preface
Ninety-two years ago, Japan blew up the South Manchuria Railway and blamed China for the incident, using this as an excuse to launch the horrific "918 Incident."
In just a few months after the incident, all three northeastern provinces had fallen, and Japan was able to occupy China's northeastern region so quickly, in addition to its own strength.
Another important reason is the Kuomintang's "non-resistance" policy, which people think was issued by Chiang Kai-shek, but in fact it was issued by someone else.
First, the order was given by me
On September 18, 1931, a major event occurred, and Japan launched an attack on China's three northeastern provinces on the pretext that China had blown up the Japanese-built South Manchuria Railway, which later became known as the "918 Incident."
And this is all the result of Japan's premeditation, and the bombing of the railway was also directed by them, in order to occupy the northeast region, and then be able to occupy all of China.
Japan was able to occupy the northeast so quickly without the "support" of the Kuomintang, who used a new tactic, that is, the "non-resistance" policy.
The policy of non-resistance, that is, not resisting the Japanese army, practicing a soft attitude towards the Japanese army, and not organizing resistance to the Japanese army, this behavior is undoubtedly one of the reasons why the northeast region fell so quickly.
People say that the policy of non-resistance was ordered by Chiang Kai-shek, but in fact it is not, at this time Chiang Kai-shek was still directing troops to encircle and suppress the Red Army, how could he know about this.
On the second night of the "918 Incident," Chiang Kai-shek received the news, but by this time Shenyang had already fallen, and Chiang Kai-shek, as the supreme leader, naturally carried this black pot.
So who exactly ordered the "non-resistance" policy? Zhang Xueliang, a senior general of the Kuomintang and the head of the Northeast Army, gave the answer in a later interview.
Zhang Xueliang, the son of the northeastern warlord Zhang Zuolin, studied military theory at the Military Academy in his early years, and showed outstanding military talent in his studies.
In battle, he can always defeat the enemy with a precise plan, and is deeply loved by Zhang Zuolin, and after Zhang Zuolin was mutilated by the Japanese army in Huanggutun, Zhang Xueliang carried the banner of the northeast warlord.
But how can a young age compare with those old fritters? Zhang Xue also understood in his conscience, so he announced that he had joined the Kuomintang and obeyed the command of the National Government, which can be regarded as having the backing of the National Government.
After the Xi'an Incident, he was imprisoned by Chiang Kai-shek for decades until 1990, when he was free, and after he came out, in an interview, he named who gave the order of "no resistance."
He said: "I am really ashamed that I was the one who gave the order, but I let Chairman Chiang carry the black pot for a lifetime, I did not find that the Japanese army had such great ambitions, so in order to avoid stimulating the Japanese, I chose not to resist." ”
If according to Zhang Xueliang, then have we not wronged Chiang Kai-shek all these years? But in 2019, a batch of Chiang Kai-shek's historical archives released by Taiwan made this matter confusing.
Second, does "Milling Iron" exist?
In 2019, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party suddenly released a batch of historical documents about Chiang Kai-shek, in addition to some historical trivia, there are also the most critical manuscripts of Chiang Kai-shek before the "918 Incident".
One of these documents is that after the "Wanbao Mountain Incident" in Japan, Zhang Xueliang asked how to deal with the Japanese army's telegram now.
The telegram detailed the movements of the Japanese army after the Wanbaoshan incident, and the Japanese army began to move impatiently, how to deal with the current situation, and specially asked Chiang Kai-shek.
According to these two telegrams, Zhang Xueliang knew about the movements of the Japanese army, and he also asked Chiang Kai-shek many times how to respond, but Chiang Kai-shek did not respond.
According to historical records, in fact, Chiang Kai-shek responded and responded on "Milling Iron", but there was no copy of "Milling Iron" in the copywriting of this batch of Taiwanese revelations.
According to records, the content of the response to Zhang Xueliang in "Milling Iron" is probably that no matter how provocative and acting the Japanese army in the northeast, it must not resist and must not clash with the Japanese army.
According to this record, Chiang Kai-shek became the person who issued the "policy of non-resistance", and three personnel in the Kuomintang's Northeast Army also said that Chiang Kai-shek did say this clearly in "Milling Iron".
They were Hong Zheng, then director of the Secretariat, Zhao Zhenfan, chief of staff of the Seventh Brigade, and Yang Zhengzhi, chief of the Adjutant General Staff Office, all of whom later recalled that they had only carried out orders based on Chiang Kai-shek's policy of non-resistance.
All three are high-ranking officials of the Kuomintang, and what they say is convincing, and "Milling Iron" seems to really exist.
But there has been no documentation about Milling Iron for so many years, so there are many people who doubt the authenticity of "Milling Iron".
Some people say that all three are only words, and they are all verbal words, there is no specific document, so it is not convincing, and the Taiwan side has not released a document on "Milling Iron", so whether this document exists or not remains to be verified.
On the other hand, Zhang Xueliang has always said in the interview that the non-resistance policy was issued by himself and has nothing to do with Chiang Kai-shek, and the staff also mentioned "Milling Iron", Zhang Xueliang also denied that there was this telegram, and the existence of "Milling Iron" became confusing.
Third, the reasons for the issuance of the non-resistance policy
Before the "918 Incident," Chiang Kai-shek secretly summoned Zhang Xueliang, and they talked on the train for a while before getting off.
According to records, Chiang Kai-shek summoned Zhang Xueliang because he was young and vigorous, and his father was still killed by the Japanese, fearing that he would give Japan an excuse to endanger all of China in order to avenge his momentary revenge.
On the train, Chiang Kai-shek solemnly told Zhang Xueliang not to become a national sinner because of impulse, and also said that he should never attack the Japanese army and implement a "policy of non-resistance."
After that, Chiang Kai-shek also said to Zhang Xueliang why he "did not resist": "According to the gap in strength between the two sides, once a war is launched, our side will be defeated, the enemy is strong, our side is weak, and once they fight back, they will bite back, saying that we are the first to move, and then there will be a few mouths that will not be clear." ”
Chiang Kai-shek's proposition was that "foreign countries must first settle inside", so non-resistance became the most effective policy of Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist government.
In fact, Zhang Xueliang wanted to resist, but after considering the strength of both sides, he chose Chiang Kai-shek's non-resistance.
The Xi'an incident he and Yang Hucheng launched shows that he did not intend not to resist.
After giving the order not to resist, Zhang Xueliang's heart has been tormented, his father was killed by the Japanese, the Japanese have already ridden on the neck, but he can only watch, can not fight, which makes Zhang Xueliang very distressed.
Especially after having to give the order not to resist, he became a "traitor" and "national sinner", he suffered every day, and he was eager to take off this "hat".
In order to let Chiang Kai-shek, who had always been "Annei", unite to resist Japan, he was ready to sacrifice, and he and Yang Hucheng launched the "Xi'an Incident" to force Chiang Kai-shek to unify the anti-Japanese front.
And the Xi'an incident is enough to prove that his order not to resist was completely forced by the situation, not sincerely.
epilogue
Chiang Kai-shek was the one who issued the "non-resistance" policy, while Zhang Xueliang was the one who issued the "non-resistance" order, and both had unshirkable responsibility.
In just a few months, all three northeastern provinces fell, and in addition to the strength of the Japanese army, the main reason was the "non-resistance" policy of the Nationalist government.
Every year on September 18, the sharp sound of air defense sirens will sound in the three northeastern provinces, which is a history that cannot be erased and a history that we should always remember.