This is my next update. It covers the world from 1936 to the start of the war in 1939. I have also finished the fourth part of the story Götterdämmerung and have just started on this part so Hazza Hazza!
Although that douse mean I still have 272 pages until I am caught up so there is that. I decided that I am going to post the updates for the Second World War and the parts between 1944 and 1946 and then I will stop on the History of China because I feel everyone is pretty much up to date on this part of Chinas history anyway.
Tensions Rising
In 1936 the world was a vastly different place. The Chinese Empire, made it through the Great War largely intact, has restored some semblance of its prewar global influence. The world is divided between four alliances, those being the Tianxia Alliance led by China.
The Comintern led by the Soviet Commune, the Axis led by the Indian Raj and an unofficial non-allied movement led by the Reich.
The Reich is still reeling from the Great Depression. But the Chinese Empire is stronger than ever. It is currently under the rule of Chancellor Wang Jingwei, a nationalist who promises to continue Chinese dominance over the Asia/Pacific region.
It had been just fifty years ago when China rose from a loose alliance of four dynasties to a global superpower equal to the Reich. The country follows a blend of Pan-Asianism that is the belief that Asia is for Asians and that anyone else should leave. And Sinocentrism is the belief that China is the center of the world and that all should serve it.
This is rapidly starting to be believed by both the commoners and the military. It is said by many that a war with China would be a repeat of the last war.
In January 1936 the world entered a crisis when Indian leader Gandhi took over the areas of Kashmir and Punjab. This was allowed to happen due to Wang Jingwei being distracted by the rise of the Fuxingyundong in popularity along with economic problems at home.
The Indian forces entered Kashmir on 1 January 1936. As the invasion happened Gandhi had the Iranian ambassador, the Chinese ambassador, and the Roman ambassador come to Delhi to state that since the Chinese violated the Treaty of Samarkand by signing the Sino-Soviet pact.
India decided to withdraw from the Treaty of Samarkand and enter Punjab.
There was debate in the Indian government on whether or not Chinese forces were massing on the Sino-Indian border. But when it became apparent that they were not the Indian government ordered that Operation Winter Exercise continue.
In June 1936 Paksthana would experience a series of rigid elections causing many to protest the victory of pro-Chinese political parties. Many even stated that the country should be reunited with India. Over the next few weeks Fascist sentiment rose significantly.
In August, workers went on strike in Kabul and Nanjing. The strikes in Zabulistan ended in a few hours, the strike in China only grew larger until most in the capital were striking.
They demanded that the government implement better wages, better job safety, better benefits, and stopping the military influence on the government. The government did nothing and the strikes went away after a day.
The 1936 Summer Olympics were held in Delhi, India. But some did not attend the game due to Gandhi ‘s view on Muslim's. After some protests Gandhi allowed Muslim's and Africans from other countries to participate.
On 5 January 1937 Chancellor Wang Jingwei gave a speech to the Imperial Diet of China in it he said,
"Honored representatives and guests of His Imperial and Celestial Majesty's Government, the Chancellor of the Empire."
Wang appeared before the assembled Imperial Diet of China. Several hundred representatives, nobles, prefecture governors, generals, and guests rose to their feet to applause him. The Chancellor took his place behind a podium as cameras flashed and microphones switched on.
"Gentlemen," said Wang, "It has been over ten years since the death of our illustrious founder of the modern Chinese nation. Our former Imperial Majesty came of age in an era of strife and division and united the Chinese peoples under one banner. Now, almost seventy years later, our empire is among the most prestigious and powerful in the world. But the Celestial Empire still has not returned to the power and prosperity that it enjoyed before the Mongol invasions seven centuries ago.
"Yes, we dominate the great Dahai ocean, economically and militarily, a feat no previous dynasty has achieved or even thought about achieving. We dominate all of Asia and have humiliated the Indians by destroying their empire and eliminating the only military capable of striking our homeland. Our citizens are proud to be Chinese. But there are many in this world who still do not recognize the cultural, political, and military superiority of the great Middle Kingdom.”
"Remember what our name means. We are the Middle Kingdom, the center of all of civilization, the people chosen by Heaven to lead the world into enlightenment. Centuries ago, many nations paid their tributes to our Celestial Empire. Manchu, Mongol, Burmese, Siamese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Ryukyuan, even Indian, Iranian, and Turk - all journeyed to our grand capitals to kowtow before our emperor and bring him the best gifts their countries could provide. Back then, the world was in balance. Everybody was in their place. The barbarian hordes stayed on their side of the Great Wall and the great deserts and mountain ranges, acknowledging the superiority of the Celestial Empire. All was in harmony under Heaven.”
"But then came Genghis Khan, the barbarian warlord who united the Mongol tribes around a common goal - to conquer the world. The instant they crossed the Great Wall and rode towards the lands of the old Western Xia dynasty, they threw all of the world into disarray and disharmony. They quickly overran both the Song and the Jin, exiling them to their present homelands. Then they turned to conquering other countries, such as Daqin and India. While Daqin managed to accomplish what our ancestors had failed to do and defeat the Mongol hordes, the damage had been done. The world was thrown out of balance and harmony, and no Chinese realm since has managed to restore that balance. The Song lacked a navy strong enough to reunite our people. The Jin lacked an army. The Tran, having allied with Daqin, refused to reunite. But we, the Ming, have gotten further than any previous dynasty in restoring harmony to the world. We united all four realms together, restoring a universally recognized and united Chinese Empire, the likes of which hasn't been seen since the Mongols crossed the Great Wall. Our Celestial Empire is the largest and most powerful of any Chinese dynasty to date. All that remains is to remind the rest of the world their place in the celestial order. It is time to reclaim our rightful spot as the center of civilization and enlightenment. It is time to restore the Sinocentric world order that our ancestors enjoyed. It is time to restore the dignity and the honor of the Chinese people, to eliminate seven centuries of disunity and disharmony we suffered. It is time to restore the Empire to the glory it deserves! The era of the western phoenix is ending. Now begins the era of the eastern phoenix, an era of prosperity and harmony that will last for ten thousand years! Huangdi wansui!"
"HUANGDI WANSUI!" shouted everybody in attendance. "HUANGDI WANSUI!"
On 7 May 1937 the Roman Zeppelin Hindenburg exploded while it was docking in New Berlin Airport. This led the Chinese government to begin to phase out its fleet of airships and begin to transition over to more reliable airplanes for travel.
While flying over the Pacific on 2 July 1937 Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared at 8:43 A.M. This caused a massive outcry around the world.
The Chinese government agreed to help with the search effort but the results turned up nothing. Their disappearances are still a mystery to this day.
On 4 April 1938, fighting occurred between the Imperial Chinese Army and the Soviet army. This was due to the Soviets refusing to move troops on the Bezymyannaya (сопка Безымянная, Chinese name: Shachaofeng) and Zaozyornaya (сопка Заозёрная, Chinese name: Changkufeng) Hills to the west of Lake Khasan.
The fighting was brutal but in the end the Chinese Imperial Army was bloodied in the battle and was unable to enforce its claims. On April 15, Chinese ambassador Sima Shengma asked for peace. And so on April 16, 1938, at 13 hours 30 minutes local time the Chinese stopped fighting and Soviet forces reoccupied the heights.
More than 6,500 Soviet officers and soldiers were awarded the orders, decorations, and medals of the Soviet Commune; 26 of them were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Commune, and 95 were awarded the Order of Lenin.
Soviet losses totaled 792 killed or missing and 3,279 wounded, according to their records and the Chinese claimed to have destroyed or immobilized 96 enemy tanks and 30 guns. Soviet armored losses were significant, with dozens of tanks being knocked out or destroyed and hundreds of "tank troops" becoming casualties.
Chinese casualties, as revealed by secret Army General Staff statistics, were 1,439 casualties (526 killed or missing, 913 wounded); the Soviets claimed Chinese losses of 3,100, with 600 killed and 2,500 wounded. The Soviet losses were blamed on the incompetence of Vasily Blücher. On October 22 he was arrested by the NKVD and is thought to have been either tortured to death or sent off to a gulag in Karelia.
On the 11 of September 1938 many Paksthani citizens demanded the unification of India. Paksthani leader Singh realising that China will not help them resigned. He would allow the Paksthani Rasas to take over the government.
He did this to avert anymore bloodshed. Almost immediately Paksthani Rasas Keshwara became chancellor. A message was sent saying that Indian troops should enter Paksthana and restore order.
So with that on 12 September the Indian 8th Army moved into Paksthana. Many Paksthanis welcomed the Indians with Rasa salutes, Rasa flags, and flowers. The next day Paksthana was united with India.
It has been said that the failure of the Chinese and Romans to take action against him for violating the Samarkand Treaty. Their lack of will emboldened him toward further aggression.
The official ceremony took place on the 14 September and supposedly had the support of 99.7% of the voters.
On 14 September, Wang Jingwei noted in the House of Representatives of the Chinese Diet:
“His Majesty's Government have throughout been in the closest touch with the situation. The Foreign Secretary saw the Indian Foreign Minister on the 10th of September and addressed to him a grave warning on the Paksthani situation and upon what appeared to be the policy of the Indian Government in regard to it. ... Late on the 11th of September our Ambassador in Delhi registered a protest in strong terms with the Indian Government against such use of coercion, backed by force, against an independent State in order to create a situation incompatible with its national independence.”
However, the speech concluded:
“I imagine that according to the temperament of the individual the events which are in our minds to-day will be the cause of regret, of sorrow, perhaps of indignation. They cannot be regarded by His Majesty's Government with indifference or equanimity. They are bound to have effects which cannot yet be measured. The immediate result must be to intensify the sense of uncertainty and insecurity in Eurasia. Unfortunately, while the policy of appeasement would lead to a relaxation of the economic pressure under which many countries are suffering to-day, what has just occurred must inevitably retard economic recovery and, indeed, increased care will be required to ensure that marked deterioration does not set in. This is not a moment for hasty decisions or for careless words. We must consider the new situation quickly, but with cool judgement.... As regards our defence programmes, we have always made it clear that they were flexible and that they would have to be reviewed from time to time in the light of any development in the international situation. It would be idle to pretend that recent events do not constitute a change of the kind that we had in mind. Accordingly we have decided to make a fresh review, and in due course we shall announce what further steps we may think it necessary to take.”
Within this speech Wang also said, "The hard fact is that nothing could have arrested what has actually happened [in Paksthana] unless this country and other countries had been prepared to use force."
Despite the abrasion disregard for the Samarkand Treaty. Many people in both the Reich and China chose to do nothing due to not wanting to start another world war. Chancellor Wang believed that the actions of the Indians would be limited. Due to him having to deal with the Reich and Soviets Wang told Zabulistan to accept Gandhi's demands.
Instead Zabulistan Chancellor Daoud Khan would resist the Indians. He ordered partial mobilization of the army on 20 May 1938. The Chinese would want Daoud Khan to have the situation mediated. Khan agreed to it on 2 September. However negotiations would break down on 13 September due to the Social Democrats protesting leading to police action.
Afghan Indian leader Kumar flew to India to make a proclamation for India to annex all of Afghanistan.
During a meeting between Wang and Gandhi the demand was for India to enter Afghanistan to protect the Indians living there. With the Chinese already dealing with the Rich and the Soviets Wang agreed. He would order Khan to stand down and after a failed attempt to get the Soviets involved folded he reluctantly agreed on 21 September.
This capitulation led to protest among the Pashtuns and Turks. A new cabinet was installed with a mobilization order issued on 23 September 1938. Despite the Soviets now agreeing to come to their aid Khan refused to make any drastic action unless the Chinese were willing to help.
On 28 September, Wang, Gandhi, and diplomats from the Reich and China agreed to meet. On the next day the Karachi Agreement was signed by all parties. It said that all territories in Afghanistan that had Indian majorities were to be given to India by 10 October.
Despite agreements to meet and finalize the new borders later it would not come to be. Because on 5 October 1938 Khan would resign as Chancellor and form a government-in-exile in Kiev. the King, his family, and supporters would go to China. A new republican government was formed and voted to unify with India.
At Towraghondi, near the Turkish-Indian border on 30 April 1939 at 11 PM a group of men in Turkish Army uniforms attacked a radio station killing those inside. In response on 1 May 1939 at 4 AM Gandhi called the Turkish Grand Vizier of Turkestan Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and demanded that the Turkish Corridor be handed over to Iran. This was demanded due to the Persians living in the Corridor.
Ataturk refused and so on 1 May 1939 at 4:40 AM, Indian troops crossed the Turkish border. The city of Mashhad was bombed. Five minutes later the Indian battleship Garuda bombarded Chabahar, the only port city in the Corridor.
At 8:00 AM, more Indian troops crossed the border and laid siege to nearby villages and towns. Iran would soon join the invasion on the Indian side. The plan was for both offensives to meet at the Turkish capital of Turkestan City and the major cities of Samarkand and Bukhara.
On May 1 clashes along the Soviet-Chinese borders broke out and releasing that they were still recovering from the purge of 1937 the Soviets refused to help the Indians. Despite that fact that Gandhi said that they could have whatever they could take.
The Turkish government reached out to the Chinese but the letter Padishah Osman I sent to the Xuantong Emperor never made it. It was later found out to have been burned by Wang Jingwei who stated that they would help but only in war material and not in men.
At the Schloss Brandenburg in Berlin, Germania at 8:00 PM after an intense debate with his ministers Kaiser Otto declared war on India in support of his Turkish allies. A Second Great War had begun.
However the Reich would end up late to the fighting because at the Reichstag, Berlin - 8 May 1939, 4:00 AM Chancellor Markos Angelos, the Angeloi family, and many Angeloi's supporters announced that the Kaiser was incapacitated and that they were taking control due to a recent amendment to the Augustinian Code.
However the Kaiser and his wife were able to escape to Vienna and rally their forces behind them leading to a Second Roman Civil War on 8 May, 1939. In the beginning the Chinese decided to stay neutral in the Roman Civil War but the Axis had recognised Angelos government.