In February 1942, the battlefield in Burma was filled with gunsmoke. As soon as the Chinese expeditionary force arrived at the front, it was caught in a power game. The British commander Alexander was anxious to shirk responsibility, and the Chinese generals Du Yuming and Sun Liren had their own thoughts. No one expected that this contest was not only about the military, but also a thrilling game of survival.
Expeditionary force into Burma: Chiang Kai-shek sent troops to aid Britain, Du Yuming and Sun Liren showed their powers
At the end of 1941, the Japanese army marched south, and United Kingdom was losing ground in Southeast Asia. In order to save the situation, Chiang Kai-shek decided to send an expeditionary force into Burma to fight. This force consisted of three armies, the 5th, 6th, and 66th, with a total strength of about 100,000 troops. Among them, Du Yuming and Sun Liren are two important generals.
Du Yuming came from a humble background, and at the age of 19, he witnessed the darkness of the Beiyang warlords and resolutely joined the revolution. He studied hard at the Whampoa Military Academy and later joined the Kuomintang army. Sun Liren is a typical "second generation official", and his father was a member of Congress. But he is not a gentleman, at the age of 13, he was admitted to Tsinghua University with the first score in the province, and then studied in United States, and returned to join the army.
The two have very different personalities, Du Yuming is calm and sophisticated, and Sun Liren is sharp. This time in Myanmar, they are about to face the most difficult test of their lives.
The British army played tricks: 7,000 people were surrounded, in a vain attempt to use the Chinese army as cannon fodder
As soon as the expeditionary force arrived in Burma, the British commander Alexander, made a small calculation. He hurriedly found Du Yuming, saying that 7,000 British troops were besieged by the Japanese army, and asked the Chinese army to reinforce quickly.
Du Yuming understood as soon as he heard it: This old boy wants us to be cannon fodder! Last year, Dai Anlan led 200 divisions to help, but the British army ran away, leaving the Chinese army to fight alone. This time, I definitely want to do it again.
Du Yuming refused on the spot, and the two sides were deadlocked. At this time, Sun Liren stood up and said that he was willing to lead troops to reinforce, but there was one condition: the British army must hold the position for two days and two nights, and was not allowed to retreat without authorization.
Alexander was forced to agree. Sun Liren led a thousand elites, fought bravely to kill the enemy, and finally succeeded in breaking the siege. This battle made Sun Liren famous, and he won three medals at once.
The British army deceived again: they wanted to blow up the bridge and cut off the back road, but Sun Liren pulled out his gun to confront him
Although Sun Liren has made great contributions, the insidiousness of the British army is not over. Soon after, the Japanese attacked in a big way, and the British decided to retreat. Du Yuming was ordered to cover the British army, but he did not expect the United Kingdom to want to stab him in the back.
During the retreat, the British army quietly prepared to blow up the pontoon bridge, trying to trap the Chinese army on the opposite bank. Fortunately, Sun Liren was alert and discovered this conspiracy in time. Without saying a word, he took out his pistol and pointed it at the head of the British commander: "If you dare to blow up the bridge, I will collapse you first!"
The United Kingdom was so frightened that they had to give up. This scene made Du Yuming look at Sun Liren with admiration. But the bigger test is yet to come.
Life and death decision: Du Yuming entered the Savage Mountain, and Sun Liren withdrew with the British army
Just when the expeditionary force and the British army were intriguing, the Japanese army had quietly gone around to the rear. By the time everyone found out, the back road had been cut off, and they had to retreat in a hurry.
The British said they would immediately retreat to India, and the Chinese troops could follow, but they would have to drop their weapons and enter as refugees. Du Yuming was furious when he heard this: "We are here to fight, not to be refugees!"
He decided to lead his troops back to Yunnan, but that meant crossing the infamous Savage Mountains. Sun Liren strongly objected: "It is a forbidden area of life, and almost no one can get out alive!"
The two argued and eventually parted ways. Du Yuming led his army into the Savage Mountain, while Sun Liren followed the British army to India.
No one expected that this decision would bring completely different fates to the two.
Du Yuming led 15,000 soldiers into the Savage Mountain. It is hot and rainy all year round, and mosquitoes are rampant. Everyone's clothes are always wet, and their private parts are starting to rot. The most terrible thing is that the food is quickly eaten up.
Hungry soldiers began to gnaw on belts and boil leather shoes to satisfy their hunger. Some people couldn't help but pick wild fruits to eat, but their tongues turned purple and they rolled on the ground in pain. Also watch out for giant mosquitoes at night, which can drain an adult's blood overnight.
In the end, only 3,000 people made it out of Savage Mountain alive. More than 10,000 lives have been left in this primeval jungle forever.
And Sun Liren, who chose to follow the British army, although he temporarily saved his life, he also paid the price. He entered India as a "refugee", which, in Du Yuming's view, was tantamount to "selling the lord for glory."
Since then, Du Yuming has targeted Sun Liren everywhere. Later, Chiang Kai-shek also became suspicious of Sun Liren and placed him under house arrest for more than 30 years on charges of "rebellion".
Du Yuming and Sun Liren reflect the complexity and helplessness of that era. They were all patriotic generals, but they made different choices at a critical juncture.
Du Yuming would rather lead his troops to the "road to death" than accept the humiliation of the British army. This kind of strong character is not only the backbone of the Chinese nation, but also sows the seeds of tragedy.
Sun Liren chose to forbear for the time being and preserve his strength. Although he was labeled as a "traitor seeking glory", his contribution to the country cannot be erased.
History is never simple, and human nature is even more complex. Rather than simply judging right and wrong, it is better to calm down and understand the difficult choices faced by the people of that era. This may be the meaning of our review of history today.