Mood:
sadNow Playing: Perhaps
Topic: Cold Front Passing Hokkai
1933 - Hitler comes to power in Germany, Chiang Kai-shek asks him for military assistance; Hitler sends General Hans von Seeckt, one of the best-known strategists in Nazi Germany. Chiang is determined to eliminate the Communists, the Nazi general will tell him how to do it. The problem is that the 1st China Workers and Peasants Red Army was established by Chu Teh in August, 1927 and has gathered strength in the mountainous area of Kiangsi Province, south of the Yangzte River in Central-Eastern China. Von Seeckt directed 700,000 KMT troops in a merciless ground and air attack against 150,000 Communist guerrillas. The campaign resulted in nearly one million civilian deaths but "only" 60,000 guerrilla casualties under the leadership of Chu Teh.
Chiang's fascism was modeled on Hitler and Mussolini - they had their Brown Shirts and Black Shirts, Chiang had his Blue Shirts and two secret services - the gestapo and the military secret police. Every government agency was touched with a spy network trained by the Green Gang. Soong May-ling set up what she called The New Life Movement determined, among other things to teach the peasants not to spit. Madame Chiang charmed the missionaries and organized Chinese Boy Scouts to help teach peasants about cleanliness and such.
Chinese intellectuals speaking out against Chiang's tactics were treated harshly - a group of six young writers were burried alive.
