Twentieth Century Chronicle

Page 89

A man who has no roof over his head, no place to stand, and is burdened with a huge debt of usurious interest that he can't possibly understand why he should defend this country. The Beiyang Army's monthly salary of 4.5 taels of silver was indeed enough to support a family, but if someone died or was wounded on the battlefield, they would lose that salary. How could they fight to the death?

Therefore, in critical moments, the Beiyang Army always faltered, while our army always managed to hold on. The fundamental reason was that the Beiyang Army dared not die for their families, while our army dared not disobey orders for the sake of their families. Only on this basis can it be meaningful for us to talk about class, resistance against oppression, and the idea that everyone is responsible for the survival of the nation…”

Fu Cixiang was somewhat taken aback; he hadn't expected Zhang Nanxian to report on ideological issues first, as he had been preoccupied with military matters for the past two days. However, he quickly recovered and nodded in agreement, saying, "That is indeed the top priority. I think I don't need to write a separate summary; we can just write a letter together and submit it to the Military Commission..."

Before Zhang Nanxian and Fu Cixiang arrived in Wuhan, the Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee in Wuhan was holding a special meeting to discuss a family annihilation case. He Hongliang, with a livid face, said to the committee members: "Outrageous, absolutely outrageous."

These reactionaries openly declared: "We will raze Yangjiaoping to the ground and massacre Hongjiazhai." Our peasant association activists and their entire families were murdered by these reactionaries and bandits. The youngest child was still breastfeeding. Are they even human? They are beasts!

You previously said that the purges were too extensive, even implicating some landlords' families. Now I want to ask, how did these reactionary landlords treat us? They even killed infants while they were nursing. Is that what you call humanity?

He Hongliang was originally a member of the Labor Party in the New Army. After the Hankou Uprising, he was demobilized and went to work in the Farmers' Association. He came from a tenant farmer family and came to Hankou to work. He joined the Labor Party after entering the workers' night school. Therefore, he had a deep sympathy for poor peasants and was the most active advocate for land reform.

He Hongliang's accusations also aroused the anger of all the Labour Party members on the committee. Even Song Jiaoren, Tang Hualong, and others who had previously defended the landlords were speechless this time. This murder case targeting a family of farmers' association activists in Xinyang was clearly a declaration of war. If they continued to compromise on this issue, they would be challenging the Labour Party's nerves.

For a long time, the Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee was actually dominated by the Labour Party. Although the soldiers' representatives had considerable say in the early stages, the reorganization of the army soon brought the soldiers into the Labour Party's organizational system. As a result, the Labour Party controlled at least half of the representatives of the six groups of workers, peasants, soldiers, merchants, students and gentry within the Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee. The gentry class, which used to lead local politics, became increasingly powerless within the committee.

Song Jiaoren could only say this: "I believe that we should still distinguish between local tyrants and evil gentry and enlightened gentry. Local tyrants and evil gentry should indeed be suppressed, but this should not be expanded. Trials of local tyrants and evil gentry should undergo judicial review; we cannot have a single trial that determines the outcome..."

After listening to the opinions of the committee members, Tian Junyi finally spoke up: "Details can be discussed later, but I believe that the rampant actions of these counter-revolutionaries must be suppressed as soon as possible. They want to use white terror to intimidate the people, so we should retaliate with red terror. I suggest reorganizing the Anti-Revolutionary Committee and simplifying the trial process, and cleaning up the local tyrants and bullies in the next month. Since the reactionaries are not afraid of bloodshed, what do we have to fear?"

Tian Junyi's words were like a final decision, quickly gaining the support of most of the committee members. Seeing this, Song Jiaoren could only raise his hand in agreement, but he soon proposed a new motion, inquiring about how to respond to the court's order to establish an advisory council in preparation for the convening of a national assembly.

Tian Junyi glanced at the restless gentry representatives, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "The imperial court ordered the establishment of advisory bureaus in various regions because it hadn't yet decided how to convene a national assembly. But our Workers', Peasants', and Soldiers' Committee has already gained the people's approval. Why should we go back to the old ways? Does this mean the Workers', Peasants', and Soldiers' Committee cannot speak for the people? Or does it mean the Workers', Peasants', and Soldiers' Committee has banned the people from speaking?"

Chapter 312 The New Consul General

After the meeting, Tian Junyi and Qin Lishan met with Dr. Paul Rohrbach, the new German Consul General in Hankou, who had come to visit. Tian Junyi first welcomed the doctor and thanked the former Consul General in Hankou for his support of the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Committee, and expressed his hope that both sides could continue to maintain such friendly exchanges.

This was originally just a business meeting. Tian Junyi did not intend to quickly deepen his relationship with this doctor. After all, compared with the constantly changing German consuls, the Sino-German Chamber of Commerce was actually better able to maintain a stable relationship between the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Committee and the German political circles, because company bosses do not change often.

German businesses invested 100 million marks in Wuhan, while all other countries combined only invested 30 million marks. Therefore, the relationship between the Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee and German industrial capitalists was naturally much closer than that between the consuls representing the German government.

However, it was clear that Dr. Paul Rohrbach was not there to protect German capital. He quickly posed a rather formal diplomatic question to Tian Junyi: "What is your party's view on the conflict between China and British India?"

Tian Junyi glanced at Qin Lishan with some confusion, only to find him shaking his head slightly, indicating that the issue wasn't on the notification document. In these official meetings, both sides usually submit their questions in writing beforehand to avoid any unpleasantness. Topics outside the scope of official business are only raised when dealing with uncivilized countries or when misunderstandings can be avoided due to personal relationships.

The diplomatic relations between the great powers and the Qing Dynasty were a disastrous process of change. Initially, the great powers hoped to negotiate treaties with the Qing Dynasty as civilized nations. However, the Qing Dynasty believed that the relationship between the two sides was one of tribute and there was no need for treaties. After being taught a lesson by the great powers with force, although the Qing Dynasty acknowledged that the great powers were equal to it, it adopted the principle of delaying or avoiding those unequal treaties imposed on it. As a result, the great powers created the extraterritoriality system, a privilege for treating colonies.

In short, the Qing Dynasty's diplomacy evolved from simply refusing to acknowledge or comply with agreements to eventually submitting to external pressure. Foreign diplomats who came to China became familiar with how to treat Qing officials, much like they would treat the lords of colonial states, using a combination of threats and inducements. This explains why foreign consuls frequently called in warships to intimidate local officials.

However, ever since Wuhan closed the Yangtze River waterway once and incidentally sank a Japanese warship, diplomats from the great powers have been much more disciplined with the Wuhan Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee. This is because the committee did not refuse to do its job, but rather demanded that it be conducted in accordance with the rules of equality.

Although this was a laughable idea to the great powers, since the Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee was able to send troops to British India, expel the Russians, and sink Japanese warships, the great powers had no choice but to acknowledge that Wuhan could at least be considered a civilized community to some extent. The great powers could no longer organize an Eight-Nation Alliance to come to China; their internal conflicts were far greater than their conflicts with the Chinese.

After thinking for a while, Tian Junyi cautiously said, "Our party believes that this is not a conflict between China and British India, but rather the British's unjustified invasion of Shannan and Tibet. We have always tried to maintain peaceful and friendly relations with British India, but the British have been too aggressive, especially the Forward Policy implemented by Sir Curzon since taking office, which completely disregards our territorial sovereignty."

Colonel Younghusband's Tibetan Expeditionary Force was an invasion, not a peaceful border negotiation. If it were, then our actions in British India would clearly be for peaceful purposes. Our party cannot support any negotiations with the British Indian government until the British government acknowledges the invasion of Tibet and apologizes, as this would be a betrayal of Tibet and the people of Shannan.

Dr. Rohrbach's previously expressionless face suddenly became much more lively. He smiled slightly and said, "On the Tibetan issue, our people support your country. Our Emperor believes that the fact of the British invasion of Tibet is undeniable. If your party is willing to uphold this correct stance, then our people are very willing to support your party with a batch of supplies..."

Hearing the doctor's words, Qin Lishan and Tian Junyi could hardly believe their ears. Lin Feng had analyzed the conflicts between the great powers for them, and they had verified this from the struggles between them, but this was the first time they had seen it so blatantly displayed in front of them. After all, five years ago, the Germans and the British had joined forces to march on Beijing, even though Germany and Britain were at odds over Wilhelm II's telegram during the Boer War.

Dr. Rohrbach waited quietly for the two Chinese men in front of him to reply. He had been ordered to come to China to retaliate against the British, who had started the war.

Under pressure from the Germans, the British government had no choice but to abandon its public opposition to the Baghdad railway construction plan. Of course, this came at a diplomatic cost for Germany, such as its compromise with Britain and France on the Moroccan issue. However, what the Germans did not expect was that although the British did abandon their opposition on the surface, they still used dirty tricks to obstruct Germany's railway plan in private.

The railway from Berlin to Baghdad was not intended for Baghdad but for the Persian Gulf, so it had to be connected to ports in the Persian Gulf for its true value to be realized.

However, Curzon secretly dispatched Colonel Malcolm Mead, the British diplomatic representative stationed in the Persian Gulf, to Kuwait. He visited the Emir of Kuwait and signed a secret treaty prohibiting the German railway from passing through Kuwait. In other words, the British abandoned their open opposition to the construction of the Baghdad railway, but used Kuwait to cut off Baghdad's hopes of a railway to the Persian Gulf.

Frankly, the Germans faced numerous setbacks in building this railway. Originally, the railway was supposed to enter Persia from the northern plains and then head south to the Persian Gulf, saving a significant amount of money and avoiding the need to build an extremely long tunnel to Baghdad. However, due to Russian opposition, this easier route had to be abandoned. Now, the Germans had spent a great deal of money and effort and were almost at the Persian Gulf when they were tricked by the British. How could they not be furious?

Dr. Paul Rohrbach was a supporter of this railway and a fervent nationalist who advocated for Germany's eastward expansion. In his article, he wrote, "Where does Germany's future lie? Germany's future lies in the East—in Turkey…in Mesopotamia…in Syria…"

Regarding the British blocking Germany's eastward expansion, Dr. Rohrbach believed that this was a declaration of war from Britain to Germany. "The British strangled the Napoleonic Empire a hundred years ago, and this time their target is the German Empire." This was not only Dr. Rohrbach's opinion, but also the opinion of the German elites.

British India was the lifeblood of the British Empire. The idea of ​​weakening the British Empire by disrupting British India was almost a consensus among the major European powers. However, no one could break through the protective circle that Britain had set up for British India. Although Britain had not yet turned the Indian Ocean into the inland sea of ​​the British Empire, everyone knew that it was the British Empire's backyard, and no one could challenge the Royal Navy in the Indian Ocean.

Therefore, the strategic conclusion that attacking British India would defeat the British Empire had long been asserted; it was just that no one had found a way to attack British India. But now, the Chinese had actually gone to British India, and seemed to be doing quite well, having not yet been wiped out. The Germans felt it was time to give the Chinese some support to prevent them from giving up halfway.

After a brief, quiet discussion with Qin Lishan, Tian Junyi finally addressed the doctor with a serious expression: "Our party is very grateful for the German people's moral support for the Chinese people, but we do not wish to be drawn into unpredictable conflicts. As you, Doctor, surely understand, we only oppose the British Indian government's aggression against Tibet and Shannan, not any designs on British Indian territory."

Therefore, we will not accept any material aid for this war. However, due to the British invasion of Tibet and Shannan, the local economy has been severely damaged, and we would be willing to accept a personal donation of supplies to help the people of Tibet and Shannan suffering from the war. It would be even better if the German government could provide an interest-free loan to help us build a road to Tibet.”

Dr. Rohrbach smiled and said, “Of course, our people will not allow us to oppose another major European power outside of Europe, as this would obviously undermine European peace. However, I can give you some information: our army is undergoing a re-equipment process, and a batch of obsolete weaponry and ammunition needs to be disposed of. If you are interested, you can inquire through Mr. Krupp…”

Dr. Rohrbach was in a good mood as he walked out of the Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee building, especially as he strolled along the paths of Hankou Park towards the German Consulate. The park's oriental layout made him feel as if he were walking in a European forest. Of course, the park also contained many European garden elements, with large green lawns and meticulously manicured tree canopies, beautifully combining Eastern nature with Western science and art.

Along the park's paths, one can see the difference between this city and Shanghai. In Shanghai's parks, one is either surrounded by foreigners or Chinese gentlemen in long robes and queues. But here, many ordinary families come and go. Although they still wear traditional Chinese clothing, it's rare to see anyone with a queue. If Shanghai evokes feelings of chaos, adventure, and wealth, then Hankou represents order and balance.

He loved the city because only a city like this could support Germany's Eastern strategy; you couldn't expect a bunch of timid laborers to fight against the British Empire's warships. He also believed that this place would allow him to take his career to the next level and truly enter the diplomatic sphere. After all, only those born into nobility could obtain diplomatic appointments; becoming a consul was the pinnacle for commoners.

However, Dr. Rohrbach believed that Eastern diplomacy differed from European diplomacy, where aristocratic connections were largely ineffective; personal talent would be a diplomat's best weapon, and he believed he possessed this quality. Furthermore, the rulers of Wuhan did not appear to be fools; otherwise, they wouldn't have rejected what seemed like tempting bait, which was also a good thing for him.

Hearing the bicycle bell behind him, the doctor stepped aside to make way, and then a young man rode past on a bicycle, wobbling along. It really looked no different from a park in Germany, the doctor thought to himself.

Chapter 313 The New Governor

The Military Commission was not particularly interested in the 1888 Commission rifles that the German army had phased out, because the Hanyang Arsenal had just completed its third expansion and the production of the 6.5mm Mauser rifles (1904 model rifles) that it had introduced was on track, with daily output increasing from 50 rifles at the beginning of last year to 150 rifles.

This rifle was actually on the same level as the Mauser 98 rifle used by the German army. Once its production increased, the Military Commission naturally would not go back to equipping the troops with the 7.92 caliber Type 1888 Commission rifle, even if the Germans provided ammunition.

Moreover, the Military Commission has only just completed the reorganization of the revolutionary armed forces and is now beginning to form a new conscription army, with seven understrength divisions totaling 76,000 men. The plan is to form another five divisions by next summer, ultimately creating a force of 12 divisions with no more than 150,000 men. Given the current rifle production capacity of the arsenals, the plan to standardize equipment should be completed by the end of next year.

The Military Commission's plan to establish 12 divisions was not primarily for defending against Qing army attacks, but rather a preparation for the unforeseen circumstances following the Russian army's breakthrough of Shanhaiguan. Therefore, the Military Commission's primary focus was on the education of military officers and the production of heavy weaponry. The performance of the Maxim machine gun in defensive operations and the fact that a few Russian gunboats were enough to suppress the Beiyang Army, rendering them unable to retaliate, both demonstrated the decisive role of heavy weapons on the battlefield.

According to the report from Yu Qing'ao, chief engineer of the Hanyang Arsenal, who returned from his inspection in Europe, "Europe is currently entering a transformative phase where alloy steel is replacing carbon steel. The Germans are using the high performance of alloy steel to manufacture artillery with longer range and greater power. If we cannot keep up with this trend, then when the great powers bring alloy steel cannons into China, our cannons will be outdated again."

The Hanyang Arsenal was already able to manufacture 100mm caliber cannons using alloy steel imported from Germany, and the Hanyang Iron and Steel Plant could also cast qualified alloy steel under the direction of German engineers. However, without the direction of German engineers, the Hanyang Iron and Steel Plant could not produce it and could only import this type of steel from Germany.

Therefore, Yu Qing'ao argued that "now is not the time to ask Germany for the technology to manufacture larger caliber cannons, but rather to ask Germany to transfer the alloy steel manufacturing technology that can manufacture ordinary caliber cannons. With a starting point, we will eventually climb the mountain. But if we are thrown into a castle in the air, we will be back to square one once others withdraw."

Although Cai E agreed with Yu Qing'ao's proposition that China would inevitably need heavy artillery in the future, and that it would need world-class heavy artillery, he was not very interested in producing heavy artillery at the moment. He was only concerned with the production capacity of machine gun bullets, mortar shells, and hand grenades at the Hanyang Arsenal.

He said to the others on the Military Council: “Heavy artillery is certainly good. With heavy artillery, we can suppress the enemy’s heavy artillery and prevent the enemy’s gunboats from entering the inland waters. However, one or two heavy artillery pieces cannot change the outcome of the war. Without numerical support, even the most advanced weapons will be overwhelmed by the more backward ones.”

A single Maxim machine gun cannot stop an assault of more than a battalion of infantry, but four machine guns combined can halt an attack of tens of thousands of Zulus. Therefore, we must first solve the problem of quantity before pursuing technological advancement. Currently, for the soldiers on the front lines, more machine guns, more mortars, and more grenades are always more important than one or two powerful heavy artillery pieces…

Cai E's proposal eventually convinced Yu Qing'ao and the others, and they all agreed to first concentrate resources on weapons that could increase defensive capabilities, and then pursue the manufacture of advanced weapons.

Therefore, the Military Commission submitted a budget plan for the arsenal for the following year to the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Committee, which was at least 2000 million taels. This was indeed an astonishing figure. During Zhang Zhidong's administration, no matter how much funding was diverted, the annual budget for the Hanyang Arsenal never exceeded 100 million taels, and most of the time it was around 80 taels.

In 1903, to support the construction of the new army, the Huguang Economic Development Committee allocated 200 million taels of silver to the arsenal, leading to its first expansion. In 1904, the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Committee was established, increasing the allocation to the arsenal to 600 million taels of silver. In 1905, the allocation reached 1200 million taels of silver. Most of these funds were used for expansion and the introduction of machinery and technology, resulting in the number of workers at the Hanyang Arsenal tripling within three years.

It can be said that if the Hanyang Arsenal were to operate at full capacity, it could indeed sustain the expenditures of the First Sino-Japanese War. The Military Commission's application, with the support of the Workers' Party, was passed by a majority vote.

Since its establishment, the Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Committee has primarily undertaken two administrative tasks: eliminating a large number of individuals with connections and suppressing the power of the gentry. Based on this, it revised industrial and commercial tax regulations and strengthened law enforcement, imposing severe penalties on tax evaders.

Before this, two to three percent of the population possessed approximately thirty percent of the national wealth. These people paid very little tax, because the imperial court only focused on land tax, while commercial and industrial taxes traditionally belonged to local revenue. This can be seen from Zeng Guofan's reliance on likin (a type of transit tax) to support the Xiang Army. However, likin was collected primarily from small and medium-sized merchants without powerful connections. Genuine officials and merchants generally paid very little tax. Officials who established factories during the Self-Strengthening Movement always prioritized tax reductions for themselves.

It's often said that customs revenue increased year after year, but the scale of the Qing Dynasty's import and export trade only accounted for about one-ninth of the Qing's GDP until 1904. This means that a large amount of tax revenue from domestic trade was lost, and this loss naturally went into the pockets of officials and gentry. Although the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Committee abolished the wartime supply and demand laws, it still retained some things, such as the monopoly law on sugar, tobacco and alcohol. In the first nine months of this year alone, the monopoly tax exceeded 2000 million silver dollars, which shows the benefits brought about by improved administrative efficiency.

Although the Military Commission's proposed budget was ambitious, the Party Central Committee members, including Tian Junyi, did not find it excessive. They reasoned that if the money wasn't spent wisely, their current construction efforts would be jeopardizing the interests of foreign powers. Moreover, while the funds were allocated to arsenals, most of them would flow to other industrial and agricultural sectors. As long as raw materials and semi-finished products weren't purchased from abroad, the money would effectively inject liquidity into the market.

Although the committee members, represented by Tian Junyi, did not yet understand what war economics was, as long as they did not focus on the issue from a purely financial perspective, they would naturally come to the conclusion that as long as it did not exceed the country's industrial and agricultural production capacity, then arms manufacturing was not much different from the real estate economy, both of which could drive the development of a number of industries.

While China and Japan focused their attention on Russia, other countries concentrated most of their efforts on India, resulting in a relative calm in Europe and the Americas. Everyone understood that changes in India would influence the British Empire's domestic and foreign policies, which in turn would affect security and stability around the world.

Even Tsar Nicholas II, who showed little reaction to the defeats in the Far East, couldn't help but share his excitement with his family upon hearing news from India, believing that Russia had an opportunity to advance into the Indian subcontinent.

Therefore, in his inaugural address after arriving in India and handing over his duties to Sir Curzon, the Earl of Minto emphasized that "anyone who attempts to challenge the British Empire by force will fail, whether he is Asian or European, or whether he is of color or white race."

The Earl of Minto told senior British government officials (none of whom were Indian): “And we must be strong, or we will fail. I hope to hear news of the Chinese’s defeat as soon as possible, whether with sabers, rifles or pounds. This is the best warning to quell the current Indian nationalist unrest.”

Sir Curzon passed the Bengal Partition Act before the Earl of Minto arrived, declaring it to take effect on August 16th. The Earl of Minto assumed the position of Viceroy of India on August 17th. This act divided the 31 million people of East Bengal and the more than 40 million people of West Bengal into Muslim and Hindu regions, thus creating religious division.

The Earl of Minto was not offended at all; on the contrary, he thanked Sir Curzon, believing that he had finished well and had not left him with any trouble, otherwise he would have had to deal with a troublesome matter as soon as he arrived in India. Sir Curzon's response to the Earl of Minto was that he had boarded a ship and returned to London before September, believing that he should not stay and interfere with the Earl's administration.

Sir Curzon spoke with great ceremony, but the Earl of Minto felt that the other party was fleeing in disarray. However, he did not think there could be any trouble here that would cause the British Empire a great deal of trouble. As a former Governor General of Canada, the Earl of Minto considered himself to be very experienced in governing colonies.

Under pressure from the Earl of Minto, Colonel Douglas Haig and Colonel Regina Edward Harry Dawer finally decided to take action. This was also the end of the rainy season; for the past three months, the British army had been largely inactive in the mountains due to the rains, but fortunately, the continuous flooding caused by the heavy rains had also limited the Chinese movement.

With the rainy season nearing its end, Colonel Haig believed it was time to engage the Chinese in battle, whether to boost the morale of the soldiers trapped in the mountains or to end the war. Although there had been no major action between the two sides over the past three months, small-scale skirmishes continued. These skirmishes made the two British colonels realize one thing: whether they retreated down the mountain or continued their offensive, the focus was on the Chinese, not on what territory they had currently occupied.

The numerous peaks of the Himalayas made it easy for the British to be intercepted from above during an attack, and similarly, to be shot at from above during a retreat. This meant that if the British could not annihilate a large number of Chinese troops, then no matter how much territory they occupied during an attack, it could not be considered a victory, and a retreat would easily lead to pursuit and collapse.

Colonel Daer then devised a plan to provoke the Chinese and force them to attack him, so that Colonel Haig could lead his troops to surround them and kill the Chinese from both sides.

Colonel Daell thought it was simple to provoke the Chinese: just do everything they had warned him about. In short, kill civilians who supported the Chinese and burn their villages. The rainy season was over, but the land wasn't particularly dry, so setting fires wouldn't cause large-scale wildfires.

The British army did the same thing to suppress Indian resistance during the Boer War, except that they showed some humanitarian considerations during the Boer War. They did not set up concentration camps when dealing with Indians, and the resisters could not survive, not only themselves but also their families.

Of course, The Times wouldn't report these things; it would only report how brutal the Indian mob was, how they raped white women and then hacked them to pieces. So it was only natural that the British army would rape the wives and daughters and kill the children of the mob while suppressing their rebellion.

Chapter 314 The Death of the Colonel (Part 1)

Colonel Daer had calculated everything except that the Chinese actually possessed cannons. There are two routes from Darjeeling to Kalimpong. One route follows the ridge north to the border river that separates it from Upper Sikkim, then follows the valley east. When it meets another river that meanders from the northwest, the two rivers merge and turn south to form the main channel of the Teesta River. Kalimpong is located on the southeastern slope of this confluence.

If they didn't take the main road, there was another smaller route: starting from Kalimpong, crossing the Teesta River, and then traversing the dense jungle to reach Darjeeling. The Chinese had previously attacked Darjeeling along this smaller route. Colonel Daer had tried several times, but couldn't contend with the Chinese in the jungle; the numerous traps and explosives were too much even for the Gurkhas in the army to handle.

Therefore, Colonel Daell chose Choretango, north of Darjeeling, as his target. This is the confluence of the northern tributary and the border river. To the northeast of the confluence is a high ground above the riverbank. Because it is not affected by flash floods, it became a village built for trade. Originally, tribes from the west and north needed to pass through here to go to Kalimpong and then follow the Teesta River into the Indian plains for trade. After the British built Darjeeling, the tribes in these areas began to go to Darjeeling for trade, and this village naturally became more prosperous.

The straight-line distance from Darjeeling to Chorre Tanger is no more than seven miles, but descending the ridge to the valley and then turning west to reach Chorre Tanger takes at least half a day—that's for a small group; a caravan would take at least a full day. Through the bribed mountain people, Colonel Daell also learned that Chorre Tanger was a Chinese military outpost, with at least a hundred men stationed in the village.

After making all the necessary preparations, on September 25th, Colonel Dawer, leading two British infantry companies, three Indian companies, one Gurkha company, and four Maxim machine guns, set off towards the northern valley with local guides. In the preceding months, due to flash floods caused by the rainy season, the Chinese troops along the route from Darjeeling to the northern valley had already withdrawn to prevent being cut off from their retreat. This route, with Darjeeling as the highest point, was vulnerable to being cut off from retreat if a flash flood occurred and the British forces attacked.

Because the objective of this attack was very clear, Colonel Daell completely ignored the stray bullets fired from the roadside bushes. A small number of guerrillas could not hinder such a large force. Previously, the British army was troubled by guerrilla warfare because it could not hand over its rear, but this time the British army originally intended to lure the Chinese army to besiege it, so it did not need to care about its rear.

Colonel Daer's tactics were successful. The Chinese troops stationed at Jore Tango were indeed unable to deal with such a large force, so they quickly chose to retreat. They took away the villagers who wanted to leave, while some villagers, who believed they had not participated in the war, chose to stay.

Villagers who thrive on trade tend to be bolder, and because of their frequent contact with Darjeeling, they believe the British won't harm them. They trust the British to be reasonable, as they believe the British are quite disciplined and adhere to their own laws, which is much better than the local chieftains.

However, it's clear these villagers were too naive. The British have a history of using both force and lies, which is the fundamental reason why the British Empire was able to rule the Indian subcontinent. If these villagers had read the British explanations for the starvation of 2500 million Indians, they would be less likely to believe that British laws were intended to protect the people.

Therefore, the British never hesitated to use any means to suppress colonial resistance. These villagers believed that they had not participated in the war, but in Colonel Dawer's view, the existence of the village was providing a living base for the Chinese army, so these villagers could not be considered true civilians.

During the campaign from the foot of the mountain to Darjeeling, the British set up concentration camps to imprison the villagers along the way. This was because the British believed they could still restore their rule over Lower Sikkim, and therefore they were unwilling to use the most drastic measures against these villagers, which would only create more problems for governance after the restoration.

However, after several months of standoff, the British found it increasingly difficult to expel the Chinese influence from the minds of the locals. These locals dared to demand better treatment from British tea plantation owners and even tried to obtain ownership of the land allocated to them, which the British considered utterly outrageous.

They brought these Gurkhas to Lower Sikkim not to make them the true masters of this land. If the British wanted, there were plenty of poor people in Nepal or India who couldn't survive, and they could easily replace these Gurkhas with these poor people. Therefore, in the British's view, there was no problem in purging these locals who had been poisoned by Chinese ideas.

As a result, the residents left behind by Jore Tanger suffered a massacre. More than a hundred male villagers were dragged to the riverbank, shot, and thrown into the river by the British on the grounds that they had assisted the Chinese. Although the female villagers and children who were unable to resist were left behind, they were also abused and raped.

Wu Luzhen in Kalimpong quickly received the news. It was the first village along the river that discovered the bodies in the river and reported it. Then, the guerrillas near Joretange also brought news of the massacre carried out by the British army in the area.

Wu Luzhen's Shannan Military and Political Committee quickly decided to retaliate against the British army. Within three months, the regular army in Shannan had formed 12 battalions, of which 4 battalions were distributed in Bhutan and Upper Sikkim, and the remaining 8 battalions were all along the Darjeeling-Kalimpong line. Among them, 5 battalions were stationed in Kalimpong. In addition, there were 47 regional guerrilla groups from Kalimpong to the foot of the mountain, ranging from 30 to 40 people to nearly 100 people.

The British had seven battalions stationed in the Darjeeling area and about five more in the villages at the foot of the mountain, for a total of about twelve battalions. However, the British battalions were smaller, so the southern part of the mountain actually had a numerical advantage. Although the British equipment was quite complete, the equipment used on the southern side of the mountain was also British, so there was no technological gap between the two sides. The only advantage the British had was the number of artillery pieces.

Although Wu Luzhen decided to retaliate against the British army, he did not rush to Jore Tange in a moment of rashness. Through monitoring the British army's movements, he discovered that the British army, which had committed a massacre in Jore Tange, had not withdrawn but instead set up defensive fortifications on the spot. This made him realize that it was a trap.

The western and southern sides of Jore Tango are valleys, while the British occupy the ridges to the north and east. This means that any attack from any direction would be an uphill assault, and the valleys offer open views, making them vulnerable to machine gun and artillery fire. If they were to concentrate their forces there, the British forces at Darjeeling would have a clear target to attack.

Therefore, Wu Luzhen dissuaded the local officers from launching a direct attack on Chore Tange, instead targeting the British forces advancing from Darjeeling or Darjeeling itself. His strategy involved a small force making a show of force by attacking Chore Tange, a portion of the army setting up defenses along the ridgeline leading from Darjeeling to the valley, and the main force occupying the high ground to the north and east of Darjeeling.

If the British send a large force to relieve Jore Tango, then the main forces in the north and east will launch a full-scale attack on Darjeeling, while the intercepting forces on the main road will become a force to tie down the British reinforcements. If the British send a small force to relieve Darjeeling, then the eastern forces will feign an attack on Darjeeling to tie down the British forces there, while the main force in the north will intercept and cooperate with the intercepting forces on the main road to eliminate the British reinforcements, and then decide whether to attack Darjeeling.

In Wu Luzhen's eyes, Jore Tange had become a pawn in maneuvering the British army, while other guerrillas began to take on tasks such as guarding, harassing, and disrupting the British army's supply lines. Through radio, carrier pigeons, telegrams, and human relay, Wu Luzhen's orders reached all units, major local committees, and guerrilla units in just three days. It was only then that Wu Luzhen truly felt the high execution and mobilization capabilities brought about by grassroots organizational construction.

After the army began to move, he couldn't help but say to his staff, "If we really win this war, the credit should first be given to the regional committees. I really didn't expect them to be able to complete the pre-war preparations in such a short time."

Wu Luzhen's words were sincere. Previously, the Shannan army had always focused on defense, advocating to contain and deplete the British army's mobility, ultimately forcing the British army to retreat. They really did not have a complete plan to attack the British army. Therefore, in terms of the allocation of materials and personnel, the army simply could not quickly adapt in such complex terrain. However, with the support of the regional committees, they organized a large logistics army to cooperate with the army's operations, which greatly increased the possibility of completing the new operation plan.

On the third day of Colonel Daell’s stay at Jore Tange, the British troops stationed on the northern ridge finally suffered sporadic attacks. At that time, he was not sure if it was the main force of the Chinese army. However, on the fourth and fifth days, the northern and eastern ridge defenses began to be attacked, and the frequency of the attacks increased. Only then was it truly confirmed that the Chinese army had indeed come to retaliate against him.

Colonel Daer was initially pleased that his plan had finally succeeded, and after several days of fortification work, he did not believe that the Chinese could break through his defenses. However, when the Chinese used artillery, his men were unable to find the Chinese artillery positions, which was quite strange.

Colonel Darell personally went up to the defensive line to observe, but he couldn't find any Chinese cannons. However, he suspected they were large-caliber mortars, and there were more than one. These cannons caused panic among the British troops, even the infantry couldn't stand it. Now, these soldiers would fire into the jungle at the slightest sound, which wasted a lot of their ammunition. The colonel had to fire warning smoke before he could truly determine the size of the main Chinese force. According to his agreement with Colonel Haig, this was the time for the Darjeeling troops to move out.

Chapter 315 The Death of the Colonel (Part 2)

On the evening of October 3rd, the ninth day after Colonel Daell's deployment, the British troops in Darjeeling saw the action fireworks set off by Colonel Daell. Although Colonel Haig felt that the Chinese were moving somewhat quickly, he and Colonel Daell had previously calculated that it would take the Chinese at least two weeks from receiving the news to sending troops to Jore Tango, as the Chinese still needed to regroup their forces.

However, Colonel Daell had sent the signal almost a week in advance. Colonel Haig could only deduce that the Chinese had already amassed a large army in Kalimpong, an army originally intended for the attack on Darjeeling. But now, Colonel Daell's actions had ruined that plan. He told his men, "It seems our luck is still on our side. If it weren't for this operation, we really wouldn't know what the Chinese would do next. But now that they have exposed their whereabouts, all we need to do is capture them."

On the morning of October 4th, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Marriott set off with a battalion of British infantry, a battalion of Indian infantry, and two six-pounder cannons. After Colonel Haig saw Lieutenant Colonel Marriott off, he said to his adjutant, "Have Major Armstrong's battalion ready. If necessary, have him provide a second wave of reinforcements."

The adjutant instinctively replied, "If Major Armstrong's battalion is concentrated, then the Darjeeling defenses will be in trouble. We now have less than three battalions left. Observatory Hill to the west, Gammel Hill Station to the south, and LeBlanc Hill to the north have very few troops left. If the Chinese attack these three places, we may not be able to respond in time. In the past two days, the troops stationed along the railway in the mountains have been attacked by the Chinese several times, but only Darjeeling has not been attacked. I think there might be a problem here."

Colonel Haig looked at his adjutant with surprise and said, “Since Colonel Darjeel has been subjected to a major Chinese attack, Darjeeling is certainly safe, because all the Chinese are busy besieging the colonel. If Major Armstrong were to launch his attack, there would be even less to worry about Darjeeling's safety, because the Chinese would definitely be with the colonel. Are you planning to let the colonel fight while we stand by and watch? Victory lies in offense, not defense…”

Darjeeling is actually located at the intersection of three ridges, where the mountain range, extending from south to north, forks. One ridge runs west for two-thirds of a mile past Observatory Hill, then turns north, gradually arcing towards the northeast, with its elevation continuously decreasing until it extends into the valley. The other ridge runs northeast and then north, extending for two miles before abruptly descending into the valley to the north, appearing as if it has been cleaved in two.

Therefore, the roads leading into Darjeeling from the north and south all follow the ridge. However, the break in the ridge to the due north, though difficult to pass, was indeed a key point for the defense of Darjeeling's north side. Originally, there was an outpost every quarter mile along this ridge, and a gun emplacement with a company and a half stationed at the highest point in the middle of the ridge.

However, after Colonel Daell devised an attack plan, the defenses here were greatly weakened, as the defenses of the northwest and south were more important. At this point, the problem of insufficient British troops became apparent. In fact, the number of British troops stationed in Darjeeling was not small. With seven battalions plus logistics troops, the British forces in Darjeeling numbered close to 6000, which was more than half of the population of Darjeeling. However, after placing these troops on the high ground of various hills, they were really not many.

This is also why Colonel Daer advocated drawing the Chinese to attack him. A frontal assault would be difficult for them to cross the jungle, and even setting aside the political pressure, the military pressure of defending in place would be unbearable. Therefore, abandoning defense and switching to offense was, in Colonel Haig's view, the best way to deal with the Chinese.

Colonel Haig's good mood didn't last long. Just over an hour after Lieutenant Colonel Charles Marriott's troops set off, the Gam Hill Station, located 4 miles south of Darjeeling, was under heavy attack by the Chinese. Soon, the telegraph line to Gam Hill Station was cut off, and Colonel Haig had to send Major Kennedy with two companies to reinforce Gam Hill Station.

While the British troops in Darjeeling were drawn to the battle at Gam Hill Station, the batteries in LeBlanc were also attacked. The attack began with a supply convoy transporting provisions to the batteries. Captain Butler, who was stationed at the batteries, never expected that the attack on him would not come from the valley to the east, but from the supply convoy from Darjeeling.

The unsuspecting British troops opened the gates and let the donkey caravan into the yard when a sentry suddenly alerted Captain Butler that some suspicious armed men were climbing the ridge in the valley to the east.

Captain Butler glanced around and saw at least two or three hundred men rushing towards them from the direction of Nanling Manor, with other armed personnel attacking several outposts on the ridge. He immediately shouted to his men, "Sound the alarm in the city! Close the gates! Close the gates!"