Three hundred and sixtieth chapters incredible transformation
Hearing Yang Zhen's half-crowd, half-ridiculed words, Pearson's tired face suddenly turned into a smile that was filled with joy just now, and said with a look of dumbfounding: "I said General Yang, use your Chinese
In other words, should you be more virtuous with your words? I have something to discuss with you, not to listen to your ridicule."
"You still know about my situation in Manchuria. I don't think you should use this matter as a way to tease me. If I am really being treated inhumanely, I want you, as the host, to be free from it."
It's nothing to do with each other. Besides, Yang, the content of my conversation with you today is very serious. I don't want to and don't have the energy to make some jokes with you that may seem harmless to you."
"And I also know that you don't have much time to joke with me when the frontline war situation is tense at the moment, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't just give me an hour to talk about how this will actually affect your future development and the entire
The situation in Manchuria is heading towards a very important conversation.”
At this point, Pearson looked at Yang Zhen's expression and seemed to be struggling for a while before he said solemnly: "Yang, although we haven't known each other for a long time, I think we should be considered friends.
I think as friends, we should be honest with each other. In the words of you Chinese, it should be called openness and honesty. I think between you and me, it is better not to hide some things, but to tuck them in."
"Yang, the reason why I am looking for you urgently is because I want to ask you for an answer to a question on behalf of the many people in the United States who care about China or the real direction of this war. This question is very important and is very important to me.
Your future is also crucial, I hope you can answer me carefully."
"Remember, this is not me asking you questions myself, I am asking you questions on behalf of some important people who care about you very much. Therefore, I hope you will consider it carefully when answering, and do not try to achieve the goal.
You make hasty decisions based on your inner purpose."
"Yang, as an old friend who has been with you for a long time, I can roughly guess what you are thinking in your heart. But now I can only pray to God that your true purpose is consistent with that of your people.
What some senior figures in the government have in mind is different."
Seeing this guy's serious look, Yang Zhen smiled slightly and said: "Pearson, since you said so, I can also tell you in a responsible manner. No matter what question you ask, I will not make unrestrained remarks.
.Because I am a soldier, not a politician who tells lies, right?"
"But as a soldier, I can only say that I can do what I promise. You are a soldier, but your status makes you not a simple soldier. One thing you should be clear about is that war is just politics.
Soldiers can determine the success or failure of a battle, but soldiers cannot determine the outcome of a war."
"I'm just a soldier, and I just want to be a soldier. Although I have a high status now, you know very well that many things cannot be decided at my level. But I can assure you that I will do my best.
Try your best to achieve the answer that has been given to you."
"But I also want to ask you. You are looking for me so urgently. I want to ask if there are any new changes in the international situation? Did the Japanese air attack Pearl Harbor, or did the Japanese start to attack Hong Kong? Or?
The Japanese have issued an ultimatum to the U.S. government, demanding that you lift the embargo against Japan?"
In response to Yang Zhen's rhetorical question, Pearson hesitated for a moment and then said: "Yang, although your joke is not funny, I still think you do have some of the skills of the crow's mouth or prophet in your Chinese legend. Although it is a pity,
Your guess is wrong this time. But you are right about one thing. Indeed, the international situation has undergone some changes."
"Just two weeks ago, the Japanese army fully occupied the entire territory of French Indochina, including Laos and Cambodia. The Japanese army, which is currently continuing to mobilize troops into Southeast Asia, entered Siam last week and took control of the entire territory of Siam.
And forced Siam to sign the "Japan-Siam Treaty" with it."
“Through these means, the Japanese army obtained Kampong Som Port in Cambodia and the main base of the Siamese Navy, as well as the right of passage of all traffic in Siam, and controlled the main air force bases in Cambodia and Siam. In addition, the Japanese army
From the captured Saigon naval and air force bases, Japanese bombers and naval fleets could bring the entire Dutch East Indies, British Southeast Asia, and even British India within the combat radius."
What Pearson said about the activities of the Japanese army in Southeast Asia really surprised Yang Zhen, who was already mentally prepared. As for the Japanese army's entry into Cambodia and Laos, which were actually under the control of the Japanese army in French Indochina, which would later become Laos,
Yang was so shocked that he didn't feel surprised.
At this time, the Japanese army, which had occupied the entire French Vietnam, had actually taken control of French Indochina. This operation was just a follow-up to their occupation of southern French Annan. Laos and Cambodia had reached a strategic position
It is far less important than Siam.
The Japanese army occupied these two places just to completely control the two remaining French Indochina colonies, especially the rice-producing Cambodia, to meet its increasing war consumption and to alleviate the domestic problems of large-scale conscription and war consumption.
, the impact on domestic economy and agriculture.
Both countries have been major rice-producing areas in the world in later generations, especially Cambodia, which owns Ton Sari Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, and is one of the largest rice exporters. With smooth sea routes, the country’s annual rice
In addition to self-use, the output plus Vietnam's output can even fully meet most of Japan's domestic needs.
Due to the large-scale recruitment of soldiers and the large-scale recruitment of workers by various domestic factories to meet the needs of the war, Japan's agricultural output has been stagnant for a long time. In order to meet domestic needs, especially to supply the needs of the increasingly large army
, it was normal for the Japanese army, which had replaced France as the actual ruler in French Indochina, to enter Cambodia and Laos.
In addition, Cambodia is the largest rubber planting area in French Indochina. Although its rubber output is not as good as that of the British Southeast Asian colonies, its output accounts for a considerable share of the entire French Indochina. When the Japanese army enters Cambodia, most of them can even
Ease the demand for rubber imposed by US and UK sanctions. And implement counter-blockades to the US and UK, which also have a huge demand for rubber.
But Yang Zhen was quite surprised that the Japanese army entered Siam more than three months earlier than he knew. Siam is connected to British Burma to the west, British Malaya to the south, and French India to the east.
Cambodia in China has a very important strategic location. And although Siam does not produce oil, it is rich in rice and rubber.
The Japanese took control of Siam and completely controlled most of the rice producing areas in Southeast Asia, as well as a considerable part of the rubber producing areas. More importantly, not only agricultural products, but Siam's strategic position also allowed the Japanese army to enter Siam.
It posed a direct threat to the British Southeast Asian colonies.
The Japanese army's entry into Siam can be said to directly threaten British rule in Burma and Malaya, and even directly threaten the security of India, the largest British colony in the world. As well as Singapore, the largest British fortress in Southeast Asia, and its largest naval and air force base.
.
Its bombers took off from the airport in Siam, and the combat radius even covered a small half of India, as well as the entire Dutch East Indies, and the entire British Malay Peninsula. Siam's strategic position allowed the Japanese army to control Siam.
He firmly controlled the initiative in the Southeast Asian battlefield in his own hands.
If the deployment of the Japanese army in Taiwan and Saigon has become an ax that can fall on the head of the Philippines, a US colony in Southeast Asia, at any time, then the Japanese army's move can be said to have thrust the bayonet on several major British colonies in Southeast Asia.
On the belly.
When the Japanese army enters Siam, which has an extremely important strategic location, it can launch attacks on British Burma and India at any time to the west. To the south, it can not only capture British Malaya, but also Singapore, the largest British navy and air force in the Far East.
A sharp knife was struck on the back of the base.
Siam's strategic position and the importance of its agricultural products to the Japanese army's Southeast Asian operations determined that if the Japanese army wanted to capture the British Southeast Asian colonies, they must first control Siam. And in the history known to later generations, Yang Zhen also
In this way, within a very short time after launching the Pearl Harbor incident, the Japanese army forcibly entered Siam and quickly controlled the entire territory of Siam.
Although due to the original pro-Japanese actions of the Siamese government, the Japanese army did not experience any real fighting when they entered Siam. Moreover, the Siamese government also quickly joined the Japanese camp and followed the Japanese in the shortest possible time.
Declaring war on the whole world, trying to gain some advantages.
But at the moment, the Japanese have not publicly broken up with the United States and Britain. Although they have begun to prepare for the war south, they are still conducting hypocritical negotiations with the Americans at the negotiation table. The Japanese army suddenly marched into Siam.
.This is tantamount to openly breaking the relationship with the United States and Britain. It is almost tantamount to formally declaring war on the British and, of course, the Americans behind it.
And this choice is not a good thing for the Japanese army that has not completed final preparations. Although the Japanese army has always been focused on undeclared war, it has not yet completed the real mobilization southward, and all its preparations for the southward war have not been completed.
When the work has not yet been completed, Japan's move is almost equivalent to completely blocking the way to negotiate with the Americans. Even if it is a pretentious negotiation that delays time, it has completely blocked the way.
It was precisely because the Japanese army marched into Siam that it was not conducive to the Japanese army's future southward operations. Therefore, he did not know that this was an unauthorized action by the Japanese southern army that had just been formed. He thought that the decision-making at the Japanese army base camp deviated from his control. Only then did Yang Zhen feel a little
Shocked. In his opinion, the Japanese army's move undoubtedly added fuel to the current complicated situation.
Although this move of the Japanese army can be said to be quite beneficial to itself. Although trying to find a way for the Japanese army to take action in Southeast Asia in advance, it is a chess piece that Yang Zhen secretly arranged as early as the beginning of the year.
, I have been somewhat mentally prepared.
But Yang Zhen still felt somewhat unbelievable about this action of the Japanese army. Because in Yang Zhen's view, the Japanese army's move undoubtedly publicly told the United States and Britain that you should start preparing for war. I am about to take action in Southeast Asia. What?
British Burma, British Malaya, and the Dutch East Indies are all what I want.
Although the top brass of the Japanese army say their strategic vision is somewhat short-sighted, in Yang Zhen's opinion it is not that short-sighted. You know, although the Japanese army has been preparing to go south, it has always kept its strategic intentions strictly confidential, and even did not hesitate to fight with them.
The Americans are pulling strings at the negotiating table to conceal their true intentions. But isn’t the current move into Thailand making Sima Zhao’s intentions known to everyone?