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Uncover the magical third theater of operations: 200,000 troops are hidden behind enemy lines, but the Japanese are helpless
From dominance to invincibility - the legendary history of the Third War Zone
On August 7, 1937, the Nationalist Government convened the Supreme National Defense Conference in Nanjing, which formally divided the theater of operations in China. In this division, the Third Theater of Operations, with Feng Yuxiang as the commander, became one of the theaters that Chiang Kai-shek focused on. The area under the jurisdiction of this theater included the most fertile Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions in China at that time, and its main generals such as Zhang Zhizhong, Chen Cheng, and Xue Yue were all close associates of Chiang Kai-shek. Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek can be said to attach great importance to this theater of operations.
However, just after the fall of Shanghai and Nanjing, the Third Theater, which was supposed to be an elite army, was repeatedly defeated under the "blind command" of Chiang Kai-shek. In order to shirk responsibility, Chiang Kai-shek handed over the post of commander to Gu Zhutong. By this time, the third theater of operations had long since lost its heroes, and only some units of inferior quality remained. It seems that Chiang Kai-shek has completely abandoned this theater of operations.
However, what is surprising is that it was this army that was on the verge of extinction, and in the end not only was not wiped out by the Japanese invaders, but became stronger and stronger the more they fought, becoming one of the most important pillars of the national army. What exactly is the reason behind this?
First of all, the troops of the third theater of operations are good at guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. Unlike the impression that the Kuomintang army was usually not good at guerrilla warfare, the troops of the Third Theater learned a lot of guerrilla tactics during their long period of fighting side by side with the New Fourth Army. The troops led by Xie Shengbiao were even more representative, and they successfully attacked railways and blew up bridges many times, which greatly dealt a blow to the logistics and supply lines of the Japanese invaders. In defense, they were also good at using mine warfare and tunnel warfare, making it difficult for the Japanese to "sweep" operations.
Second, the terrain in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, where the Third Theater is located, is complex, which is conducive to guerrilla warfare. Unlike the plains, the mountains and mountains were continuous, making it difficult for the Japanese to deploy their mechanized troops, and the usefulness of heavy weapons was greatly reduced. The troops of the Third Theater of Operations, on the other hand, hid in these mountains and adopted flexible and mobile tactics, which naturally gained the upper hand.
Third, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, where the Third Theater is located, are relatively economically wealthy, providing them with good material support. Although large cities such as Shanghai and Nanjing have fallen, there are still some small and medium-sized towns that are occupied by the Third War Zone. Although these towns were not as developed as the larger cities, they also had a more mature commercial system, providing ample food and equipment for the troops in the Third Theater. In contrast, the Japanese invaders, who were forced to feed their wars, fell into economic difficulties.
With the support of the above three factors, the units of the Nationalist Army in the Third Theater finally held out behind enemy lines and grew stronger day by day, becoming the mainstay of the Nationalist Army. From being abandoned by Chiang Kai-shek to eventually becoming a key force, the saga of this force is truly astounding.
What does this history teach us? First of all, even in the darkest of environments, with the right strategy and tactics and good logistics, an army can still fly against the wind. The success of the Third Theater of Operations illustrates the superiority of guerrilla warfare in complex terrain and also verifies the importance of economic strength to war capability.
Second, this case also reflects the dark side of the power struggle within the KMT. Chiang Kai-shek, who obviously attached great importance to the Third Theater of Operations, abandoned it at a critical moment of the war and shifted the responsibility to others, which is really despicable. This power struggle eventually led to a split within the national army, which dealt a heavy blow to the overall situation of the war of resistance.
It can be said that the legendary experience of the Third War Zone not only reflected the many deep-seated contradictions of the national army and even the entire Chinese society at that time, but also left many questions worth pondering for future generations. For example, how to maintain the morale of the military in the face of difficult difficulties, and how to mobilize local economic resources to support the war? Or how do senior leaders make the right decisions when it matters most? These are all things that we need to think about seriously.
Light always shines in the darkness. The success of the Third Theater of Operations shows us the possibility of victory even in the face of adversity. We should draw wisdom and courage from this and make unremitting efforts for future development. Only in this way can we ride the wind and waves in the wind and rain and create a brighter tomorrow.
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