Time Slip Reiwa Japan

086 - China Upheaval - 5

When reports of the independence movement and struggle in northern China (Inner Mongolia) first reached Chiang Kai-shek, he momentarily forgot to breathe. He immediately attempted to issue orders for the suppression of the warlords based in the northern regions, but he couldn't carry out his intentions. They didn't answer the phone when he tried to contact them, and even when he sent envoys, they were turned away.

As tensions within the Chinese government reached a boiling point, the independence movement organization conducted a radio broadcast. The broadcast included condemnation of the Chinese government, which continued to cause chaos in China, the declaration of their ideals for independence, the announcement of the territories they aimed to claim independence for, and a plea for support from the international community based on the principle of national self-determination.

However, the words used in the broadcast were so cliché that they did not move anyone within the Chinese government. Throughout China's history, there have been countless individuals who rebelled against the rulers of their time. In the present era, it seemed that the cycle was repeating, with one person after another rising and ultimately meeting their doom.

The real question on everyone's mind was why the warlords, who should have been responsible for quelling the situation, were not responding. The answer to this question was given at the end of the radio broadcast by the leader of the warlords, who had aligned himself with the group calling themselves the South Mongolian Independence Committee. When the Chinese government learned that this key figure had defected, they were furious. They were determined to eliminate this shameful traitor without fail.

However, the problem lay in the military forces available for this purpose. At the current moment, the Chinese government claimed to have a total of 1,5 million soldiers, including various warlord cliques. However, among these forces, approximately 340.000 were troops that could not be easily mobilized—police-like forces stationed in regions and territories controlled by warlords. This left around 1,16 million troops, but even these were not free to move as they pleased. About 900.000 soldiers were already deployed in the fight against the CCP, and an additional 200.000 were allocated for dealing with the situation in South China. *1 Currently, the Chinese government had only around 100.000 troops who could be moved freely.

These 100,000 troops were equivalent to about four divisions. However, these were well-trained units equipped with German-style training, making them capable of handling tasks like suppressing local warlords and quelling uprisings—on paper, at least. Except, the base of the South Mongolian independence movement was not located in the vicinity of the border with the Frontier Republic. Instead, it was situated in a city designated as a non-militarized zone under the US 1940 Peace Treaty.

This situation left the Chinese government in a bind. Violating the treaty and launching an attack on the stronghold of the South Mongolian independence movement would likely provoke a strong response from the United States. It could even escalate into a full-scale war between them, which was something no one desired.

The Chinese government was fearful of the possibilities. They were already engaged in a conflict with the CCP and South China. They couldn't afford to add another enemy to the mix, especially when that enemy was the United States, the world's second most powerful superpower (the Anglo-Japanese).

The Chinese government had no intention of admitting defeat as the central nation of the world. However, at the same time, they were aware that they couldn't confidently assert victory. Consequently, the first action taken by the Chinese government was to release an official statement with a moderate tone, urging the South Mongolian independence movement to reconsider their separation and to lay down their arms and submit.