should not be solved with human lives!"

"Every soldier, every military and political cadre has been nurtured with countless efforts by the Party and the people. They can be sacrificed, but not for the sake of deliberately displaying bravery!"

"Secondly, there are indeed many newspapers criticizing our Red Army. I have seen this, but I think this is just the reactionaries' momentary anxiety and there is no need to pay any attention to it!"

"Our Red Army's march north to fight against Japan is just and in line with the expectations of the people of the whole country. According to the agreement reached between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in the fight against Japan, we have the right to pass through and stay in any part of Chinese territory!"

"If that's the case, why do people like Jing Yuexiu attack us? If they attack us, why don't we fight back? If we fight back, why are we slandered?"

"In my opinion, in the face of those who criticize us, far from giving in, we should base our actions on facts and let the propaganda department fight back fiercely! Give them a hard slap in the face!"

"Again, even if we occupy some territory, so what? Everyone knows that the reactionaries are determined to destroy us. For the future of the Chinese revolution, we must have a base as a rear base to support the anti-Japanese struggle in the front!"

"Otherwise, an army isolated and without rear support, even if it becomes powerful for a while, will be destroyed only a matter of time! Are we going to hand over our logistics to the Kuomintang? Who here dares to do that?"

Before the cadre finished speaking, the audience erupted in applause that was much louder than before.

It's not necessarily an expression of support, but it is definitely an appreciation for the person's clear logical expression.

Even Li Desheng uttered a low exclamation of joy: "It's Xiangzi..."

Chen Shuxiang, a native of Changsha County, Hunan Province, had known Li Desheng since 1921 and joined the Party in 25. He participated in major events such as the Northern Expedition, the Autumn Harvest Uprising, and the Jinggangshan Meeting. He now applied to go north to work in the Hubei-Henan-Anhui base area.

In 1934, he served as the commander of the 34th Red Army Division. When crossing the Xiangjiang River, he led the entire division of 6000 men to cover the rear of the Red Army and the Party Central Committee. Less than 1000 men survived.

Later, he led his troops to retreat into local guerrilla warfare and was surrounded by the Nationalist Army. He and his guards covered the retreat and were seriously injured and captured. Taking advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, he pulled out his intestines and strangled them to death. Later, his head was cut off by the Nationalist Army and hung in front of his mother's house for public display.

(Fuck, this is not something a human can do)

Chen Shuxiang was unaware of the significant change in his fate, the existence of the Shih Chien Party, and the fact that Li Desheng was behind him. He was only analyzing based on what he knew:

"Finally, you said that our northward advance was too slow and that we were unable to play our due role in the War of Resistance Against Japan and unable to mobilize local Nationalist forces like Yang Hucheng to fight against Japan. I think the opposite is true!"

"Only by gaining the support of the broad masses of the people in this way can we establish a solid base in the rear and become increasingly powerful!"

"As we become more powerful, local warlords like Yang Hucheng will be less likely to harbor dissenting ideas! Chiang Kai-shek's reactionary groups will be less likely to easily engage in friction with us or even go to war with us!"

"This way, we will have more time and energy to accumulate greater strength to fight against the powerful Japanese invaders! Win this difficult war of resistance against Japan! Liberate all of China!"

"To sum up, I believe we should continue to act according to our existing plan. There is no need to rush. We should proceed steadily and prepare for a long-term struggle against the Japanese invaders, rather than hoping to achieve victory in a single battle."

"My speech is complete."

After Chen Shuxiang finished speaking, the audience burst into warm applause again. Even He Wei couldn't think of how to refute these views for a moment, so he could only sit back in silence.

It’s not that he was convinced, nor that he really couldn’t think of any words to refute, but those words were strictly prohibited in the "Corps University".

For example, "pessimism", "escapism", "guerrillaism", "national defeatism" and so on.

When Li Desheng invited Ma Shiwu to give a speech at the beginning of the school, the latter said something very serious:

"Talk less about theories and look more at the reality; make fewer labels and talk more about data."

These words are undoubtedly directed at the bad habits within the CCP before her appearance, which left a legacy for future generations, such as accusing each other of names and making meaningless personal attacks.

And Li Desheng said:

"—Everything must be based on facts."

At this point, no one knows what the central government is doing, and the Northbound Corps cannot say that it can completely avoid this situation under normal circumstances, but at least no one dares to do so within the Corps University.

You want to refute someone? Sure!

Get a reason!

Get the data!

Otherwise, don't open your mouth!

Therefore, in this atmosphere of both freedom and restriction, despite Chen Shuxiang's excellent performance, some people still disagree with his views:

"Comrade Chen Shuxiang, Comrade He Wei underestimated the power of the Japanese invaders. Are you also overestimating them?"

"Comrade Ma Shiwu helped us analyze the entire process of the '918 Incident.' In fact, I believe that as long as we dare to resist, defeating them will not be very difficult!"

Everyone saw that it was a young cadre named Zhong Wei, who had always been strong-willed and daring, but a little too playful. He only wanted to manage military affairs and not get involved in politics. He was "forced" to come to the Corps University.

His superiors sternly warned him that if he didn't study his cultural and political studies well, didn't learn some real skills other than fighting, and didn't actively perform in school, then he wouldn't be allowed to come back!

Chen Shuxiang nodded:

"Indeed, you are right. The September 918th Incident was indeed a matter of luck. If the Northeast Army had dared to resist, the Kwantung Army, which was severely short of manpower and equipment at the time, would have had a hard time succeeding."

"That..."