The "family background" of the Northeast Army: The strength of the Northeast Army from the data
When it comes to the War of Resistance Against Japan, the image that comes to many people's minds is often the outdated Chinese army, holding spears and broadswords, facing the tanks and planes of the Japanese army. However, this impression on the Northeast Army at the time of the "September 18 Incident" was somewhat unworthy of the name. Yes, you heard it right, the Kwantung Army, which was known as "the strongest in Asia at that time", actually did not have an advantage in weapons and equipment.
The Northeast Army under Zhang Zuolin is like a modern army. The Arsenal of the Three Eastern Provinces, which was put into operation in 1922, became the largest in East Asia in just six years. They independently developed military armored vehicles, with an annual output of more than 1,000 rifles, hundreds of machine guns, hundreds of artillery pieces, and tens of thousands of shells.
According to this data, the weapons and equipment of the Northeast Army were sufficient to resist the attack of 20 Japanese brigades and five artillery regiments. What is even more astonishing is that the Northeast Army actually has its own navy and air force, with 21 warships and more than 300 warplanes, which are so large in quantity and quality that the Japanese would never dare to dream of it.
It's a pity that such strength eventually became the opponent's "bag". Zhang Xueliang ordered "no resistance", and tens of thousands of officers and soldiers of the Northeast Army were forced to watch their equipment and weapons become trophies of the Japanese army.
Judging from the data, if the Northeast Army resists with all its might during the "918", it will definitely have a chance to defeat the Japanese army in the white mountains and black waters. Will the history of the fall of the Northeast and the Japanese invasion also be rewritten? What considerations did Zhang Xueliang make the decision of "not resisting"? The reasons behind this are worth pondering.
Behind Zhang Xueliang's "non-resistance": misjudgment or ulterior motives?
If you want to say why Zhang Xueliang gave the order of "no resistance", it is really intriguing and intriguing. On the surface, he seems to have "miscalculated" the strength of the Japanese army. You must know that the degree of modernization of the Northeast Army is not covered, and the Japanese are salivating for these equipment. But Zhang Xueliang felt that he couldn't beat it, I'm afraid that his brain was in water, right?
But after careful consideration, this young marshal's mind is not so simple. The Northeast Army is his foundation, and only with heavy troops can he be invincible in the troubled times of warlord separation. Once he has a hard fight with the Japanese army, in case his strength is weakened, how can he fight other warlords? How to negotiate with Chiang Kai-shek? Stay in the green mountains, don't be afraid of no firewood.
Besides, Zhang Xueliang's territory in the Northeast is not monolithic. The tentacles of the Japanese have long been stretched in, factories, railways, minerals, which one does not have their share? If you really want to fight, who knows if the Japanese will make some small moves? Maybe you can make a deal with him and keep your sphere of influence.
As for what the Nationalist Government will think, Zhang Xueliang also has a small calculation in his heart. Although Chiang Kai-shek is his sworn brother, the position of this "big man" has always been moody. Anti-Japanese? Unite? It's all high-sounding words, but in the end, isn't it still the supremacy of interests? Instead of putting yourself in it, it is better to wait and see where the wind goes, choose the right time, and then talk about how to deal with it calmly.
In this way, the Northeast Army became a lamb to the slaughter under Zhang Xueliang's "non-resistance" order. The lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, countless advanced weapons, and even the entire territory of Northeast China have become the pockets of the Japanese.
The final destination of weapons and equipment: the "windfall" of the Japanese army
Zhang Xueliang gave an order, and the advanced weapons of the Northeast Army were cheaper for the Japanese. Tens of thousands of rifles, pistols, thousands of machine guns, more than 800 cannons, and even more than 20 precious German-made tanks were picked up by the devils. The quantity and variety of this equipment were simply a "windfall" that the Japanese army could not have dreamed of.
What's even worse is that this batch of equipment can play a "not small" role in the future war of aggression against China. Originally, these things were prepared for the officers and soldiers of the Northeast Army, and they could contribute to the defense of the country when they started a war. As a result, in the hands of the Japanese, it became a murder weapon to kill my compatriots. I'm really afraid of something, it's terrible.
The industrial base of the Northeast has not been spared. The arsenal and military facilities were all built by Zhang Zuolin. I thought that it could provide some guarantee for consolidating the power in the northeast and defending against foreign enemies, but in the end, it was cheaper for the Japanese puppet regime. The most infuriating thing is that these guys also stripped away the resources and labor of the Northeast to make wedding clothes for the invaders.
Zhang Xueliang's policy of "non-resistance" has harmed the Northeast Army and innocent people. Those advanced weapons and equipment, full of anti-Japanese blood, are gone. This "windfall" not only filled the pockets of the Japanese, but also reassured them, making these villains even more fearless to run amok in China. All these evil consequences have made the Chinese people sigh and resent.
The trend of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Salvation Movement
Zhang Xueliang's policy of "non-resistance" was unappeasing among the officers and men of the Northeast Army and the people. What does it mean to "stand up to death and sacrifice for the country"? This is simply giving up the land and sovereignty to each other! But even so, the determination of the officers and men of the Northeast Army to resist Japan has not diminished in the slightest. Many people would rather take off their military uniforms than continue to fight the Japanese invaders to the end.
The news reached Kannai and shocked the whole country. It is everyone's responsibility to protect the country and the people! Students in eastern Hebei launched a petition demanding that the Nationalist government be tough on Japan; Shandong's chambers of commerce have donated money to support the Northeast Volunteers; Even in the troupe, the ballad of resisting Japan and saving the country was sung. "Pay back my rivers and mountains, and pay for my blood debts and blood", this oath is sonorous and powerful, and it hits the hearts of the people.
What is even more touching is that after hearing the news, anti-Japanese fighters from all over the country rushed to the northeast one after another to join the guerrilla forces. No amount of fame, fortune or status is worth mentioning in the face of national righteousness. This group of respectable people would rather abandon their families and careers than fight the invaders to the end. Disguised as vendors or students, they risked their lives to distribute leaflets, contact people, and fight the enemy.
The Northeast Anti-Japanese Salvation Movement, in such an unswerving conviction, formed a trend of burning the prairies. This is the indomitable fighting spirit of the Chinese nation and the inevitable choice of the Chinese people in their struggle for national independence and liberation. In the face of internal and external troubles, should you lie down and be ridiculed, or should you rise up and resist? History has given the answer. Although the Northeast Army was defeated, the feat of the sons and daughters of China who hated the enemy and went to the national disaster together will be recorded in history forever!