w Regarding China becoming the world's largest exporter of arms industry, whether it is the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Russia, or even Japan, they all find it incredible and have various doubts. However, no matter what, this is the fact.

The overall industrial scale of China is only equivalent to 1/7 of that of the United States, but in the field of military industry and light weapons, China really occupies certain advantages. Chinese weapons, ammunition and other military supplies are not only cheap, but also comprehensive. From rifles, shotguns, pistols, light and heavy machine guns to submachine guns, grenades, and mortars, China has a comprehensive product line.

Because it is equipped with various types of firearms and ammunition in the world, as well as the corresponding production capacity, it is a huge obstacle and trouble for China's military construction, but it has become an out-and-out advantage when it comes to exporting. China can It produces mass production of Lee-Enfield rifles for the United Kingdom, provides France with Kreissau rifles improved on the Shenyang rifle, supplies Mauser Type 88 Commission rifles and imitation Gew98 rifles to Greece, Seville, and Italy, and supplies Russia with Supply Mosin Nagant rifles and improved models of Shenyang rifles.

In terms of patented technology, since it is in a war period, China no longer has to abide by its previous contract with Germany and manufacture a large number of various types of barrel artillery jointly developed by China and Germany, as well as imported technology from Germany, France and other countries. At the same time, it can pass The patent rights held by Browning light and heavy machine guns restrict the United States from exporting these weapons.

Even though there is still a certain gap in terms of craftsmanship and quality compared to German products, the imitation Krupp 88mm field guns made in China are cheaper. And the production is huge, 75mm caliber long-stroke rapid-fire field guns, light field guns, light cavalry The artillery was sold in large quantities to the Anglo-French Allied Forces and other Allied countries, as well as non-Allied neutral countries. Even Germany repurchased these identical German weapons and ammunition from neutral countries through other channels to supplement the consumption of the German army.

Starting from the first half of 1916, taking into account China's huge raw material supply capacity and production capacity of steel, mirabilite, coal chemicals, as well as cheap labor and weapons and ammunition, Britain and France provided a large amount of technical assistance to China through military-industrial joint ventures to improve Chinese industry. production level and scale.

Under the coordination of the Anglo-French Wartime Committee, Britain's largest military industrial oligarchic group Vickers, French Schneider, Renault and the Far East Arms Corporation established a number of joint ventures in the Northeast to further expand production capacity and improve production quality. With the assistance of Vickers Company, Jinzhou Shipyard began building China's first Dreadnought-class battleship in April 1916. Before that, the largest warship produced by this shipyard was just one. A 6,000-ton tortoise-shell light armored cruiser with a design displacement.

This so-called Sinian-class battleship has a design displacement of 1.85 million tons. The full-load displacement is expected to reach 2.25 million tons, which is very small in the era of larger-scale post-dreadnought ships. For the Chinese Navy It is an out-and-out super weapon, and it has greatly improved the entire Chinese shipbuilding industry. Because it uses the latest British-made diesel boilers, steam turbines and 8 twin-mounted 305mm main guns, it can theoretically reach 27,500 horsepower, bringing the ship's speed to nearly 25 knots.

Armstrong Company and Jiangnan Heavy Industry Corporation have reached a joint venture agreement, and the Huangpu Shipyard jointly built by both parties in Shanghai is also preparing to build a number of light armored cruisers with a displacement of 10,000 tons.

Through mutual shareholding and joint ventures, the Far East Arms Corporation, the Far East Chemical Corporation, the British Vickers Company, the French Schneider Company, and the American Winchester Arms Company joined forces to establish an international cartel for the military industry.

Seoul supplies arms, weapons and ammunition to Britain, France, Russia and other countries in a near-monopoly manner.

In order to ensure the stable development and solid market share of Chinese industry during World War I, the Imperial Cabinet Government took the initiative to sign an "Allied Mutual Insurance Treaty" with Britain, France, Russia and other Allied Powers. According to this treaty, during the war, the Allied Powers

Member states within the organization restrict each other

Convert foreign exchange into gold to ensure the stability of each country's gold reserves and currency exchange rates, and hold each other's long-term treasury bonds. Each member country is obliged to ensure the stability of the exchange rate of its own currency. If the gold content of the currency must be reduced, the debts held by other allied countries will be

Calculated based on the current gold price.

To put it simply, if Britain and France need to pay gold to purchase military supplies from the United States and other countries, even if they pay pounds, the franc will worry about these countries converting them into gold. If they purchase supplies from China and other Allied countries, they can directly use national debt to pay for them, without worrying about China.

Empty the gold reserves of Britain and France.

For China, China exports military supplies to the Allied countries such as Britain and France. These supplies directly become national debts of Britain, France and other countries, and China uses these national debts as guarantees to issue currency to maintain the normal order of the national economy.

The "Mutual Insurance Treaty of the Allied Powers" has two functions. First, it links all the Allied Powers to shoulder each other's debt pressure and strengthens the ability of the entire Allied Powers to persist in a long-term war of attrition; second, it exclusively guarantees China's role as the largest general rear area and export

country’s status.

This treaty allows China to compete with the United States with inferior but cheap products. It is also a very beneficial clause for Japan. However, both China and Japan face a huge risk, that is, once a country defeats the Allied Powers and withdraws, their holdings will

The country's debt is likely to become waste paper.

For example, Russia and Serbia.

Serbia originally belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in theory, but it was also an autonomous country. After the war broke out, it joined the Allied Powers. As a result, it was wiped out by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Only part of its army retreated to Albania to maintain its overseas government, which actually spread the war.

to Albania.

In order to ensure that Serbia could sustain itself, the Entente intervened forcefully in Greece and forced Greece to join the Entente. Chinese troops stationed in Europe also transferred part of the Italian army to Albania, making every effort to ensure that the Austro-Hungarian Empire would be difficult to capture, or at least not completely occupy Albania.

Therefore, war serves the economy.

Although it cannot directly convert large amounts of pounds, francs and other Allied debts into truly reliable gold reserves, the empire is still increasing the gold reserves in the center of the empire by exporting goods to neutral countries, as well as British, French and German colonies, Latin America, and Southeast Asian countries.

Japan is also actively doing this bad thing, taking advantage of the Great Depression of European industrial products and the complete interruption of Germany's foreign exports. It is exporting cheap goods to compete for the market, and international capital is also pouring into China, Japan and the United States, further stimulating these

The war boom of outsider countries.

…

In June 1916, relying on his own experience and intelligence work in Russia, Song Biao was able to confirm that the conditions for the February Revolution in Russia were basically mature, and the chaos and rebellion within Russia could no longer be described in words. On this basis,

, Song Biao further accelerated the army's expansion work in the country, planning to increase the total number of the army by four million, and expand the 6th to 12th Cavalry Brigade to the size of an integrated cavalry division.

Everyone at home and abroad thought that the emperor was about to officially participate in the European War. There was no surprise or doubt about this. Only Germany was worried and sent emissaries to lobby, hoping that the empire would continue to maintain its current situation.

On the southern battlefield of the European War, the Empire has proven the combat level of the Chinese Army in the war. Even facing the Austro-Hungarian Empire's troops, it still maintains a certain advantage. Once more than two million Imperial Army troops pour into the European battlefield

, which is simply the worst news for the German-Austrian Alliance.

As the emperor and the supreme commander-in-chief of the Imperial Central Defense Force, Song Biao did not want to explain to others. After ordering the navy and army to continue to increase their numbers, he secretly arranged for the first-class staff officer Guo Yuchi to form the Northern Staff Bureau to engage in highly confidential operational investigations.

and preparing for war, while he lived an almost solitary life in Xuanzheng Garden, quietly calculating all the details of the battle alone.

The Soviet Red Army's early combat strength in the city was not very strong, but it was not bad either. It was able to defeat the White Russian Army mainly because the White Army was too dispersed and lacked unified command, and the revolutionary will of the Red Army soldiers was indeed very high.

For the Imperial CSKA, the biggest obstacle to defeating the Soviet Red Army was the extremely cold weather, especially the problem of material transportation and supply in this extreme cold weather.

In order to prepare the troops for the Northern Expedition as much as possible at that time, Song Biao established four major training centers in Uliasutai, Kulun, Hulunbuir, and Jiamusi. He transferred many main troops and 52 new regiments to these centers.

Long-term training was conducted in the area, and southern soldiers were transferred to Chahar, Shanxi and northern Shaanxi for training.

In his plan, the most important training place was obviously Kulun, because sending troops from here could quickly cut off the Russian Far East Railway and force the Soviet Red Army to expedition to Siberia and the Baikal region for a decisive battle with the Central Army.

Song Biao never fought an uncertain battle. He planned to personally go to the northernmost region of Mongolia to experience the severe cold in the coldest season, observe the lifestyle of Buryats and Mongolians, and establish a new logistics supply system.

.

Different climatic environments and different regions have different characteristics of military supplies. Neither Napoleon nor Hitler fully considered this. It is not so much that they were defeated by Russia and cold weather, but that they were defeated by

Military logistics in cold areas.

Prior to this, Song Biao sent multiple batches of intelligence personnel from the Northern Staff Bureau in advance to go deep into Russia to collect more complete military materials and various required information, and to investigate the living customs and characteristics of the local people, as well as the local economic situation, population

and map information.

There are many problems that are small, but may destroy millions of armies. For example, after the permafrost melts, how should the artillery move over a long distance? Should the wheels be widened and thickened, or should larger wooden wheels be used?

Tires, or other means of towing?

For example, the weather in which months is the least suitable for marching and fighting. The ice and snow begin to melt in these months, and the grasslands will become muddy. Which areas can be visited in winter but not in summer? Which areas can be visited in summer and not in winter?

.

A small oversight may lead to serious problems that cannot be solved.

War is like this. As long as you make a mistake, the enemy will have a chance to defeat you, regardless of the strength gap between the two sides.

While Song Biao was secretly preparing for the war against Soviet Russia, Britain, France and other Allied powers were eagerly waiting for China to continue to increase its troops in Europe. Both sides were at the same level, and no one could defeat the opponent. In the eyes of all countries, China was still a very powerful force.

A second-rate country, but at this time it is possible to completely overwhelm the German-Austrian Allied Powers camp.

While Germany sent emissaries to lobby, Britain and France also sent their respective foreign ministers to Beijing, hoping to persuade China to immediately send more troops to participate in the European War.

The Marquess of Balfour, the leader of the British Conservative Party who once served as Prime Minister, arrived in China as the Foreign Secretary of the British Empire in mid-August 1916. He arrived in Beijing in the evening of August 27. At this time, the British war party was mainly composed of the Liberal Party.

The cabinet was in power at that time. However, in order to prevent the Conservative Party from lagging behind, it adopted a coalition government and violently opposed the Conservative Party.

Even so, the Foreign Secretary, Marquis Arthur Balfour, was an insignificant figure in the wartime cabinet. Prime Minister Asquith of the Liberal Party thought that such an arrangement would be a very clever decision, which provided enough

The face of a second-rate ignorant empire like China continues to maintain the high profile and dignity of supremacy in the upper class society of the British Empire.

On the emperor's throne, Song Biao had already fought against three British Prime Ministers and had a thorough understanding of this self-righteous and arrogant empire. Naturally, he was keenly aware of the opponent's cleverness and Anglo-Saxon attitude.

racial superiority complex.

When the Marquis of Balfort arrived in Beijing, Song Biao continued to stay behind closed doors in the Xuanzheng Garden on the pretext of being on vacation, and did not meet with the Marquis of Balfort or other people, including the imperial cabinet ministers.

He just quietly enjoyed the tranquility for a period of time, accumulating strength in this tranquility and making all spiritual preparations for the Far East War in 1918.

Until September 1st.

Song Biao just canceled his month-long peaceful vacation and arranged for the Marquis of Balfour to come to the drawing room to meet him that morning.

After breakfast, Song Biao had a rare conversation with Zhang Binglin, the chief minister of the inner court, about selecting concubines. To Zhang Binglin's expectation, Song Biao decided to choose two concubines from ethnic minorities.

Although Song Biao also considered choosing a Mongolian concubine to stabilize the four northern Xinjiang provinces, based on his understanding of Mongolian girls, he really didn’t think there could be many that fit the aesthetics of traditional Han men, otherwise Guo Jing would not have given up on Hua.

Princess Zheng's courtship leads her to escape from marriage with Huang Rong, a girl from Zhejiang, regardless of the circumstances.

North Korean girls are also not considered. North Koreans always say that all their beauties were paid tribute to the Ming Dynasty emperor. But looking through the history of the Ming Dynasty, there is really no North Korean girl who has ever been a concubine. She basically just served tea and water. Otherwise,

Just washing and cooking.

After talking with Zhang Binglin about this issue for half an hour, Song Biao estimated that Zhang Binglin's vision was unreliable. Most of the selected ones were of the level of Guangxu's concubines, who would shudder at the sight, so he asked Zhang Binglin to hand over the matter to his secretary.

Chen Qimei from the bureau is in charge. If there are suitable candidates in the local area, the family conditions are generally good, and the education level is reasonable, I will arrange a few to serve as interns in the secretarial bureau, so that he can have a general understanding before making a final decision, so that he will not bother others to choose a concubine for him.

.

After talking about this matter, Song Biao went to the living room.

It was still early, so when he arrived in the living room, he asked Zhang Futian to submit the latest intelligence and analysis of the Central Military Intelligence Department on World War I, and let him watch quietly in the empty hall for a while.

The central government's financial funds have always been quite tight, but it can still allocate funds to the General Administration of the Interior on schedule to build a new palace in Yungang Mountain, Fangshan County. Song Biao himself also raised some funds from the Far East Consortium and other royal investments, and slowly built a new palace in Fangshan.

Construction of the Royal Palace in Kyoto District.

It is estimated that it will be almost completed in another four to five years. The infrastructure of Kyoto Prefecture will also be roughly completed during this period. The Imperial Palace, the Imperial Cabinet, the National Assembly and the Central Military Headquarters will all be moved to Kyoto Prefecture.

The days in Zhongnanhai obviously won't last long.

Now that he thinks about leaving, Song Biao also feels that he has something to commemorate, but it is impossible not to leave. If the administrative centers of the whole country are crowded in Beijing, it will be a huge pressure for the city of Beijing. It cannot be done in the future.

The two sessions and so on all have large-scale road closures, right?

After browsing and thinking about the latest information, Song Biao sighed silently. The war in Europe is getting more and more fierce. At present, it is basically certain that Germany has defended the Somme defense line. Even if the British sacrifice such a big weapon as the tank,

If it goes out, it will be difficult to have a big impact on Germany even if the number is limited.

The Battle of the Somme actually officially confirmed one thing, that is, Britain and France did not have the strength to defeat Germany. It was on this basis that the United States decided to participate in the war, because the United States was holding the debts of Britain and France at the time.

Britain and France were defeated, and the United States could not bear such huge losses.
To be continued...