1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll

To put it bluntly, the so-called "consolation and investigation" is actually to give him a decent face:

If you know what's good for you, you can take the blame for Sims' death and resign. I won't publicly dismiss you from your position, and we can part ways amicably.

What a kindhearted Saint! (no sarcasm)...

After a silence of more than ten seconds, Stanley bowed respectfully to Springfield:

"Yes, Mr. President, I will give you a satisfactory answer within a week."

There is only one satisfactory answer - Sims resisted the federal government investigation and intended to escape punishment by death, so he should be stripped of all honors like MacArthur. As the number one person in the Navy, Stanley must bear joint responsibility and resign to thank the people.

Stanley did not want to "die of a heart attack" like Sims, nor did he want to be hanged like MacArthur, and he did not want to fight Springfield to the end;

Obviously, if he tries to compete with the most powerful president in American history, he will definitely be in trouble, and his lifelong honor may even be completely ruined.

"Very good, thank you for your hard work."

"I dare not, Mr. President, then I will..."

The two men spoke politely, without any trace of political confrontation, except that Stanley seemed to be hunched over when he left the East Room.

In one sentence, a former three-star admiral, a senior general with great prestige within the navy, was forced to withdraw from the political stage without even a trace of struggle or resistance.

What was even more shocking was that when he saw Stanley leaving with only his adjutant, Springfield actually pursed his lips at Vice Admiral David Sellers, commander of the Navy battleship force.

"Lieutenant General Sellers, aren't you coming with us? Investigating this matter is very exhausting, and General Stanley needs a good assistant."

Cyrus, Stanley's loyal ally and a staunch advocate of "big ships and big guns", once publicly complained that the New Deal weakened the navy's combat readiness. He believed that the government had been too compromising towards Japan, especially Fujiwara no Kanezane, and that war should be declared against Japan immediately to crush the future naval power.

Cyrus's expression also froze, he gritted his teeth, and then stood up and left. However, compared to Stani, his resentment was much more obvious.

The scene became even quieter.

There is no doubt that in response to the aftermath of the recent coup, President Field has finally shown her fangs and has begun to fulfill the promises she made in her public speeches step by step:

Thoroughly investigate the remnants of the coup!

Strengthen military loyalty!

Let’s put aside for now how to thoroughly investigate the remnants of the coup. The “purge of military loyalty” is already being implemented on the spot and is not concealed at all.

You see, the Navy just "provoked" a little (maybe they didn't even really provoke intentionally), and an admiral, a vice admiral and more of their cronies will lose their posts;

For example, Harrison Reed, the director of the Naval Equipment Bureau who insisted that "the observer's eyes are the most reliable weapon", has received sympathetic or gloating glances from many people.

Anyone who disobeys President Field will be arrested. So, loyalty or not, what's the point?

忠!

You must be loyal! You can't be unfaithful!

Don't say anything about "soldiers are only loyal to the Constitution and the country." The problem now is that you can ignore the orders of this woman in front of you, but that means you are nothing!

The saint is the constitution!

Springfield is the country!

Everyone has fought hard to get to their current position, and no one wants to leave in disgrace.

The atmosphere on the scene changed even more - from "taking it seriously" at the beginning to "being cautious".

In fact, Chuntian didn't care whether these generals were loyal or not. She only cared about whether she could complete the task assigned to her by the commander perfectly.

All obstacles that stand in this way must die. The meeting officially begins.

"Everyone."

As soon as Haruta's voice fell, the generals' backs straightened suddenly, their hands fell on the notebooks, and they looked more serious than the people on the peninsula facing the Golden Sun.

"Some time ago, the coup d'état launched by the rebels led by former Army Chief of Staff MacArthur and former Navy Admiral Sims caused great harm to the country, the government, and myself..."

"...a few officers could easily incite thousands of ignorant soldiers to rebellion or even attack the White House without a second thought. While I personally have no fear, their actions are very likely to harm innocent people and the reputation of the country..."

Huge damage?

Are you saying that MacArthur's body contaminated Constitution Square?

The fact that they were fearless was indeed irrefutable.

Although what happened on the South Lawn of the White House still puzzled these officers who did not witness the "miracle" with their own eyes, it was true that Springfield was able to incite the soldiers who shot at her with just one sentence and easily prevent the coup.

The Saint Lady once again proved her great prestige among the soldiers and the people, forcing all senior officers to bow to her.

Although it was common for officers to look down on soldiers in the United States, the situation is obviously different now.

"...All of this has prompted me to think completely differently about the management of the U.S. armed forces. I believe it's time to change this outdated management approach!"

"Reform is imminent!" It's coming!

630 Springfield Military Reform

coming!

Military reform!

It was something that everyone knew President Field had been planning for a long time.

As early as the beginning of her term, she had talked to many people in the army and navy, especially middle and lower-level officers, and initially revealed some of her ideas and listened to their opinions and suggestions;

However, her position at the time was far less secure than it is now, so the senior military officials showed her due respect but rarely responded directly, mostly brushing her off with a laugh.

At that time, except for a very few people, no one had expected that a female president with no foundation could raise her prestige to such a terrifying level in less than a year, so no one paid any attention to what she said.

Now, with the opportunity presented by MacArthur's fatal blow to the Army and the mess Sims had caused for the Navy, she finally had a reason to realize her idea, right?

I hope she is right. Otherwise, even if she is extremely wrong, I am afraid not many people would dare to raise objections.

The generals were anxiously prepared to listen to the "high-sounding words" of this female president who had almost no "military service experience" except leading veterans to fight President Hoover;

But soon, they found that they had underestimated each other.

"The first reform is to unify and standardize the military rank system, uniforms, and insignia." After a brief introduction, Haruta went straight to the point:

"Currently, the U.S. armed forces lack unified standards for military ranks and other related systems. The Army has its own special general, and the Navy also has its own 'fleet admiral'..."

"...the three-star lieutenant generals and two-star major generals in the Army and Navy are not even subordinate to each other. Even the shoulder insignia symbols of the different branches within the major branches are different..."

"...Each unit has its own ideas, sometimes even making changes without reporting them for the record. This has led to a chaotic and redundant system, seriously hindering joint command and inter-service coordination..."

After hearing what Chuntian said, the generals shrank their necks. They were a little surprised that the other party would attack from this angle first.

This is an old problem for the US military.

For example, the Navy's "Fleet Admiral" was a title created entirely by the Navy itself. It was used without even getting Congress's approval, and it became a "custom"!

Separation of powers?

I'll give your grandma a leg.

In the end, it will only end up like this, each doing their own thing, fighting for their own ends, and hindering each other. And what about MacArthur, the "Number One in the Army" who just passed away? Can you guess what his actual military rank was?

Three-star general? Five-star general? Special general? Marshal?

Bullshit! Just a major general.

How could a mere major general become the "number one in the army" and issue various orders as a general?

This is because there is a so-called "position rank" within the army - as long as MacArthur serves as "Army Chief of Staff", he is given the "temporary rank" of general, and after retiring from his post, it will return to his original "permanent rank".

Therefore, many history enthusiasts who don't understand this often wonder why MacArthur's military rank kept changing. He was a general in 1930, but how did he get promoted to full general in 1941?

Temporary ranks and post ranks were created during the Spanish-American War and World War I to address the serious shortage of officers due to an imperfect promotion system. They were quite useful at the time:

For example, a competence-based approach can break the constraints of seniority and promote outstanding officers, eliminate friction within the coalition command hierarchy, and prevent the proliferation of permanent high-ranking officers that drives up military spending.

But that was during wartime. When it was not wartime, this conventional system became a major problem that restricted the development of the US military and hindered the US military's combat effectiveness.

For example, "military rank inflation".

In 1946, the US military's temporary general officer rank was 400% overstaffed, and Congress decried that "there were as many five-star generals as there were convenience stores." Because the law stipulated that "retirement benefits would be calculated based on the higher of permanent and temporary rank," the burden on the US military increased significantly, and most of the budget was used to support generals.

For example, "rocket promotion".

Eisenhower was a lieutenant colonel until March 1941, and became a five-star general in 1944. He was undoubtedly talented, but more so, it was the systemic corruption caused by the sons and grandsons of the masters frantically acquiring temporary military ranks, which often led to the bizarre situation of "majors holding the rank of major general";

(艾森豪威尔的军衔就是美军军衔制度混乱的一大典型案例——18年临时少校，20年6月变回上尉，7月又变成少校，22年变回上回尉,24年变成少校,30年临时中校,36年晋升中校...)

For example, "command confusion".

Since the sons of the parliamentarians also wanted to gain military merit, grandfathers and fathers gave their sons and grandsons very high "temporary military ranks", resulting in the rank of a division commander being higher than that of an army commander. The two sides were dissatisfied with each other and tried to trip each other up.

As for other issues such as "serious disconnect between experience and rank", "regular-rank officers generally perform better than temporary-rank officers", "pension arbitrage, welfare abuse, and destruction of promotion fairness", there are countless of them.

It can only be said that the US military is indeed weak in all aspects, but the national strength of the United States has made it the world's strongest army.

To put it in a proper way, your anus is very loose but your hemorrhoids have perfectly stretched it into the tightest vagina in the world, and it even has its own lubrication and granulation.

"...Therefore, effective immediately, all outdated military rank titles and systems will be abolished. The White House, Congress, and the law will not recognize any self-created military ranks. All branches of the U.S. Armed Forces will implement a completely unified rank system!"

The staff behind Haruta quickly posted the new military rank list on the huge blackboard that had been prepared:

Marshal - the highest military honor, awarded by Congress for outstanding achievements in national strategic victories or wartime leadership. It is not created in peacetime and is reserved for future or symbolic honors. It is unlikely to be created unless World War II occurs.

General - awarded to the Chief of Staff of a service or positions of equivalent rank, or commander-in-chief of a theater of war; Senior General - awarded to the Deputy Chief of Staff of a service, commander of a major theater of war, or senior minister of a headquarters;

Lieutenant General - awarded to army rank, fleet commander, major military district commander, and functional director of a headquarters;

Below...

The generals were shocked.

Titles like "Marshal" and "General" are nothing unusual; the key lies in the other effects this move brings!

Unifying military ranks and changing their titles will not trigger a strong backlash from the troops. If anyone is dissatisfied with this, then Chuntian will not have to do anything, as others will automatically deal with him.

But this was a crucial move for Springfield to consolidate military power. In this process, not only would it be clear who was obeying and who was disobedient, but it would also deeply imprint Springfield's personal stamp, and the entire army would feel the president's presence firsthand!

-.--Wenliang I personally designed the military emblem, military flag, and military uniforms..." He smiled bitterly and admired in his heart. The things that were then displayed made the generals smile bitterly and admire in their hearts.

Let’s put aside for now whether these things look good, are easy to use, and whether they meet the public’s aesthetic standards (although they are indeed cool);

The key point is, if the soldiers heard that this was "designed by Her Highness the Saint herself", who would not support it? It might even become a "holy relic"!

In this way, Ms. Field has subtly and truly permeated every corner of the military:

No matter what branch of the military you are or what rank you are, you still have to use these things every day, right?

As long as you use it, you will think of it all the time, just like you think of your wife, Garand rifle or Springfield rifle all the time.

"The promotion, demotion, appointment, and dismissal of all officers above the rank of colonel will be strictly based on ability and merit. A list will be submitted to the newly established Ministry of National Defense for review by the Military Commission and approved by the President. All informal decision-making mechanisms will be completely abolished!"

(That’s right, at that time, the United States didn’t even have a Department of Defense. The various branches of the military kept pitting each other until 1949. The Navy didn’t help the Army, and the Army didn’t give intelligence to the Navy. The reason why it didn’t become like Japan was purely because the United States was big enough and was still developing.)

(From 1947 to 1949, the U.S. military experienced a major internal conflict between the navy and the army in order to establish the Department of Defense, which forced the first U.S. Secretary of Defense to commit suicide. Subsequently, it took the huge price of dozens of generals retiring before the position of Secretary of Defense was finally stabilized and not abolished.)

When Chuntian said this, the generals of the navy and the army felt a chill in their backs.

For the Army, this was undoubtedly another slap in the face after the "MacArthur Rebellion."

Pershing had just demanded the disbanding of the "Comrades' Association" and voluntarily withdrawn from the "Generals' Committee" as a gesture of severance and goodwill, when Springfield turned around and flipped the table!

There is no doubt that the new Military Commission and the Ministry of Defense will be controlled by President Field's inner circle, and the Army's last bit of autonomy in personnel matters will be completely stripped away.

For the Navy, the situation was not much better.

The new military rank system has abolished the navy's unique "self-created ranks" that were not officially approved but were customary. It also means that the navy no longer has any special and transcendent status and must compete under a unified system like other branches of the military.

For the Navy, which relies heavily on government funding for its survival and development (this is one of the reasons why most Navy members support the new deal), the White House government's control over them will become stronger.

"All active-duty officers will have their ranks reassessed, confirmed, or adjusted within the next three months by the newly established Ministry of National Defense and the Federal Military Commission, based on the new rank system and job requirements. Military uniforms and insignia will be uniformly replaced nationwide within a year..."

Haruta tapped the document in his hand and asked politely:

"...Okay, that's all I have to say about the reform of the military rank system for now. For the specific details, please refer to the relevant documents after this meeting. Now, does anyone have any questions about this part?"

It seems that some people are going to be promoted, some are going to be demoted, or even quit like Stanley.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion for a moment before someone cautiously raised their hand. "President Field, may I ask, what are the functions of the Military Commission and the Department of Defense? Who will be the heads of these two new departments?"

"This is the second reform I want to announce. It is to abolish the existing separate structures of the Ministry of the Army and the Ministry of the Navy and to establish a unified Federal Military Commission and a Federal Ministry of Defense to manage military affairs.

"The Military Commission is the nation's highest military command body, directly leading the armed forces and responsible for military training and other operational matters... The Ministry of National Defense is a subordinate government agency primarily responsible for national defense mobilization, military diplomacy, and conscription..."

"As for the leadership of these two new departments, the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee will be the President of the United States, and the Secretary of Defense will be nominated by me and confirmed by the Senate. However, since there is no suitable candidate at the moment, I will serve concurrently."

Now everyone understands:

The Chairman of the Central Military Commission is the "Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces" in the conventional sense, further strengthening the president's military power, and the Secretary of Defense will be the head of a subordinate department of the government in the future, transferring more power from the military to the government.