National Tragedy -- A Record of the KMT's Frontline War of Resistance

Author: Zhang Hongtao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-04-01
Features: The Japanese army's most frenzied strategic offensive phase on Chinese soil was during the period from the "September 18th Incident" to the end of the Wuhan Campaign. During this time, the Nationalist army bore the brunt of the fighting on the main front, enduring immense pressure. The Battle of the Great Wall, the Battle of Lugou Bridge, the Shanghai Campaign, the Taiyuan Campaign, the Xuzhou Campaign, the Wuhan Campaign, and the Changsha Campaign were unprecedentedly brutal. Tong Lingge and Zhao Dengyu sacrificed their lives, Hao Mengling and Wang Mingzhang fell, with over a dozen commanders giving their lives heroically, and over a million soldiers spilled their blood on the battlefield. This is history written in blood, a saga of the nation. China, a battlefield in the world's anti-Fascist war against aggression; China, which resisted the anti-Fascist war for the longest time; China, which made the greatest sacrifices in the world's anti-Fascist war. Over a million soldiers perished on the battlefield, protecting the nation and its people. This book primarily narrates the major campaigns of the Nationalist army on the main front after the war of resistance began, such as the Battle of Lugou Bridge, the Shanghai Campaign, the Xuzhou Campaign, the Taiyuan Campaign, the Wuhan Campaign, the Changsha Campaign, and the Suizao Campaign. This was the early phase of the war in a strategic defensive stage, where the Nationalist army fought defensive battles against the Japanese invaders, showcasing the heroic spirit of the Chinese army and the unyielding national spirit of the Chinese people. A sleeping lion, wounded in every part of its body, finally roared in anger after being bitten and bullied for 6 years, abruptly waking up. For 15 months of strategic defense, the Chinese army blocked the powerful Japanese invaders with blood and flesh. Was it war or peace? Politicians and military strategists frequently appeared, maneuvering and strategizing. The Shanghai, Xinkou, Xuzhou, and Wuhan campaigns were intertwined in fierce battles, unprecedentedly brutal. Chinese soldiers died on the battlefield, lying down to rest in the nine springs. The blood-red sky, the blood-red earth, the blood-red rivers, restrained the blood of the Japanese "sun." Senior Nationalist generals all took the stage, with their strengths and weaknesses revealed on the battlefield. Tong Lingge, Zhao Dengyu, Hao Mengling, and Wang Mingzhang had their general's uniforms soaked in blood, achieving success and self-sacrifice; Han Fuju, Xiang Hanping, and Li Fuying, along with dozens of other senior generals, fell on the execution ground, leaving behind a legacy of infamy. A sad song, a heroic song—reading it evokes deep emotions and leaves one breathless.