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A Little Trouble in Big China - A Chinese Warlord Quest

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January 1st, 1924
  • Threadmarks

    • January 1st, 1924

    Teal - Qing Empire
    Dark Teal - Qing-aligned Warlords
    Light Green - KMT Government
    Dark Green - KMT-aligned Warlords
    Yellow - Japan
    Off Green - Russia
    Pink - Great Britain
    Blue - France
    Orange - Netherlands
    Dark Teal - USA
    Baby Teal - Fengtian Clique
    ​


    Perhaps it is appropriate that in the wake of a uniting force, China would seek to theoretically be united, but brought down by vice and greed. Be it the dreams of a singular Republic, where it was torn apart by the twin dogs of warlordism and monarchism, or a united front in the face of an age old enemy, it seems that even as China put forward it's best feet in one location, it had to retreat in another.

    To begin, the successes of China cannot be discounted. In the farthest north, on the Manchurian plains, the dogged determinism of Zhang Xueliang, the Young Tiger, holds out against the increasingly powerful war machine of the Imperial Army and Imperial Navy. Even in the wake of numerous losses, be it throughout the north along the Manchurian Northern Railroad, or the loss of the capitol, Fengtian, itself, Xueliang would not. Nay, could not give up. His lines, growing increasingly shorter as the Japanese advanced, coalesced under a large trench system around the city of Jehol. Protected on the flanks by the Inner Mongolia mountains, and crammed with refugees, soldiers, and industries rescued from Japanese clutches during their unending advances, Xueliang pulled off unexpected victory.

    The battle of Jehol, where the arrogance of the IJA finally came to roost, would be a rousing cry throughout China. Beleaguered, the Northeast Defense Army would hold the IJA and their Manchukuon dogs at bay again and again, always trying to penetrate the (sometimes far too thin) trench lines to get to Jehol and final victory in Manchuria. Alas, for the Japanese it would not be so. While they formally enthroned Zhang Zongchang in Fengtian as the true President of the Republic of Manchukuo, the IJA grew increasingly worried about their successes in Manchuria. Whereas once the Chinese armies, infighting as they were and loyal to wildly different polities, were viewed as nothing more than large groups of marching clay pigeons, Xueliang gave them time to think, which gave him time to think.

    Xueliang, as the autonomous governor he was, had quickly gone about both assuming full emergency powers as well as conscripting as many peasants as he could arm. Further, he strengthened his propaganda arms to rally the people and secure as much funding as possible by declaring a fire-sale on anything that wasn't bolted down. While these had mixed effects (the conscription giving him needed bodies, while the fire-sale on all things Manchurian gave the common people an idea of just how desperate Xueliang was) he did fantastic considering the odds. Aged no more than twenty four, Xueliang held the final hopes of independent Manchuria in his hands, which was the perfect time for Qing aid to begin flowing in from a sympathetic Cao Kun. Perhaps surprising to some, but various bandit bands would routinely find weapons caches along the Mongolian borders. Although no one knew why, the influx of Mosins were a great help, and the Communist partisans who fought (secretly) with Xueliang were more happy than not at the result.

    Further to the south, in the Inspectorate of Fujian, a Japanese advance towards Canton is taken by surprise as the popular militias infiltrate the rather large province and begin a cycle of medium intensity guerilla warfare, asymmetrically attacking Japanese support structures while maintaining what pressure it could, maximising the number of resources needed in order to secure the province. This would prove necessary, as the Japanese army would be quickly sighted by Left-KMT scouts, who reported back to Canton who quickly mustered an army under Borodin. These armies would meet at Chaochow, just inside the Guangdong border. Here, the battle of Guangdong would rage to a harsh stalemate, the masses of the Left-KMT retreating to tend their numerous wounded and dead as the much smaller Japanese army did the same. Within the IJA, accusations of denied equipment would scare the Japanese government, and have tremendous implications on the election later that year. On the other hand, the Left-KMT had to face the stark realities of their choices from the previous year.

    The Left-KMT, with near ten thousand peasants dead, brought into question the reasonings that their superior numbers failed to bring victory to the people. There were two distinct threads of thought on this issue. General Borodin blamed the failure of the lumpenproletariet to provide exactly what was needed, as was needed, to the Chinese cause, resulting in a skewed result in favour to none but the crows. Borodin was not coy in his accusations against who he saw as unfriendly elements (the Tongs among them) and demanded a new round of purges to sooth this affront to the people. Zhang Guotao on the other hand, who was also at the battle of Chaochow, had other ideas. He blamed Borodin himself, who had increasingly centralised the Left-KMT's power to himself over the course of the reforms, and the fact that officer corps was both uniquely unprepared and inadequately sized for massed attacks. Lieutenants would be assigned company-sized units, while captains could be in charge of regiment-sized blocks, well outside what they were trained to handle. The purging of the officer corps, alongside the quick turnaround from purge to war, hand left the officer corps of the Left-KMT literally decimated, and highly reliant on either individuals taking impromptu command, or CPC militia and sleeper agents breaking these oversized units into smaller and more manageable pieces.

    This was not helped by the sometimes confusing orders coming out of Canton, as President-Marshal would sometimes contradict himself. Even as he ordered the streamlining of the officer corps, he would, on the next sheet of paper, order Borodin to expand infantry and cavalry within the Left-Republican Army, while also expanding both the L-RA's support and communication structures (which Borodin himself often too the ultimate control of). Both threads needed to be addressed by the increasingly sickly President-Marshal. Perhaps his saving grace was the consistent delegation of economic and diplomatic duties to his council, primarily Liao Zhongkai and Tang Shaoyi. This would prove to be interesting, as the sickness of the President-Marshal increased, so did the various members of the President-Marshal's Council (Borodin, Zhongkai, Shaoyi) smell blood in the water and begin to circle one another.

    In other Left-KMT news, Liao neatly continues his dominance of all things economic, creating non-Canton based production more to the north, and looking to produce more quality goods over quantity. This would be spectacular for the average ability of a rifle to shoot, and allow the productions of limited numbers of Howells within the Left-KMT gunsmiths. However, it does begin to squeeze tight the supplies to the ever expanding army, as the Left-KMT increasingly could not give their peasants guns as they signed up. In one unit, it was seen that every first individual would get a gun, while every second individual would get the ammunition.

    Shaoyi would have less success than his fellows, much to his chagrin. The President-Marshal, seeing reports of the damage inflicted to the north by the miniscule Japanese airforce, sought to replicate such force multipliers in his own army. Declaring the Republic of China Airforce (ROCAF), Shaoyi was dispatched to various buyers in Europe seeking planes. Shaoyi was quite roundly rebuffed in Ireland and Spain, neither of which wanted to deal with "communist" regimes, while false companies created for import and bribery were roundly sent home due to their distasteful Asiatic owners. This forced Shaoyi to rely on the age old help of the Soviets. Thanks to the Japanese blockade and events pertaining to the Qing (which will be discussed later) direct supply was close to impossible, thus through a brazen move the Chinese and Russians took radical steps to bring planes to the Left-KMT. False-flagging as Swedes, the Russians managed to sneak a ship around the Cape and dock in Burma. There, planes were carried by hand, piece by piece, across the mountains and jungles. It was by no means easily, and many hands were lost, but exactly three planes were delivered (after almost a year) to the Left-KMT. Two Sikorsky S-12s, alongside a Sikorsky Ilya Muromets, would be the founding planes of the ROCAF.

    This would be too little too late, as the Japanese made another assault on Canton. This time using marines and the might of the IJN, the sickly President-Marshal and his council fled to Tsingyun as their encampments fell to IJN artillery and marine surgical strikes. The IJA, hurt by the losses at Chaochow and Jehol (and widely ignoring the fact they had secured the vast majority of Manchuria within the year), vowed to redouble their efforts in order to salvage their honour. Establishing Chen Jiongming as the Governor of the State of Canton, the IJN spent much of the rest of their time wallowing in their victory.

    To the north, in the Qing, is where the malady of infighting truly began. Cao Kun, Lord of the Privy Seal and most powerful man in the Qing Court, was a man of ambition and power. Throughout much of the year, he was busy strengthening the Qing state, from expanding the Baoding Officer's Academy, to dragging Prince Chun to the peasantry in public acts of monarchist support for the farmer, to improving the industry throughout Anhui province all the while paying Qing-warlords to maintain their relations in the wake of an ever predatory Right-KMT. However, Cao Kun's ambition grew too large, and in a meeting with Shaoyi discussing a united front, Cao Kun agreed, hungry for the lands occupied by the Japanese within China, or even perhaps having his eye on Korea. In assisting this goal, Cao Kun allowed the Left-KMT, known frolikers with the dangerous politics of left rhetoric, to get supplies from the Bolsheviks. This would choose to be a disastrous policy, as he was solely the power behind the throne, and not on the throne itself. Although young, the Emperor was not a weak man, indeed had within him a cruel streak, often beating his eunuchs because he could. This Emperor was not only one that abhorred all that the Bolsheviks represented, but was personally close to the Imperial family. Thus when it came down to Cao Kun's decision, it brought forth the worst in the Emperor.

    It was publicly that Cao Kun was called before the Emperor, not realising until it was too late that he was surrounded without his own guards. It was at this point the Cao was beaten to death on the personal order of the Emperor, whose cruelty was fine tuned by the zealotry of holding his position away from both the Imperials of Japan and the Bolsheviks of the south. Wu Peifu was soon after confronted, and bought off with a Marshal's baton. This act of brutality had two immediate results. The first was it frightened the Imperial Court into line, where the Qing Empire would be neutral in this conflict between the Japanese and the Republicans. Secondly was the politics within the court were suddenly changed, as the once dominant position of Lord of the Privy Seal suddenly became one of an advisory role (the position being returned to Zhang Xun in quick form). Formerly wavering warlords such as Ma Fuxiang were brought back into line very quickly.

    This brought the end of a hope of a united bloc against the Japanese, although it was very close to actually occurring. That said, this did not stop the Fengtian Clique (although more appropriately the Jehol Clique), the Communists, and the Left-Republicans from engaging in huge propaganda waves, which was seen throughout the Qing Empire, alongside unoccupied land and oft brought into occupied lands in the form of guerillas talking in taverns and tea-rooms. Discontent within the Empire rose at the idea of being subjected to the Japanese, however as the war grew on and as reports of tremendously high death counts came in, some quieted down as they were able to live their lives in peace, unlike too many across the rest of China. That said, more often than not politically motivated peasants moved south or north to join with the Northeast Defense Force or popular militias in order to defeat the Japanese invaders.

    However, this is not the saddest story of the nation. Within Shanghai, it seemed that Big Eared Du was driven to extremes following the occupation of Shanghai by the IJN and the theft of his companies by various Zaibatsus. It began by Du doing everything short of begging Chiang Kai-shek to bring his Hui members to Shanghai, where Du'd ship them to Oman where they'd operate as patsies for the Tongs. This was met with not undue incredulity, however Chiang, as a favour did supply a small number of Hui KMGT member to Du. They were then attempted to be smuggled onto a vessel, any vessel (hopefully foreign and protected). Alas, they were caught and shot by Japanese gendarmes who declared the Chinamen obvious thieves before returning the gold and silver bullion they held to the British consulate. A second attempt with a small ocean-worthy boat met an equally ignoble end at the bottom of the China sea thanks (ironically) to a Shanghai-made Japanese coastal defense ship.

    Du then attempted to approach representatives of the Zaibatsus in order to buy back his companies. Here, although honourable and polite, was firmly dismissed. Further attempts to subvert the authority of the Zaibatsus through becoming shareholders would enrage the most powerful businesses within Japan, as they saw Chinese interference with their monopolistic affairs. As a result, more than a few Tong members disappeared into the night never to be seen again.

    Du, deciding to take revenge, printed untold thousands of pamphlets to be distributed throughout occupied China and Korea. Unfortunately for Du, the vast majority of both populations were illiterate and unable to actual understand the writing within the pamphlets. Those few were radicalised just enough to be unpersoned by the Japanese police in Fujian and Korea. However, whether due to these pamphlets or not, there was another (failed) attempt on the Japanese Governor of Korea, Viscount Saitō Makoto. This would result in a quick reaction, where Japanese forces went throughout the politically active regions of Korean cities and arrested any who questioned their control of the nation. Among those arrested were Tong members, who gave up Du's complicity within the matter.

    Thus, Du was forced to flee his house in haste, minutes before Japanese gendarme burst through his door demanding his head. Du managed to make his way onto a French boat, and travel to Zhuhai where he met with those limited numbers of personal bodyguards he had left. There he set up shop, and although losing his network in Shanghai (the Tongs there being driven off or arrested by the Japanese) Du maintained his ties with Taiwan.

    Between the failures at Chaochow and Jehol, alongside with another attempt on the Governor of Korea, the Japanese military infrastructure was furious at the Japanese government. The Taisho democracy, weak and new, bent before the will of the IJA and IJN, with the elections that were held in 1924 representing that fact openly. Whereas before the war it could have been argued that no majority could have been returned by the Japanese public, in reality a slim majority was returned. The Rikken Seiyūkai, or the Constitutional Association of Political Friendship, secured a majority of the seats in the Diet even in the wake of a split following the assassination of Prime Minister Hara.

    With heavy military influence operating within the party, democracy within Japan seemed to be holding on by a thread. Viscount Korekiyo was returned as Prime Minister, and the most pro-military member of the various parties sought to carve for themselves a political sphere free from total military control. Thus, even as he gained from the IJA and IJN support that he received, Korekiyo maintained tight monetary control over both entities. However, even he could not prevent the IJN from investing in newer aircraft and the IJA investing into the creation of domestic armour production, having seen the success of Chinese trenches in Jehol.

    Meanwhile, within the Right-KMT, all was not silent. Tang Jiyao would hold to his promise and deny all aide to the Left-KMT. However, he would take this a step farther by actively removing popular militias from Right-KMT controlled lands. Although not fighting the Left-KMT, these elements were aligned to the Left-KMT, and represented vested interests of the leftist peasant classes in said provinces.

    Who do you support?​


    Canton-KMT China:

    Sun Yat-sen: Han Revolutionary and leader of the Chinese National Party. Founder of the Chinese Republic.

    Liao Zhongkai: Han Politician, Left-KMT, Special Plenipotentiary of Industry of the Republic of China.

    Mikhail Borodin: Russian expat and general of the KMT. Borrowed from the Soviets until 1927.

    Tang Shaoyi: Han politician, Left-KMT, Special Plenipotentiary of Diplomacy of the Republic of China.


    Kunming-KMT China:

    Li Liejun: Han General, Warlord of the Jiangxi Clique, and KMT-aligned warlord.

    Tang Jiyao: Yunnanese Warlord, Leader of the Yunnan Clique, and KMT-aligned warlord.

    Lu Rongting: Zhuang General, Warlord of the Nanning Clique, KMT-aligned warlord.

    Liu Xiang: Han General, Warlord of the Sichuan Clique, KMT-aligned warlord.

    Chiang Kai-shek: Han Leader of the Kemingtang. ex-Political Governor of Shanghai.

    Bai Chongxi: Hui Warlord, ex-leader of the Landowner Revolt in Guangdong.


    Fengtian Clique:

    Xu Shichang: Han statesman, propaganda minister.

    Zhang Xueliang: Han General, the Young Marshal, Leader of the Fengtian Clique.


    Qing China:

    Duan Qirui: Han General, Leader of the Anhui Clique, and disgraced member of the Imperial Court.

    Li Yuanhong: Han General, shafted from leadership, general in the Imperial Army.

    Ma Fuxiang: Hui Warlord, Leader of the Ma Clique. Noted reactionary.

    Yang Zhengxin: Han General, Leader of the Xinjiang Clique. Noted monarchist.

    Wu Peifu: Han General, Leader of the Zhili Clique, Marshal of the Qing. Powerful member of the Imperial Court.

    Zhang Xun: Han General, Leader of the Manchu Restoration Movement, member of the Imperial Court. Lord of the Privy Seal.

    Prince Chun: Manchu Prince, father of the Qing Emperor. Regent (powerless position as now).


    Manchukuo:

    Zhang Zongchang: Han Warlord, former bandit, "Basest Warlord in China", and leader of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo.


    Tong Shanghai:

    Du "Big-Eared Du" Yuesheng: Han mob boss who has a controlling interest in Shanghai and worked with elements of the Republicans. Ties with elements of the Chinese Revolutionary Party (Kemingtang).


    Communist Party of China:

    Chen Duxiu: Han Leader of the CPC.

    Zhang Guotao: Han General of the CPC-KMT.


    - - -
    GM NOTES
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    ​
    Thank you for your patience, energy, and effort. I really appreciate it and it helps inspire me as a QM.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Provisional Plan:

    [X]Sun Yat-Sen
    -[X] Plan Democracy and the War Effort
    1. Given the President's uneven health, the KMT must assure a clear, bloodless succession. In order for this to happen, the KMT will further democratize the country and clarify the succession:
    -The democratic reform will create direct democratic village and city councils, which will deal with day-to-day administration and local matters of the areas in their jurisdiction. Women will be allowed to participate if the locality votes in favour of it. This will be done in places where there is no official structure (no elcted officials, no mayors...) while those that do have them will be allowed to choose, with a push towards doing so. This, besides being a test for decentralized democracy, is so that there are more organizations supporting the KMT.
    - Sun Yat-Sen will clear up the succession, naming Liao Zhongkai as his preferred successor for leadership of the KMT, and have an internal party vote at the end of the year for the future leadership after his death, with the Warlord-KMT being barred from voting. At the same time, an inner call for unity among the party will be launched.
    2. Reform the NRA, giving Zhang Guotao the right of it: (Zhang Guotao)
    - Zhang Guotao will be named Chief of the General Staff of the NRA and given command over the military.
    - Break up and decentralize the army into more manageable pieces, using militia experience, and with low-level commanders being elected by the soldiery if no other option is available.
    - Borodin will be shifted to reforming divisions, creating and expanding support groups for the NRA. Give him wounded and crippled soldiers, and volunteers that have yet to be armed to act as staff. (Borodin)
    - Have Guotao, and other officers, experienced militiamen and partisans, and who share his opinions, modify the doctrine to adapt correctly to the conditions face by the RoC (partisan support, enemy technological and equipping superiority, broad popular support, numerical superiority…).
    - Order trained officers unnecessary at the front to create ad-hoc classes, teaching soldiers and militiamen military doctrine and training them. Those at the front shall also do so when possible.
    - Have the best of the militias serve as a training group to teach other militias.
    - Encourage experienced militiamen to teach other militias or soldiers about battle.
    - Allow women to serve in any support roles, and in the militias.
    -Create a provisional officer school in Changsha, Hunan where the staff and officers-in-training of Whampoa will continue training.
    -
    3. Expand the NRA and the militias with only voluntary recruitment. (Zhong Guotao)
    - Create internal propaganda to boost recruitment.
    - Use the refugees fleeing the Japanese army to boost recruitment. Both taking in volunteers and using refugees as a reason for soldiers to join up- to protect their countrymen.
    - Integrate the militias from the Kunming-KMT that wish to do so into our militias.
    - Citizens with knowledge pertaining to the new support groups that Borodin is creating, and that are not already in industries necessary for the war-effort, will be called upon to join these support groups.
    - New recruits into the NRA will be separated into two groups: most shall be trained in the usual manner of the NRA, or sent to join the support groups, or whichever area needs them, while up to a third of those who join, who will have priority for equipment before other training groups and stricter fitness requirements (between the ages of 18 and 30), will train for 40 weeks (cannot be called up before finishing training). This group will train in harsher conditions, with more drilling and a greater importance of discipline being impressed upon them (anyone who drops out will be sent where needed).
    -- Zhuhai Tong members are allowed to cross to the Kunming KMT, so that they will be allies later on.
    4. Create arsenals, foundries and all sorts of military factories all around the Left-KMT, particularly Hunan and Changsha, so that the Japanese may not seize all of them. (Liao Zhongkai)
    - Keep all military industry already in use focused on quality, like they already are (no reforming for more quality).
    - The expansion of military industry must focus on small arms and ammunition, with the new factories being made for rushed, massive production of Hanyang 88s and their ammunition.
    - A small part of the expansion will focus on creating more planes, particularly Ilya Muromets, but with care for them to be as reliable as possible. I am uncertain of how much it would cost to build airplanes, and how much it would take
    -
    5. Continue the war in Japan in this manner:
    - Pursue a Fabian strategy, wearing down the Japanese through skirmishes, partisan attacks, and defensive warfare.
    - Use the fortifications and trenches around the country, and the hilly, mountainous terrain for partisans to fight in, and for the army to use as defensive areas.
    - The army and militias shall not forcefully requisition food from civilians. They must have respect for civilians, without stealing any property, and only asking for aid (refuge, food…), not demanding it.
    - Maintain points of communication so that Tong members / Coast watchers can contact partisans.
    -
    6. Evacuate the frontlines where possible, sending refugees to village collectives and cities that can take them in, and create collectives with those that have no place to go..
    - Use their labor to build homes for themselves, and give them employment where possible in farms, military industries, building infrastructure, and other places. The employment must be voluntary, without use of corvee labor, and acceptable conditions. They will create cooperatives if they desire.
    - Offer them places in the army.
    - Those that have experience in industries, education, medicine, the military... Are to be offered jobs for their speciality.
    -



    Edit: Critique and suggestions, please!
    ---

    To anyone that wants to: join in! Vote, or make a plan for whichever person you want!


    VoidZero said:
    Is this universe cursed? :thonk:
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    Certainly seems so


    @Dadarian When the Japanese seized Canton, did they also occupy the military industry? Particularly that of artillery? Or was it destroyed in the battle?
     
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    @Dadarian

    Sooooo, what caused all these to be ..... well all this? How likely is it for the Fengtian remnants to gain safe passage to either Mongolia or Southern China? And would Xueliang be able to hold all the remnants together during its exodus?

    No international noise regarding Manchukuo?
     
    VoidZero said:
    @Dadarian

    Sooooo, what caused all these to be ..... well all this? How likely is it for the Fengtian remnants to gain safe passage to either Mongolia or Southern China? And would Xueliang be able to hold all the remnants together during its exodus?

    No international noise regarding Manchukuo?
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    Fengtian remnants are actually quite comfortably entrenched right now, if you flee now your best bet is to go straight through Qing land. Xueliang would be able to hold everyone together, they love you.

    And Manchukuo is starting to turn some heads, but most aren't interested because the last dying gasps of the WWI post-Entente alliance. That said the international community is privately grumbling to themselves, but that's OOC knowledge.

    DanBaque said:
    @Dadarian When the Japanese seized Canton, did they also occupy the military industry? Particularly that of artillery? Or was it destroyed in the battle?
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    The Japanese seized Canton more-or-less intact minus some bombed out military and residential sections. Thankfully your order to have Liao to move industry helped save some of the artillery factories. They have not been destroyed.

    kilopi505 said:
    @Dadarian, who controls Zhuhai? KMT? Qing? Japan?
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    Left-KMT.

     
    @Dadarian Did most Whampoa officers in-training escape? Have the Japanese began expanding their army en-masse, or can we not know that?
     
    [X] Zhang Xueliang
    -[X] Never say die
    1. Stabilize government power and further entrench remaining holdings. Discourage civilians from leaving the controlled area for their protection and tell them the danger of Japanese spies, which they need to report to government officials.
    2. Reform and Modernize the most loyal part of North-East Defense Force, creating template/example division for controlled adaption. Discreetly reach out to Weimar Republic again for this effort. Allow them control of military arms supply, education, and future promise; should they ask for it. Reach out to the British if Weimar would have none of it, same promise.
    3. More propaganda - Continue spreading Japanese cruelty, Manchukuo traitor, and the value of intrinsic freedom Chinese had won under heroic sacrifice of the people and Zhang Zuolin. Zhang Xueliang and entire Zhang faction will carry on the righteous and glorious self defense. Continue calling for international attention and aid to the devastated war refugees in China. (Xu Shichang's job)
    4. Discreetly reach out to surrounding cliques for goods and military personnel exchange, essentially a boot camp for cliques to form up their military capacity. They don't want to get crushed by the Throne(s) right? Be it Qing or Imperial Japan.
    5. Have government start rationing and organized production to keep the army and population fed, trade favors with landowners/factory owners/person with connections if they are willing to work with the government.
    6. Calls for the disruption and destruction of the Manchurko rail, the great parasite that drains the good and honest people of Manchuria of their blood and hard earn wealth. Covertly arm/fund partisans or bandits freedom fighters for this task, demand tangible proof.
    Please say something when you spot holes in my logic and plan, because i'm having great doubt about my planning ability.
     
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    Should have blown up the god damn rails, got too greedy last turn and all these years.
     
    [X] Zhang Xueliang
    -[X] Never say die
    1. Stabilize government power and further entrench remaining holdings. Discourage civilians from leaving the controlled area for their protection and tell them the danger of Japanese spies, which they need to report to government officials.
    2. Reform and Modernize North-East Defense Force, discreetly reach out to Weimar Republic again for this effort. Allow them control of military arms supply, education, and future promise; should they ask for it. Reach out to the British if Weimar would have none of it, same promise.
    3. More propaganda - Continue spreading Japanese cruelty, Manchukuo traitor, and the value of intrinsic freedom Chinese had won under heroic sacrifice of the people and Zhang Zuolin. Zhang Xueliang and entire Zhang faction will carry on the righteous and glorious self defense. Continue calling for international attention and aid to the devastated war refugees in China.
    4. Discreetly reach out to surrounding cliques for goods and military personnel exchange, essentially a boot camp for cliques to form up their military capacity. They don't want to get crushed by the Throne(s) right? Be it Qing or Imperial Japan.
    5. Have government start rationing and organized production to keep the army and population fed, trade favors with landowners/factory owners/person with connections if they are willing to work with the government.
    6. Calls for the disruption and destruction of the Manchurko rail, the great parasite that drains the good and honest people of Manchuria of their blood and hard earn wealth. Covertly arm/fund partisans or bandits freedom fighters for this task, demand tangible proof.
     
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    Miner249er said:
    [X] Zhang Xueliang
    -[X] Never say die
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    Thank you for your support, note that i decided that people should bleed to the last drop of blood in defense of China. Point 6 change to following.

    6. Spread propaganda calls for the disruption and destruction of the Manchurko rail, the great parasite that drains the good and honest people of Manchuria of their blood and hard earn wealth. Covertly arm/fund partisans or bandits freedom fighters for this task, demand tangible proof.
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    DanBaque said:
    You've got partisans, you can still do it if you're lucky.
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    Everyone is short on luck it appears, but hey we all die together. :V
     
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    Dadarian said:
    Yes, although not in any great numbers initially.
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    That is wonderful. It's beautiful news.
    -Who got the 10.00? Was it the KMT with the airforce?
    -Were the forts in the plan last turn created?
    -
    DanBaque said:
    4. Fortify the areas controlled by the Left-KMT around the watchtowers built and in the frontlines, with militias and army divisions serving as garrisons. Concentrate particularly in Fujian and Guangdong, in the Japanese frontier (not a static defense, an elastic defense-in-depth).
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    VoidZero said:
    [X] Zhang Xueliang
    -[] Never say die
    1. Stabilize government power and further entrench remaining holdings. Discourage civilians from leaving the controlled area for their protection and tell them the danger of Japanese spies, which they need to report to government officials.
    2. Reform and Modernize North-East Defense Force, discreetly reach out to Weimar Republic again for this effort. Allow them control of military arms supply, education, and future promise; should they ask for it. Reach out to the British if Weimar would have none of it, same promise.
    3. More propaganda - Continue spreading Japanese cruelty, Manchukuo traitor, and the value of intrinsic freedom Chinese had won under heroic sacrifice of the people and Zhang Zuolin. Zhang Xueliang and entire Zhang faction will carry on the righteous and glorious self defense.
    4. Discreetly reach out to surrounding cliques for goods and military personnel exchange, essentially a boot camp for cliques to form up their military capacity. They don't want to get crushed by the Throne(s) right? Be it Qing or Imperial Japan.
    5. Continue calling for international attention and aid to the devastated war refugees in China.
    6. Spread propaganda calls for the disruption and destruction of the Manchurko rail, the great parasite that drains the good and honest people of Manchuria of their blood and hard earn wealth. Covertly arm/fund partisans or bandits freedom fighters for this task, demand tangible proof.
    Please say something when you spot holes in my logic and plan, because i'm having great doubt about my planning ability.
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    -3. and 5. seem a bit like the same- you can spread propaganda everywhere, with one intention in China, and a different one everywhere else. This would leave an option free. Also, since it's propaganda, you should give it to Xu Shichang, seeing as to he's your propaganda minister.
    -I'm unsure about 4, since all the cliques under the Qing have started to unite more this turn. Seems somewhat unlikely, and you could possibly get the Qing attacking you if you're unlucky.
     
    DanBaque said:
    -3. and 5. seem a bit like the same- you can spread propaganda everywhere, with one intenition in China, and a different one everywhere else. This would leave an option free. Also, since it's propaganda, you should give it to Xu Shichang, seeing as to he's your propaganda minister.
    -I'm unsure about 4, since all the cliques under the Qing have started to unite more this turn. Seems somewhat unlikely, and you could possibly get the Qing attacking you if you're unlucky.
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    3 and 5 merging seems ok, what do you suggest for the open spot?

    4, i need a source of income and population; since the entire place was lost. Soooo~~~
     
    VoidZero said:
    3 and 5 merging seems ok, what do you suggest for the open spot?
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    -Hmm. If Manchukuo is creating an army, getting spies in there and getting them to switch sides (with Japanese guns coming with them) could be an option.
    @Dadarian Does Manchukuo have a collaborator army?

    -If not, having your partisans start a scorched earth campaign behind the lines? Or trying to get food, since you've few farms.
     
    DanBaque said:
    That is wonderful. It's beautiful news.
    -Who got the 10.00? Was it the KMT with the airforce?
    -Were the forts in the plan last turn created?
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    It was for the airforce, which I really had to be creative in you getting. That said you argued forts but elastic defense-in-depth, which are two very different doctrines. Essentially what went up are the watch-towers and garrisons (where Borodin came from) with trenches.

    DanBaque said:
    @Dadarian Does Manchukuo have a collaborator army?
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    Yes, although every aspect is questionable for numerous regions. It's more of a police force or a bandit gang (depending on the commander) than a true army.
     
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