Figure | Chairman Mao's "On Protracted War" in Yan'an in 1938
One day in 1944, Tokyo, Japan, was full of slaughter.
A car sped by and finally stopped in front of the Emperor's residence, and it was none other than hideki Tojo, a notorious Japanese war criminal and former Japanese Prime Minister.
Hideki Tojo's face was full of anger at this moment, and the reason why he was so angry was because not long ago, he had just suffered an assassination.
With the Emperor's permission, Hideki Tojo quickly blockaded Tokyo and searched for the assassins, but he was surprised by the final arrest of the murderer, who was none other than Prince Mikasa Palace, the Emperor's brother.
Strictly speaking, the emperor's brother was an officer of the Japanese army invading China until 1943.
In 1943, Prince Mikasa Mikasa went to Nanjing to conceal his royal status and served as a staff officer at the Nanjing base camp of the Japanese army invading China.
Prince Mikasa Palace's original visit was twofold:
The first is to publicize the new policy and collect all kinds of intelligence;
The second was to go to the front line to investigate the situation of the Japanese army.
As a result, after arriving at the front line, it was discovered that the "greater East Asia co-prosperity" preached in Japan was actually all fake, and the Japanese army that invaded China did all kinds of evil in Burning, killing, and looting in China, and the strong contrast shocked Mikasa Palace.
It was during his time in Nanjing that Mikasa Palace came into contact with a Chinese pamphlet.
This pamphlet is Chairman Mao's "On Protracted War" written in 1938.
Mikasa Palace didn't look good, and was shocked when he saw it.
Tu | Prince Mikasa Palace Takahito in his youth
Although this article has been published for more than 5 years, Mikasa is surprised to find that all the speculations about the current situation in the book are now being realized.
Mikasa knew that this war was bound to fail.
After returning to China, Mikasa Palace devoted himself to anti-war propaganda, and even joined forces with the people in the army who opposed Hideki Tojo, planning to assassinate him, and became the commander of the Chinese dispatch army.
Why can a book "On Protracted War" have such a great magic power to make a person make earth-shaking changes?
"Unbreakable" conspiracy
In 1938, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression entered its second year.
The gradual collapse of the frontal battlefield, the loss of half of the motherland, and the bloody massacre of the Japanese army in Nanjing made the People of China deeply feel that if they did not take up arms to resist, there would be a danger of the destruction of the country and the extinction of the species.
Nevertheless, at that time, there were two different arguments in China about the Japanese invasion of China, one was the theory of quick victory and the other was the theory of national subjugation.
Quick victorists believe that as the Invading Japanese Army gradually penetrates deeper into China and harms the interests of the British and American powers in China, the war between China and Japan will end quickly because of the intervention of the British and American powers.
The subjugationists believe that China is inferior to Japan in terms of economy, military, and industry, and that if it continues to fight for a long time, it is bound to lose.
The two arguments are at odds with each other and quarrel with each other.
In fact, just before the outbreak of the all-out War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chairman Mao had thought in depth about the Japanese invasion of China, especially after the Wa Yao Fort Conference and the proposal of the anti-Japanese national united front.
Chairman Mao collected various ancient and modern Chinese and foreign military treatises, including "Sun Tzu's Art of War," and extensively solicited opinions from all sides to form a preliminary exposition.
In 1936, when Chairman Mao was interviewed by Snow in Yan'an, he once said to him this sentence:
"A war between China and Japan, sooner or later, will certainly be fought, and this war will be protracted."
Picture | Chairman Mao met with Liang Shuming in Yan'an in January 1938
In early 1938, when Chairman Mao was talking with the famous scholar Liang Shuming, Chairman Mao quoted the ideas from the not-so-mature book:
"China's future does not need to be pessimistic, it should be very optimistic, in the end China will win, Japan will lose, this can only be the end, other possibilities can not exist."
It was not until many years later, when Liang Shuming recalled the dialogue with Chairman Mao, and after thinking of "On Protracted War", Liang Shuming was deeply impressed by Chairman Mao:
This article, "On Protracted War," had not yet been published at that time, and he used the content of this article to say to me that China would definitely win. I listened to his conversation, and the boredom in my heart was swept away... I really admired him, the admiration of the five bodies. ”
More than half a year after the conception, Chairman Mao began writing in May 1938.
Because it was the most difficult period of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chairman Mao's daily work was very busy, and he could only use his leisure time to write, sometimes often busy until late at night, or even sleepless for several days.
One day, when we arrived at the restaurant where we were eating, the guards brought the food to the house, and after a long time, Chairman Mao was indifferent, and the guards were worried about Chairman Mao's body, so they persuaded:
"Chairman, you haven't slept for two days and two nights. After eating, let's take a break. ”
But Chairman Mao waved his hand and said:
"You don't have to worry about me, go to sleep when you're done, I'll wait a while and then sleep, the work is not done, I can't sleep."
Figure | on protracted war
After several days and nights of continuous and sleepless creation, a few days later, Chairman Mao fell ill.
Although he took a day off according to the doctor's advice, before his body could recover, Chairman Mao threw himself into the intense work again.
After the first draft was compiled, Chairman Mao spent a few more days making meticulous revisions and consulting people around him on the contents of the book, until the compilation of "On Protracted War" was completed, and Chairman Mao breathed a long sigh of relief.
On May 26, 1938, Chairman Mao gave a special speech on the issue of "On Protracted War" at the Yan'an Anti-Japanese War Research Conference.
The speech is divided into several parts, namely, raising questions, the basis of the problem, refuting the theory of subjugation of the country, and refuting the theory of quick victory.
"Compromise or protest, corruption or progress?" "The theory of subjugation is wrong, and so is the theory of quick victory"; "Why is it a protracted war?"
Everyone who attended the seminar had a refreshing feeling of empowerment.
On July 1, 1938, the 43rd and 44th issues of "Liberation" magazine jointly published Chairman Mao's "On Protracted War" in full, and the vast number of cadres rushed to read it, which aroused heated discussion among the whole people.
For everyone's convenience, the Liberation Publishing House later published a single edition of "On Protracted War."
This is also the earliest single book in China so far, and the title page also has Chairman Mao's inscription: "Persist in the War of Resistance, persist in the united front, persist in protracted war, and the final victory must be Chinese." ”
The influence of "On Protracted War" quickly expanded to the whole country, not only in the Liberated Areas and the Kuomintang Area, but even in Shanghai, an isolated island that had fallen at that time, the article "On Protracted War" was published, and even an English version was published.
There is a saying that "On Protracted War" is an invincible conspiracy.
The viewpoints reflected in the book publicize and introduce the principles and policies of the Communist Party of China in adhering to the War of Resistance and the National United Front against Japan.
Because it was published publicly, it was impossible for the Invading Japanese Army to fail to touch it.
But it also seems to confirm that sentence, the more you study, the more you can't crack it.
Pictured| Chairman Mao gave a speech entitled "On Protracted War" at the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University in Yan'an
Mikasa Miya was affected by the protracted war and became a member of the active anti-war campaign, and until November 1998, Mikasa Miya also confessed to Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who visited Japan:
"My conscience still hurts me and I want to apologize to Chinese."
Founder of the Japan-China Friendship Military Association, Saburo Endo
Throughout the period of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, many senior generals of the Japanese army invading China read "On Protracted War."
In the memoirs published by Okamura Ning, a japanese war criminal who invaded China after the second world war, such a story was recorded.
In July 1940, when Okamura Ningji was assigned as the commander of the North China Front of the Japanese army invading China, his predecessor Tada Jun was dismissed from his post because of the heavy losses in the Hundred Regiments War launched by the Eighth Route Army, and he gave Okamura Ningji a copy of "On Protracted War" before he was appointed.
Okamura Ninji directly refused, and told Tada Jun: "I have a copy of my own, the difference is that my book is almost rotten, you are still new." ”
In the film and television drama "Eastern Battlefield", there is also the same plot interpretation, which is based on the memoirs of Okamura Ninji.
Okamura Ninji's research on China cannot be described as incomplete, especially when he was the commander of the North China Front of the Japanese Army invading China in "On Protracted War", Okamura Ningji promoted the "public security strengthening campaign".
Despite this, Okamura ended in failure.
Pictured| Okamura Ninji
In fact, as early as the summer of 1939, Okamura realized that the Japanese army had fallen into the protracted battle they feared the most.
There is also such a story about the Japanese people on "On Protracted War" (based on the Internet, the source is unreliable).
After reading "On Protracted War," a Japanese intelligence officer who had been collecting intelligence on the Chinese Communists' War of Resistance for a long time profoundly realized that It was wrong for Japan to launch a war of aggression against China, and that China's War of Resistance against Japan was just and great, so this person later became a member of the Japanese Anti-War Alliance in China.
In addition to Mikasa Palace, the most influential senior Japanese generals were Saburo Endo, a former lieutenant general of the Japanese Army Air Force and the founder of the Japan-China Friendship Soldiers Association.
Endo Saburo's father was originally a businessman, and due to the sluggish rural economy, he could not provide for his son to study, so Endo Saburo had no choice but to choose the Sendai Army School in Japan.
Invisibly, this also laid the foundation for Endo Saburo's later fate.
In the early 1930s, Saburo Endo became a combat staff officer at the Japanese General Staff Headquarters.
At that time, Japan was in the midst of the prevalence of militarism, and Saburo Endo was undoubtedly one of them, and in 1932, during the Songhu War of Resistance, Saburo Endo also drafted a plan for the landing of the Japanese army.
There is no doubt that Saburo Endo was one of the war criminals when China fell under the iron hooves of the Japanese Kou, although he did not appear to be leaking at the time.
Saburo Endo once almost rewritten the history of World War II because of a move.
Picture| In the early spring of 1941, Saburo Endo (the fourth knife bearer on the right) was the commander of the 3rd Flying Regiment
On August 30, 1941, Saburo Endo received an important piece of information that Chiang Kai-shek would convene a military conference of senior generals at YunxiuLou, the official residence of Huangshan.
As a member of the air force, Endo Saburo planned to personally lead a team to bomb Chiang Kai-shek's huangshan official residence in Chongqing, so he learned from the Italian consular office the actual location of the Yunxiu Building of the Huangshan official residence, including what color the roof tiles of the building were, and also inquired about it.
"In order to blow up this villa, we launched an attack considering the presence of Chiang Kai-shek himself."
After learning about the relevant information, Saburo Endo personally led a squadron of 27 fighters to raid Chongqing, and unlike in the past, this time they did not choose to bomb the downtown area of Chongqing, but directly attacked the Huangshan official residence.
Densely packed bombs immediately poured down.
The senior generals of the Kuomintang army who attended the meeting at that time hurriedly hid in the air raid shelter, and coincidentally, a bomb exploded at the door of the air raid shelter, killing two guards on the spot and injuring 4 other guards.
The bomb almost exploded against Chiang Kai-shek's face, but despite the timely evacuation, Chiang Kai-shek was not injured.
Chiang Kai-shek later detailed the attack in a public broadcast:
“...... I felt the vibration in the house before I knew that the enemy planes had come to bomb, and it was really difficult to sleep when it rained at night. Experiencing this bombing made me realize the double physical and mental suffering of the compatriots in Chongqing, which is difficult to describe in any language, and the people have suffered this kind of suffering not once, but has lasted for 4 years. ”
Picture | the former site of Chiang Kai-shek's official residence in Huangshan, Chongqing
Saburo Endo was also frightened a lot in this bombing, because the Chinese army was equipped with anti-aircraft guns at that time, although the density was not large, it was very accurate, Endo Saburo admitted afterwards, because of the enhancement of the air defense strength of the Chinese army, the accuracy of the bombing was greatly reduced.
Although at the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Japan was already unable to wage war due to insufficient resources, Endo always believed that there was nothing wrong with its strategy and tactics.
In December 1941, Saburo Endo was ordered to return to Japan and became the principal of the Army Non-Commissioned Officer Aviation School, where he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.
On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its surrender, and Saburo Endo even shouted arrogantly:
"Lay down your arms. Naked Japan has no fear of any country in the world. “
In February 1947, Saburo Endo was imprisoned in Sugamo Prison for a year as a suspected Japanese war criminal.
It was during his detention at Sugamo Prison that Saburo Endo saw "On Protracted War."
Saburo Endo was surprised to find that this book, published 10 years ago, had already anticipated Japan's defeat. After his release from prison, Saburo Endo was completely changed, and he joined the Friendly and Anti-War Movement between Japan and China, and refuted the fallacies of those whose armaments were in the armed forces:
"The Japanese army had 10,000 fighters and did not win the war, so what if the Self-Defense Forces bought 100 or 200 new fighters from the United States?"
Almost overnight, Saburo Endo's attitude changed drastically, leaving some of his old friends in disbelief.
The victor with virtue will prosper, and the victor will perish with strength
After The transformation of Endo Saburo's thinking, he began to actively seek dialogue with the new China.
In August 1955, the World Peace Congress was held in Hiroshima, Japan, and Liu Ning, one of the members of the Chinese delegation, also attended the meeting, and Saburo Endo and Japanese peace and friendship people went to Liu Ning's hotel to pay a visit.
After the meeting, Saburo Endo said to Liu Ning:
"Although the Taiwan issue is your country's domestic problem, if it develops into an armed conflict, chiang kai-shek has the United States behind it, and your country has made good friends with the Soviet Union, both of which have nuclear weapons, and it is difficult to predict the extent to which the conflict will gradually escalate." Therefore, I would like to implore both of you to stop fighting. ”
Figure | several different versions of On Protracted War
Liu Ning was taken aback, he could hardly imagine that a Japanese war criminal who had participated in World War II would say such a sentence, although Endo's words did not understand some of China's policies very well, liu Ning suggested:
"If there is such a substance as today, I still hear it for the first time, and after I return to China, I will report to my superiors, hoping that Mr. Li can come to China to talk to us directly."
A few months later, Saburo Endo received an invitation from Zhang Xiruo, president of the China Institute of Foreign Affairs, to visit China.
Saburo Endo's visit to China actually had a great burden in his heart; after all, Japan's invasion of China in past history was a real thing, and the Japanese invading army's burning and looting in China was also a real thing.
"Does China have any intention of revenge or aggression against Japan?"
In the autumn of 1956, when Saburo Endo arrived in China, he was completely convinced, especially after visiting China's national education and military education.
"Since childhood, a country whose citizens have been thoroughly educated in 'international friendship' and 'the army that launches a war of aggression will be defeated', will a country like this invade another country? My doubts were completely solved. ”
After Returning to China, Saburo Endo also wrote an article entitled "Visiting China and the Sino-Japanese Friendship Movement" to describe what he saw and heard in China this time.
"Everywhere we went, there were slogans of 'International Friendliness,' and even for the soldiers of a former invading country like me, from kindergarten children to young women in the countryside or factories to the elderly in nursing homes, we were welcomed without exception."
"After observing the army, I found that everyone from the commander down to the soldiers and soldiers understood very thoroughly that the war of aggression was bound to fail."
Pictured| Chairman Mao received Saburo Endo
Even more fortunately, Saburo Endo also met Chairman Mao, the author of "On Protracted War."
Before leaving, Saburo Endo had prepared a gift to see Chairman Mao, a family heirloom Japanese sword, which was given to him by his grandfather as a congratulatory gift when Saburo Endo entered the kindergarten school, and the inscription on the sword was "Mikuni Mitsusaku." ”
Chairman Mao's first words when he saw Saburo Endo were beyond his expectations:
"All along, most of the guests from Japan have been left-wingers, and we would like to meet right-wingers. Especially for soldiers like Saburo Endo, we also want to meet. ”
Saburo Endo repeated what he had seen and heard in China to Chairman Mao, and Chairman Mao said to him:
"'The first example is your Japanese army, the second example is the American army.'" The Japanese army, which is known as one of the strongest in the world, launched a war of aggression against China, but was defeated by the poorly equipped Chinese army; the most well-equipped US army in the world launched a war of aggression against Korea, and was not it also defeated by our volunteer army? These are all negative teaching materials! ”
Chairman Mao's words were red in the face of Saburo Endo, and he later wrote in the article:
These few words made me blush. This is the truth! In this sense, neither the Japanese army nor the US military has a reason to defeat China and other countries. ”
Pictured| Saburo Endo shook hands with Premier Zhou
At the time of parting, Saburo Endo would bring a sword, and Chairman Mao also exchanged courtesies, transferred a painting of old Mr. Qi Baishi, and wrote a letter with the painting, which contained the following sentence:
"Mr. Saburō Chengyuan gave a gift of treasures, and there is no way to answer, so I hereby give a frame of bamboo painting by Qi Baishi."
When Saburo Endo set off to return to China, Liao Chengzhi personally went to the airport to see him off and conveyed Premier Zhou's wishes:
"I hope you will set up a delegation of Japanese military personnel to visit China as soon as possible."
This trip to China also made Endo Saburo understand a truth - to win the victory with virtue, and to kill the victor with strength.
"As the saying goes, 'it's better to hear than to see'. If I had not visited New China in 1956, I am afraid that I would not have been so enthusiastic about the Sino-Japanese friendship movement. ”