Amid the rumbling artillery fire from Manzhouli in the distance, Baikalsk, a small town in Russia, was already a scene of large armies gathering. The Red Army officers and soldiers of the brigade were coming from the simple road northwest of the small town. Along with them, there were also baggage carriages that were not far away. They were all four-wheeled European carriages, some were trucks, and some were exquisitely decorated luxury carriages. However, they were all stuffed with various supplies or weapons and ammunition, dragged slowly by tall Don hippos or short Mongolian horses... The railway from Chita to Manzhouli has not been restored yet, and the logistics supply of hundreds of thousands of Soviet Red Army on the front line can only be maintained by these carriages collected from all over Siberia.

The end of this supply line maintained by the carriage is the Houbaikalsk Railway Station. The Red Army engineers have urgently expanded the station, repaired a large number of warehouses, and widened the roads to enter and exit the station. After the carriage enters the station, it will drive to the front of different warehouses according to the materials they carry. The Mongolian people waiting there and the soldiers of the Red Army's baggage troops will unload the goods as quickly as possible. What ammunition, food, military uniforms, weapons and parts, feed, and gun oil,

Various revolutionary books and flyers printed in Russian or Chinese...all kinds of things that I thought of were unloaded from carriages and sent to the warehouse like unexpected things, and then quickly distributed them to the hands of the Red Army officers and soldiers on the front line of Manzhouli. In this modern war participated by China, Japan and Russia, what really decided the outcome was not the millions of soldiers fighting on the front line, but the long supply line behind the front line, and the national strength of various countries supporting the supply line!

If it were the Tsarist Russian Empire before World War I, it would be no difficulty to maintain this level of consumption. However, under the slogan of "Everything is for the frontline", the Soviet Union took away the last rations and livestock from the hands of countless farmers under the slogan of "Everything is for the frontline" to support the consumption of war!

Although the Politburo of Moscow and the Red Army officers and soldiers on the front line were full of confidence in the liberation of the Far East, Mongolia and Manchuria, the officials responsible for production and domestic supply of materials were already anxious, and there were even several counter-revolutionaries who were blinded by their consciences to openly warn the organization, claiming that Russia is about to face an unprecedented famine... This is really shameless, and no one knows that Russia has never starved to death.

Uh. This is a Russian proverb, but the great Russian gcd broke this absurd myth and created a miracle of starving tens of millions of people to death. Now the first famine in Soviet history is coming! The first famine that broke out is probably the first post-Baikal Province, which was just liberated. The first thing that happened to the People's Committee of the Far Eastern Soviet Socialist Republic came to power was to raise livestock and food for the front line regardless of everything. Hundreds of thousands of refugees and residents in Chita City could hardly get any supply, and all the stored grains in all shops selling food in the city were requisitioned! A fully armed machine gun grain collection team was sent around Chita to rob farmers and the last bit of food for the herdsmen. At the same time, the Cheka warriors also began to perform their duties. All the nobles, capitalists, landlords, rich peasants, and White Guard officers were arrested and executed!

There are more people who are imprisoned... Of course they are not reactionaries. There is no excess food to feed the reactionaries in the Far East! They were arrested as hostages! A government actually captured ordinary civilians under its jurisdiction as hostages! Of course, this is very revolutionary and progressive! Because this was created by the great mentor Lenin and is part of Leninism!

The two who are fully leading the anti-counterfeiting in the Far East, including grain collection and hostage arrest, were the Russian Far East Bureau Secretary Shumiyasky and his deputy Zhang Guotao. These two are now accompanying the "Imperial Minister" Comrade Stalin in a comfortable luxury carriage, marching on the way to Baikalsk.

Stalin seemed very keen to play the role of military commander. Although he was not very proficient in military affairs, he was still willing to appear in the Eastern Front's combat conference to replace Skryngsky (Political Commissar) to make the final decision. Now he was with the Eastern Front Command to Baikalsk.

Looking at the transport convoy outside the car window, Stalin's eyebrows frowned slightly: "Comrade Shumiyasky, the Red Army may enter Manchuria, China in November (now the Soviet Union believes that the west of the Greater Khingan Mountains is not a part of China. So the Red Army has not entered Manchuria yet) to fight. The railway line from Chita to Manchuria must be repaired before the end of November! In addition, more horses and food must be raised."

"There is no problem in restoring the railway. There is enough labor in Chita City, but it is not easy to raise horses and food." Shumiyasky is a figure on Trotsky's line. He didn't take Stalin's instructions very much. He looked at Zhang Guotao, who was sitting side by side with Stalin and said, "I think it can raise supplies locally in Manchuria, which is an important grain-producing area in China."

Stalin looked at Zhang Guotao and asked, "Zhang, what do you think? Can you raise enough supplies from Manchuria?"

"No problem, Manchuria is very wealthy. You can raise as much as you want!" Zhang Guotao's answer was not hesitant at all.

Stalin smiled with satisfaction. Just as he was about to say a few words of praise, he heard a sound of horse hooves coming from a distance. Then Stalin's carriage stopped. His secretary opened the car door and reported with a serious expression: "Comrade Stalin, the report of the First Cavalry Group, one of their cavalry brigades was defeated by a Japanese cavalry division with a total of about 15,000 people near Hailar, Mongolia, and lost 2,000 people, including the commander of the cavalry brigade Comrade Zhukov!"

Stalin took the report from his secretary with a gloomy face and looked at it again. The report was written by Skrynsky, a political commissar of the Eastern Front, and described the tragic battle as in detail as possible. The commander of the cavalry brigade Zhukov was betrayed by a traitor and was ambushed by the Japanese army. In order to defeat the Red Cavalry Brigade he led, the Japanese army used 15,000 cavalry, and finally paid nearly 4,000 casualties to defeat the cavalry brigade that defeated Zhukov. Zhukov himself waved his knife and slashed seven vicious Japanese troops, and finally pulled the grenades on his body and died together with the five enemies!

"Don't talk!" Stalin threw the report back to his secretary and said coldly: "Go and tell Comrade Skrysky that he would carry out a campaign to learn from Comrade Zhukov's heroic deeds in the entire Eastern Front... Also, send a telegram to Voroshilov and ask how long he can stop the Chinese? I want to listen to the truth!"

The secretary did not leave immediately, but took out a telegram and sent it to Stalin: "Comrade Voroshilov has already arrived with a telegram."

Stalin opened the telegram and looked at it. His face became a little gloomy again, and he cursed in a low voice: "A bunch of idiots!" Then he asked his secretary: "How much time can I have to come to Baikalsk?"

“There is 5 hours left.”

Stalin nodded: "I can't wait for that long, and I will inform Comrade Slyaksky and Comrade Fulongzhi. I will hold an emergency military meeting."

...

The emergency military meeting was held in an abandoned chapel, where a huge map was hung there, and several long-wave radio stations were also set up. Antennas were also set up so that the decisions of the military meeting could be issued to the troops in a timely manner. Fulongzhi and Skrysky also received the emergency military newspaper of the First Cavalry Army - about 10,000 Japanese cavalry (estimated to be the cavalry of the 15 Japanese divisions in Manzhouli), who broke through before the encirclement of Manzhouli closed! In other words, including the Japanese cavalry division that ambushed Zhukov near Hailar, there are now about 25,000 Japanese cavalry on the Hulunbuir grassland! This number is almost comparable to the number of cavalry owned by the First Cavalry Army.

Skrynski stood in front of the map and pointed to the Hulunbuir grassland above and said, "There may be 25,000 Japanese cavalry and the same number of Chinese cavalry there. The cavalry of the First Cavalry Army and the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army may not be enough to suppress them!"

It is estimated that the Chinese reinforcements carrying a large amount of supplies will soon enter from Yakesh, which is only 250 kilometers away from Manzhouli in a straight line. If no one stops them, they will arrive in Manzhouli in a maximum of 10 days! In other words, we either send out the blocking force or complete the task of annihilation of the Japanese army in Manzhouli within 10 days!”

"Comrade Fu Longzhi, what are your suggestions?" Stalin asked Fu Longzhi.

Fu Longzhi frowned: "Our strength is not enough to defeat the Japanese army and the reinforced Chinese army in Manzhouli at the same time. So we must choose a key target to start. Either siege the city or attack the reinforcements... If we choose to attack the city, we will suffer heavy losses. It is very likely that we will not be able to conquer Manzhouli before the reinforcements of the Chinese army arrive! So I suggest that we focus our operations on the reinforcements of the Chinese army. Draw 200,000 troops from around Manzhouli to advance east to fight the Chinese army! Such strength should defeat them in one fell swoop!"

Stalin asked again: "How many people are left of the Red Army surrounding Manzhouli? Will the Japanese army take the opportunity to break through?"

"It's less than 150,000. However, we can leave most of the heavy artillery in Manzhouli to suppress the Japanese army, and at the same time create an illusion that our army's main force is still around Manzhouli."

"How long can this hypothesis last? What if the Japanese see through it?" Stalin thought for a moment: "We cannot take such a risk. Once the Japanese army breaks through, the 150,000 people who stay in Manzhouli will suffer major losses, and the 200,000 people who advance east will lose their way!"

"Then let's focus our attack on Manzhouli, and at the same time, let the First Cavalry Army sluggish the Chinese army as much as possible. It is estimated that 12 days will be obtained."

Stalin shook his head repeatedly: "Can we annihilate more than 200,000 Japanese troops in 12 days? We fought in Chita for more than a month but did not defeat them. If it weren't for the outstanding performance of the First Cavalry Group, we would still be under Chita City! I think we should still consider repelling the reinforcements of the Chinese army first. It's just that there is no need to use 200,000 people. The revisionist army does not have much combat power, and 100,000 people should be able to defeat them!"

Hearing Stalin's instructions, Fu Longzhi showed a hesitant expression. He estimated that the Chinese army might dispatch 3 to 4 armies, plus 25,000 Japanese cavalry, the total strength may exceed 200,000! It would also carry a considerable number of heavy artillery and use 100,000 Red Army to defeat them. I'm afraid it's a bit forced? But it can't be said that it's impossible to defeat. The other party has no practical experience and a careless training level. It cannot be compared with the Japanese and Red Army!

Thinking of this, he focused his attention and said to Stalin: "Deploy 3 armies, plus 5 heavy artillery regiments and 2 base shells, it should be able to defeat more than 200,000 revisionist army."

Stalin nodded with satisfaction, looked at Zhang Guotao who attended the meeting again, and smiled and said, "Comrade Zhang Guotao, be prepared to take over Manchuria... I think you can establish a Chinese Soviet Socialist Republic. You can also hold a special meeting of China's GCD Central Committee to expel Chen Duxiu, Chang Ruiqing, Mao ZD and others from the party! At the same time, call on the Chinese working class to rise up and oppose the revisionist rule!"

...

The clouds are low and heavy snow is flying.

The cold wind blowing from Siberia swept across the entire Hulunbuir grassland. In the front headquarters of the Northeast Front Army in Yakesh County, the defense army officers on the playground stood straight. These were the four infantry troops belonging to the Central East Road Army, the battalion and above-mentioned chief officers of an artillery cluster, as well as the staff officers of the Army Command and the Front Army Front Army Front Army.

This army has already concentrated almost all of China's military forces in North Manchuria. It includes the First Army of the National Defense Forces, the Seventh Army and the Eleventh Army transported from Kanto, the First Army of the Northeast Army, which was originally stationed in North Manchuria, and the artillery cluster composed of two Chinese heavy artillery brigades and four Japanese heavy artillery gangs. In addition, there is a Sino-Japanese joint cavalry cluster with a population of more than 20,000 in Hailar City, which is also under the command of the army. The total strength of the army will reach nearly 210,000, and it has as many as 288 large-caliber artillery pieces of more than 100 mm!

Behind this army is a huge logistics support force specially organized by the Military Commission and the Heilongjiang Provincial Government, more than 100,000 civilians, tens of thousands of trucks, mules and horses, and hundreds of trucks just imported from the United States. They will carry tens of thousands of tons of ammunition and supplies with the Central East Road Army, most of which will be used to supply the main force of the Japanese army to the 15 divisions in Manzhouli. If the main force of the Central East Road Army and the main force of the Japanese Xianbei Liya dispatched army can successfully meet, it will be enough to reverse the current situation.

The boots were loud. A row of officers walked out of a school building used as the headquarters and quickly walked to a podium in front of the playground. The leader was General Bai Chongxi, who personally served as the commander of the Central East Road Army. On his side were also the direct generals who started by Chang Ruiqing, who graduated from the third term of Baoding. The former was the deputy commander of the group army and the commander of the Seventh Army. The latter was the director of the group army artillery and the commander of the artillery cluster.

In the midst of a storm, Bai Chongxi looked at the middle and senior officers lined up all over the playground under his command, and focused his head. He took an order from the adjutant and said loudly: "All officers and soldiers of the Central East Road Army! On October 24th today, we officially received the order from the Chairman of the Standing Committee issued by the Beijing headquarters! The Northeast Front Army immediately launched an operation to rescue Japanese friendly forces in Manzhouli! The main force of the Front must make the greatest determination and sacrifice at all. Advance west with all his might. On the Hulunbuir grassland, we launched a decisive battle with the Soviet-Russian imperialism that invaded our country!

The soldiers of the National Defense Forces and the officers and soldiers of the Central East Road Army, our battle was not for the Japanese army besieged in Manzhouli! It was for the more than 2 million square kilometers of land that had been cut off from our country by Tsarist Russian imperialism for decades! It was for the recapture of Mongolia, which had fallen under the iron hoof of the Soviet Union! It was for the rise of China in the east of Asia! It was for the fight to allow the powers of the East and West to fight equally from now on! It was for the future fate of China! If this battle is won, our China will surely rise up against the world's powerful countries! If it is defeated, it will become a vassal of the red imperialism! There will never be a day to turn over!

Here, as the commander of the Central East Road Army, I, Bai Chongxi, ordered you to fight with your best efforts! Use our bodies and the Soviet Union to pave a road to revival for our China!

The Central East Road Army, set off! Long live the Republic of China!"

Under the heavy snow, Bai Chongxi took the lead in raising his arms and shouting, and the thousands of young officers below also cheered majestic!

On the afternoon of October 24, 1919, the Central East Road Army, which gathered all the elite Chinese troops in the North Manchuria region, swore a oath to fight in Yakesh. The infantry teams that could not see the border, hundreds of trucks towing heavy artillery, more horse-drawn cannons, and supplies transporting supplies formed a long dragon in the snow, rolling westward. They were preparing to go to the front line and launch a war with the Soviet and Russian Red Army that determined the future and destiny of the country!

At the same time, the order signed by the Military Committee of the Eastern Front of the Soviet Union to initiate the Battle of the Middle East Road was also issued to the First Cavalry Group Command outside the siege of Manzhouli. According to the instructions of the Military Committee of the Eastern Front, 130,000 troops including the First Cavalry Group Army of the Red Army, the Fifth Army, the Part of the Artillery Group Directly Under the Eastern Front and the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army will form the Middle East Road Campaign Cluster, Budonnie will serve as the commander of the battle cluster, and Voroshilov will serve as the political commissar. The task of the battle cluster is to advance east along the Middle East Road, find the main force of the Chinese invading army to launch a decisive battle, annihilate or defeat it!

Create conditions for the comprehensive liberation of Mongolia, Manchuria and the Far East!
Chapter completed!