Chapter 46: Chinese Unification Part 1 - November 16, 1943 to April 12, 1944
Following Japan's defeat, the Republic of China, under intense German pressure, opened hostilities among its former allies in a bid to consolidate Nanjing's control over the country. The War of Chinese Unification would quickly expand to the break-away states of Tibet and Manchukuo. While fighting quickly renewed in Manchuria, the various warlord armies refused to fight their fellow Chinese, creating a very awkward internal situation for China - the soldiers on all sides except the Manchurians refused to fight each other while the politicians and generals attempted to whip them into a fury.
An example of Chinese artillery used during the 2nd Sino-Japanese War and the War of Chinese Unification
China was a land of anachronisms, resulting from ancient traditions colliding with modern technology. Despite China's attempts at modernization, many units were still poorly equipped and trained. While the soldiers fighting under the banner of China's ruling party, the Kuomintang, had modern German-inspired equipment and training, soldiers from areas under nominal KMT control or outside of KMT control were poorly equipped in comparison.
A Chinese "big sword unit". These types of troops were quite common among all Chinese armies until Chinese Unification
By April 11, 1944, nearly 5 months after "hostilities" broke out, a political compromise was made between the Chinese central government and the warlord states, allowing the warlords to flee in exile in exchange for relinquishing control over their territory and allowing their armies to disband. However, the deal was only between the KMT and its former warlord allies, as Manchukuo and Tibet refused to negotiate and instead continued to fight for their freedom.
Due to the soldiers' refusal to fight, a political compromise was made between the KMT and Chinese areas outside of its direct control
While the negotiations were taking place, active combat was occurring in territory belonging to the former Japanese puppet state Manchukuo. In typical Chinese fashion, the RoC's advance was slow, clumsy, and costly. Despite having fought Japan for some length of time, China's military tactics hadn't evolved based on experience from the war, as the Chinese generals continued their Human Wave doctrine of sending many men to their deaths without major artillery support in order to achieve a tactical victory. Manchukuo on the other hand, had fought alongside Japanese troops for years, as well as had been trained by Japanese advisers, resulting in a much more professional and capable force. Combined with the situation amongst its troops and former allies, the KMT made poor initial progress in consolidating its control.
Chinese mounted troops during battle, using their horses for cover. This type of behavior is a perfect example of China's failure to adjust to modern warfare
Both frustrated and encouraged, Adolf Hitler, the ruler of the German Reich, ordered the Heer's troops currently bordering the Soviet Union to advance. While the attack had been planned for quite some time, the initial plan was to simultaneously assault the USSR from both China and Germany. While China was currently occupied with Tibet and Manchukuo, the surrender of the warlords could allow China to aid in the war effort quickly if needed. As the vast majority of the USSR's troops were positioned along the Germany border, China's role would simply be that of an occupier of the USSR's Far East holdings.
The main reason for Hitler's early decision to declare war was a result of the Reich's massive naval buildup in preparation for conflict with the UN. Despite having built a fleet capable of taking on the world's largest and 3rd largest navies within 5 years, the sheer size of the USA's industrial capacity and existing fleet required the Reich to invest significant resources into warship production. However, in early March, 1944, it was decided that the Reich still needed to greatly expand its industry, and needed to do so quickly. Because factory investments take roughly one year at a minimum to yield results, Hitler and the NSDAP hungrily eyed the Soviet industry transferred to the Ural region. Thus, the 2nd German-Soviet War began on April 12, 1944.
The 2nd German-Soviet War began on April 12, 1944