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The Art of War: a confucianist reaction to imperialism

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First Lieutenant
Jan 20, 2007
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Chiang Kai-Sheks considerations on China, 1936

Opium wars, Western interventionism, Japanese invasions and rebellion: China had been beaten and humiliated without end by imperialist outsiders and eaten up from the inside by warlords for years. Then, it had been polluted by communist thought.

The leader of the National Revolutionary Army (NRA) or Kwomintang (KMT), Chiang Kai-Shek, had since taking power only one recurring dream: how to restore China to greatness? How to make an end to continuousy being raped? Western imperialism and the massive government funded import of opium by the Dutch and the British had totally bankrupted his once proud nation.

Chiang Kai-Shek was to be the man that would go into history as he who would show both the West and Japan that the nation that had invented gunpowder and kept affloat sailing ships a hundred meters long that sailed as far as South America, would bite back hard.

The only question was: how?

Background

Nationalist China: no cheats, only careful planning, at normal-furious... The extra weapons: backhandling, sleasy deals, daggers in backs, and the lives of millions of Chinese. One goal: China is to be the major power in Asia...
 
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Before you get going with the game (unless it's too late), have you checked out the CCIP mod? A few nice events, some of which open up improvements for unification, post-war development and improved tech teams. Worth a look, in any event.

P.S. I'm pretty sure that Chiang was a Buddhist. And a Christian too, when his in-laws were around. :p

But I digress. Let's see some hardcore radical revolutionary Confucianism!
 
Reorganizing the National Revolutionary Army, january 1936

Chiang Kai-Shek and his German advisor and trainer of his army, Alexander Ernst von Falkenhausen, reviewed the state of the nation and its army, airforce and navy. Planning a return to greatness, they went to business reorganizing China.

Research

- January 1936: better industry (basic machine tools)
- January 1936: better infantry (basic infantry division)
- Januari 1936: better logistic organisation based on German model (rear area supply dumps)
- June 1936: von Falkenhausen gets the resources to train the Chinese army in the use of German heavy weaponry (firepower doctrine)

Diplomacy

- China was at war with communist rebels. Removing them or driving them back was priority number one.
- Rising tensions between the NRA and the Guanxi in the south would have to be adressed.
- Japan would no doubt invade China if it would prove vulnerable. They had to be careful not to make any strange moves while they built up the army.
- Germany offered help to train the Chinese army. Chiang Kai-Shek was convinced to use this help to its utmost. Von Falkenhausen got his full support to train the troops to peak condition (standing army +1).

Production

- The troops in the field needed supplies. The NRA could now only support the militia and infantry divisions in the field, as first priority was restoration of the order and a return to normalcy. Through von Falkenhausen and the German embassy in Shanghai, China started trading coal for rice with Germany. Meanwhile, food distribution for the civilian population was to be normalized (maximizing consumer goods to get dissent from 25% to 0%). This would give von Falkenhausen the time to oversee the new training regime and the implimentation of modern infantry weaponry, again imported from Germany into Chinese ammunition factories and training academies (I will only start building '36 infantry)

The army

- The navy was a mess and at present, only a waste of resources that would be sunk within days if Japan were to turn its threats for invasion into reality. So it was decided to sell it on the international market or break them down for scrap metal. Naval personnel would be converted into more infantry. The marine brigade in Shanghai as well (disbanded the fleet and the garrison at Shanghai).
- Chinese militia was outdated, ill-equipped and extremely undisciplined. For the time being however, perhaps they could help defend the Chinese coastline? Perhaps the Japanese would mistake this organisation of 'peoples armies' for a true defense. In any case, a peasant with a gun in a hole on a beach is a better defense than no peasant on that beach...
- The rest of the army, 32 divisions of infantry strong, marched to Xi'an for an attack at full strength against Mao Tse Tung's dug-in stronghold. So did the Ma clan, which fate seemed to be bound to the Kwomintang NRA at thisn point. So the horse clans of the Ma would follow Chiang Kai-Shek, lead by its clan leader Ma Hongkui. The German influence would be allowed to spread into Xibei San Ma. After driving back the communists, both armies would be reformed for the task ahaid: learning the Guanxi a lesson. The Chinese airforce, only one wing of bombers and one of world war one interceptor planes, would assist both operations.
 
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Driving back the communists

Communistwar.jpg


Mao Tse Tung's communist rebels were much better trained and equipped than the NRA to fight in the mountains of central China. So the whole Chinese army marched to Xi'an in order to drive the disrespectful communists back. All the best Chinese commanders were assigned to newly formed infantry corps. With 29 infantry divisions, Xianyuang was stormed and a breakthrough was forced on january 29, 1936. Now, the NRA could threaten Xa'an while the bulk of the communist army was hundreds of miles away in Ma territory.

But a breakthrough into the dug in mountain positions of Mao Tse Tung could not be forced, while the front became a stalemate. Also, Guyuan could not be retaken by the Ma. So a quick peace was signed that left only Xa'an to Mao. Well, not so much of a problem, they could be dealt with later on. Perhaps Mao could be made to fight the Japanese instead?

As peace was signed, both the NRA and the Ma armies marched to the borders of the warlord-held province of Guanxi... All in all, Chiang Kai Shek was reasonable pleased with this outcome: for a moment there was peace and time to implement reforms. And slowly during the next months, as NRA and Ma took positions along the Guanxi border, food distribution was normalized and some kind of order returned to China...
 
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The Guanxi learn to bow

The summer of 1936 brought a war with Guanxi long expected but in the end, quickly decided. With the Chinese and Ma armies in full strength on the Guanxi border, the offensive lasted only a few weeks before their warlord grovelled for peace. A second, Chiang Kai-Shek had considered pressing for a full annexation, but with its total army in the south and the beaches only weakly defended, he decided to take what was offered and let this petty warlord his honour for the time being. Time enough for traitors later on, it would be a disaster if the Japanese were to use his southern offensive now to start an invasion in the north. There was no time to spare to reinforce the beaches, most importantly, as the Japanese patrolled the Chinese Sea en masse and were clearly waited for a decent window of opportunity. It would not be given, Chiang Kai Shek would choose his own battleground, when HE was ready.

With the Guanxi driven back, the peoples militias were disbanded and replaced on the beaches by the regular army. And at the same time, von Falkenhausen was notified that the academies and factories would be about ready to train a modern army. 'Good', Chiang Kai-Shek thought, and asked him to train 30 modern infantry divisions. They would be placed on the Shanxi border. There was the next problem, as he considered: if the Japanese were to press their claims, Shanxi would be swept aside in no time. He just couldn't leave the defense of the north in the hands of an imcompetent clique...

october1936.jpg


(the present situation, and Chiang Kai-Sheks ambitions. Troop emplacement: three infantry divisions on every beach. A large '36 infantry army will be appearing near the Shanxi border. The Ma army is back in the Xibei San Ma borders, under my direct control. Its militia have been disbanded, so have mine.)

Research and development

- Research has begun on better cavalry, even better industrial machinery, and medium artillery pieces.
 
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looks cool. but does this mean you're not continuing your other AAR?
 
Bwa, I think I will, but I am pretty chaotic.

The only thing I am doing is placing reports of my regular games here, as an extra dimension to the games I am playing.

Don't worry, the Spanish story will be continued one day!

I was just in the mood for China...
 
Buildup at the Shanxi border

Chiang Kai-Shek was almost ready to rectify the fact that the Shanxi presented such a weak northern defense against Japanese imperialist claims. In april 1937, he already had 15 brand new infantry divisions positioned for offensive operations. Shanxi was to be taken in the least possible amount of time, so that the Japanese would find a new and tougher enemy at its border.

Shanxi.jpg


5 infantry corps stood by in the marches above the Yellow River, while the Ma had 12 divisions ready for action. 27 divisions in all. Not so many, but if the operation would be a success, and the Shanxi leadership was removed, Chiang Kai-Shek wanted to retreat quickly into a more defensive position together with as much Shanxi troops as possible. They were Chinese too, after all, they were just following the wrong warlords. The Japanese would just take empty lands and then crash into well dug in Chinese divisions on the other side of the Yellow River... Chiang Kai-Shek would leave the area of land empty for the communists, so that they could keep the Japanese busy and buy him some time. This had to work!

Research and development

- Advanced machine tools to bring IC above 74
- Anti-air capacity and better artillery
- Grand plan doctrine for mass assaults
- China is taking a more interventionist approach to world politics (interventionism +1)
 
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Stealing the Shanxi army

The army in place, Chiang Kai-Shek indeed chose his own battlefield. It was a gambit but if enacted with care, perhaps it would pay off. It was a matter of time before the Japanese invaded anyway, so he would force their hand by snatching away Shanxi before their eyes. And most importantly: the Shanxi army... Better to reform it than let it be destroyed in no time.

battleplan-1.jpg


The plan was simple but therefore hopefully effective: the Ma would take Yuling and hold it, while the NRA would concentrate on grabbing the city of Beiping, the fortress of the Shanxi clans, the airbase of Yinan, and far away Yining. Therefore he had to manoeuvre his troops for operations just in front of the Japanese army... There was a risk, but if it paid off, Japan would declare war, and the Shanxi army would have no more option but to yield to his leadership, or be destroyed by the Japanese...

noshanxi.jpg


It paid off... On may 5, battle was joined. On may 29, the key points of Shanxi had been conquered, its army dispersed and isolated. They had been swept aside by the NRA's modern technology and better leadership. But Japan had also moved to advance, as he had predicted. He had precious little time to get his troops back out - and the dispersed Shanxi troops as well. Trucks were provided to move the destitute Shanxi army into the rear area for reforming into Kwomintang corps, while the NRA fought a fighting retreat against the advancing Japanese...

japanese.jpg


A more or less stable front existed again on july 1. The gambit had paid off. But now, they would be pressed, and pressed hard. Chiang Kai-Shek called for the help of the warlords in defending China, and both the US and the Soviet Union started providing aid. Chiang Kai-Shek awaited eagerly the five more divisions that would be deployed in a matter of days, fresh from academy... And for the large armies of Yunnan and Guanqxi, marching across China to his new front... He would need them all...
 
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The arrival of the warlords

Chiang Kai-Shek bode his time, trying to unify the front he had created. He had to hold his positions for two months until the last of the Yunnan and Guangxi generals had arrived with their armies. The fundamental province of Yucheng had been recaptured, bringing the total provinces to be defended back to a mere two, since Mao Tse Tung had let his mountaineers into Shanxi and put up a very strong defense in the mountains nearby. Now, China could show the world it was not totally defenseless and would stike hard at outside agression.

A full 122 Chinese divisions waited, dug in, for the command to advance, as von Falkenhausen completed his grand battle plan. The signal to start the assault was given on august 27... Chiang Kai-Shek wanted to be quick about it, he would not let the spoils fall to the communists, who he had been unable to control...

warlords.jpg


Research and development

- von Falkenhausen completed his grand battle doctrine and has begun on trench warfare doctrine
- early artillery and anti-air brigade technology is being developed. All corps are to receive two artillery and one AA brigade in the long term. Meanwhile, a start has been made on equipping the older divisions with new uniforms and rifles, and 29 of the 30 infantry divisions ordered a year ago have been deployed, bringing the total amount of Kwomintang infantry divisions to 86...
 
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As soon as you get some oil, eng brigades are a must. Cavalary as well, for a quick capture of that upstart in the north. Oh, and never ever let Mekungo form or you will lose Falkenhausen.
 
Eh, Screaming Eagle? Sorry I haven't read it nor taken anything from your strategy. I am replaying NC to try and get it right, while writing a story about it. I am just in it for the fluff. I won't be stealing ideas or whatever. Just coincidence. China is one of the coolest countries to play though, next to the Soviet Union, you have to agree. And for one reason or other, I always end back up fighting in China...

Good luck to you too. I hope you enjoy it!

Herbert West: getting oil is hell for China... I can appreciate the cavalry with engineer upgrade, but I'll just start saving oil and skip to motorized infantry... Ah, and Mengukwo has been formed but I still have von Falkenhausen? Or haven't I? I need to check...

Lifeless: no stalemate. My forces are differently organised. I think the first two provinces I attacked was with supporting attacks 90 versus 9 divisions...
 
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Breaking through into Manchukwo

On the morning of august 28, 1937, Chiang Kai-Shek commanded the army of four different Chinese factions forward. They numbered over a million men and women. Many bore a gun that had seen the end of the 19th century and just followed a banner - a true Chinese army, peasants mostly, unmotivated if met with true resistance, its leadership riven with rivalry. The NRA had the best officers, training and weaponry, and they thus enacted most of the breakthroughs and were selected for special engagements. The Japanese were dug in and had plenty of support from artillery and aircraft and very good officers, and they refused to budge. But a tree that budges does not break - and the Japanese were broken. They were outnumbered three to one and the attacks were concentrated in wave after wave until Japanese machinegun posts bathed in empty bullets and blood before they were overrun. Meanwhile, the Chinese antique airforce dodged between zero interceptors to drop a bomb here and there. Survival rate for pilots dropped immensely, while the Chinese armies learned to accept heavy losses as they were pressed on relentlessly...

Mongolia.jpg


But the attack had had a clear goal in mind: taking Changde, then cut off the Japanese and press them into Mongolia. As supplies could no longer reach the Mengukwo area, where the Japanese were stuck, they were down to counting bullets, and finally defeated at Hohhot. The main of the Japanese army made it across the border into Mongolia, where they were mostly sticken by thirst in the steppes and the desert, and the angry population and horse clans. In the Soviet Union they were arrested and put to work on logging firms. Few made it back to Japan. Thousands of prisoners of war were to be allocated to forced labour camps for the Chinese industry. Mengukwo was again annexed into China, and its leaders executed.

december.jpg


The multitude bore on for months, into the Manchu mountains. The resistance was halfhearted: the elite of the Japanese forces had been defeated in Mengukwo, and the Manchu Chinese were not up to par with the Kwomintang and their alliance. By the second half of december 1937, the mountains signalling the border with Korea came in sight...

Research and development

- Being constructed: two HQ's (for von Falkenhausen and Chiang Kai-Shek), 3 infantry divisions (bringing the army to 90 infantry divisions), 3 cavalry divisions (up to six divisions), and 50 brigades of artillery based on German design to be distributed among the NRA.
- Research in better fighters and bombers, better heavy cruisers, and better artillery (up to par with those of Japan), and advanced construction engineering.
- IC has risen above 100! Now my technology is out of date... I do not like building outdated material, so... time to start finding blueprints somewhere.
- traded for a stockpile of 5000 oil. Immense for Nationalist China, as I don't have any motorized units except four wings of airplanes.. Will grow steadily. If Germany needs its oil back, they can always break the deal...
 
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Looks good so far. If you are interested, you are cordially invited to join the "Warlord Club". If you want more info, read the first entry of my AAR.
Not trying to pimp my work, just want you to know the background of the club. Ok, I might be pimping just a smidge. :D
 
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