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Hey before I begin the podcast, I just want to thank all of you who joined the patreon, you guys are simply awesome. Please take the time to vote and comment on the patreon polls so I can best tackle the specific subjects you want to hear more about and hell it does not have to be about the Pacific War, I like ancient Rome, WW1, WW2, just toss some ideas and I will try to make it happen. This Podcast is going to be a very remarkable story about a Korean man who fought for the IJA, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany during the second world war. He is also a man whom most than likely never existed. Did that catch you off guard haha? If you have a chance you can pull up wikipedia and search Yang Kyoungjong. The first thing you will notice is a disclaimer that states numerous historians who claim Yang Kyoungjong does not exist. Yet this man exists in some history books, there is a iconic photo of him, there is a documentary looking into him, countless Korean stories are writing loosely about him, there is a pretty decent war film and multiple youtubers have covered his so-called story. So how does this guy not exist if his story is so popular? His story is claimed to be real by military historian Stephen Ambrose who wrote about him in his book in 1994 titled “D-day, june 6th, 1944: the Climactic battle of World War II. There is also references to him in Antony Beevor's book “the second world war” and that of defense consultant and author Steven Zaloga's book“the devil's garden: Rommel's desperate Defense of Omaha Beach on D-Day”. In 2005 a Korean SBS documentary investigated his existence and concluded there was no convincing evidence of his existence. For those of you who have ever heard of this man, I guarantee it's because of the 2011 south korean film “My Way”. That's where I found out about it by the way. Many of you probably saw the iconic photo of him, again if you pull up the wikipedia page on Yang Kyoungjong its front and center. The photo shows a asiatic man wearing a wehrmacht uniform and he has just been captured by american forces on the d-day landings. Now I don't want to jump into the is he real or not busy just yet. So this is how the podcast will go down, very reminiscent of “Our fake History's Podcast” might I add, I am a huge fan of that guys work. I am going to tell you the story of Yang Kyoungjong, then afterwords disclose my little investigation into whether he is real or not. So without further adieu this is the story of a man who fought for three nations during WW2. The Story It was June 1944, the allies had just unleashed Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings at Normandy. Lt Robert Brewer of the 506th parachute infantry regiment, 101st airborne division was overlooking the capture of Axis forces and reported to his regiment finding four Asians in Wehrmacht uniform around the Utah beach landings. Brewer nor any of his colleagues spoke the language the Asian men spoke, they assumed them to be Japanese. The four asians were processed as POW's, listed as young Japanese and sent to a British POW camp, before he would be sent to another POW camp in the US. At some point between his capture and the POW camps, he gave his name as Yang Kyoungjong, stated he was Korean and gave an extremely incredible story. To who did he say these things, no one knows. Yang Kyoungjong was born in 1920, in Shin Eu Joo, part of modern day North Korea. At the age of 18, Yang was forcibly conscripted into the Imperial Japanese army. Korea was one of the bread baskets of Asia and the Empire of Japan had annexed her in 1910. Japan held sovereignty over Korea, making Koreans subjects. In 1939 the Empire of Japan faced major labor shortages and as a result began conscription of Japanese men for the military, while importing vast amounts of Korean laborers to work in mainland Japan. For the Imperial Japanese Army, Koreans were not drafted until 1944 when things were dire for Japan. Until 1944, the IJA allowed Koreans to volunteer in the army. In 1938 there was a 14% acceptance rate, by 1943 this dropped dramatically to 2%, but the number of applicants increased exponentially from 3000 per annum in 1939 to 300,000 by the end of the war. On paper it looked like Koreans were registering en masse on their on violation, but this is quite the contrary, the Japanese policy was to use force. Japanese officials began press gang efforts against Korean peasants, forcing them to sign applications, it is believed over half of the applications were done in such a manner. Other applicants registered for a variety of reasons, typically because of economic turmoil. Korea would produce 7 generals and many field grade officers. One of the most well known was Lt General Crown Prince Yi Un who would command Japanese forces in the China War. Thus Yang Kyoungjong was forced into the IJA and would find himself stationed with the Kwantung Army. Quite unfortunately for him, he was enlisted into their service at a time where two major border skirmishes occurred with the Soviet Union. The USSR was seen as Japan's number one rival going all the way back to the Triple Intervention of 1895 when the Russians thwarted Japan's seizure of the Liaodong peninsula after they had won the first sino japanese war. This led to the Russo-Japanese war, where Japan shocked the world being victorious over the Russian Empire. When the Russian Empire fell and the Russian civil war kicked off, Japan sent the lionshare of men to fight the Red Army during the Siberian Intervention of 1918-1922. Communism was seen as the greatest if not one of the greatest threats to the Kokutai and thus Japan as a whole. As such Japan placed the Kwantung Army along the Manchurian borderlands to thwart any possible soviet invasion. There had numerous border skirmishes, but in 1938 and 1939 two large battles occurred. In 1938 the Kwantung army intercepted a Soviet message indicating the Far East forces would be securing some unoccupied heights west of Lake Khasan that overlooked the Korean port city of Rajin. Soviet border troops did indeed move into the area and began fortifying it. The Kwantung army sent forces to dislodge them and this soon led to a full on battle. The battle was quite shocking for both sides, the Soviets lost nearly 800 men dead with 3279 wounded, the Japanese claimed they had 526 dead with 913 wounded. The Soviet lost significant armor and despite both sides agreeing to a ceasefire, the Kwantung army considered it a significant victory and proof the Soviets were not capable of thwarting them. In theory Yang Kyoungjong would be in training and would eventually reach the Manchuria borders by 1939. Another man sent over would be Georgy Zhukov who was given the task of taking command of the 57th special corps and to eliminate Japanese provocations. What was expected of Zhukov was if the Japanese pressed again for battle, to deliver them a crushing and decisive blow. On May 11th, 1939 some Mongolian cavalry units were grazing their horses in a disputed area. On that very same day, Manchu cavalry attacked the Mongols to drive them past the river of Khalkhin Gol. Two days later the Mongols returned in greater numbers and this time the Manchu were unable to dislodge them. What was rather funny to say, a conflict of some horses grazing on disputed land, led to a fully mechanized battle. On May 14th, Lt Colonel Yaozo Azuma led some regiments to dislodge the Mongols, but they were being supported by the Red Army. Azuma force suffered 63% casualties, devastating. June saw the battle expand enormously, Japan was tossing 30,000 men in the region, the Soviets tossed Zhukov at them alongside motorized and armored forces. The IJA lacking good armored units, tossed air forces to smash the nearby Soviet airbase at Tamsakbulak. In July the IJA engaged the Red Army with nearly 100 tanks and tankettes, too which Zhukov unleashed 450 tanks and armored cars. The Japanese had more infantry support, but the Soviet armor encircled and crushed them. The two armies spared with another for weeks, the Japanese assumed the Soviets would suffer logistical problems but Zhukoev assembled a fleet of 2600 trucks to supply his forces, simply incredible. Both sides were suffering tremendous casualties, then in August global politics shifted. It was apparent a war in Europe was going to break out, Zhukov was ordered to be decisive, the Soviets could not deal with a two front war. So Zhukov now using a fleet of 4000 trucks began transported supplies from Chita to the front next to a armada of tanks and mechanized brigades. The Soviets tossed 3 rifle divisions, two tank divisions and 2 tank brigades, nearly 500 tanks in all, with two motorized infantry divisions and 550 fighters and bombers. The stalemate was shattered when Zhukov unleashed is armada, some 50,000 Soviets and Mongols hit the east bank of Khalkhin Gol. The Japanese were immediately pinned down, while the Soviets were employing a double envelopment. The Japanese tried to counter attack and it failed horribly. The Japanese then scrambled to break out of the encirclement and failed. The surrounded Japanese forces refused to surrender as the Soviets smashed them with artillery and aerial bombardment. By the end of August the Japanese forces on the Mongolian side of the border were annihilated. On September 15th the USSR and Japan signed a ceasefire. The battle of Khalkhin Gol was devastating for both sides. The Japanese claim they had 8440 deaths, 8766 wounded, lost 162 aircraft and 42 tanks. Its estimated 500-600 Japanese forces were taken prisoner. Because of IJA doctrine these men were considered killed in action. Some sources will claim the real numbers for Japanese casualties could have been as high as 30,000. The Soviets claim 9703 deaths, 15,251 wounded, the destruction of 253 tanks, 250 aircraft, 96 artillery pieces and 133 armored cars. Of those tank losses, its estimated 75-80% were destroyed by anti-tank guns, 15-20% field artillery, 5-10% infantry thrown incendiary bombs, 3% mines and another 3% for aircraft bombing. Back to Yang Kyoungjong, he alongside the other Japanese, Manchu and Korean POW's were sent to Gulags in Siberia. As the war on the Eastern Front kicked off between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, facing annihilation the Soviets did anything possible to survive. One of these actions was to create the Shtrafbats, “Penal battalions”. Stalins order No 227 created the first penal battalions, who were supposed to be around 800 men strong. The first Shtrafbat battalion was deployed to the Stalingrad Front on August 22nd of 1942. On order was issued on November 26, 1942 “status of Penal units of the army”, it was issued by Georgy Zhukov, now deputy commander in chief who was the man who formally standardized soviet penal units. The Shtrafbats were around 360 men per battalion commanded by mid range Red Army officers and politruks. The men forced into these were permanents or temporaries. Permanents were officers, commanders, the higher ranks guys. Temporary known as shtrafniki “punishees” were the grunts, typically prisoners and those convicted of crimes. From september 1942 to May of 1945 422,700 men would be forced into penal battalions. Typically those forced into penal military units were one of two things: 1) those convicted of dissertation or cowardice, 2) Soviet Gulag labor camp inmates. It seems Yang Kyoungjong found himself in a very awkward situation as he would be forced into one of these penal battalions and sent to fight on the eastern front. As pertaining to Order No. 227, each Army was to have 3–5 barrier squads of up to 200 persons each, these units would be made up of penal units. So back toYang Kyoungjong, he would find himself deployed at the third battle of Kharkov. This battle was part of a series of battles fought on the eastern front. As the German 6th army was encircling Stalingrad, the Soviets launched a series of wide counter attacks, as pertaining to “operation star”. Operation star saw massive offensives against Kharkov, Belgorod, Kursk, Voroshilovgrad and Izium. The Soviets earned great victories, but they also overextended themselves. Field Marshal Erich von Manstein seeing the opening, performed a counter-strike against Kharkov on February 19th of 1943, using fresh troops of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps alongside two other panzer armies. Manstein also had massive air support from field Marshal Wolfram von Richthofens Luftflotte 4, 1214 aircraft tossed 1000 sorties per day from February 20th to march 15th. The Red army had approximately 210,000 troops who fought in the Voronezh-Kharkov offensive, the Germans would have roughly 160,000 men, but their tanks outnumbered the Soviets 7-1, they had roughly 350 of them. The Germans quickly outflanked the Soviets, managing to encircle and annihilate many units. Whenever soviets units made attempts to escape encirclements, the German air forces placed pressure upon them. The German air forces had the dual job of airlifting supplies to the front lines giving the Soviets no breathing space. Gradually the fight focused around the city of Kharkov seeing the Soviets dislodged. The Germans caused severe casualties, perhaps 45,000 dead or missing with another 41,000 wounded. The Germans suffered 4500 deaths, 7000 wounded. The Germans took a large number of prisoners, and Yang Kyoungjong was one of them. Yet again a prisoner Yang Kyoungjong was coerced into serving another nation, this time for Die Ost-Bataillone. The Eastern Front had absolutely crippled Germany and as a result Germany began to enlist units from just about any nation possible and this included former Soviet citizens. There were countless different units, like the Russian liberation Army, die Hilfswillige, Ukrainian collaborationists, and there were also non-Russians from the USSR who formed the Ost-Bataillone. These eastern battalions would comprise a rough total of 175,000 men. Many of the Ost-Bataillone were conscripted or coerced into serving, though plenty also volunteered. Countless were recruited from POW camps, choosing to serve instead of labor in camps. The Osttruppen were to typically deployed for coastal defense, rear area activities, security stuff, all the less important roles to free up the German units to perform front line service. There were two different groups, the Ost-Legionen “eastern legions” and Ost-Bataillone “eastern battalions”. The Ostlegionen were large foreign legion type units raised amongst members of specific ethnic or racial groups. The Ost-Bataillone were composed of numerous nationalities, usually plucked from POW camps in eastern europe. They were tossed together into battalion sized units and integrated individually into German combat formations. Obviously the Germans did not get their hands on large numbers of Koreans, so Yang Kyoungjong found himself in a Ost-Bataillone. In 1944, due to massive losses in the Eastern Front, and in preparation for the allies about to open a second front, the Germans began deploying a lot of Ost-Bataillone along the coastal defense line at Cherbourg. Yang Kyoungjong was enlisted in the 709th static infantry division, a coastal defense unit assigned to defend the eastern and northern coasts of the Cotentin Peninsula. This would include the Utah beach landing site and numerous US airborne landing zones. The sector was roughly 250 km running northeast of Carentan, via Barfleur-Cherbourg-Cap de la Hague to the western point of Barneville. This also included the 65 km of land just in font of Cherbourg harbor. A significant portion of the 709th were Ost-bataillon, countless were from eastern europe, many were former Soviet POW'S. There were also two battalions of the 739th Grenadier regiment whom were Georgian battalions. A significant amount of the 709th had no combat experience, but had trained extensively in the area. The 709th would be heavily engaged on D-day meeting US airborne units and the 4th infantry division who landed at Utah beach. In the early hours of June 6th, the US 82nd and 101st airborne divisions landed at the base of the Cotentin peninsula and managed to secure a general area for the US 4th infantry division to land at Utah beach, with very few casualties compared to other beach landings. After the landings the forces tried to link up with other forces further east. By June 9th they had crossed the Douve river valley and captured Carentan. House to house fighting was seen in the battle for Carentan, the Germans tossed a few counterattacks, but the Americans held on with the help of armor units of the 13th. The Americans then advanced to cut off the Cotentin Peninsula, now supported by 3 other infantry divisions. The Germans had few armored or mobilized infantry in the area. By June 16th the German command was tossed into chaos as Erwin Rommel wanted them to pull out and man the Atlantic Wall at Cherbourg, but Hitler demanded they hold their present lines of defense. By the 17th Hitler agreed to the withdrawal, under some provisions the men still took up limited defenses spanning the entire peninsula. On the 18th the US 9th infantry division reached the west coast of the peninsula thus isolating the Cherbourg garrison. A battle was unleashed for 24 hours with the 4th, 9th and 79th US infantry divisions driving north on a broad front. They faced little opposition on the western side and the eastern, the center held much stronger resistance. The Americans would find several caches of V-1 flying bombs and V-2 rocket installations at Brix. After two days the Americans were in striking distance of Cherbourg. The garrison commander Lt General Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben had 21,000 men, but many were naval personnel and labor units. Schliebens 709th had performed a fighting withdrawal to Cherbourg and were completely exhausted. The trapped forces were low in provisions, fuel and ammunition. The luftwaffe tried dropping supplies on their positions but it was inadequate. A general assault began on the 22nd and the German forces put up stiff resistance within their concrete pillboxes. Allied warships bombarded the city on the 25th of june and on the 26th a British elite force, No. 30 Commando launched an assault against Octeville, a suburb of southwestern Cherbourg. The commandos quickly captured 20 officers and 500 men of the Kriegmarine naval intelligence HQ at Villa Meurice. As the Germans were ground down, Schlieben was captured and with that a surrender was made on the 29th. The Americans suffered nearly 3000 deaths with 13,500 wounded during the operation. The Germans suffered 8000 deaths with 30,000 captured. For the 709th who took a lionshare of the fighting they reported sustaining 4000 casualties. Amongst the captured was Yang Kyoungjong. As I said in the beginning Lt Robert Brewer of the 506th parachute infantry regiment, 101st airborne division was overlooking the capture of Axis forces and reported to his regiment finding four Asians in Wehrmacht uniform around the Utah beach landings. Brewer nor any of his colleagues spoke the language the Asian men spoke, they assumed them to be Japanese. The four asians were processed as POW's, listed as young Japanese and sent to a British POW camp, before he would be sent to another POW camp in the US. At some point between his capture and the POW camps, he gave his name as Yang Kyoungjong, stated he was Korean and gave the story. Apparently Yang Kyoungjob was granted US citizenship and would spend the rest of his life in Illinois until his death in 1992. So that is the story of Yang Kyoungjong. The truth Did Yang Kyoungjong exist? Where does his story originate? For those of you who have not guessed it yet, the story I told you was full of details, I simply added based on historical events, with zero evidence at all any man named Yang Kyoungjong was involved in them. I did this specifically to highlight, thats exactly what others have done over the course of many years, creating a sort of mythos. If you know the game broken telephone, thats what I would theorize makes up most of this mans story. But lets go through some actual evidence why don't we? From the digging I have done, the story seemed to originate with historian Stephen Ambrose book in 1994 titled “D-day, june 6th, 1944: the Climactic battle of World War II”. While writing this book, Ambrose interviewed Robert Burnham Brewer, who served E Company, 2nd battalion, 506th parachute infantry regiment of the 101st airborne division. This same man was portrayed in Band of Brothers by the way. Brewer gave one rather ambiguous account where he spoke about capturing 4 asian men in Wehrmacht uniforms. Here is patient zero as told to us by Ambrose's book (Page 34, no footnote on the page) The so-called Ost battalions became increasingly unreliable after the German defeat at Kursk; they were, therefore, sent to france in exchange for German troops. At the beach called Utah on the day on the invasion, Lt Robert Brewer of the 506th Parachute infantry regiment, 101st airborne division, US Army, captured four asians in Wehrmacht uniforms. No one could speak their language; eventually it was learned that they were Koreans. How on earth did Koreans end up fighting for Hitler to defend france against Americans? It seems they had been conscripted into the Japanese army in 1938-Korea was then a Japanese colony-captured by the Red Army in the border battles with Japan in 1939, forced into the Red Army, captured by the Wehrmacht in December 1941 outside Moscow, forced into the German army, and sent to France”. What happened to them, Lt Brewer never found out, but presumably they were sent back to Korea. If so, they would almost certainly have been conscripted again, either into the south or north korean army. It is possible than in 1950 they ended up fighting once again, either against the US army or with it, depending on what part of Korea they came from. Such are the vagaries of politics in the 20th century. By June 1944, one in six German rifleman in France was from an Ost battalion. Now digging further since there are no footnotes, it seems Ambrose took an oral account from Lt Brewer, but did not directly quote him and instead abstractly expanded upon his story. Ambrose was guilty of doing this often. As multiple historians have pointed out, Brewer was living in the 1940s and was by no means an ethnographer, he was not a person who could have accurately known the nationality of the four asian men he captured. It is plausible he or other US units around him, just came up with Korean for the four asians who could have been from nearly anywhere in central to east asia. For all we know the men found could have been from Turkestan. What was “asian” to westerners of the 1940's is extremely broad. If you look up the Ost-Bataillone or Ostlegionen you will see they consisted of captured former soviet soldiers. During the d-day landings, 1/6th of the German forces defending the atlantic coast were made up of the Ost-battailones. They came from numerous places, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, India, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkestan, Mongolia and numerous parts of the USSR. Needless to say, there were a ton of people whom would be considered asian and could be mistaken to be from Korea, Japan, Burma, etc. It seems Brewer's vague account was transformed by Amrose, but this only covers one part of all of this, the story, what about the photo? The iconic photograph is another matter entirely. The photograph has nothing to do with Brewer's account, it is simply a random photograph taken at Utah beach of a captured asian soldier wearing a Wehrmacht uniform. The official description of the photo states “Capture Jap in Nazi uniform. France, fearful of his future, this young Jap wearing a nazi uniform, is checked off in a roundup of German prisoners on the beaches of france. An american army captain takes the Jap's name and serial number” Author Martin Morgan believes the man in the photograph is not Yang Kyoungjong, but instead an ethnic Georgian from the 795th Georgian Battalion, which was composed of Georgian Osttruppen troops or someone who was Turkistani. In 2002 word of the story became more popularized online and in 2004 the iconic photo also began to circulate heavily on the internet. The Korean media became aware of the story in 2002 and when they saw the picture the Korean news site DKBNews investigated the matter. Apparently a reader of the DKBNews submitted biographical details about the soldier in the photo, including his name, date of birth, the general story we now know, his release, life in Illinois and death. The DKBNews journalist requested sources and none were provided, typical. So some random unknown reader of the DKBNews gave a name, place and time of birth and even where he ended up and died. In 2005 the Seoul broadcasting system aired a documentary specifically investigating the existence of the asian soldiers who fought for Germany on d-day. In the SBS special “The Korean in Normandy,” produced and broadcast in 2005 based on rumors of Yang kyoungjog, they searched for records of Korean prisoners of war during the Battle of khalkhin gol and records of Korean people who participated in the German-Japanese War, and records related to the German Army's eastern unit, but could not find traces of such a person. In addition, the soldiers who served in the Soviet army, who were captured, and then transferred to the German army's eastern units were considered by the Soviet Union to be serious traitors. Accordingly, under a secret agreement between the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union, they were forcibly repatriated to the Soviet Union after the war and held in Gulags.. The SBS production team stated that the rumors that a 'Korean from Normandy' had gone to the United States and that he died in seclusion near Northwestern University under the name of 'Yang Kyoungjong', which they were unaware of, were false. The investigative team looked for any traces of a Yang Kyoungjong and found none, so they concluded although there were accounts of asian soldiers in the German army during WW2, there was zero evidence of the existence of Yang Kyoungjong or any Koreans fighting on D-day for that matter. The 2005 SBS Special documentary sprang forth a bunch of stories by Korean authors, expanding the mythos of Yang Kyoungjong. In 2007 author Jo Jeong-rae published a novel titled “human mask” which told the story of SHin Gilman, The story ends with Shin Gil-man, who was conscripted into the Japanese army at the age of 20, as a prisoner of war in Normandy, then transported back to the Soviet Union and eventually executed by firing squad. Another novel called “D-day” by author Kim Byeong-in was release in 2011, just prior to the film My War, the plot is extremely similar to the movie. The main characters are Han Dae-sik and Yoichi, who met as children as the sons of a Japanese landowner and the house's housekeeper, harboring animosity toward each other, and grew up to become marathon runners representing Joseon and Japan. As they experience the war together, they feel a strange sense of kinship and develop reconciliation and friendship. And of course the most famous story would find its way to the big screen. In 2011 the film My Way came out, back then the most expensive south korean film ever made at around 23$ million. Then in 2012 a unknown person created a wikipedia page piecing together the Ambrose story, the photo and the unknown DBK readers information. With all of this information becoming more viral suddenly in 2013, two history books hit the scene and would you know it, both have “Yang Kyoungjong” in them. These are Antony Beevor's book “the second world war” and that of defense consultant and author Steven Zaloga in his book “the devil's garden: Rommel's desperate Defense of Omaha Beach on D-Day”. Both authors took the story, name and iconic photo and expanded on the mythos by adding further details as to how the Korean man would have gone from Korea to Cherbourg france. So Ambrose's story spreads across the internet alongside this photo. Both spark interest in Korea and an investigation receives some random guys testimony, which quite honestly was groundless. Despite the korean documentary stating there was no evidence of a Yang Kyoungjong, it sparks further interest, more stories and a famous film in 2011. 2012 sees a wikipage, it becomes more viral and now seeps into other historians work. And I would be remiss not to mention the bizarre controversy that broke out in my nation of Canada. A nation so full of controversies today, dear god. Debbie Hanlon a city councilor in St John Newfoundland was absolutely wrecked online in 2018 for an advertisement promoting her real estate business stating “Korean Yang kyoungjong fought with Japan against the USSR. He then fought with the USSR against Germany. Then with Germany against the US! Want an agent who fights for you, call me!” Really weird ad by the way. So it seems her ad was to point out how far she was willing to go for her real estate clients. It was considered extremely offensive, and not the first time she pulled this off, her husband Oral Mews had recently come under fire for another ad he made using a photo of the Puerto Rican cab driver Victor Perez Cardona, where the vehicle turned into a casket. That ad said “He can't give you a lift because he's dead. He's propped up in his cab at his wake! Need a lift to great service, call me!” Hanlon was surprised at the amount of backlash she received since the ads had been running for over 4 years online. She claimed to be the victim of cyberbullying and trolls. So yeah, that happened. Did Yang Kyoungjong exist, more than likely not, was it possible some Koreans found themselves in a position his story pertains to, you know what it's quite possible. During War a lot of weird things happen. I hope you liked this episode, please let me know in the comments on the Patreon what you think, how I can improve things and of course what you want to hear about next!
Hey guys, what you are about to listen to is basically a “what if” Japan performed Hokushin-ron instead of Nanshin-ron, ie: What if Japan invaded the USSR during WW2? Before I jump into it I just want to thank all of you that signed up for the patreon, you guys are awesome. Please leave a comment on this episode to let me know what more you want to hear about in the future. With all of that said and done lets jump right into it. Part 1 The Geopolitical context Ok so, one of the questions I get the most is, what if Japan invaded the USSR. I've actually already tackled this subject, albeit lightly with Cody from AlternatehistoryHub and once with my friend Eric. Its too complicated to give a real answer, a lot of this is guess work, though I really will try to provide hard numbers. I think off the bat something needs to be made clear since we are dealing with alternate history. I am not doing a “what if Japan developed completely different, or what if the IJA got their way in the early 1930's” no no, this is going to be as realistic as possible…even though this is batshit crazy. Japan faced the decision of whether to go to war with the USSR in 1941 during Operation Barbarossa. They held meetings, made plans, and ultimately it was decided they would not engage the Soviets. Our scenario will follow exactly what they did to a T, but when the made the decision not to go to war, we will see them go to war. Now before I jump into our this timeline, I think its very important to explain the actual situation Japan faced in 1941. There were two major strategies that emerged during the 1930's within the Japanese military. Many junior officers in the IJA favored the Hokushin-ron “northern strike” strategy against the USSR. Many officers in the IJN with some in the IJA favored the Nanshin-ron “southern strike” strategy, to seize the resource rich dutch east indies by invading Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The idea of Hokushin-ron was to perform an invasion into Southern Siberia and outer mongolia ending around Lake Baikal where they would set up defenses. They had already tried to establish this during the Russian civil war as part of the Siberian Intervention, but failed to create a buffer state. From 1935-1939 there were 108 border clashes between the USSR and Japan. In 1938 one of these border clashes turned into quite a catastrophe, it was called the battle of Lake Khasan. The Soviets suffered nearly 800 deaths, more than 3000 wounded, perhaps nearly 50 tanks were destroyed with another 100 damaged. The Japanese suffered about 600 deaths with 2500 wounded. The result ultimately was a ceasefire, but for the Kwantung army it seemed to them like a victory. In May of 1939 they had a much larger and more famous battle known as the battle of Khalkhin Gol. During the early part of the battle the IJA sent 80 tanks crossing over Khalkhin Gol, driving the Soviets back towards Baintsagan Hill. Zhukov was waiting for the attack and sent 450 tanks and armored cars unsupported by infantry to attack the IJA from three sides. The IJA were practically encircled and lost half their armored units as they struggled to fight back as it withdrew. The two armies spared for the next 2 weeks along the east bank of the Khalkhin Gol. Problem was the Japanese were having issues getting their supplies to the area as they lacked motor transport while Zhukov whose army was over 460 miles away from its base of supply had 2600 trucks supplying them. On july 23rd the Japanese launched attacks supported by artillery and within two days they had consumed half their ammunition stores. The situation was terrible, they suffered 5000 casualties and made little progress breaking the Soviet lines. Zhukov then unleashed an offensive on august 20th using over 4000 trucks to transport supplies from Chita base. He assembled around 500 tanks, 550 fighters and bombers and his 50,000 infantry supported by armored cars. This mechanized force attacked the Japanese first using artillery and the aircraft as his armor and infantry crossed the river. The IJA were quickly flanked by the fast moving Soviet armor and encircled by August 25th. The IJA made attempts to break out of the encirclement but failed. They refused to surrender despite overwhelming artillery and aerial bombardment; by the 31st the Japanese forces on the Mongolian side of the border were destroyed. The Japanese suffered nearly 20,000 casualties, the lost 162 aircraft, 29 tanks, 7 tankettes, 72 artillery pieces a large number of vehicles. The Soviets took a heavy hit also suffering almost 25,000 casualties, 250 aircraft, 250 tanks, 133 armored cars, almost 100 artillery pieces, hundreds of vehicles. While these numbers make it seem the Japanese did a great job, you need to consider what each party was bringing to this fight. The Japanese brought roughly 30,000 men, 80 tanks and tankettes, 400 aircraft, 300 artillery pieces, 1000 trucks. The Soviets brought nearly 75,000 men, 550 tanks, 900 aircraft, 634 artillery pieces, 4000 trucks. There are some sources that indicate the IJA brought as many artillery rounds as they could muster from Japan, Manchuria and Korea, roughly 100,000 rounds for the operation. The Soviets fired 100,000 rounds per day. A quick look at wikipedia numbers, yes I know its a no no, but sometimes its good for quick perspectives show: USSR: Bomber sorties 2,015, fighter sorties 18,509; 7.62 mm machine gun rounds fired 1,065,323; 20 mm (0.80 in) cannon rounds expended 57,979; bombs dropped 78,360 (1,200 tons). Japan: Fighter/bomber sorties 10,000 (estimated); 7.7 mm (0.30 in) machine gun rounds fired 1.6 million; bombs dropped 970 tons. What I am trying to say is there was an enormous disparity in military production. And this is not just limited to numbers but quality. After the battle the Japanese made significant reforms. They increased tank production from 500 annually to 1200. The Japanese funded research into new anti-tank guns, such as the Type 1 47 mm. They mounted this gun to their Type 97 Chi-Ha tanks, the new standard medium tank of the IJA. Because of the tremendous defeat to Soviet armor they send General Yamashita to Germany to learn everything he could about tank tactics. But they simply could not produce enough tanks to ever hope to match 10% of the USSR. The Soviets had mostly been using T-26's, BT-5's and BT-7's who were crudely made, but made en masse. The Japanese would find most of their tank models with less effective range, less armor and some with less penetration power. It took the Japanese a hell of a lot more time to produce tanks, they were simply not on par with the Soviets in quantity or quality. Their tank tactics, albeit improved via Yamashita after 1939, were still nothing compared to the Soviets. The major outcome of the battle of Lake Khasan and Khalkhin Gol was the abandonment of the hokushin-ron strategy and adoption of the nanshin-ron strategy. But, that didnt mean Japan did not have a plan in case they had to go to war with the USSR. Part 2 Kantōgun Tokushu Enshū Kantōgun Tokushu Enshū or the Kwantung Army Special Maneuvers was an operational plan created by the General Staff of the IJA for an invasion of the Russian Far East to capitalize on Operation Barbarossa. Here our story truly begin. Between 1938-1939 the IJA General Staff and Kwantung Army formed two “Hachi-Go” plans. Variants A and B examined the possibility of an all out war with the USSR beginning in 1943. In both plans they expected to be facing 60 Soviet divisions, while they could deliver 50 divisions, delivered incrementally from China and Japan. Plan A called for attacks across the eastern and northern borders of Manchuria while maintaining a defensive stance in the west. Plan B, much more ambitious, called for striking into the vast steppe between the Great Khingan Mountains and Lake Baikal, hoping to cut off the trans-siberian railway. If this was done successfully it was believed the whole of European Russia would be doomed to be defeated in detail. Defeated in detail means to divide and conquer. This battle would take place over 5000 kilometers with Japan's final objective being to advance 1200 km into the USSR. That dwarves Operation Barbarossa in distance, let that sink in. Both plans faced impossible odds. First of all the railway networks in Manchuria were not sufficiently expanded for such far reaching offensives, especially for plan B. Furthermore the 50 divisions required for them would be impossible to come by, since 1937 Japan was bogged down in a war with China. When Japan went to war with the west in 1941 she had 51 divisions. She left the base minimum in China, 35 divisions and tossed nearly 20 into southeast asia and the pacific. On top of not having the men, the IJA estimated a fleet of 200,000 vehicles would be necessary to sustain an offensive to Lake Baikal. That was twice the number of military vehicles Japan had at any given time. After the battle of Khalkhin Gol, plan B was completely abandoned. Planning henceforth focused solely on the northern and eastern fronts with any western advance being limited in scope. Now Japan formed a neutrality pact with the USSR because of her defeat at Khalkhin Gol and Molotov Ribbentrop pact between Germany and the USSR. The Molotov Ribbentrop Pact came as a bitter and complete surprise to Japan. It pushed Japan to fully adopt the Nanshin-ron strategy and this began with her invasion of French IndoChina, which led the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and United States to embargo her. The Netherlands Dutch East Indies refused to sell oil to Japan, the UK refused to sell oil from Burma and the US gradually cut off selling oil to Japan, with her oil exports alone being 80% of Japans supply, the rest from the Dutch east indies. The United States also placed an embargo on scrap-metal shipments to Japan and closed the Panama Canal to Japanese shipping. 74.1% of Japan's scrap iron came from the United States in 1938, and 93% of Japan's copper in 1939. Other things like Rubber and tin were also off the table, as this was mostly acquired from British held Malaya and the Dutch East Indies. Now the crux of everything is the China War. Japan was stuck, she needed to win, in order to win she needed the resources she was being denied. The only logical decision was to attack the places with these resources. Thus until 1941, Japan prepared to do just that, investing in the Navy primarily. Then in June of 1941, Hitler suddenly informs the Japanese that he is going to invade the USSR. The Japanese were shocked and extremely angry, they nearly left the Tripartite Pact over the issue. This unprecedented situation that ushered in the question, what should Japan do? There were those like Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka who argued they must abandon the neutrality pact and launch a simultaneous offensive with the Germans against the USSR. The IJA favored this idea….because obviously it would see them receiving more funding as the IJN was currently taking more and more of it for the Nanshin-ron plans. But this is not a game of hearts of Iron IV, the Japanese government had to discuss and plan if they would invade the USSR….and boy it took awhile. I think a lot of you will be very disappointed going forward, but there is no grand unleashing of a million Japanese across the borders into the Soviet Far East, in the real world there is something called logistics and politics. The Japanese military abided by a flexible response policy, like many nations do today. Theres was specifically called the Junbi Jin Taisei or “preparatory formation setup”. Japan would only go to war with the USSR if favorable conditions were met. So in our timeline the Junbi Jin encountered its first test on June 24th when the IJA/IJN helped a conference in the wake of operation barbarossa. A compromise was made allowing the IJA to prepare an invasion plan if it did not impede on the nanshin-ron plans. There was those in the IJA who argued they should invade the USSR whether conditions were favorable or not, there were those who only wanted to invade if it looked like the USSR was on the verge of collapse. One thing agreed upon was if Japan unleashed a war with the USSR, the hostilities needed to be over by mid-October because the Siberian climate would hit winter and it would simply be impossible to continue. The IJA needed 60-7 days to complete operational preparations and 6-8 weeks to defeat the Soviets within the first phase of the offensive. Here is a breakdown of what they were thinking: 28 June: Decide on mobilization 5 July: Issue mobilization orders 20 July: Begin troop concentration 10 August: Decide on hostilities 24 August: Complete readiness stance 29 August: Concentrate two divisions from North China in Manchuria, bringing the total to 16 5 September: Concentrate four further divisions from the homeland, bringing the total to 22; complete combat stance 10 September (at latest): Commence combat operations 15 October: Complete first phase of war The plan called for 22 divisions (might I add my own calculations of 20 divisions were pretty spot on), with roughly 850,000 men, including Manchukuo allies, supported by 800,000 tons of shipping. The Japanese hoped the Soviets would toss at least half their forces in the Far East, perhaps 2/3rd of their armor and aircraft against the Germans giving them a 2-1 superiority. Even the 22 divisions was questionable, many in the war ministry thought only 16 divisions could be spared for such a venture, something only suitable for mop up operations in the aftermath of a German victory along the eastern front. It was clear to all, Japan needed perfect conditions to even think about performing such a thing. The War hawks who still sought to perform Hokushin-ron tried to persaude Hideki Tojo on july 5th to go through with a new plan using a total of 25 divisions. This plan designated “Kantogun Tokushu Enshu or Kantokuen” would involve 2 phases, a buildup and readiness phase and an offensive phase. On July 7th they went to Hirohito for his official sanction for the build up. Hirohito questioned everything, but gradually relented to it. The plan was nearly identical to the former plans, banking on the Soviets being unable to reinforce the Far East because of Germany's progress. The level of commitment was scaled down somewhat, but still enormous. Again a major looming issue was the Manchurian railways that would need to be expanded to accomodate the movement of men and supplies. This meant the construction of port facilities, military barracks, hospitals and such. Kantokuen would begin with a initial blow against the Ussuri front, targeting Primorye and would be followed up by a northern attack against Blagoveshchensk and Kuibyshevka. The 1st area army, 3rd and 20 armies with the 19th division of the Korean army would penetrade the border south of Lake Khanka to breach the main soviet defensive lines, thus threatening Vladivostok. The 5th army would strike south of Dalnerechensk to complete the isolation of the maritime province, sever the trans-sierian railway and block Soviet reinforcements. The 4th army would attack along the Amur river before helping out against Blagoveshchensk. Two reinofrced divisions would invade Sakhalin from land and sea. The second phase would see the capture of Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk, Skovorodino, Sovetskaya Gavan, and Nikolayevsk. Additionally, amphibious operations against Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and other parts of the Kamchatka Peninsula were contemplated. It was agreed the operation could only afford 24 divisions, with 1,200,000 men, 35,000 vehicles, 500 tanks, 400,000 horses and 300,000 coolies. The deployment of thse forces would mean the western front facing Mongolia and the Trans-baikal region would be pretty much open, so delaying actions would have to be fought if the soviets performed a counter offensive there. Air forces were critical to the plan. They sought to dispatch up to roughly 2000 aircraft cooperating with 350 naval aircraft to launch a sudden strike against the Soviet Far East Air Force to knock them out early. The Soviet Far East had two prominent weaknesses to be exploited. Number 1 was Mongolia's 4500 km long horeshoe shaped border. Number 2 was its 100% dependency on European Russia to deliver men, food and war materials via the trans-siberian railway. Any disruption of the trans-siberian railway would prove fatal to the Soviet Far East. Now as for the Soviets. The 1930's and early 1940's saw the USSR take up a defensive policy, but retained offensive elecments as well. Even with the German invasion and well into 1942, the Soviets held a strategy of tossing back the IJA into Manchuria if attacked. The primary forces defending the Far east in 1941 were the Far Eastern and Trans-Baikal Fronts, under the command of Generals Iosif Apanasenko and Mikhail Kovalyov. The Trans-Baikal front held 9 divisions, including 2 armored, a mechanized brigade and a heavily fortified region west of the Oldoy River near Skovorodino had a garrison. The Far Eastern Front had 23 divisions including 3 armored, 4 brigades and 11 heavily fortified regions with garrisons including Vladivostok. Altogether they had 650,000 men, 5400 tanks, 3000 aircraft, 57,000 vehicles, 15,000 artillery pieces and nearly 100,000 horses. By 1942 the Vladivostok sector had 150 artillery pieces with 75 -356 mm calibers organized into 50 batteries. As you can imagine after Operation Barbarrosa was unleashed, things changed. From June to December, roughly 160,000 men, 3000 tanks, 2670 artillery pieces, 12,000 vehicles and perhaps 1800 aircraft were sent to deal with the Germans. Despite this, the Soviets also greatly expanded a buildup to match the apparent Japanese buildup in Manchuria. By July 22nd 1941 the Far Eastern and Trans-Baikal Fronts were to be raised by 1 million men for august. By December it was nearly 1.2 million. Even the Soviet Far East Navy saw an increase from 100,000 men to 170,000 led by Admiral Yumashev. The Soviet Mongolian allies were capable of manning about 80,000, though they lacked heavy equipment. Thus if this war broke out in September the Soviets and Mongolians would have just over a million men, with 2/3rds of them manning the Amur-Ussuri-Sakhalin front, the rest would defend Mongolia and the Trans-Baikal region. Even though the war against the Germans was dire, the Soviets never really gave up their prewar planning for how to deal with the Japanese. There would be an all-out defense over the border to prevent any breach of Soviet territory. The main effort would see the 1st and 25th armies holding a north-south axis between the Pacific ocean and Lake Khanka; the 35th army would defend Iman; the 15th and 2nd Red Banner armies would repel the Japanese over the Amur River; and other forces would try to hold out on Sakhalin, Kamchatka and the Pacific coast. The Soviets had constructed hundreds of fortified positions known as Tochkas along the border. Most of these were hexagonal concrete bunkers contained machine gun nests and 76 mm guns. The fortified regions I mentioned were strategically placed forcing the Japanese to overcome them via frontal attacks. This would require heavy artillery to overcome. Despite the great defensive lines, the Soviets did not intend to be passive and would launch counteroffensives. The Soviet air force and Navy would play an active role in defeating a Japanese invasion as well. The air force's objetice would be to destroy the Japanese air force in the air and on the ground, requiring tactical ground attack mission. They would also destroy key railways, bridges and airfields within Manchuria and Korea alongside intercepting IJN shipping. Strategic bombing against the home islands would be limited to under 30 DB-3's who could attack Tokyo, Yokosuka, Maizuru and Ominato. The Soviet Navy would help around the mouth of the Amur River, mine the Tatar Strait and try to hit any IJN ships landing men or materials across the Pacific Coasts. Japan would not be able to continue a land war with the USSR for very long. According to Japanese military records, in 1942 while at war they were required to produce 50 Kaisenbun. A Kaisenbun is a unit of measurement for ammunition needed for a single division to operate for 4 months. Annual production never surpassed 25 kaisenbun with 100 in reserve. General Shinichi Tanaka estimated for an operation against the USSR 3 Kaisenbun would be needed per divisions, thus a total of 72 would be assigned to 24 divisions. This effectively meant 2/3rds of Japans ammunition stockpile would be used on the initial strike against the USSR. Japan would have been extremely hard pressed to survive such a war cost for 2 years. Now in terms of equipment Japan had a lot of problems. During the border battles, Japanese artillery often found itself outranged and grossly under supplied compared to the Soviet heavier guns. Despite moving a lot of men and equipment to face the Germans, the Red Army maintained a gross superiority in armor. The best tank the Kwantung Army had in late 1941 was the Type 97 Chi-Ha, holding 33mm armor with a low velocity 57 mm gun. There was also Ha-Go and Te-Ke's with 37 mm guns but they had an effective range less than 1 km. The Soviet T-26, BT-5 and BT-7's had 45 mm guns more than capable of taking out the Japanese armor and the insult to injury was they were crudely made and very expendable. Every Japanese tank knocked out was far greater a loss, as Japan's production simply could not remotely match the USSR. For aircraft the Japanese were a lot better off. The Polikarpov I-16 was the best Soviet fighter in the Far East and performed alright against the Nakajima Ki-27 at Khalkhin Gol. The rest of the Soviet air arsenal were much older and would struggle. The Soviets would have no answer to the IJN's Zero fighter or the IJA's high speed KI-21 bomber that outraced the Soviet SB-2. Japanese pilots were battle hardened by China and vastly experienced. Another thing the Japanese would have going for them was quality of troops. The Soviets drained their best men to fight the Germans, so the combat effectiveness in the far east would be less. Without the Pacific War breaking out, some of Japan's best Generals would be brought into this war, of course the first one that comes to mind for me is General Yamashita, probably the most armor competent Japanese general of ww2. Come August of 1941 those who still sought the invasion of the USSR were facing major crunch time. The IJA planners had assumed the Soviets would transfer 50% or more of their power west to face the Germans, but this was not the case. By August 9th of 1941, facing impossible odds and with the western embargos in full motion, in our timeline the Japanese Hokushin-Ron backers gave up. But for the sake of our story, for some batshit insane reason, the Japanese military leadership and Hirohito give the greenlight for an invasion on August 10th. Part 3 the catastrophe So to reiterate the actual world plan had 10 August: Decide on hostilities 24 August: Complete readiness stance 29 August: Concentrate two divisions from North China in Manchuria, bringing the total to 16 5 September: Concentrate four further divisions from the homeland, bringing the total to 22; complete combat stance 10 September (at latest): Commence combat operations 15 October: Complete first phase of war So what is key to think about here is the events of September. The Battle for Moscow is at the forefront, how does a Japanese invasion in the first week or two of September change things? This is going to probably piss off some of you, but Operation Typhoon would still fail for Germany. In our time line the legendary spy Richard Sorge sent back information on Japan's decision to invade the USSR between August 25th to September 14th. On the 25th he informed Stalin the Japanese high command were still discussing whether to go to war or not with the USSR. On September 6th Stalin was informed the Japanese were beginning preparations for a war against the west. Then on September 14th, the most important message was relayed to Stalin "In the careful judgment of all of us here... the possibility of [Japan] launching an attack, which existed until recently, has disappeared...."[15] With this information on hand from 23 June to 31 December 1941, Stalin transferred a total of 28 divisions west. This included 18 rifle divisions, 1 mountain rifle division, 3 tank divisions, 3 mechanized divisions and 3 mountain cavalry divisions. The transfers occurred mainly in June (11 divisions) and October (9 divisions). Here we come to a crossroads and I am going to have to do some blunt predictions. Let's go from the most optimistic to the most pessimistic. Scenario 1) for some insane reason, Stalin abandons Moscow and moves his industry further east, something the Soviets were actively preparing during Operation Typhoon. This is not a defeat of the USSR, it certainly would prolong the war, but not a defeat. Now that seems rather silly. Scenario 2) Stalin attempts transferring half of what he did in our time line back to Moscow and the Germans fail to take it. The repercussions of course is a limited counteroffensive, it wont be as grand as in our timeline, but Moscow is saved. Scenario 3) and the most likely in my opinion, why would Stalin risk moscow for the Far East? Stalin might not transfer as many troops, but certainly he would have rather placed his chips in Moscow rather than an enemy literally 6000 km's away who have to cross a frozen desert to get to anything he cares about. Even stating these scenarios, the idea the German army would have taken Moscow if some of the very first units from the far east arrived, because remember a lot of these units did not make it in time to defend moscow, rather they contributed to the grand counteroffensive after the Germans stalled. The German armies in front of Moscow were depleted, exhausted, unsupplied and freezing. Yes many of the Soviet armies at Moscow were hastily thrown together, inexperienced, poorly led and still struggling to regain their balance from the German onslaught. Yet from most sources, and by sources I mean armchair historian types argue, the Germans taking Moscow is pretty unlikely. And moscow was not even that important. What a real impact might have been was the loss of the Caucasus oil fields in early 1942, now that could have brought the USSR down, Moscow, not so much, again the Soviets had already pulled their industry further east, they could do it again. So within the context of this Second Russo-Japanese War, figure the German's still grind to a halt, they don't take Moscow, perhaps Soviets dont push them back as hard, but the USSR is not collapsing by any means. Ok now before we talk about Japans invasion we actually need to look at some external players. The UK/US/Netherlands already began massive embargoes against Japan for oil, iron, rubber, tin, everything she needed to continue her war, not just against the USSR, but with over 35 divisions fighting in China. President Roosevelt was looking for any excuse to enter WW2 and was gradually increasing ways to aid Britain and the Soviets. Now American's lend-lease program seriously aided the USSR during WW2, particularly the initial stages of the war. The delivery of lend-lease to the USSR came through three major routes: the Arctic Convoys, the Persian Corridor, and the Pacific Route. The Arctic route was the shortest and most direct route for lend-lease aid to the USSR, though it was also the most dangerous as it involved sailing past German-occupied Norway. Some 3,964,000 tons of goods were shipped by the Arctic route; 7% was lost, while 93% arrived safely. The Persian Corridor was the longest route, and was not fully operational until mid-1942. Thereafter it saw the passage of 4,160,000 tons of goods, 27% of the total. The most important was the Pacific Route which opened up in August of 1941, but became affected when Japan went to war with America. The major port was Vladivostok, where only Soviet ships could transport non-military goods some 8,244,000 tons of goods went by this route, 50% of the total. Vladivostok would almost certainly be captured by the Japanese in our scenario so it won't be viable after its capture. Here is the sticky part, Japan is not at war with the US, so the US is pretty much free to find different Pacific paths to get lend-lease to the Soviets, and to be honest there's always the Arctic or Persian corridors. Hell in this scenario America will be able to get supplies easily into China as there will be no war in Burma, hong kong, Malaya and such. America alone is going to really ruin Japans day by increasing lend-lease to the UK, China and the USSR. America wont be joining the war in 1941, but I would strongly wager by hook or by crook, FDR would pull them into a war against Germany, probably using the same tactic Woodrow Wilson did with WW1. This would only worsen things for Japan. Another player of course is China. Late 1941, China was absolutely battered by Japan. With Japan pulling perhaps even more troops than she did for the Pacific war to fight the USSR, Chiang Kai-Shek would do everything possible to aid his new found close ally Stalin. How this would work out is anyone's guess, but it would be significant as I believe America would be providing a lot more goodies. Ok you've all been patient, what happens with the war? Japan has to deliver a decisive knock out blow in under 4-6 months, anything after this is simply comical as Japan's production has no resources. The oil in siberia is not even remotely on the table. The Japanese can't find it, would not be able to exploit it, let alone quick enough to use it for the war. Hell the Italians were sitting on oil in Libya and they never figured that out during WW2. So Kantokuen is unleashed with an initial blow against the Primorye in the Ussuri Front followed by an assault against Blagoveshchensk and Kiubyshevka. The main soviet lines south of Lake Khanka are attacked by the Japanese 1st area army, 3rd and 20th armies and the 19th Korean division. This inturn threatens Vladivostok who is also being bombarded by IJA/IJN aircraft. The 5th Ija army attacks south of Dalnerechensk in an attempt to sever the trans-siberian railway, to block Soviet reinforcements and supplies. The 4th IJA army fords the Amur river to help with the assault of Blagoveshchensk. Meanwhile Sakhalin is being attacked from land and sea by two IJA divisions. Despite the Soviets being undermanned the western front facing Mongolia and the Trans-Baikal region is wide up to an attack as its only defended by the 23rd IJA division, so a limited counteroffensive begins there. The Japanese quickly win air superiority, however the heavily fortified Tochkas are not being swept aside as the Japanese might have hoped. A major problem the Japanese are facing is Soviet artillery. The Japanese artillery already placed along the borders, initially performed well, crushing Tochkas in range, but when the Japanese begin advancing and deploying their artillery units they are outgunned perhaps 3-1, much of the Soviet artillery outranges them and the Soviets have a much larger stockpile of shells. Airpower is failing to knock out soviet artillery which is placed within Tochkas and other fortified positions with anti-aircraft guns. Without achieving proper neutralization or counter battery fire, the Japanese advance against the fortified Soviet positions. The Soviets respond shockingly with counterattacks. The 15th and 35th Soviet armies with the Amur Red Banner Military Flotilla toss limited counterattacks against both sides of the Sungari River, harassing the Japanese. While much of the soviet armor had been sent west, their light tanks which would be useless against the Germans have been retained in the far east and prove capable of countering the IJA tanks. The Soviets inflict tremendous casualties, however General Yamashita, obsessed with blitzkrieg style warfare he saw first hand in the west, eventually exploits a weak area in the line.Gradually a blitzkrieg punches through and begins to circle around hitting Soviet fortified positions from the rear. The Soviets knew this would be the outcome and had prepared to fight a defense in depth, somewhat managing the onslaught. The trans-siberian railway has been severed in multiple locations close to the border area, however this is not as effective as it could be, the Japanese need to hook deeper to cut the line further away. In the course of weeks the Soviets are gradually dislodged from their fortified positions, fighting a defense in depth over great stretches of land. Vladivostok holds out surprisingly long until the IJN/IJA seize the city. Alongside this Sakhalin is taken with relative ease. The Soviet surface fleet is annihilated, but their large submarine force takes a heavy toll of the IJN who are attempting Pacific landings. Kantokuen phase 1 is meeting its objectives, but far later than expected with much more casualties than expected. The Japanese are shocked by the fuel consumption as they advance further inland. Each truck bearing fuel is using 50% of said fuel to get to the troops, something reminiscent of the north african campaign situation for Rommel. The terrain is terrible for their vehicles full of valleys, hills, forests and mountains. Infrastructure in the region is extremely underdeveloped and the Soviets are burning and destroying everything before the Japanese arrive. All key roads and cities are defended until the Japanese can encircle the Soviets, upon which they depart, similar to situations the Japanese face in China. It is tremendously slow progress. The IJA are finding it difficult to encircle and capture Soviet forces who have prepared a series of rear lines to keep falling back to while performing counterattacks against Japanese columns. As the Japanese advance further into the interior, the IJN are unable to continue supporting them with aircraft and much of the IJA aircraft are limited in operations because of the range. The second phase of Kantokuen calls for the capture of Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk, Skovorodino, Sovetskaya Gavan, and Nikolayevsk. Additionally, amphibious operations against Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and other parts of the Kamchatka Peninsula are on standby as the IJN fears risking shipping as a result of Soviet submarine operations. The sheer scope of the operation was seeing the tide sides stretching their forces over a front nearly 5000 km in length. At some points the Japanese were attempting to advance more than 1000 km's inland, wasting ungodly amounts of fuel and losing vehicles from wear and tear. So what does Japan gain? Within the span of 4 months, max 6 months Japan could perhaps seized: Sakhalin, the Primorsye krai including Vladivostok, segments of the trans siberian railway, Blagoveshchensk, Kuibyshevka. If they are really lucky Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk, Skovorodino, Sovetskaya Gavan, Nikolayevsk. Additionally, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and other parts of the Kamchatka Peninsula. What does this mean? Really nothing. Pull out a map of manchuria during WW2, take a pencil and expand the manchurian border perhaps 1000 km if you really want to be generous, that's the new extent of the empire of the rising sun. The real purpose of attacking the USSR is not to perform some ludicrous dash across 6000 km's of frozen wasteland to whittle down and defeat the Soviets alongside the rest of the Axis. It was only to break them, in late 1941 at Moscow there was perhaps a fools chance, but it was a fool's chance for Japan. Japan has run out of its stockpiles of Kaisenbun, oil, iron, rubber, tin, all types of resources necessary for making war. Unlike in our timeline where Japan began exporting resources from its conquests in southeast asia and the pacific, here Japan spent everything and now is relying on the trickles it has within its empire. The China war will be much more difficult to manage. The lend-lease will increase every day to China. The US/UK/Netherlands will only increase pressure upon Japan to stop being a nuisance, Japan can't do anything about this as the US Pacific Fleet is operating around the Philippines always a looming threat. The Japanese are holding for a lack of better words, useless ground in the far east. They will build a buffer area to defend against what can only be described as a Soviet Invasion of Manchuria x1000. The Allies will be directing all of their effort against Germany and Italy, providing a interesting alternate history concept in its own right. After Germany has been dealt with, Japan would face a existential threat against a very angry Stalin. Cody from Alternate History Hub actually made an episode on this scenario, he believed the Soviets would conquer most of Japan occupied Asia and even invade the home islands. It would certainly be something on the table, taking many years, but the US/UK would most likely interfere in some way. The outcome would be so much worse for Japan. Perhaps she is occupied and a communist government is installed. Perhaps like in our timeline the Americans come in to bolster Japan up for the looming coldwar. But the question I sought to answer here was, Japan invading the USSR was a dumb idea. The few Japanese commanders who pushed it all the way until August 9th of 1941 simply had to give up because of how illogical it was. I honestly should not have even talked about military matters, this all came down to logistics and resources. You want to know how Japan could have secured itself a better deal in WW2? 1941, the China War is the number one problem Japan can't solve so they look north or south to acquire the means to solve the China problem? Negotiate a peace with China. That is the lackluster best deal right there. Sorry if this episode did not match your wildest dreams. But if you want me to do some batshit crazy alternate history stuff, I am more than happy to jump into it and have fun. Again thank all of you guys who joined the patreon, you guys are awesome. Until next time this is the Pacific War channel over and out.
Hey guys, what you are about to listen to is an extremely graphic episode that will contain many scenes of gore, rape, human experimentation, honestly it will run the gambit. If you got a weak stomach, this episode might not be for you. You have been warned. I just want to take a chance to say a big thanks to all of you guys who decided to join the patreon, you guys are awesome! Please leave a comment on this episode to let me know what more you want to hear about in the future. With all of that said and done lets jump right into it. Where to begin with this one? Let start off with one of the major figures of Unit 731, Shiro Ishii. Born June 25th, 1892 in the village of Chiyoda Mura in Kamo District of Chiba Prefecture, Ishii was the product of his era. He came from a landowning class, had a very privileged childhood. His primary and secondary schoolmates described him to be brash, abrasive and arrogant. He was a teacher's pet, extremely intelligent, known to have excellent memory. He grew up during Japans ultra militarism/nationalism age, thus like any of his schoolmates was drawn towards the military. Less than a month after graduating from the Medical department of Kyoto Imperial University at the age of 28, he began military training as a probation officer in the 3rd regiment of the Imperial Guards division. Within 6 months he became a surgeon 1st Lt. During his postgraduate studies at Kyoto Imperial university he networked successfully to climb the career ladder. As a researcher he was sent out to help cure an epidemic that broke out in Japan. It was then he invented a water filter that could be carried alongside the troops. He eventually came across a report of the Geneva Protocol and conference reports of Harada Toyoji as well as other military doctors. He became impressed with the potential of chemical and biological warfare. During WW1 chemical warfare had been highly explored, leading 44 nations to pass the Geneva Protocol or more specifically “Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare”. Representatives from Japan were present at this conference and were involving in the drafting and signing of the Geneva Protocol, but it was not ratified in Japan at the time. Ishii's university mentor, Kiyano Kenji suggested he travel western countries and he did so for 2 years. Many nations were secretive about their research, but some places such as MIT were quite open. After his visit Ishii came to believe Japan was far behind everyone else in biological warfare research. After returning to Japan Ishii became an instructor at the Imperial Japanese Army Medical School. Japan of course lacked significant natural resources, thus it was a perfect nation to pursue biological weapons research. Ishii began lobbying the IJA, proposing to establish a military agency to develop biological weapons. One of his most compelling arguments was “that biological warfare must possess distinct possibilities, otherwise, it would not have been outlawed by the League of Nations.” Ishii networked his way into good favor with the Minister of Health, Koizumi Chikahiko who lended his support in August of 1932 to allow Ishii to head an Epidemic Prevention Laboratory. Ishii secured a 1795 square meter complex at the Army Medical College. Yet this did not satisfy Ishii, it simply was not the type of work he wanted to do. The location of Tokyo allowed too many eyes on his work, he could not perform human experimentation. For what he wanted to do, he had to leave Japan, and in the 1930's Japan had a few colonies or sphere's of influence, the most appetizing one being Manchuria. In 1932 alongside his childhood friend Masuda Tomosada, Ishii took a tour of Harbin and he fell in love with the location. During the 1930's Harbin was quite a cosmopolitan city, it was a major trading port and diverse in ethnicities and religions. Here there were Mongols, Russians, Chinese, Japanese, various other western groups in lesser numbers. Just about every religion was represented, it was a researcher's paradise for subjects. Ishii sought human experimentation and needed to find somewhere covert with maximum secrecy. He chose a place in the Nan Gang District of Beiyinhe village, roughly 70 kms southeast of Harbin. It was here and then he began human experimentation. One day in 1932, Ishii and the IJA entered the village and evacuated an entire block where Xuan Hua and Wu Miao intersected. They began occupying a multi-use structure that had been supporting 100 Chinese vendors who sold clothes and food to the locals. They then began drafting Chinese laborers to construct the Zhong Ma complex to house the “Togo Unit” named after the legendary admiral, Togo Heihachiro. The Chinese laborers were underpaid and under constant watch from Japanese guards, limiting their movement and preventing them from understanding what they were building, or what was occurring within the complex. The complex was built in under a year, it held 100 rooms, 3 meter high brick walls and had an electric fence surrounding the perimeter. One thousand captives at any given time could be imprisoned within the complex. To ensure absolute secrecy, security guards patrolled the complex 24/7. Saburo Endo, director of Operations for the Kwantung Army once inspected the Togo Unit and described it in his book “The Fifteen Years' Sino-Japanese War and Me”, as such: [It was] converted from a rather large soy sauce workshop, surrounded by high rammed earth wall. All the attending military doctors had pseudonyms, and they were strictly regulated and were not allowed to communicate with the outsiders. The name of the unit was “Tōgō Unit.” One by one, the subjects of the experiments were imprisoned in a sturdy iron lattice and inoculated with various pathogenic bacteria to observe changes in their conditions. They used prisoners on death row in the prisons of Harbin for these experiments. It was said that it was for national defense purposes, but the experiments were performed with appalling brutality.The dead were burned in high-voltage electric furnaces, leaving no trace. A local from the region added this about the complex “We heard rumors of people having blood drawn in there but we never went near the place. We were too afraid. When the construction started, there were about forty houses in our village, and a lot of people were driven out. About one person from each home was taken to work on the construction. People were gathered from villages from all around here, maybe about a thousand people in all. The only things we worked on were the surrounding wall and the earthen walls. The Chinese that worked on the buildings were brought in from somewhere, but we didn't know where. After everything was finished, those people were killed.” Despite all the secrecy, it was soon discovered prisoners were being taken, primarily from the CCP and bandits who were being subjected to tests. One such test was to gradually drain a victim of blood to see at what point they would die. The unit drew 500 cc of blood from each prisoner every 3-5 days. As their bodies drew weaker, they were dissected for further research, the average prisoner lasted a maximum of a month. Due to the climate of Manchuria, it was soon established that finding methods to treat frostbite would benefit the Kwantung army. Ishii's team gathered human subjects and began freezing and unfreezing them. Sometimes these experiments included observing test subjects whose limbs had been frozen and severed. The Togo team reported to General Okamura Yasuji, the deputy commander in chief of the Kwantung army from 1933-1934 that the best way to treat frostbite was to soak a limb in 37 degree water. According to the testimony of a witness named Furuichi at trial done in Khabarovsk , “Experiments in freezing human beings were performed every year in the detachment, in the coldest months of the year—November, December, January and February. The experimental technique was as follows: the test subjects were taken out into the frost at about 11 o'clock at night, compelled to dip their hands into a barrel of cold water and forced to stand with wet hands in the frost for a long time. Alternatively, some were taken out dressed, but with bare feet and compelled to stand at night in the frost during the coldest period of the year. When frostbite had developed, the subjects were taken to a room and forced to put their feet in water of 5 degrees Celsius, after which the temperature was gradually increased.” Sergeant Major Kurakazu who was with Unit 731 later on in 1940 and taken prisoner by the Soviets in 1945 stated during the Khabarovsk trial , “I saw experiments performed on living people for the first time in December 1940. I was shown these experiments by researcher Yoshimura, a member of the 1st Division. These experiments were performed in the prison laboratory. When I walked into the prison laboratory, ve Chinese experimentees were sitting there; two of these Chinese had no fingers at all, their hands were black; in those of three others the bones were visible. They had fingers, but they were only bones. Yoshimura told me that this was the result of freezing experiments.” According to Major Karasawa during the same trial Ishii became curious about using plague as a weapon of war and captured plague infected mice to test on subjects in the Zhong Ma Complex “Ishii told me that he had experimented with cholera and plague on the mounted bandits of Manchuria during 1933-1934 and discovered that the plague was effective.” According to Lt General Endo Saburo's diary entry on November 16th of 1933, at the Zhong Ma complex “The second squad which was responsible for poison gas, liquid poison; and the First Squad which was responsible for electrical experiments. Two bandits were used by each squad for the experiments. Phosgene gas—5-minute injection of gas into a brick-lined room; the subject was still alive one day aer inhalation of gas; critically ill with pneumonia. Potassium cyanide—the subject was injected with 15 mg.; subject lost consciousness approximately 20 minutes later. 20,000 volts—several jolts were not enough to kill the subject; injection of poison required to kill the subject. 5000 volts—several jolts were not enough; aer several minutes of continuous current, subject was burned to death.” The Togo Unit established a strict security system to keep its research highly confidential. Yet in 1934, 16 Chinese prisoners escaped, compromising the Zhong Ma location. One of the guards had gotten drunk and a prisoner named Li smashed a bottle over his head and stole his keys. He freed 15 other prisoners and of them 4 died of cold, hunger and other ailments incurred by the Togo unit. 12 managed to flee to the 3rd route army of the Northeast Anti Japanese united Army. Upon hearing the horrifying report, the 3rd route army attacked the Togo unit at Beiyinhe and within a year, the Zhong Ma complex was exploded. After the destruction of the Zhong Ma complex, Ishii needed a better structure. The Togo unit had impressed their superior and received a large budget. Then on May 30th of 1936 Emperor Hirohito authorized the creation of Unit 731. Thus Ishii and his colleagues were no longer part of the Epidemic Prevention Institute of the Army Medical School, now they were officially under the Kwantung Army as the Central Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department. Their new HQ was located in Pingfan, closer to Harbin. Their initial budget was 3 million yen for the personnel, 200-300 thousand yen per autonomous unit and 6 million yen for experimentation and research. Thus their new annual budget was over 10 million yen. Pingfan was evacuated by the Kwantung army. Hundreds of families were forced to move out and sell their land at cheap prices. To increase security this time, people required a special pass to enter Pingfan. Then the airspace over the area became off-limits, excluding IJA aircraft, all violators would be shot down. The new Pingfan complex was within a walled city with more than 70 buildings over a 6 km tract of land. The complex's huge size drew some international attention, and when asked what the structure was, the scientists replied it was a lumber mill. Rather grotesquely, prisoners would be referred to as “maruta” or “logs” to keep up the charade. Suzuki, a Japanese construction company back then, worked day and night to construct the complex. Now many of you probably know a bit about Unit 731, but did you know it's one of countless units? The Army's Noborito Laboratory was established (1937) The Central Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the North China Army/ Unit 1855 was established (1938) The Central Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of Central China/ Unit 1644 (1939) Thee Guangzhou Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of South China Army/ Unit 8604 (1942) The Central Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the Southern Expeditionary Army/ Unit 9620 (1942). There were countless others, detachments included Unit 1855 in Beijing, Unit Ei 1644 in Nanjing, Unit 8604 in Guangzhou, and later Unit 9420 in Singapore. All of these units comprised Ishii's network, which, at its height in 1939, oversaw over 10,000 personnel. Victims were normally brought to Pingfan during the dead of night within crammed freight cars with number logs on top. They were brought into the building via a secret tunnel. According to a witness named Fang Shen Yu, technicians in white lab coats handled the victims who were tied in bags. The victims included anyone charge with a crime, could be anti-japanese activity, opium smoking, espionage, being a communist, homelessness, being mentally handicap, etc. Victims included chinese, Mongolians, Koreans, White Russians, Harbin's jewish population and any Europeans accused of espionage. During the Khabarovsk trial, Major Iijima Yoshia admitted to personally subjecting 40 Soviet citizens to human experimentation. Harbin's diversity provided great research data. Each prisoner was assigned a number starting with 101 and ending at 1500. Onec 1500 was reached, they began again at 101, making it nearly impossible to estimate the total number of victims. Since the complex had been labeled a lumber mill to the locals, most did not worry about it or were too afraid to do so. The prison's warden was Ishii's brother Mitsuo who made sure to keep it all a secret. Ethics did not exist within Ishii's network of horrors. Everything was done efficiently in the name of science. Pingfang was equipped for disposing the evidence of their work in 3 large incinerators. As a former member who worked with the incinerators recalled “the bodies always burned up fast because all the organ were gone; the bodies were empty”. Human experimentation allowed the researchers their first chance to actually examine the organs of a living person at will to see the progress of a disease. Yeah you heard me right, living person, a lot of the vivisections were done on live people. As one former researcher explained "the results of the effects of infection cannot be obtained accurately once the person dies because putrefactive bacteria set in. Putrefactive bacteria are stronger than plague germs. So, for obtaining accurate results, it is important whether the subject is alive or not." Another former researcher said this “"As soon as the symptoms were observed, the prisoner was taken from his cell and into the dissection room. He was stripped and placed on the table, screaming, trying to fight back. He was strapped down, still screaming frightfully. One of the doctors stuffed a towel into his mouth, then with one quick slice of the scalpel he was opened up." Witnesses of some of these vivisections reported that victims usually let out a horrible scream when the initial cuts were made, but that the voice stops soon after. The researchers often removed the organ of interest, leaving others in the body and the victims usually died of blood loss or because of the removed organ. There are accounts of experiments benign carried out on mothers and children, because yes children were in fact born in the facilities. Many human specimens were placed in jars to be viewed by Tokyo's army medical college. Sometimes these jars were filled with limbs or organs but some giant ones had entire bodies. Vivisection was conducted on human beings to observe how disease affected each organ once a human dies. According to testimony given by a technician named Ogawa Fukumatsu “I participated in vivisections. I did them every day. I cannot remember the amount of people dissected. At first, I refused to do it. But then, they would not allow me to eat because it was an order; gradually I changed.” Another technician Masakuni Kuri testified “I did vivisection at the time. Experiments were conducted on a Chinese woman with syphilis. Because she was alive, the blood poured out like water from a tap.” A report done by Shozo Kondo studied the effects of bubonic plague on humans. The number of subjects was 57 with age ranging from toddlers to 80 years old with mixed gender. The study used fleas carrying plague that were dispersed upon the local population in June of 1940 at Changchun. 7 plague victims were Japanese residents. The report stated the plague spread because of lack of immunity by the townspeople. Subjects' survival time ranged from 2-5 days, with only 3 surviving 12, 18 and 21 days. The subjects were infected with Glandular, Cutaneous or Septicemic plague, but most had the Glandular variety. In addition to the central units of Pingfang were others set up in Beijing, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Singapore. The total number of personnel was 20,000. These satellite facilities all had their own unique horror stories. One was located in Anda, 100km from Pingfang where outdoor tests for plague, cholera and other pathogens were down. They would expose human subjects to biological bombs, typically by putting 10-40 people in the path of a biological bomb. A lot of the research was done to see the effective radius of the bombs, so victims were placed at different distances. At Xinjing was Unit 100 and its research was done against domesticated animals, horses particularly. Unit 100 was a bacteria factory producing glanders, anthrax and other pathogens. They often ran tests by mixing poisons with food and studied its effects on animals, but they also researched chemical warfare against crops. At Guangzhou was unit 8604 with its HQ at Zhongshan medical university. It is believed starvation tests ran there, such as the water test I mentioned. They also performed typhoid tests and bred rats to spread plague. Witness testimony from a Chinese volunteer states they often dissolved the bodies of victims in acid. In Beijing was Unit 1855 which was a combination of a prison and experiment center. They ran plague, cholera and typhus tests. Prisoners were forced to ingest mixtures of germs and some were vaccinated against the ailments. In Singapore after its capture in February of 1942 there was a secret laboratory. One Mr. Othman Wok gave testimony in the 1990s that when he was 17 years old he was employed to work at this secret lab. He states 7 Chinese, Indian and Malay boys worked in the lab, picking fleas from rats and placing them in containers. Some 40 rat catchers, would haul rats to the lab for the boys to do their work. The containers with fleas went to Japanese researchers and Othman says he saw rats being injected with plague pathogens. The fleas were transferred to kerosene cans which contained dried horse blood and an unidentified chemical left to breed for weeks. Once they had plague infected fleas in large quantity Othman said "A driver who drove the trucks which transported the fleas to the railway station said that these bottles of fleas were sent off to Thailand." If this is true, it gives evidence to claims Unit 731 had a branch in Thailand as well. Othman stated he never understood or knew what was really going on at the lab, but when he read in 1944 about biological attacks on Chongqing using fleas, he decided to leave the lab. Othman states the unit was called Unit 9240. As you can imagine rats and insects played a large role in all of this. They harvested Manchuria rat population and enlisted schoolchildren to raise them. In the 1990s the Asahi Broadcasting company made a documentary titled “the mystery of the rats that went to the continent”. It involved a small group of high school children in Saitama prefecture asked local farmers if they knew anything about rat farming during the war years. Many stated everybody back then was raising rats, it was a major source of income. One family said they had rat cages piled up in a shed, each cage built to carry 6 rat, but they had no idea what the rats were being used for. Now hear this, after the war, the US military kept these same families in business. The US army unit 406 which was established in Tokyo to research viruses wink wink, would often drive out to these farms in their american jeeps collecting rats. Getting fleas was a much tricker task. One method was taking older Chinese prisoners and quarantining them with clothes carrying flea or flea eggs and allowing them to live in isolated rooms to cultivate more fleas. These poor guys had to live in filth and not shave for weeks to produce around 100 fleas a day. Now Unit 731 dealt with numerous diseases such as Cholera. Some experiments used dogs to spread cholera to villages. They would steal dogs from villages, feed them pork laced with cholera germs and return them to the villages. When the disease finished incubating the dogs would vomit and other dogs would come and eat the vomit spread it more and more. The dogs were also stricken with diarrhea and the feces spread it to other dogs as well. 20% of the people in villages hit by this died of the disease. Former army captain Kojima Takeo was a unit member involved in a Cholera campaign and added this testimony "We were told that we were going out on a cholera campaign, and we were all given inoculations against cholera ten days before starting out. Our objective was to infect all the people in the area. The disease had already developed before we got there, and as we moved into the village everyone scattered. The only ones left were those who were too sick to move. The number of people coming down with the disease kept increasing. Cholera produces a face like a skeleton, vomiting, and diarrhea. And the vomiting and defecating of the people lying sick brought flies swarming around. One after the other, people died." I've mentioned it a lot, Plague was a staple of Unit 731. The IJA wanted a disease that was fast and fatal, Cholera for instance took about 20 days, plague on the other hand starts killing in 3 days. Plague also has a very long history of use going back to the medieval times. It was one of the very first diseases Ishii focused on. In october of 1940 a plague attack was conducted against the Kaimingjie area in the port city of Ningbo. This was a joint operation with Unit 731 and the Nanjing based Unit 1644. During this operation plague germs were mixed with wheat, corn, cloth scraps and cotton and dropped from the air. More than 100 people died within a few days of the attack and the affected area was sealed off from the public until the 1960s. Another horrifying test was the frostbite experiments. Army Engineer Hisato Yoshimura conducted these types of experiments by taking prisoners outside, dipping various appendages into water of varying temperatures and allowing the limbs to freeze. Once frozen, Yoshimura would strike their affected limbs with a short stick and in his words “they would emit a sound resembling that which a board gives when it is struck”. Ice was then chipping away with the affected area being subjected to various treatments, such as being doused in water, exposed to heat and so on. I have to mentioned here, that to my shock there is film of these specific frostbite experiments and one of our animators at Kings and Generals found it, I have seen a lot of things in my day, but seeing this was absolute nightmare fuel. If you have seen the movie or series Snowpiercer, they pretty much nail what it looked like. Members of Unit 731 referred to Yoshimura as a “scientific devil” and a “cold blooded animal” because he would conduct his work with strictness. Naoji Uezono another member of Unit 731, described in a 1980s interview a disgusting scene where Yoshimura had "two naked men put in an area 40–50 degrees below zero and researchers filmed the whole process until [the subjects] died. [The subjects] suffered such agony they were digging their nails into each other's flesh". Yoshimuras lack of any remorse was evident in an article he wrote for the Journal of Japanese Physiology in 1950 where he admitted to using 20 children and 3 day old infant in experiments which exposed them to zero degree celsius ice and salt water. The article drew criticism and no shit, but Yoshimura denied any guilt when contacted by a reporter from the Mainichi Shimbun. Yoshimura developed a “resistance index of frostbite” based on the mean temperature of 5 - 30 minutes after immersion in freezing water, the temperature of the first rise after immersion and the time until the temperature first rises after immersion. In a number of separate experiments he determined how these parameters depended on the time of day a victim's body part was immersed in freezing water, the surrounding temperature and humidity during immersion, how the victim had been treated before the immersion ("after keeping awake for a night", "after hunger for 24 hours", "after hunger for 48 hours", "immediately after heavy meal", "immediately after hot meal", "immediately after muscular exercise", "immediately after cold bath", "immediately after hot bath"), what type of food the victim had been fed over the five days preceding the immersions with regard to dietary nutrient intake ("high protein (of animal nature)", "high protein (of vegetable nature)", "low protein intake", and "standard diet"), and salt intake. Members of Unit 731 also worked with Syphilis, where they orchestrated forced sex acts between infected and noninfected prisoners to transmit the disease. One testimony given by a prisoner guard was as follows “Infection of venereal disease by injection was abandoned, and the researchers started forcing the prisoners into sexual acts with each other. Four or five unit members, dressed in white laboratory clothing completely covering the body with only eyes and mouth visible, rest covered, handled the tests. A male and female, one infected with syphilis, would be brought together in a cell and forced into sex with each other. It was made clear that anyone resisting would be shot.” After victims were infected, they would be vivisected at differing stages of infection so that the internal and external organs could be observed as the disease progressed. Testimony from multiple guards blamed the female victims as being hosts of the diseases, even as they were forcibly infected. Genitals of female prisoners were infected with syphilis and the guards would call them “jam filled buns”. Even some children were born or grew up in the walls of Unit 731, infected with syphilis. One researcher recalled “one was a Chinese women holding an infant, one was a white russian woman with a daughter of 4 or 5 years of age, and the last was a white russian women with a boy of about 6 or 7”. The children of these women were tested in ways similar to the adults. There was also of course rape and forced pregnancies as you could guess. Female prisoners were forced to become pregnant for use in experiments. The hypothetical possibility of transmission from mother to child of diseases, particularly syphilis was the rationale for the experiments. Fetal survival and damage to the womans reproductive organs were objects of interest. A large number of babies were born in captivity and there had been no accounts of any survivor of Unit 731, children included. It is suspected that the children of the female prisoners were killed after birth or aborted. One guard gave a testimony “One of the former researchers I located told me that one day he had a human experiment scheduled, but there was still time to kill. So he and another unit member took the keys to the cells and opened one that housed a Chinese woman. One of the unit members raped her; the other member took the keys and opened another cell. There was a Chinese woman in there who had been used in a frostbite experiment. She had several fingers missing and her bones were black, with gangrene set in. He was about to rape her anyway, then he saw that her sex organ was festering, with pus oozing to the surface. He gave up the idea, left and locked the door, then later went on to his experimental work.” In a testimony given on December 28 by witness Furuichi during the Khabarovsk Trial, he described how “a Russian woman was infected with syphilis to allow the scientists to and out how to prevent the spread of the disease. Many babies were born to women who had been captured and become experimental subjects. Some women were kidnapped while pregnant; others became pregnant aer forced sex acts in the prisons, enabling researchers to study the transmission of venereal disease Initially Unit 731 and Unit 100 were going to support Japan's Kantokuen plan. The Kantokuen plan an operation plan to be carried out by the Kwantung army to invade the USSR far east, capitalizing on the success of operation barbarossa. Unit 731 and 100 were to prepare bacteriological weapons to help the invasion. The plan was created by the IJA general staff and approved by Emperor Hirohito. It would have involved three-steps to isolate and destroy the Soviet Army and occupy the eastern soviet cities over the course of 6 months. It would have involved heavy use of chemical and biological weapons. The Japanese planned to spread disease using three methods; direct spraying from aircraft, bacteria bombs and saboteurs on the ground. This would have included plague, cholera, typhus and other diseases against troops, civilian populations, livestocks, crops and water supplies. The main targets were Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk, Voroshilov, and Chita. If successful the Soviet Far East would be incorporated into Japan's greater east asia co-prosperity sphere. Within Kantokuen documents, Emperor Hirohtio instructed Ishii to increase production rate at the units, for those not convinced Hirohito was deeply involved in some of the worst actions of the war. Yet in the end both Emperor Hirohito and Hideki Tojo pulled their support for the invasion of the USSR and opted for the Nanshin-ron strategy instead. On August 9th of 1945 the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria. In response, the Japanese government ordered all research facilities in Manchuria to be destroyed and to erase all incriminating materials. A skeleton crew began the liquidation of unit 731 on August 9th or 10th, while the rest of the unit evacuated. All test subjects were killed and cremated so no remains would be found. The design of the facilities however, made them hard to destroy via bombing, several parts of the buildings left standing when the Soviets arrived. While most of the unit's staff managed to escape, including Ishii, some were captured by the soviets. Some of these prisoners told the Soviets about the atrocities committed at Pingfang and Changchun. At first the claims seemed so outrageous, the Soviets sent their own Biological Weapons specialists to examine the ruins of Ping Fang. After a thorough investigation, the Soviet experts confirmed the experiments had been done there. The real soviet investigation into the secrets of Unit 731 and 100 began in early 1946, thus information was not readily available during the Tokyo Tribunal. Both the Americans and SOviets had collected evidence during the war that indicated the Japanese were in possession of bacteriological weapons though. Amongst the 600,000 Japanese prisoners of war in the USSR, Major General Kiyoshi Kawashima and Major Tomoio Karasawa would become essential to uncovering the Japanese bacteriological warfare secrets and opening the path to hold the Khabarovsk trial. The Soviets and Americans spent quite a few years performing investigations, many of which led to no arrests. The major reason for this was similar to Operation Paperclip. For those unaware, paperclip was a American secret intelligence program where 1600 German scientists were taken after the war and employed, many of whom were nazi party officials. The most famous of course was Wernher von Braun. When the Americans looked into the Japanese bacteriological work, they were surprised to find the Japanese were ahead of them in some specific areas, notably ones involving human experimentation. General Charles Willoughby of G-2 american intelligence called to attention that all the data extracted from live human testing was out of the reach of the USA. By the end of 1947, with the CCP looking like they might defeat Chiang Kai-Shek and the Soviet Union proving to be their new enemy, the US sought to form an alliance with Japan, and this included their Bacteriological specialists. From October to December, Drs Edwin Hill and Joseph Victor from Camp Detrick were sent to Tokyo to gather information from Ishii and his colleagues. Their final conclusion laid out the importance of continuing to learn from the Japanese teams, and grant them immunity. The British were also receiving some reports from the Americans about the Japanese Bacteriological research and human experimentation. The British agreed with the Americans that the information was invaluable due to the live human beings used in the tests. The UK and US formed some arrangements to retain the information and keep it secret. By late 1948 the Tokyo War Crimes Trial was coming to an end as the cold war tension was heating up in Korea, pushing the US more and more to want to retain the information and keep it all under wraps. With formal acceptance, final steps were undertaken, much of which was overseen by General Douglas MacArthur. On May 6, 1947, Douglas MacArthur wrote to Washington that "additional data, possibly some statements from Ishii probably can be obtained by informing Japanese involved that information will be retained in intelligence channels and will not be employed as 'War Crimes' evidence.” Ishii and his colleagues received full immunity from the Tokyo War Crimes Trial. Ishii was hired by the US government to lecture American officers at Fort Detrick on bioweapons and the findings made by Unit 731. During the Korean War Ishii reportedly traveled to Korea to take part in alleged American biological warfare activities. On February 22nd of 1952, Ishiiwas explicitly named in a statement made by the North Korean FOreign Minister, claiming he along with other "Japanese bacteriological war criminals had been involved in systematically spreading large quantities of bacteria-carrying insects by aircraft in order to disseminate contagious diseases over our frontline positions and our rear". Ishii would eventually return to Japan, where he opened a clinic, performing examinations and treatments for free. He would die from laryngeal cancer in 1959 and according to his daughter became a Roman Catholic shortly before his death. According to an investigation by The Guardian, after the war, former members of Unit 731 conducted human experiments on Japanese prisoners, babies, and mental patients under the guise of vaccine development, with covert funding from the U.S. government. Masami Kitaoka, a graduate of Unit 1644, continued performing experiments on unwilling Japanese subjects from 1947 to 1956 while working at Japan's National Institute of Health Sciences. He infected prisoners with rickettsia and mentally ill patients with typhus. Shiro Ishii, the chief of the unit, was granted immunity from prosecution for war crimes by American occupation authorities in exchange for providing them with human experimentation research materials. From 1948 to 1958, less than five percent of these documents were transferred to microfilm and stored in the U.S. National Archives before being shipped back to Japan.
Last time we spoke about the Battle for South Sakhalin and the Kurile Islands. In August 1945, as Japan teetered on the edge of destruction following the atomic bombings, a desperate situation unfolded. The Soviet Union launched a sudden invasion of Manchuria, catching Japanese forces off guard. On August 14, Japan's decision to surrender was made, announced to the world the following day. However, the Kwantung Army resisted fiercely, engaging in frantic evacuations. In South Sakhalin, Japanese defenders clashed with advancing Soviet troops, facing overwhelming odds. By August 18, chaos reigned on the Japanese side, with forces surrendering and civilians in panic. As the Soviets pushed forward, the situation became increasingly dire for Japan. Despite valiant resistance, the imminent defeat became clear. In a moment of critical decision, Emperor Hirohito accepted the surrender terms, officially sealing Japan's fate and marking the end of the Pacific War. However the Soviets had not yet stopped their onslaught. This episode is the Soviet Victory in Asia Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945. We are drawing near to the real conclusion of this series! Japan has officially surrendered, however the Soviets are not done just yet. East asia is a delicious piece of cake, laid wide open and Stalin intends to take every piece he can grab before the curtain falls. Now as we last left off it was August 18, and General Yamada's Kwantung Army had surrendered to the Soviet forces led by Marshal Vasilevsky, who were advancing rapidly through Manchuria. Yet, some Japanese units, like those at Kalgan, continued to resist occupation until the month's end. On August 19, following Yamada's announcement that all military operations had ceased, a Soviet delegation arrived at Hsinking. A daring operation took place, where a 225-strong detachment from the 6th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, part of the 5th Guards Tank Corps, was airlifted to the city's main airfield. This mission, along with others, was carried out under orders from Marshal Vasilevsky on August 18, following the commander's initial offer of surrender from the Kwantung Army. Vasilevsky's directive was urgent: “The Japanese resistance is broken, and the challenging road conditions hinder the swift advance of our main forces. We need to deploy specially formed, fast-moving, and well-equipped units to capture Changchun, Mukden, Jilin, and Harbin immediately. These units should remain flexible for future missions, regardless of their distance from the main forces.”The push to accelerate operations came directly from Stalin himself. In Kulichkin's biography of Marshal Vasilevsky, he recounts a pivotal phone call on August 15. Stalin was informed that the Japanese had “lost command and control” and were unable to mount a strong defense, with their forces divided into several fragmented groups. Vasilevsky confidently stated, “Even a miracle cannot save the Japanese from total defeat,” stressing the need to maintain the momentum of the offensive. Stalin's response was straightforward: “Good. We need to increase the pace. What proposals do you have?” Vasilevsky revealed plans to use airborne assault forces against larger cities like Harbin, Changchun, Jilin, and Mukden, alongside advanced mobile units across all combined arms armies. These units, consisting of tanks and assault guns, were fully equipped with desantniki, ready to engage firmly in the ongoing operations. The landing at Shenyang revealed a remarkable twist of fate. Waiting at the airfield for evacuation to Japan was none other than the recently abdicated Emperor Puyi of Manchukuo. On August 15, 1945, Puyi tuned in to the radio and listened to Emperor Hirohito's address announcing Japan's surrender. In this historic speech, the Showa Emperor referred to the Americans' use of a "most unusual and cruel bomb," which had just devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For Puyi, this was the first revelation of the atomic bombings, information that the Japanese had conveniently withheld from him until that moment. The aircraft carrying Major Chelyshev's force, escorted by fighter planes, landed at 1:15 PM without any opposition and captured him. This small unit's survival hinged on remaining unchallenged, and they successfully secured the airfield. They also freed several Allied personnel held at the nearby Hoten prisoner-of-war camp. As soon as the landing was secured, additional reinforcements were airlifted in later that day, led by General Kravchenko, the commander of the 6th Guards Tank Army. He formally accepted the city's surrender, and the Soviets then transported Puyi to the Siberian town of Chita. Meanwhile, Vasilevsky's ground offensive pressed on, mostly unopposed, though some resistance persisted. In the Transbaikal Front, Marshal Malinovsky's General Pliyev led his cavalry-mechanized units against the Japanese forces at Kalgan. Other units reached Jehol and accepted the surrender of the 108th Division. General Danilov's 17th Army secured the Shanhaiguan coast, while General Managarov's 53rd Army pushed towards Kailu. The main force of General Kravchenko's 6th Guards Tank Army regrouped at Tungliao and Kaitung, preparing to advance south toward Mukden. General Lyudnikov's 39th Army steadily approached Changchun, confronting the bypassed 107th Division, and General Luchinsky's 36th Army occupied Tsitsihar, accepting the surrender of the 136th Independent Mixed Brigade. At the same time, on General Purkayev's 2nd Far Eastern Front, General Teryokhin's 2nd Red Banner Army continued its siege of the Aihun fortified region. Meanwhile, a forward detachment moved slowly south through the Lesser Khinghan Mountains. General Mamonov's 15th Army began capturing and processing prisoners from the many retreating Japanese units after a successful amphibious assault secured Sansing. The Amur Flotilla supported the army's push towards Harbin, while General Pashkov's 5th Rifle Corps finally reached Poli, which had already been occupied by other Soviet units. In Marshal Meretskov's 1st Far Eastern Front, forward detachments of General Zakhvatayev's 35th Army began arriving at Linkou, focusing on the surrender of Japanese units in the area. Rear elements effectively eliminated the last traces of enemy resistance in the Hutou fortified area. After a challenging struggle through the wetlands and the capture of Mishan on August 12, advanced detachments of the 35th Army's main force, the 66th and 363rd Rifle Divisions, continued their advance against minimal opposition. The situation was starkly different to their rear, where the 1056th Rifle Regiment of the 264th Rifle Division, supported by the heavily reinforced 109th Fortified Region, worked to dismantle the now-isolated Hutou fortified area. Despite the dire circumstances, the garrison refused to surrender. Thus, the focus shifted to systematically eliminating their defenses, which became a painstaking task. The attackers deployed an artillery destruction group, secured air supremacy, and utilized well-trained assault formations. Their techniques included pouring kerosene or gasoline into ventilation shafts of underground structures, sometimes in alarming quantities. For instance, two tonnes of gasoline were recorded being poured into a single installation before ignition was applied. Despite the brutal and methodical obliteration of their positions, the defenders continued to ignore orders to surrender. Notably, on August 18, a Japanese prisoner was sent under a flag of truce to inform those still holding out that the war was officially over; tragically, he was hacked to death by a sword-wielding officer. Ultimately, this stubbornness led to catastrophic consequences: about 3,000 defenders were killed, blasted and burned, before a small number finally capitulated. Additionally, advanced detachments of General Beloborodov's 1st Red Banner Army reached Shangzhi before continuing towards Harbin, and forward elements of General Krylov's 5th Army pushed on toward Jilin. General Chistyakov's 25th Army commenced disarming General Murakami's 3rd Army, while the 10th Mechanized Corps advanced rapidly westward, crossing the Laoilin Mountain passes to arrive at Tunhua by nightfall. Over in North Korea, the 335th Rifle Division successfully landed in Chongjin, as General Kabanov's Southern Defense Region prepared for an assault on Gensan. In South Sakhalin, despite the surrender of the 125th Regiment and ongoing negotiations with General Mineki's 88th Division, Soviet forces opted to proceed with the planned landing at Maoka. Consequently, Admiral Andreyev's Northern Pacific Flotilla departed from Sovetskaya Gavan in the morning, carrying the bulk of the 113th Rifle Brigade along with a battalion of marines for the long and challenging voyage to Maoka. On Shumshu Island, as General Gnechko's forces were landing their artillery to renew their assault, Japanese officers unexpectedly approached the Soviets under flags of truce, carrying a letter from General Tsutsumi proposing negotiations for surrender. Representatives from both sides began discussions, and by 6 PM, the 91st Division formally surrendered the garrisons of Shumshu, Paramushir, and Onekotan. On August 20, Gnechko dispatched a small detachment on six vessels to seize control of the airfield at Kataoka. However, as they crossed the Second Kuril Strait, batteries on both sides of the narrow waterway opened heavy fire on the Soviet ships, forcing them to withdraw. This breach of the surrender agreement sparked a renewed offensive at 1 PM, coordinated with air strikes. The bases at Kataoka and Kashiwabar were bombed by 61 aircraft, which dropped over 200 bombs, enabling ground troops to push forward up to six kilometers. It was not until General Tsutsumi intervened that the Soviets were assured the Japanese would indeed lay down their arms. Meanwhile, Andreyev's convoy arrived at Maoka harbor on the morning of August 20, successfully landing the first wave of marines amid heavy fog. They quickly spread out and secured the area while the second and third waves of infantry followed behind. By noon, the port area was secured, and the marines began advancing eastward into the city, supported by infantry on their flanks. Taken by surprise, the Japanese defenders were ultimately compelled to retreat, with the 113th Rifle Brigade pursuing them through the mountains to the villages of Futamata and Osaka. In Manchuria, between August 20 and 21, Vasilevsky's units continued their advance to occupy the region's main centers. Stalin urged for greater speed, fearing that any delay might prompt President Truman to order General MacArthur's air-naval assault forces to land there. Notably, Pliyev's first column successfully captured Kalgan, while his second column moved south toward Beijing, securing Gubeikou at the border. Located in one of the passes through the Great Wall, marking the border between Manchukuo and China, the town was garrisoned by Japanese units. These forces surrendered upon the approach of the Soviet troops, who then quickly advanced toward Beijing, about 100 kilometers away. Although not the former capital itself, this area was under the control of Chinese Communist forces known as the 8th Route Army, who aligned with the Soviets. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek was acutely aware that any Japanese capitulation to the Communists in northern China would allow the latter to occupy vital territories, making their removal difficult. Consequently, he commanded the 8th Route Army not to accept any Japanese surrenders, insisting they only surrender to Nationalist forces, with dire punishments threatened for defiance. Adding to the complexity, the Soviet Union and China had signed the Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance, discussed at Yalta, just six days earlier on August 14. This treaty promised mutual respect for sovereignty and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. The Soviets had also committed to providing “moral support and aid in military supplies and other material resources” exclusively to the National Government as the legitimate central authority of China. Thus, a significant political and military predicament loomed. However, the Soviets quickly extricated themselves from this situation when Malinovsky issued an order forbidding Pliyev's forces from crossing the border. As Pliyev recounted, his formations were poised just halfway between Chengde and Beijing, needing “only one 'leap' to the Chinese capital.” He noted, “I had to suspend the offensive and move north beyond the Great Wall.” Units from the 6th Guards Tank Army occupied both Changchun and Mukden, initiating a rail movement towards Port Arthur and Dairen. For those curious, at Pingfan and Changchun, General Shiro Ishii and the remaining personnel from Units 731 and 100 were captured by Soviet forces. In a tragic turn of events, all test subjects were murdered and cremated, while the Japanese attempted to destroy evidence of their facilities but were unable to do so in time. Following their capture, the Soviets launched an extensive campaign to uncover the secrets behind Units 731 and 100, leading to the Khabarovsk Trial. If you want to learn more about what I would call “japans operation paperclip”, the secret dealings between Unit 731 and the Allies after the war, I did make an episode about it over on my patreon. Its pretty gruesome stuff so big disclaimer there.' The Soviets arrived to Dairen on 24 August, although these places had surrendered to air-landed forces two days earlier. This was, no doubt, much to the relief of Stalin, as these were amongst the main locations where he most feared American intervention. Indeed, on the day of the landing he had told Vasilevsky to ‘keep in mind' the fact that any delay could mean ‘Truman will order General MacArthur to land his naval assault forces'. The long-resisting 135th Independent Mixed Brigade finally surrendered at Aihun, while advanced units of the 2nd Red Banner Army secured Nencheng and Peian before pushing towards Tsitsihar and Harbin. Forward detachments from the 15th and 1st Red Banner Armies also reached the already-occupied Harbin. Furthermore, advanced units of the 5th and 25th Armies arrived in Jilin to reinforce the air-landed detachment there. Additionally, units from the 88th Rifle Corps and the 10th Mechanized Corps began their southward movement into Korea, heading toward the 38th Parallel. In North Korea, Kabanov dispatched a marine battalion and other units, totaling around 2,000 men, to occupy the fortified port of Gensan on August 20. The following morning, the landing force arrived and disembarked without opposition. However, the Japanese garrison refused to surrender until orders from higher command were received. Meanwhile, Japanese troops began to peacefully surround the harbor area, while Soviet sailors and marines, in a similarly calm manner, took up their defensive positions. As Kabanov noted, “An incomprehensible situation arose, neither peace nor war. The enemy has numerical superiority, but he neither fights nor wants to capitulate.” Unsurprisingly, he added, “the night passed in suspense.” The surreal situation was resolved when Rear Admiral Hori Yugoro and Colonel Tado boarded the frigate EK-3 to meet with Captain Studenichnikov on the morning of August 22. During their discussions, they attempted to negotiate terms, but the Soviet captain issued a bold threat of an immediate large-scale air strike and the initiation of hostilities at the port unless they surrendered unconditionally. While the latter was likely an empty threat, the Japanese officers signed the surrender agreement nonetheless. The process of surrendering the garrison began that evening and continued until August 26. In total, the Soviets captured more than 7,000 officers and men, along with all their military equipment. Looking toward the northern Kuriles, Japanese forces on Shumshu finally began to lay down their weapons on the afternoon of August 22, as Gnechko's units spread out to secure the island. In Manchuria, airborne detachments were also landed at Dairen and Port Arthur to secure these key administrative centers before the Americans could take control. Vanguard units of the 6th Guards Tank Army arrived to reinforce them two days later. Meanwhile, in South Sakhalin, heavy fighting persisted at Futamata despite Mineki's ceasefire agreement on August 22. Soviet air strikes supported the ground forces when weather conditions allowed, and the Japanese finally surrendered by the nightfall of August 23. At the same time, Andreyev dispatched three marine battalions on a small convoy to capture Otomari. However, a fierce storm forced the flotilla to seek refuge in the port of Honto on the morning of August 24. Once the storm subsided that evening, the force left a company of marines to garrison the port and resumed their voyage to Otomari, arriving there on the morning of August 25, just as elements of the 113th Rifle Brigade reached the eastern outskirts of the city. By noon, the 88th Division surrendered, and the city was secured. Shortly after, the 214th Tank Brigade arrived at Toyohara to secure South Sakhalin's administrative center. Thus, the South Sakhalin operation concluded with nearly 18,320 Japanese soldiers taken prisoner. Yet, this wouldn't mark the end of operations for General Cheremisov's 16th Army. Stalin pushed for the 87th and 135th Rifle Brigades, along with three marine battalions, to assemble at Otomari and execute amphibious landings on the southern Kurile Islands, specifically, Etorofu, Shikotan, and Kunashiri, and the islets of the Habomai group. The failure to include the Kuril Islands in the areas designated for surrender to Soviet forces in Truman's General Order No. 1, originally issued on August 15, exacerbated Stalin's inherent suspicions regarding American intentions. Consequently, Vasilevsky was instructed to organize landings on the Kurils, ensuring that, similar to Port Arthur, Soviet occupation would manifest physically through boots on the ground. Despite Truman's subsequent correction of the omission, mistrust endured, as did the directive to occupy the islands. However, where Stalin hesitated was concerning Hokkaido. Truman's somewhat abrupt rejection of Stalin's demand for a portion of Hokkaido undoubtedly irritated the Soviet dictator, yet he chose not to take further action. Scholarly debates have arisen around the rationale behind Stalin's ‘retreat.' When viewed within the framework of his stated geostrategic goal of securing the Soviet Union's sea lines of communication in the Pacific, it becomes understandable. Churchill once likened the Soviet Union's challenges in this regard to those of a “giant with his nostrils pinched.” A look at the map reveals that control of the Kurils would significantly alleviate this pressure in the Far East, making their acquisition crucial. Similarly, occupying southern Sakhalin would allow the Soviet Union to control the northern side of the La Pérouse Strait, which connects the Sea of Japan to the Sea of Okhotsk. The strait's opposite shore is formed by the northern coast of Hokkaido, and possessing this area would undeniably enhance the security of communications and is therefore highly desirable. However, any unilateral action in this regard would incur a significant and public breach with the Americans, the consequences of which could not be easily predicted. Given that Stalin's claim to the Kurils was firmly based on the agreement reached at Yalta, an agreement which Truman honored, his choice to avoid completely rupturing relations with the U.S. was motivated by strategic self-interest. Consequently, Andreyev's flotilla, carrying these units, departed Otomari on August 27, reaching the west coast of Etorofu at 3:15 AM on August 28. The landing, conducted using small boats, went unopposed and was met by the surrender of General Ogawa's 89th Division. The occupation of the other islands was also peaceful, with the Soviets securing Kunashiri by September 2, and Shikotan and the Habomai islets by September 5. The remaining northern Kurile Islands surrendered without incident as elements of Gnechko's Kamchatka forces arrived at Paramushir on August 24, Onekotan and Shiashkotan on August 25, Matsuwa by August 26, Shimushiru on August 27, and Uruppu by August 29. In total, 63,840 prisoners were taken throughout the Kuriles. On August 24, air-landed detachments arrived at the cities of Pyongyang and Kange to secure the last administrative centers in North Korea. Two days later, units of the 25th Army reached Gensan. With this move, albeit with some geographical liberties, Chistyakov asserted that "the troops of the 25th Army, on the orders of Marshal Meretskov, reached the 38th Parallel.” In the days that followed, units of General Kushibuchi's 34th Army gradually began to surrender and disarm. Finally, in Manchuria, most of Yamada's units had surrendered and were being disarmed. However, one unit continued to resist until the end of the month. The bypassed and encircled 107th Division was engaged in fierce fighting for survival against the 94th Rifle Corps. Due to a lack of communication with Kwantung Army Headquarters, they did not receive any ceasefire orders. As a result, a staff officer from General Iida's 30th Army was dispatched by plane to locate the division and deliver the ceasefire orders. The 107th Division was found near Chalai, and the plane made a forced landing between the Japanese troops and the opposing Soviet forces. The staff officer successfully delivered the orders terminating hostilities in that sector on August 30, which the Japanese troops promptly complied with. By September 1, units of the 53rd Army occupied Kailu, Chaoyang, Fuhsin, and Gushanbeitseifu, while forward detachments secured the Chinchou area on the Liaotung Peninsula. This marked the conclusion of the Manchurian campaign, with the Soviets claiming to have captured between 594,000 and 609,000 prisoners of war across Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, and North Korea. The captured Japanese military personnel were subjected to forced labor in Siberian internment camps, as well as camps in Sakhalin, Manchuria, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia. A significant number were assigned to the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline. Unfortunately, the treatment of prisoners of war was deemed inhumane and mishandled. Many suffered from malnutrition, overwork, cave-ins, floods, unsanitary working conditions leading to epidemics, harsh winter weather, violent guards, and brutal suppression of even mild resistance. Disturbingly, some Japanese prisoners were even lynched by their fellow captives. Estimates suggest that between 60,000 and 347,000 Japanese died in captivity. Although 18,616 prisoners were released in 1946, the process of repatriating prisoners of war extended into the 1950s. Those who remained after 1950 were detained for various convictions. However, their release began in 1953 under different amnesties. Following Josef Stalin's death and the subsequent Khrushchev Thaw, the Soviet attitude toward the remaining Japanese prisoners shifted significantly. Accompanied by Soviet officials, they were taken on tours of cities and allowed to purchase gifts for their families. Before repatriation, a banquet in Khabarovsk, hosted by Nikolai Gagen, included high-ranking prisoners such as Jun Ushiroku as attendees. The last major group of 1,025 Japanese POWs was released on December 23, 1956. After that, some Japanese POWs were released in small groups, with some only returning in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Interestingly, some prisoners who had been held for decades, many of whom had married and started families during their captivity, chose not to return permanently to Japan. The Soviets committed numerous war crimes during their invasion and occupation of Manchuria and other Japanese territories. During the invasion, Soviet soldiers killed and raped Japanese civilians and looted civilian property. Following the Soviet invasion of Manchuria on August 9, 1945, a large number of Japanese citizens residing in the region sought to repatriate to Japan. The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers supervised this mass movement and, in October 1945, delegated responsibility to Japan's Ministry of Health and Welfare. The Kwantung Army, which was meant to protect the Japanese settlers in Manchuria, quickly retreated and abandoned them. With most able-bodied men drafted into the army, the majority of those left behind were women, children, and the elderly, rendering them highly vulnerable to attacks from Soviet soldiers and local Chinese seeking revenge.In Soviet-occupied Manchuria and North Korea, the repatriation of Japanese civilians was characterized by violent expulsions, accompanied by widespread looting, mass killings, and rampant sexual violence perpetrated by both Soviet soldiers and local populations seeking retribution. Many Japanese civilians succumbed to starvation, disease, mass killings, and mass suicides. Approximately 223,000 Japanese civilians residing in the Soviet-occupied zones died, most within a year and a half after August 9, 1945. Regarding the extensive rape of Japanese women and girls by Soviet soldiers, a former Japanese soldier, Wakatsuki Yoshio, detailed these grim experiences in his memoir, The Records of Postwar Repatriation “What word can possibly describe the violence committed by the Soviet soldiers on Japanese women? I can only think of the word “hideous”. The victim could be a girl of twelve or thirteen years old or an old lady of almost seventy years old. These soldiers did not choose the sites where they raped them, in public, in broad daylight, even on snow-covered roads”. The Soviet invasion of Manchuria in 1945 left many Japanese women stranded after their male family members were either conscripted or killed. These women, including young girls, endured severe hardships, facing gang rapes by Soviet soldiers and local Chinese militia groups. In a desperate effort to survive, many were forced to marry Chinese men, either out of necessity or in exchange for assistance in repatriating their remaining family members. Disturbingly, some victims were as young as thirteen. Some women were held in groups and subjected to repeated sexual violence over extended periods. In certain instances, to ensure the safety of the group, members of the Japanese community offered women to their perpetrators. There were also reports of women voluntarily submitting themselves to protect their families, younger peers, or others in their communities. After Japan's defeat in 1945, leaders of the Kurokawa Settler Group in Manchuria offered approximately 15 young women, aged 17 to 21, to Soviet soldiers in exchange for protection. This tragic practice continued from September to November 1945, with some of the women later being offered to Chinese soldiers as well. With no protection from Japanese soldiers, Japanese women often had to devise unique strategies to avoid rape. Memoirs from female repatriates detail various escape tactics. Some women hid in attics every night, narrowly avoiding capture or even gunfire. Others managed to trap intruders in rooms before fleeing or bribed Soviet soldiers with valuables, such as wristwatches, to secure their escape. Notably, some women, particularly former geisha and bar workers, voluntarily went with Soviet soldiers to protect others. These women were referred to as tokkōtai (kamikaze) for their self-sacrifice. Additionally, it wasn't just Japanese women who suffered; Korean and Chinese women were also victims of sexual violence at the hands of various perpetrators in Manchuria. British and American reports indicate that Soviet Red Army troops looted and terrorized the local population in Shenyang, a city in Manchuria. A foreign witness described how Soviet troops, formerly stationed in Berlin, were permitted by the Soviet military to enter Shenyang for "three days of rape and pillage." In Harbin, Soviet forces ignored protests from leaders of the Chinese Communist Party regarding the widespread mass rape and looting committed by their troops. In the immediate aftermath of the war in 1945, in areas of Manchuria occupied by the National Revolutionary Army, 176 Koreans were killed, 1,866 were injured, 3,468 were detained, and 320 were raped by armed Chinese mobs. The attacks against Korean residents in Manchuria were believed to stem from a perception of Korean collaboration with Japanese colonial rule. One of the most infamous instances was the Gegenmiao massacre. On August 10 and 11, Xing'an was bombed, nearly destroying its urban functions. It is estimated that 3,000 of the 4,000 civilians. Anticipating the Soviet invasion, Xing'an had prepared an evacuation plan divided into three groups based on residential area and workplace. The Kwantung Army, however, failed to inform the General Office officials about their retreat. As a result, residents in the eastern area, many of whom were self-employed or office workers, had difficulty obtaining information and securing transportation, while those in the western area had military personnel who were first to learn of the situation. Some of the civilians with a handful of armed men had proceeded on foot towards Gegenmiao Township, about 35 kilometers southeast of Xing'an Street, to wait for a train at Gegenmiao Station and then evacuate to Baichengzi. They aimed to receive protection from the Kwantung Army in Baichengzi. Around 11:40 AM on August 14 in the vicinity of Gegenmyo Hill, where a Lamaist temple was located, they encountered an infantry unit consisting of 14 Soviet medium tanks and 20 trucks. The column reportedly stretched for two kilometers, with about a hundred survivors among them. Soviet troops launched an attack from the hilltop, deploying tanks with machine-gun fire. The tanks attacked multiple times, and when they ceased, Soviet soldiers disembarked and ruthlessly shot and bayoneted survivors. Many who escaped death from gunfire were still severely injured or witnessed family members being killed. Some were left holding their loved ones or chose to commit suicide. It is estimated that only about a hundred survivors were later confirmed, including nearly 200 schoolchildren from the Xing'an Street Zaiman National School. Kwantung Army units, which were supposed to escort the civilians and counterattack, had already retreated southward. Even after the Soviet soldiers left, sporadic gunfire continued, presumably due to suicides. Local residents began to plunder the bodies, stripping them of clothes and valuables. Others drowned in the river while attempting to escape. Reports tell of one woman who had her child killed by Soviet soldiers, only to later face an attack from Chinese militia, who stripped her of her clothes and mutilated her. Surviving mothers and children were also attacked, and those separated were often taken by the Chinese. At the time, it was common for Japanese boys to be sold for 300 yen and girls for 500 yen. Some survivors gathered together and began committing mass suicide, killing those who wished to end their lives. Others expressed intentions to form a death squad with rifles for revenge but ultimately did not resist. After the war ended on August 15, attacks on displaced persons continued. A 12-year-old girl who joined a group of about ten women after the incident reported that they were attacked and robbed, taking over a week to reach Zhenxi Station, 10 kilometers from Gegenmiao Station. The women sought shelter in an abandoned house near the station but were discovered by Soviet soldiers that night who assaulted them until midnight. Afterward, the soldiers piled dry grass into the house, setting it ablaze in an attempt to burn the women alive. The girl and her sister managed to escape through a window, but many others could not flee in time due to the fire's rapid spread. The girl was forced to live as a residual orphan afterward. Fortunately, some Chinese, Mongolians, and Koreans provided food for the survivors, with some Chinese showing kindness towards the children. Those orphaned children, whose parents had been killed, became known as residual orphans, with about 30 in this unfortunate situation. Many women were forced to become residual women as well. Tragically, around 200 students from a local school, including the headmaster and his wife, were killed during this chaos. Some historians believe the attack stemmed from Soviet soldiers mistaking the refugees for armed Japanese troops because men within the group were carrying firearms for protection. In general, displaced persons at this time often carried small weapons like rifles, and some groups were even armed with light machine guns. In the pioneer groups, women sometimes participated in fighting against bandits, and in the Sado pioneer group incident, children above the fifth grade were forced into combat, regardless of gender. There may also have been prior skirmishes with other Japanese civilian groups before the war's end, further complicating the situation as the Soviet Army, which included female soldiers, may have regarded these mixed civilian and armed groups as a threat. According to Soviet military combat records, on August 14, the Soviet 17th Guards Rifle Division, 19th Guards Rifle Division, 91st Guards Rifle Division, and 61st Tank Division were stationed northwest of Gezhne Temple, but there was no combat activity in the area. On August 15, this unit advanced toward Bai Chengzi and occupied Bai Chengzi Station, which was then taken over by tanks from the 61st Tank Division. Despite extensive documentation, nothing about this incident was revealed until 2014 during the process of perestroika. Reports from British and American sources indicate that the 700,000 Soviet troops occupying Manchuria also terrorized and looted the local population in Mukden. They were not deterred by Soviet authorities and engaged in what was described as "three days of rape and pillage," with similar atrocities occurring in Harbin and across the country. Amid the mass repatriation of Japanese civilians living in the region, Japanese women in Manchuria faced repeated sexual violence at the hands of Russian soldiers every day. In North Korea, it was similarly reported that Soviet soldiers raped both Japanese and Korean women. Additionally, Soviet soldiers looted the property of Japanese, Chinese, and Koreans residing in Manchuria and North Korea. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Amid chaotic surrenders, Emperor Hirohito accepted defeat, but Soviet advances continued relentlessly. As they pushed deeper, the Soviets captured key cities, including Harbin, while Japan's soldiers and civilians struggled for survival against the onslaught. War crimes committed by Soviet troops added to the tragedy, with rampant violence against Japanese civilians. Amidst political tensions, the Soviets secured territory, culminating in the surrender of remaining Japanese forces. The grim conclusion of this campaign marked a profound shift in the power dynamics of East Asia and paved the way for post-war ramifications.
Special summer episode with actress-adjacent darling and new author AND Emmy-nominee Jeff Hiller. Yes, Jeff is only the second self-identified man on the show but it's important! Anne and Damian talk to friend of the pod, Jeff Hiller about his new memoir Actress of a Certain Age, his star-making turn as Joel on HBO's Somebody Somewhere, and his love of celebrity autobiographies and great ladies of the theatre. We just LOVE, Jeff, and we know you will too! Patreon: www.patreon.com/youmightknowherfrom Follow us on social media: @youmightknowherfrom || @damianbellino || @rodemanne Discussed this episode: Starlight Express with Jane Krakowski and Andrea McArdle Rachel Zegler singing “Shallow” in her bathroom Rachel Zegler singing “Don't Cry for Me Argentina” We saw Rachel play Fiona in her high school production of Shrek Jamie Lloyd doing Evita in London right now 2012 revival of Evita with Elena Roger, Ricky Martin and Michael Cerveris Patti LuPone skiing the slopes here? What about Bernadette Peters in concert? Anne thinks Ben Platt is evolving but the only man Damian cares about is Robert DeNiro We love Ethel Merman but Arthur Laurents always called her dumb Ethel Merman Gypsy is underrated! Gossip columnist Ted Casablanca was the only other cis man we've had on YMKHF Jeff's favorite theatrical experiences: Operation Mincemeat, Fun Home, Pippin revival, Jane Krakowski in Nine, Dreamgirls slime tutorial Andrea Martin's big moment in Pippin made all of us weep Never produced musical with Jane Krakowski Jeff Hiller musical We are all excited about Jennifer Lopez in Kiss of the Spiderwoman movie Chita on the Tonys for Kiss of the Spiderwoman Jimmy Ray Bennett, Phillip Taratula, John Flynn, Stephen Guarino, Drew Droege, Brian Gallivan, Pete Zayas Maybe had 3 episodes as Francois the Tailor in Guiding Light Jeff's new show Basic Phillp Taratula Ruth Buzzi story on That Girl Beth Grant episode of YMKHF Dale Dickey episode of YMKHF Jeff's actress memoir recommendations: Rita Moreno, Rosie Perez, Lee Grant Patricia Field memoir is underrated (Rebecca Weinberg is her former partner in life and business). Also there is a Pat Field documentary called Happy Clothes!? Pat is a lesbian and her parents met on the Isle of Lesbos Go watch Somebody Somewhere Watch Pop Star Academy and then let's go see Katseye at Hammerstein Ballroom
En Chita, Boyacá, una comunidad golpeada por el abandono y la pobreza, Olímpica donó 120 mercados básicos para los adultos mayores.
The false dichotomy between medicine and miracles has troubled believers for generations, leaving many caught between their faith and practical healthcare decisions. In this profound conversation with Dr. David Chotka, we unravel this tension by exploring how scripture itself demonstrates the harmonious relationship between divine intervention and medical treatment.Dr. Chotka shares his own dramatic healing story—diagnosed with Ramsey-Hunt syndrome that paralyzed his face, doctors declared his preaching career over. Medical science offered no hope for recovery. Yet through specific prayer and prophetic words, he experienced complete restoration that his physician acknowledged was "beyond scientific explanation." Despite this miraculous experience, Dr. Chotka readily takes antibiotics when needed, modeling a balanced approach to health and healing.The heart of our discussion reveals five distinct pathways God uses for healing: instantaneous miracles, natural restoration processes, medical treatments developed through human ingenuity, suffering that lacks immediate explanation, and the final crossing into eternity. These pathways aren't competing alternatives but complementary approaches that often intertwine throughout our healing journeys.Perhaps most moving is Dr. Chotka testimony of his wife's healing from muscular dystrophy after twenty years of prayer without visible results. The breakthrough came not when they intensified their requests, but when they shifted focus to "seek the healer, not the healing." This profound reorientation—asking how they could serve God with diminishing capacity rather than demanding restoration—preceded the miraculous intervention that defied medical explanation.Whether you're struggling with an ongoing health challenge, supporting someone who is, or simply seeking to understand how faith and medicine work together, this episode offers both practical wisdom and spiritual encouragement. Join us in discovering how to pray effectively for healing while honoring both the supernatural power of God and the natural remedies He's provided through human innovation.Let me know what you think of this episode? Support the showSupport the Podcast. https://buymeacoffee.com/dorseyrossSocial Media Links, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dorsey.ross/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DROCKROSS/ My Book Amazon Book Overcomer https://bit.ly/4h7NGIP
Bem amigos do Pelada na Net, chegamos em definitivo para o programa 718! E hoje temos o Príncipe Vidane e Maidana pegando helicóptero emprestado. E neste programa comentamos sobre corte de Neymar da convocação para a seleção brasileira que joga essa semana pelas eliminatórias, comentamos a classificação do Bahia para a Libertadores, o título carioca do Flamengo que fortalece ainda mais o absurdo trabalho de Filipe Luís como treinador, repudiamos a declaração do Alejandro Domínguez (presidente da Conmebol) que disse que Libertadores sem times brasileiros seria como Tarzan sem Chita, além de muito mais! E não se esqueça de usar as Hashtags: #LEILAPELEILA Entre em nosso site! https://peladananet.com.brSiga nosso Bluesky! @peladananet.com.brSiga nosso Twitter! @PeladaNETSiga nosso Instagram! @PeladaNaNetParticipe do nosso grupo no TELEGRAM! https://t.me/padegostosodemaisCompre nossos produtos na Podcast Store! Temos camisetas, canecas, ímãs, pôsteres, bottons e ecobags disponíveis! Titulares:Fernando Maidana – Twitter / Instagram / BlueskyVictor “Show do Vitinho” Raphael – Twitter / Instagram / BlueskyVitor “Príncipe Vidane” Faglioni Rossi – Twitter / Instagram / Bluesky Projetos paralelos:Jovem NerdMau Acompanhado – no Jovem NerdFeed do Mau Acompanhado no SpotifyDentro da Minha CabeçaReinaldo JaquelineCanal do Versão Brasihueira no YouTubePauta Livre NewsCanal do Victinho no YoutubeRede ChorumeFábrica de FilmesLegião dos HeróisNoites com Maidana Ouça também:Frango FinoPapo DelasRadiofobiaThe Dark One – PodtrashVortex – com Kat Barcelos Contribua com o Peladinha:Apoia.sePatreonOu através da nossa chave pix: podcast@peladananet.com.br Colaboradores de Fevereiro/2025!Fica aqui o nosso agradecimento pelo carinho, dedicação e investimento aos queridos: Adriana Cristina Alves Pinto Gioielli | Adriano Nazário | André Vinícius De Carvalho Costa | Arthur Henrique Franceli Dos Santos | Fellipe Miranda | Gabriel Machado De Freitas | Guilherme Rezende Soria | Gustavo Henrique Rossini | Heverton Coneglian De Freitas | Higor Nunes Resende | Higor Pêgas Rosa De Faria | Igor Leite Da Silva | Ítalo Leandro Freire De Albuquerque | João Paulo Lobo Marins | Joao Pedro Barros Barbosa | Leonardo Delefrate | Lucas De Mattos Millan | Luis Henrique Santos | Luiz Guilherme Borges Silva | Messias Feitosa Santana | Pedro Marcelo Rocha Gomes | Rafael Brandão Brasil | Rena Marcon | Thais Cristine Cavalcanti | Vanessa Fontana | André Stábile | Arthur Takeshi Gonçalves Murakawa | Brayan Ksenhuck | Bruno Burkart | Caio Mandolesi | Concílio Silva | Daniel Lucas Martins Lacerda | Davi Andrade | Fabio Simoes | Filipi Froufe | Flavio Barbosa | George Alfradique | Gustavo Marques Leite | Heitor Dias | Igor Trusz | Jhonathan Romão | João Gabriel Paduan Tristante | Josué Solano De Barros | Julio Henrique Balielo | Leonardo Lachi Manetti | Lucas Freitas | Luis Alberto De Seixas Buttes | Matheus De Sales Freitas | Pedro Lauria | Rafael Gomes Da Silva | Robson De Sousa | Rodrigo Pimentel | Tio Patux | Vander Alvas | Vander Carlos Ribeiro Vilanova | Vinicius Renan Lauermann Moreira | Thiago Lins | Diego Santos | Hassan Jorge | Felipe Avelar | Leonardo Motta | Felipe Pastor | Bruno Franzini | Adryel Romeiro | Antonino Firmino Da Silva Neto | Antonio Augusto Mendes Rodrigues | Bruno Kellton | Bruno Marques Monteiro | Carlos Eduardo Ardigo | Daniel Pandeló Corrêa | Elisnei Menezes De Oliveira | Evilasio Costa Junior | Felipe Brasil | Felipe Duarte | Fernando Bilhiere | Fernando De Araujo Brandão Filho | Gabriel Frizzo | Gabriel Lecomte | Gabriel Lopes Dos Santos | Jailson Gomes | João Pedro Machareth | Jose Wellington De Moura Melo | Leonardo Giehl | Luan Germano | Luca Vianna | Lucas De Oliveira Andrade | Marcelo São Martinho Cabral | Marco Antônio Maassen Da Silva | Marianna Feitosa | Matheus Bezerra Lucas Bittencourt | Maxwell Dos Santos Nelle | Pedro Bonifácio | Pedro Henrique Tonetto Lopes | Pollyana Bruno | Rafael Manenti | Rafael Matis | Rainer Almeida | Raphael Piccoli | Rodrigo Dias Garcia | Rodrigo Oliveira Porto | Stéfano Bellote | Thiago Nogueira Marcal | Thomas Rodrigues | Tiago Weiss | Vinícius Lima Silva | Vinícius Ramalho | Vitor Motta Vigerelli | Wladimir Araújo Neto | David Gilvan | Luiz Strina | Marco Antônio Rodrigues Júnior (Markão) | Fernando Pereira | Leonardo Pimentel | Bruno Macedo | Danilo Da Silva Pereira | Henrique Zani | Pedro Henrique De Paula Lemos | Victor Rodrigues | Raphael Pini Bubinick | Daniel Moreira | Lucas Penetra | Lucas, O Fofo | Albert José | Raphael De Souza | Thiago Goncales | Daniel Ferreira De Lima Vilha | Felipe Artemio | Gian Luca Barbosa Mainini | Tatiane Oliveira Ferreira | Bruno Vieira Silva | Itallo Rossi Lucas | Isabelle Zacara Obrigado por acreditarem em nós! Comente!Envie sua cartinha via e-mail para podcast@peladananet.com.br e comente no post do Instagram com a capa deste episódio!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Confira na edição do Jornal da Record desta terça (18): Avião do presidente Lula arremete ao tentar pousar no interior de São Paulo. Governo envia ao Congresso isenção do Imposto de Renda para quem ganha até R$ 5 mil. Deputado Eduardo Bolsonaro anuncia que vai se licenciar da Câmara e ficar nos Estados Unidos. No mesmo dia, ministro Alexandre de Moraes manda arquivar pedido de apreensão do passaporte do parlamentar. Israel retoma ataques ao Hamas e diz que eliminou integrantes do alto escalão do grupo terrorista. Em conversa com Trump, Vladmir Putin aceita suspender ataques à rede de energia na ucrânia, mas rejeita cessar-fogo total. Presidente da CONMEBOL pede desculpas depois de dizer que Libertadores sem brasileiros seria como "Tarzan sem Chita". E morre, em São Paulo, aos 87 anos, a lenda do basquete, Wlamir Marques.
No podcast ‘Notícia No Seu Tempo’, confira em áudio as principais notícias da edição impressa do jornal ‘O Estado de S.Paulo’ desta quarta-feira (19/03/2025): A proposta do governo de isenção de Imposto de Renda (IR) para quem ganha até R$ 5 mil por mês prevê a compensação das perdas de receitas com uma taxação mínima para um grupo de contribuintes mais ricos, com renda acima de R$ 600 mil por ano. A alíquota do IR mínimo para esse grupo será crescente até chegar a 10% – para quem tem ganhos acima de R$ 1,2 milhão por ano. Segundo a Fazenda, a taxação atingirá 141 mil contribuintes, enquanto a ampliação da isenção beneficiará mais de 10 milhões de pessoas. Na prática, a proposta, aposta do presidente Lula para reverter queda de popularidade, prevê quatro grandes grupos de tributação. O projeto propõe também tributar dividendos acima de R$ 50 mil por mês por empresa. E mais: Economia: Motta diz que Congresso irá ‘melhorar’ texto do governo Internacional: Netanyahu diz que negociação com Hamas será ‘sob fogo’ após ataque Política: Eduardo Bolsonaro se licencia para viver nos EUA e criar ‘ambiente’ pró-anistia Metrópole: Astronautas encerram missão após 9 meses Esportes: Presidente diz que Libertadores sem brasileiros seria ‘Tarzan sem a Chita’See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Companions, History and Heroism.By FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.There are two distinct phases of falsehood. In the first, you realize you can lie to those closest to you. In the second, you realize you shouldn't.(And the stars continue to shine forth)"Stop trying to save me," Pamela remarked, once she was sure we were alone once more."Ask me to do something I'd at least consider doing," I sighed. "Let's go back to the party, I'm not sure where we are.""You've been walking in one big circle, Dummy," she chided me.Why was she letting me off the hook for walking off with the Grand Villain in the scheme of things? Well, if she started hitting me, she probably wasn't sure she could stop."One of these days I'm going to screw up and not get out of it," I noted sadly."That is the epitaph of anyone who has ever taken up a weapon and a cause," Pamela smiled.Maybe she wasn't angry with me."Why aren't you more pissed off?" I wondered."You are a good guy, Cáel," Pamela enlightened me. "That means you are going to reach out to people you think you can save. Personally, I don't think Alal can be, but then I'm biased.""Guy coming back from the dead?" I inquired."Damn right. No more surefire way to anger an assassin than to come back from the dead," she related. "Did you take note of his body?""Not really. What did I miss?" I requested."It didn't look right," Pamela shook her head. "Nothing more specific than that. I was hoping, since you touched him, you might have picked something else up.""Nope. I was too busy slipping a GPS locator on him," I grinned."You don't have one and the technology doesn't work that way, ya numbskull," she play slapped my left bicep."Wouldn't it be cool if it did?" my grin broadened."Laugh it up, Monkey-boy," Pamela countered. "Buffy would have you tagged like a mule deer in Yellowstone.""Eek," I gasped. "Point taken.""Well, " Pamela huffed."He's going to kill my soul," I observed. "Now I'm sure of it. All of that discussion was just gauging my personality so that when he offs me, he can become Cáel Nyilas / Wakko Ishara." Pause."Good for you," Pamela let go of a tense breath. She didn't have to ask."The whole Condottieri situation is a scam," I passed on that bit of information I'd first put together with the Vizsla. "It never left Granddad's control. Currently he's going to use various other factions to kill off the Condottieri and Illuminati leadership that oppose him, then it is Unity Time.""If he takes your place, that gives him leverage on the Amazon Council plus your appeal to the 9 Clans and the Earth and Sky," Pamela helped me work things through. "He couldn't get his hooks into the Egyptians because they knew too much about him. Matters of race stymied his efforts with the Earth and Sky and Seven Pillars.""Except I saved Temujin and he's been supplying them with weapons and tech for over fifty years," I told her. "Even when he was dead, his plan was working, he had predicted the path that warfare would take, invested wisely and left orders to implement his plans. When the time came, they were ready to take out the Seven Pillars.""Without you saving Temujin, the E and S wouldn't have cared, but you," Pamela nodded. "If it comes down to his coalition of Illuminati, Condottieri, Amazons and 9 Clans, the Egyptians will join him, Global Unification has been their goal all along," she continued. "Besides, you made one hell of a positive impression on them the only time you've met. Bang up job, Stud.""Temujin will join as well. He's anything but suicidal," I finished the roll call of my fate. We were almost back to the rave by this time. "You know, you could kill me and short-circuit all of this mess," I reminded her."No way. I plan to win, damn it," Pamela patted me on the back. "Save the Dum-sel in Disrepute, slay the Evil Warlord and re-retire with a boatload great-grandbabies to spoil.""I gave the Vizsla a clue," I let Pamela know the possible complications to her plan. "In 1847, one General of the Condottieri tried to have the Italian Black Hand kill another. Unfortunately, the victim in question was a puppet for Grandpa and the assassin team attacked them both. Because they saw his face, he hunted them back to their base and slaughtered the entire Verona Chapter house of the Wolf.""He must have fucked up a few other times as well," Pamela assured me. Speaking of miscalculations, Anya, Katalin and Orsi broke from the thrashing mob and ran up to me."Your crazy ex-girlfriend called," Anya seemed steamed. "She insisted must she talk to you." At first glance, it would be 'which crazy ex-GF', except only one had Anya's phone number. I took her phone."Bonjour, ma petite amie méchante ," I greeted Anais, the Mountie, in French. Yes, I was calling her a 'meanie'."Cáel, how are you? Where are you?" she was truly concerned. I didn't doubt her sincerity. I also didn't doubt she was convinced she knew what was best for me, as well."I've talked with the Hungarian Police too," I let my pique come through. "You screwed me over. I asked you to let me handled this and you didn't.""You are still a Jerk," she snapped. "I've been trying to help. And from the sounds of it, you are at a party.""It's a rave. It is a rave brought about by the police keeping people penned up in the town all afternoon. Now, if you would stop treating me like a freaking child, you would realize that I'm actually safer in a crowd than I am alone, holed-up in some room without a weapon because you've made it so that the TEK is now keeping a sharp eye on me," I retorted."Can't you tell I'm trying to help you?" she got loud, on the cusp of becoming enraged."Yes. I called you, asking for help. I also called to apologize, without making it sound like some lame stupid stunt to get you back. I'm in real trouble here and I've put other people in danger at the same time," I told her. And yes, I planned to get some 'Anais' when I got back to North America."I'm telling you," she persisted, "let Hungarian law enforcement help you.""I'm trying to make you understand," I countered, "that this is a situation that the police can't help me with. I called you because I believed I could trust you, even though you hate me.""I'm angry with you, Cáel. I don't hate you," she grumbled. "I am trying to help.""If I didn't believe that, I wouldn't still be talking to you, Anais," I allowed. "What did Timothy tell you?""Is that all you care about?" she grumbled."Actually, this is me trying not to be a selfish jackass," I said. "People are in danger because of me and I need to make sure they are safe before I take care of myself.""That's, very unlike you," Anais sounded unsure."I've been doing some growing up since graduation," I replied. "I only wish I'd grown smarter.""I, I'm sorry about your Papa," she quieted down."They gunned him down in his own home," I told her. "Dad never touched a gun in his life and they shot him with an assault rifle.""Oh, well, I understand your Federal Justice Department is investigating the matter," Anais tried to comfort me. "I talked with your Prosecutor Castello. She wouldn't tell me much.""Pity," I mumbled. "I know they are having difficulties.""It is an American problem," she noted."Not really," I sunk in my hooks. "We've been working with MI-6 and the CIA. They are all part of that international task force I told you about {see last chapter}.""Yes, how did you get Irish diplomatic status? That doesn't make any sense," she perked up. Anais liked puzzles. Actually, she liked solving conundrums. It made her a great cop."We are missing the party," Monika protested, in German."That's right. Tell your EX-girlfriend good-bye, Cáel," Anya insisted loudly."Who is that?" Anais groused."It is Anya, the Bulgarian mechanical engineer. We've had sex since you and I last talked and I think she's feeling a tad possessive," I explained.Pause."Bastard," Anais seethed. I was sure her cunt was twitching already. "Fine. I talked with your roommate, he says you have my uniform in a dress bag and my boots in a sealed box, so I forgive you. Anyway, he said Odette called, and she gave him a number to give to you."Since it didn't have 555 in it, I had hopes it was genuine. This was not the time to give Anais the quick kiss-off."I appreciate it, Anais," I sighed with relief. "Have you decided which restaurant you want to go to when I get back?""I haven't given it much thought, Cáel," I could feel her defrosting further. "How can I keep in touch with you?""Ugh, I don't have my own phone right now. Tomorrow I'm going to steal some means of conveyance and, " I grinned."Don't tell me that," Anais complained. "I'm still an officer of the law.""Well, the new 'me' is trying to be more honest with you, Anais. I've got to get out of town tomorrow. Would you rather I lied to you, again?" I confounded her."Well, no. Try to be careful, prends soin de mon amour," she sighed."I will call you as soon as I'm able. Thank you again," I signed off."I still say, 'that one' is confused about her 'ex' status," Orsi teased me."Do you know what is worse than having one woman save your soul?" I tossed out to them. They could not divine an answer. "Having three women do it at the same time, for different reasons. Now I believe we have a party starving for our attention."(Reunions)Pamela had convinced me the motorcycle driver who belonged to our newly acquired BMW K1600 GT would be at least four hours regaining consciousness and getting himself untied. We had stopped at a petrol station along the 431, between Kiszombor, Hungary and the Romanian border. She wanted to fuel up before the border crossing, in case things didn't work out, you know, with our guns and this stolen vehicle.She was already peeved that I'd stopped in Szeged to pick up a few pounds of paprika. Rumor had it that the fields around that stretch of the Tisza produced the highest quality of that spice on the planet, especially the sweet kind. Pamela pointed out I knew 'jack' about cooking. I agreed. What I did know was cooks, the female variety.Fresh spice from the 'source' was way better than a dozen roses, even with a box of chocolates added. Did I have a cook lined up in New York? No, but I was sure I could find one. Wait! Yasmin, my Brazilian, ex-Super Cop, hottie should be back in town by now. If she didn't cook, she'd definitely have a friend I could seduce.Honest to Ishara, I was starting to believe this constant 'work-work-work' was ruining my normally poor judgment where sex and fidelity were concerned.Pamela was getting some lunch for us while I gassed up my crotch-rocket. My luck kept being, exceptional. Two Hungarian motorcycle troopers showed up; both were women and they apparently had decided that I was worthy of attention. Hey, I'm good-looking, and I was wearing a ballistic vest. (The durability of my long coat wasn't so obvious.) "Nice bike," the first one, the one directly confronting me, said. "Thanks. It is a KT1600 GT, 2009," I smiled. "What are you two on?" "Yamaha FJR1300A's," she answered. I put up the nozzle, capped the tank and walked over to her conveyance. It was a really sweet ride. "You have a gun," she noted calmly. She and her partner both had their hands on their holstered weapons. Since the flaps were still down, I wasn't panicking. "Yes. More than one in fact," I kept pretending to look over her bike while I was really scoping her out. I'd nailed all six boat girls and then had the Macedonian babe for breakfast. So I still had three good sexual bangs in me before dusk and these two were nice and pleasant enough. "Do you have permits for those?" she asked. Her partner was calling something in. "Are we still in Hungary?" I mused. The question was a joke. "I believe we are," she smiled. Sure, I may have been a dangerous felon, but I was a nice looking and engaging one."Nope. I'm afraid not," I sighed. She understood my English. "Why are you so armed?" she kept calm. "Are you law enforcement somewhere?" "Does a secretive, non-governmental, paramilitary organization count?" "No," she sighed. "That sounds rather criminal. So, what are you carrying?" That was a nice way of saying 'give me your gun'."Left, right, back, or ankle?" I replied. "Which one do you want first?" "Let's try this again. Can I see some form of ID?" she remained rather comfortable despite this having to be the most bizarre traffic stop of her career."I'm reaching around to my right rear jean pocket for it," I related. Something dating Anais had taught me was that you always tell an on-duty cop what you are doing before you do it.She nodded, so I pulled out my NY Driver's license, my US passport and my Irish Diplomatic ID. She began looking them over. "You are Cáel Nyilas?" she looked over my documents. "If that who it says I am, then yes," I grinned.For a second, she was P-O'ed, then she realized I was playing with her. She snorted in amusement and returned to looking over my stuff. "Nyilas is a Hungarian name," she hummed. "Székely," I clarified. "My family emigrated to America at the end of World War II. I've actually come back here to look over the homeland." "You couldn't land in Bucharest?" she handed me my ID back. "What?" I feigned an insult to my intellect. "Hungarian women are far prettier.""You don't appear to be Dortmund Schuyler," her partner looked me over.
Ayiiti retounen ak gwo nouvèl!
2024 was a special year for Carnival and the Japan-New Orleans connection! Lafcadio Hearn's life & works inspired the theme for Rex Parade 2024: "The Two Worlds of Lafcadio Hearn - New Orleans & Japan". But why Hearn? What went into the float design? What other ways has Hearn left a lasting impact on both New Orleans & Japan? Find out today with a super-sized special Mardi Gras bonus episode, featuring insights from Rex historian/archivist Will French & historian/archivist emeritus Dr. Stephen Hales, Royal Artists float designer/artistic director Caroline Thomas, Lafcadio Hearn's great grandson Bon Koizumi, legendary chef John Folse, Captain of the Krewe of Lafcadio John Kelly, JSNO's resident Lafcadio Hearn expert Matthew Smith, and even the Mayor of Matsue Akihito Uesada! Get ready for Mardi Gras 2025 by reflecting on this unique connection between New Orleans & Japan!------ About the Krewe ------The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!------ Music Credits ------Background music provided by: Royalty Free Music by Giorgio Di Campo for Free Sound Music http://freesoundmusic.eu FreeSoundMusic on Youtube Link to Original Sound Clip------ Audio Clip Credits ------Thanks to Dominic Massa & everyone at WYES for allowing us to use some of the audio from the below Rex Clips:Segment about Royal Artist & Float DesignFull 2024 Rex Ball Coverage (Krewe of Lafcadio/Nicholls State segment)Thanks to Matsue City Hall & Mayor Akihito Uesada for their video message below:Message from Matsue Mayor Akihito Uesada------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode!Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan! ------ Past KOJ Hearn/Matsue/History Episodes ------Foreign-Born Samurai: William Adams ft. Nathan Ledbetter (Guest Host, Dr. Samantha Perez) (S5E17)Foreign-Born Samurai: Yasuke ft. Nathan Ledbetter (Guest Host, Dr. Samantha Perez) (S5E16)Explore Matsue ft. Nicholas McCullough (S4E19)Jokichi Takamine: The Earliest Bridge Between New Orleans & Japan ft. Stephen Lyman (S4E13)The Life & Legacy of Lafcadio Hearn ft. Bon & Shoko Koizumi (S1E9)Matsue & New Orleans: Sister Cities ft. Dr. Samantha Perez (S1E2)------ Links about Rex ------2024 Rex Parade/Float PDF with Full DesignsCaroline Thomas's Website------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!
Kebaktian MInggu Epifani GKP Jemaat Bandung MInggu, 5 Januari 2025 pukul 07.00 WIB Tema : "Melangkah Dengan Gembira Bersama Bapa" Bacaan Alkitab : Lukas 2 : 15-21 Pelayan Firman : Pdt. Em. Chita R. Baiin, S.Th. @GKP Bandung Januari 2025
Khotbah Kebaktian MInggu Epifani GKP Jemaat Bandung MInggu, 5 Januari 2025 pukul 09.30 WIB Tema : "Melangkah Dengan Gembira Bersama Bapa" Bacaan Alkitab : Lukas 2 : 15-21 Pelayan Firman : Pdt. Em. Chita R. Baiin, S.Th. @GKP Bandung Januari 2025
No episódio de hoje, Isabela Lapa te indica a mostra "Nó: o enlace da renda e da chita", a mais nova exposição disponível na Casa Fiat de Cultura.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
10 Blasco y la máquina hierogámico-sacrificial Uno de los amores más famosos y a la vez más desconocidos del escritor valenciano fue con la escritora y condesa doña Emilia Pardo Bazán, concretamente tan solo siete años después de casarse con María Blasco. Un año después, en 1899, la Bazán viajó a Valencia donde fue agasajada por las personalidades del momento como el doctor Moliner. La escritora gallega también había vivido la vida loca en París y como mujer adelantada de su época abogaba por el sexo libre y con quien ella quisiera. Con Blasco se juntaron las ganas de comer con la comida copiosa y ambos se dejaron ver en grata compañía. El que fuera compañero de partido Rodrigo Soriano y del que hablamos en los capítulos cuarto y séptimo tuvo la suerte de que la mujer de Blasco le entregase una carta dirigida a la Pardo Bazán ya que era sabedora de los devaneos de su esposo con la escritora. Este no echó la carta al correo y la utilizó en contra de Blasco difundiendo a los cuatro vientos la infidelidad del valenciano. Todo empezó el 4 de Febrero de 1903 con la publicación en el propio periódico fundado por Blasco, el Pueblo, de un texto titulado «Revolucionarios de entretiempo» escrito por Soriano. Ya no podemos encontrar el artículo en dicho periódico pero si en pdf en la casa Museo Blasco Ibáñez. Era una sátira burlesca acerca de los ambiciosos revolucionarios que iban a la política por el sólo medro personal. Hablaba de Blasco como el «Sansón de los fideos», «hijo de un modesto tendero de ultramarinos» y definía a su padre como «el tendero de largas uñas». Se burlaba de la cultura de Blasco comparando al Sansón de los filisteos con el Sansón que despachaba en el ultramarinos: «cayó en manos de nuestro hombre cierta pringosa lámina de una historia de la Revolución francesa; en ella aparecían retratados algunos héroes de la tragedia sangrienta, que servían de envoltorio a medio kilo de aceitunas». Tras este episodio Soriano fue expulsado del partido donde ambos militaban y este empezó a publicar las cartas que tenía en su poder en el diario “El Radical”. Tan solo publicó una ya que Soriano, entrecomillas, “tiró con bala” a Blasco y luego sufrió un tiroteo en el camino de Benimaclet. Atentado que le fue devuelto en 1905 cuando Blasco y algunos correligionarios fueron tiroteados también lo que obligó a Blasco a abandonar la dirección del periódico “El Pueblo” y marchar a Madrid como les contamos en el capítulo cuatro. Tras su marcha a Madrid escribe en 1906 “La maja desnuda” que rompe con las novelas sociales que estaba escribiendo hasta ese momento. Estar en Madrid le garantizaba la cercanía de la condesa, y a la vez allí conocería a la amante definitiva, la chilena Elena Ortúzar, a la que suponemos “la maja” de la novela homónima aunque coincide plenamente con los cinco meses de relación en Madrid con la escritora gallega. Elena era la mujer del banquero y diplomático Salustio Barros Ortúzar, que estuvo en la embajada chilena en París y nieta del presidente de Chile entre 1841 y 1851. Este ultimo fue un masón prominente que posiblemente militó en la logia Lautaro que existió en Chile y que vendría a ser parte de un proceso de organización militar a escala regional, cuyo objetivo último era el derrocamiento del virreinato del Perú. “En 1906 estando de visita en el estudio de Sorolla en el paseo del General Martínez Campos de Madrid, Blasco descubre un gran retrato de cuerpo entero de una dama enjoyada, de la que el escritor se queda prendado. Le pide a Sorolla que se la presente pero el pintor que conoce el gusto por las faldas operísticas del escritor se niega, argumentando que es una señora casada, aristócrata chilena emparentada con varios presidentes de la república y esposa de un rico banquero chileno, Salustio Barros, bastante mayor que ella, con el que ha venido a España como agregado cultural de la embajada para la boda de Alfonso XIII con Victoria Eugenia de Battemberg. Se llama Elena Ortúzar Bulnes, tiene 34 años y en el ambiente familiar la conocen como “Chita”. “Hoy en día un escritor Nobel como Vargas Llosa diría que (la conoció), por la pichula. En Granada porque, a pesar de todo el dinero del mundo, la Chita era una “mala follá” a la que un caballo viejo, se supone que la cubría poco y mal, y a la que, a pesar de sus deslumbrantes 34 años, no le había dado nadie todavía un buen revolcón como Dios manda. Y ahí está Blasco, con sus 39 años, hecho un toro, y al que, como se dice con escaso refinamiento en mi barrio obrero de la Ría …” le tira más un pelo de coño que una maroma de barco”… Y el gañán de la montaña turolense, le da un repaso a la refinada chilena dejándola más colgada que una percha, haciéndola descubrir un mundo de pasión que hasta entonces entre cirios, hostias y aguas benditas ni se lo olía. Y comienza una relación adúltera que durará años y que solo se regularizará cuando ambos enviuden de sus respectivos y se casen en 1925.” El periodista Carretero Novillo más conocido como el caballero audaz nos cuenta como el propio Blasco le contó sus aventuras con la escritora gallega durante una cena en el hotel Palace de Madrid una vez se enteró que esta había fallecido. “Acababa de morir una ilustre artista española, septuagenaria, mujer excepcional, a la que su edad y su obra vigorosa hacían digna de respeto. «Entonces, glosando el tema, Blasco Ibáñez, de sobremesa, se deleitó en referimos sus aventuras amorosas con aquella dama ilustre, durante toda una época lejana de juventud, narrando los episodios con todo lujo de detalles…».” A Blasco Ibáñez no le importó la diferencia de dieciséis años con la Bazán, como hemos observado, le atraían personas de todas las edades y estratos sociales, desde condesas hasta prostitutas. También en la miniserie de Berlanga sobre Blasco Ibáñez podemos ver cómo la cantante de ópera rusa Nadina Buliccioff, después de una actuación recibe a Blasco en su camerino. Esta artista se encuentra azotando con la fusta a una asistente que la acompaña en la estancia, esta es su esclava sexual e invita a Blasco a usar la fusta con ella, oferta que el rechaza diciendo que le gusta más usar sus propias manos. Volviendo a otra de las escenas que nos muestra Berlanga podemos ver que sitúa a Blasco cuando se escapó a Madrid, o sea, diciembre de 1883 con 16 años, siendo por tanto un menor de edad siendo seducido por la escritora Pardo Bazán. La escena termina cuando los guardias localizan a Blasco y se lo devuelven a su madre. No creemos que sucediese tal encuentro sino lo que hemos contado anteriormente de que se conocieron seis años más tarde siendo Blasco ya adulto. “Mira, este es el rincón del infierno. “l’enfer" -dice la Bazán arrodillándose y acercándose a la entrepierna del joven Blasco mientras abre un compartimento de la librería. Aquí guardamos todos los libros eróticos. Ja, ja, ja. -rie la escritora ¿Conoces al marqués de Sade? -apostilla por último la Bazán. Ah, yo soy republicano. No quiero nada con los aristócratas aunque sean revolucionarios como Sade. -desdeña la oferta Blasco. Yo tampoco. Yo solo amo a los poetas apasionados. Mira Vicente, mira, como palpita mi pecho. -termina cogiéndole la escritora la mano a Blasco entregando su pecho abierto.” El marqués de Sade fue un escritor, ensayista, filósofo, libertino, activista político y noble francés conocido por sus novelas libertinas y su encarcelamiento por delitos sexuales, blasfemia y pornografía. Sus obras incluyen novelas, cuentos, obras de teatro, diálogos y tratados políticos. Algunos de ellos se publicaron bajo su propio nombre durante su vida, pero la mayoría baparecieron de forma anónima o póstuma. Le es atribuida también la famosa novela Los 120 días de Sodoma o la escuela de libertinaje, que fue publicada en 1904, muchos años más tarde de la muerte del marqués de Sade y que sería su obra más famosa. Fue adaptada al cine en 1975 por el autor y cineasta neorrealista italiano Pier Paolo Pasolini, quien sería asesinado después. Saló o los 120 días de Sodoma de Pier Paolo Pasolini basada en “Los 120 días de Sodoma del marqués de Sade”. Iba a ser una trilogía, pero misteriosamente no pudieron realizarse las dos partes restantes tras el asesinato en extrañas circunstancias de Pasolini. Pasolini es asesinado brutalmente por Pino Pelosi, un chapero de 17 años, en un descampado de Ostia, cerca de Roma. Su cuerpo, abandonado en un vertedero, queda completamente desfigurado. El joven confesó el crimen, afirmando haber actuado en legítima defensa al ser atacado por Pasolini, que intentaba violarlo. Sade da nombre a la palabra sádico y sadismo ya que sus personajes son los característicos antihéroes, protagonistas de violaciones y de disertaciones en las que justifican sus actos, según algunos pensadores, mediante sofismas. La expresión de un ateísmo radical, además de la descripción de parafilias sexuales y actos de violencia, son los temas más recurrentes de sus escritos, en los que prima la idea del triunfo del vicio sobre la virtud. Nos cuenta León Roca una anécdota que contaba Gómez de la Serna sobre las andanzas madrileñas de Blasco: “Es muy posible que corresponda a esta época de la vida madrileña de Blasco Ibáñez, la anécdota que Gómez de la Serna cuenta acerca de nuestro novelista. Dice que, una tarde, encontró Blasco Ibáñez a una prostituta en la calle la cual comenzó a quejarse de la tacañería del «viejo» que con alguna frecuencia la visitaba. Aparte de la curiosidad de la anécdota, Gómez de la Serna nos ilustra acerca de las preferencias callejeras que Blasco Ibáñez tenía acerca del amor. Esta tranquilidad, audacia o interés por abordar a las mujeres del arroyo, fue práctica habitual en él y la ejercitó hasta los últimos años de su vida. La anécdota se resuelve de la siguiente manera. La prostituta le llevó a su pisito y, al entrar, Blasco Ibáñez vio un retrato enmarcado y colocado sobre un velador. -¿Es este el «viejo» tacaño del que me hablabas? Ella dijo que sí. El caballero del retrato era Pérez Galdós.” También Berlanga era conocedor de estas aventuras que tenían en común esto 2 escritores y nos lo cuenta de una manera un poco distinta, más cinematográfica, en la miniserie sobre Blasco Ibáñez donde hay una escena en la que Blasco Ibáñez se encuentra vistiéndose después de tener relaciones con la prostituta y esta le dice que se apure que está esperando a un cliente. Pues cuando Blasco ya está acabando de recomponerse llaman a la puerta y aparece Benito Pérez Galdós, se saludan y se despiden. Con Benito Pérez Galdós intercambió sabrosas cartas sobre damas cuyos favores compartían como por ejemplo la famosa escritora gallega Pardo Bazán, y de expresar sus opiniones sin ponerles ningún trapito piadoso encima. No solo mantenía copiosa correspondencia con Pérez Galdós, es que además utilizaba las tramas de los líos de faldas en sus novelas como este caso del retrato de una de sus amantes que utilizó en “La voluntad de vivir” publicado en 1907: “Querido don Benito: Adjunto le envío un retrato de usted comprado por una señora chilena, muy guapa y muy cachonda, que creo vió usted en el estudio de Sorolla. Póngale usted una dedicatoria detonante, como la bomba de Morral, pues esta gachí está por los novelistas.” Hablaba por supuesto de la que sería una de sus últimas amantes conocidas, la millonaria chilena Elena Ortúzar y Bulnes de la cual se había enamorado hasta las trancas y que lo impulsó a destruir totalmente la edición de “La voluntad de vivir”. Cuando publicó "La voluntad de vivir" que relataba los amores con doña Elena, se presenta a las elecciones saliendo diputado otra vez. Pero como en él todo se mezclaba, aquella misma noche, recibe un telegrama de Alicante de la dama en cuestión, ya que le había remitido un ejemplar y le pide que vaya a verla. Y va. Se reconcilian y Blasco, tan caballeroso, destruye toda la edición de la novela en la que relataba sus amores. Durante muchas noches quemaron ejemplares frente al chalet de la Malvarrosa. Aquel fue su último intento de volver a Valencia. Un año antes, en 1906, había conocido a la milionaria chilena Elena Ortúzar y Bulnes, persona que tomaría como modelo para alguna de sus novelas y que sería fundamental en su vida personal. La tomó como modelo para sus novelas: La maja desnuda (1906), La voluntad de vivir (1907) y Sangre y arena (1908). Después de reconciliarse y llevar una vida casi marital con ella en Alicante, emprendieron un recorrido por Europa que culminó en Constantinopla. Partiendo desde Ginebra y tras visitar Berna, Munich, Viena y Budapest, Blasco inició su primer viaje a Oriente en compañía de doña Elena, la madre de su esposa, y la doncella. Este viaje, inmortalizado literariamente bajo el título de "Oriente", fue publicado en diciembre de 1907. Pasaron la primera gran guerra juntos. Antes de que ésta terminase, el esposo de la dama falleció en 1917. Entonces, huyendo de las incomodidades de una ciudad en guerra, se marcharon a Niza. Vivieron en el hotel Krysti. Poco después del éxito de «Los cuatro jinetes del Apocalipsis», en 1919, compraron la villa Fontana Rosa, en Mentón. En 1925, en el mes de enero, fallecía en Valencia doña María Blasco del Cacho, la esposa del novelista. Como curiosidad referirnos a que el tercer significado de la palabra cacho según la Real Academia de la Lengua es cuerno o asta. (video cacho cuerno.mov) En Mentón, los dos viudos se casaron, en el mes de octubre del mismo año, en una ceremonia civil que se celebró en una sala de la villa Fontana Rosa y en presencia de don Arturo Alessandri, Presidente entonces de la República de Chile. Nos hubiera gustado que esta serie contará con 11 videos, pero lamentablemente finalizaremos de manera abrupta en el décimo. Pedimos disculpas por nuestra manera áspera e incluso violenta de concluir. Simplemente, tememos meternos en problemas si revelamos más de lo permitido, corriendo el riesgo, como me sucede a mí, de enfrentar responsabilidades penales por desvelar el mecanismo hierogámico-sacrificial primigenio. Pero no nos marcharemos sin indicarles el camino, sin dejar esas migas de pan que les permitirán esquivar a la bruja del cuento. No les hablaremos de políticos actuales con mujeres andróginas ni de asesinados por ETA con la legión de honor a los que les levantan un monolito justo en la línea que une el chalet de la Malvarrosa con la catedral de Valencia. Como hemos indicado a lo largo de los diferentes capítulos, el poder-religión y las sociedades secretas o discretas, y en particular la masonería, juegan un papel relevante en la modelización de las sociedades modernas. Iconos como Blasco Ibáñez son seleccionados para que las ideas de estos grupos permeen en dichas sociedades, guiándolas como un pastor lo hace con sus ovejas. Les pedimos disculpas nuevamente por la forma tan ruda y abrupta de concluir esta serie de videos sin mostrarles lo prometido. A veces es mejor plantar la semilla que recoger el fruto inmaduro. Nadie logra alcanzar el éxito sin pagar un alto precio, y aunque no podamos hablar abiertamente sobre ello por falta de pruebas, les mostraremos a continuación algunos datos objetivos. Las alegrías y desdichas de estos personajes famosos reflejan los ciclos de esa máquina hierogámico-sacrificial, como mencionaba Pedro Bustamante. La filóloga Pura Fernández nos contó cómo Valencia fue una de las zonas de la Península donde mayor expansión masónica se produjo durante la década de 1880. Justo allí, a los trece años, Blasco comenzó a escribir, y a los catorce ya había terminado su primera novela. El 4 de octubre de 1892 nace su hija primogénita, a la que llamaron Libertad. Vivió solo trece días. El 9 de noviembre de 1893 nace su primer hijo varón, a quien llamaron Mario. Una caída y una ascensión. También contamos como el 12 de Mayo de 1894 estrenó en Valencia su única obra de teatro que no tuvo mucho éxito y como además ese mismo día fallecía su madre a los 51 años de edad (5+1=6) y el 12 de noviembre de 1894, 184 días más tarde (6 meses justos) publica el primer número de El Pueblo, fundado y dirigido por él. Una fase negativa y otra positiva para alimentar la máquina. En marzo de 1906 renuncia a la política y a su acta de diputado. En diciembre de ese mismo año fue nombrado Comendador de la Legión de Honor de Francia e hijo predilecto de Valencia. Rodolfo Valentino fue elegido para protagonizar la película “los 4 jinetes del apocalipsis”, en parte por su parecido físico con Julio César, el hijo de Blasco fallecido en la veintena que guarda similitudes con el personaje principal del libro. Nosotros sospechamos que Rodolfo Valentino es el alter ego de César Blasco y que el seudónimo “Valentino” se utilizó por su semejanza fonética con valenciano. La muerte de su hijo Julio Cesar sobreviene el 18 del 11 de 1919 ( 1+8 = 9 - 11- 1919) fecha muy simbólica. El 19 es muy importante dentro del ocultismo y las religiones mistéricas que perviven hoy en dia dentro de las sociedades secretas o discretas. Se trata del llamado ciclo metónico o de Metón de 19 años tal y como leemos en la wikipedia: “…es un común múltiplo aproximativo de los períodos orbitales de la Tierra y de la Luna. En efecto, 19 años tropicales y 235 meses sinódicos o ciclos mensuales de las fases de la Luna no difieren más que en 2 horas; de ahí que después de 19 años, las mismas fechas del año corresponden con las mismas fases de la Luna.” En el 330 a.C., se mejoró el ciclo metónico de 19 años con el llamado Ciclo calípico de 76 años, reduciendo el error de 2 horas cada 19 años a 11 minutos cada 76 años. La mejora de los calendarios solares por los calendarios lunisolares es una de las diferencias entre la religión cristiana y el judaísmo, por ejemplo. Por esta razón, las fechas y las alineaciones astrológicas, como los eclipses, son tan importantes para el poder-religión que opera en la sombra. Blasco es nombrado Doctor Honoris causa por la muy masónica universidad George Washington el 23 de febrero de 1920. O sea, 3 meses y 6 días después de la muerte de su hijo Julio César lo nombran Doctor Honoris Causa. Eso nos da un total de 98 días. Nosotros sospechamos que se realizó un ritual lunar durante la fase decreciente aprovechando el simbolismo de los guarismos del año, dos diecinueves. 98 días, pero si el ritual oculto y al más alto nivel fue 1 día antes obtenemos 99 días, o lo que es lo mismo 33+33+33. Blasco Ibáñez murió en 1928 en Francia, pero fue gracias al alcalde de la ciudad de Valencia, Vicente Alfaro Moreno, que pudo volver a España. Este recibió del Gobernador Civil de la Provincia de Valencia el 28 de enero de 1932 el carnet que le acreditaba como primer edil. Su primera gestión como alcalde de Valencia fue solicitar la repatriación del cuerpo de Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, muerto en el exilio por la dictadura de Miguel Primo de Rivera. Veremos pues que como si se tratase de un reloj, cada 13 años se ha dado un acontecimiento fundamental en la vida de Blasco. Nació en 1867, y 13 años después, escribió su primera novela. Otros 13 años más tarde, en 1893, nació su primer hijo varón. En 1906, tras otros 13 años, recibió la Legión de Honor de Francia y fue nombrado hijo predilecto de Valencia. Trece años más tarde, en 1919, se hizo inmensamente rico por la traducción al inglés de Los cuatro jinetes del Apocalipsis, el primer best-seller de la historia, y volvió a ser recibido con todos los honores en Valencia. Por último, trece años más tarde, en 1932, se pergañará su vuelta a España que concluirá en 1933 cerrando el círculo de su vida. Resurrección y muerte en un ciclo sin fin. Las pulsaciones de vida y de muerte de las que hablaba Freud, el Eros y el Tánatos, lo cual nos lleva a los nombres de los jinetes de esos caballos del apocalipsis que catapultaron a la fama a Blasco. El jinete del Caballo Blanco, que representaba la Pestilencia o Plaga, es llamado Moros, en analogía a la personificación de la fatalidad en la mitología griega. El jinete del Caballo Rojo, usualmente asociado con la Guerra, es Fobos, que representa el miedo y el pánico en la guerra. El jinete del Caballo Negro, relacionado con el Hambre o la Carestía, es conocido como Limos o Limosina, nombres derivados de conceptos griegos para el hambre y la necesidad; de ahí la palabra ‘limosna’. Y por último, el jinete del Caballo Amarillo o Pálido, conocido como Tánatos en la mitología griega, personifica la muerte. A veces se menciona junto a Hades o Inferos, que representa el infierno que le sigue. En el capítulo 2 vimos como los tres últimos papas, la supuesta facción opuesta a la masonería, también utilizaba el 13 de una manera que excede la casualidad. Quizás estos saltos de 13 años no indiquen nada significativo para el hombre de la calle, pero como decía el poeta Rumi «Lo que es una piedra para el hombre ordinario, es una perla para el que sabe». Les recomiendo encarecidamente que lean los artículos de “el puntal de dios” en mi blog y más concretamente el que publicará en breve donde nos habla precisamente de este mecanismo de 13 años y de la interacción 13-14-13 en reyes como Felipe II. Volviendo con Blasco, su chalet de la Malvarrosa, inaugurado en agosto de 1902, tenía una gran terraza –sitio predilecto del novelista para contemplar el mar– inspirada en el Pórtico de las Cariátides de Atenas, decorada con frescos de estilo pompeyano y presidida por una imponente mesa de mármol de Carrara sostenida por unos grifos de estilo helenístico. Una vista más cercana a las patas de la mesa nos muestra a estos pequeños demonios alados que son confundidos con grifos, pero no, los grifos no tienen cuernos. Los grifos, criaturas míticas con el cuerpo de león y la cabeza y alas de águila, han sido representados en diversas culturas a lo largo de la historia. Aunque generalmente son considerados guardianes nobles y protectores de tesoros, algunos mitos y leyendas los asocian con el mundo de lo sobrenatural y lo oscuro. En este contexto, los grifos podrían ser vistos como una especie de demonios, entidades que combinan la ferocidad del león y la astucia del águila para ejercer poder y dominación. Esta dualidad de su naturaleza, poderosa y a menudo temible, les otorga un aura de misterio y peligro, haciendo que su figura se desplace hacia lo demoníaco en ciertas interpretaciones culturales. Al igual que muchos demonios en la mitología, los grifos pueden simbolizar tanto protección como destrucción, dependiendo de la perspectiva desde la cual se les observe. Desde luego esta edificación sita en la playa de la Malvarrosa no se construyó ni mucho menos al azar si observamos ciertas alineaciones. Trazando una línea desde el chalet al Miguelete, una de las edificaciones emblemáticas de la ciudad de Valencia, esta pasa por el busto de Blasco que hay en el jardín del museo, también por el obelisco en forma de pirámide de la sección de informática y matemáticas de la Politécnica, se cruza con el monumento a Manuel Broseta asesinado por ETA en la Avda. Blasco Ibáñez y por el busto a Blasco inaugurado 100 años después de que la masonería tomase Valencia en 1880, pasa por el aula 6 llamada Blasco Ibáñez de la Universidad de Geografía e Historia, rozando la estatua de San Vicente Ferrer en el puente del Real, por la fuente octogonal de las cuatro estaciones y camino del Miguelete pasa a los pies de la estatua del Arzobispo Marcelino pasando por una de las bóvedas de la catedral de Santa Maria. La propia avenida Blasco Ibáñez que nunca termino en el mar como hubiese querido el escritor corta esta línea formando un ángulo de unos 30 grados, cosas de llegar tarde a urbanizar. El 5 de febrero de 1980 el periódico el País nos contaba en una noticia titulada “Volado el monumento a Blasco Ibáñez en Valencia”: “El monolito dedicado a Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, que fue inaugurado el pasado día 30 en la avenida de Valencia dedicada al escritor, fue volado en la madrugada del domingo, quedando destruido el busto del monumento. La acción fue reivindicada ayer por un grupo autodenominado Maulets, mediante una llamada a la agencia Efe en Valencia.Se encontraron restos de la cabeza del busto a unos cincuenta metros de su emplazamiento. El anónimo comunicante que reivindicó el hecho dijo que se responsabilizaba del mismo por suponer una agresión a los paisos catalanes.” 11 años 11 meses y 11 días después del atentado al monolito por los maulets y 660 días después de ser nombrado caballero de la legión de honor francesa, el 15 de enero de 1992 asesinan de un tiro en la cabeza al abogado, político, escritor y catedrático Manuel Broseta Pont en la cercanías del busto de Blasco Ibáñez en la Avenida Blasco Ibáñez. En su honor, el Ayuntamiento de Valencia erigió una columna, réplica de las que delimitan el Claustro de la sede histórica del Estudi General de Valencia, en la calle de la Nave, lugar donde fue abatido, y donde cada 15 de enero es recordado por su contribución a la democracia y a la libertad en España. Manuel Broseta fue asesinado por ETA el 15 de enero de 1992, levantan un monolito justo en la línea que une el chalet de la Malvarrosa con la catedral de Valencia. Le quitan la vida a las 10:20 de la mañana y el coche utilizado por ETA en la huida explota a las 13 horas. Blasco Ibáñez muere un 28 de enero, eso son 13 días de diferencia. La parada de metro de Facultats cambió de nombre el viernes 11 de marzo de 2022 pasando a llamarse Facultats-Manuel Broseta en homenaje al catedrático de Derecho Mercantil, o sea, exactamente a los 11013 días de su asesinato. Y es que parece que al igual que hay que situar el busto de Blasco Ibáñez en lo alto de un monolito, de un falo, para realizar una hierogamia, hay que destruirlo ritualmente para alimentar la otra fase de la maquina hierogámico-sacrificial como si se tratase de un motor de dos tiempos al que hay que alimentar con gasolina de vez en cuando. A veces, las dos fases se implementan simultáneamente, como podemos ver en el enorme falo erecto que es la torre a la entrada del osario de la batalla del Marne, la cual catapultó a la fama a nuestro escritor. Esta torre religiosa en forma de falo se llama textualmente 'linterna de la muerte' y está situada exactamente a 600 millas náuticas del chalet de la Malvarrosa, que fue inaugurado en 1902, aunque posiblemente tuvo una fase simbólica en 1901 con la colocación de alguna piedra. Trece años más tarde, en 1914, se libraba la batalla del Marne, el llamado 'milagro del Marne', donde, como les hemos contado, participaron 2 millones de soldados, resultando en 67,000 muertos, 128,000 desaparecidos y 325,000 heridos. Un sacrificio de vidas humanas al máximo nivel. Hay también otro falo de 33 metros de altura en el municipio de Mondement-Montgivroux, en el suroeste del Marne decorado con letras que parecen iberas con una enorme diosa de la Victoria sacando chispas…esto si es una hierogamia consumada. (video linea 600 millas.mp4) El propio chalet de la Malvarrosa sufrió también altibajos. Fue usado por la parte republicana durante la guerra civil como centro de asistencia sanitaria para niños y cuando Madrid estaba a punto de ser conquistada por las tropas nacionales, muchos evacuados de Madrid se refugiaron en el chalet de Blasco Ibáñez quemando la madera para calentarse y realizando sus necesidades primarias dentro de aquellos muros. Posteriormente en 1941, una vez ganada la guerra por Franco, un grupo falangista denominado “los Flechas Navales” instalaron en La Malvarrosa su escuela tras apropiarse por la fuerza de las llaves. Las cariátides de la terraza pompeyana fueron suprimidas: la galería quedó cerrada por muros y ventanas y lo que fue la casa de Blasco se convirtió en un cuartel desde enero de 1942 hasta el 21 de febrero de 1962. Luego permaneció en semiruina ocupado por familias marginales que terminaron por degradarlo. El ayuntamiento de Valencia terminó comprándoles el chalet a los herederos de Blasco en 1980. Sí, cuando se realizó la voladura de su monumento, y dado que el estado del edificio era tan ruinoso, decidieron derribarlo en los 90 y se procedió a su reconstrucción siguiendo los planos originales. En 1997 pasó a ser el museo que es hoy. En mi artículo Egregores, Obeliscos y Líneas Ley, mencioné otro falo erecto en medio de la Plaza de San Pedro. El obelisco del Vaticano estuvo en el centro del Circo Máximo de Nerón en Roma, es decir, en uno de los lugares de mayor afluencia de público en la antigua Roma, donde se realizaban rituales de sexo y sangre a la vista de todos. En la Edad Media se decía sobre la esfera de bronce situada en lo más alto del obelisco que contenía en su interior los restos de Julio César, pero durante los trabajos de recolocación en la plaza del Vaticano se inspeccionó a fondo, sin encontrar nada, por lo que el Papa Sixto V, lo reemplazó por una cruz de bronce de Cristo que se asienta sobre una estrella, a la que posteriormente en 1740, se le abrió una cavidad para colocar en su interior ciertas reliquias. Del chalet a la catedral de Valencia hay 4.34 km que sumadas las cifras dan un 11 o 2.34 millas náuticas cuyas cifras dan un 9. Justo en la intersección de esta línea con la avenida Blasco Ibáñez está el monolito que sufrió el atentado en 1980. La distancia del chalet de la Malvarrosa a dicho obelisco del Vaticano también es exactamente de 600 millas náuticas. Lo tenemos situado en el centro de una circunferencia que pasa por el falo del Vaticano o Eros, y por el Tánatos que representa el memorial de la batalla del Marne. El polo negativo, el receptáculo en forma de copa femenino o matriz, el sexo o Eros y el polo positivo, el falo enhiesto masculino, la guerra o Tánatos. Como decía Pedro Bustamente, “el poder-religión se basa en el manejo de esta máquina, mucho más que en las fachadas tras las que se esconde”. Blasco Ibáñez tan solo era una pequeña rueda dentro de la máquina y nosotros tan solo queremos mostrarle los planos a vds para que puedan decidir si quieren desconectarla o participar de forma consciente. Sean felices, cuiden de sus familias y que no les atrape el monstruo mecánico. ………………………………………………………………………………………. Enlaces citados en el podcast: Bibliografia completa https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/vicente_blasco_ibanez/su_obra_bibliografia/ Cronología de Vicente Blasco Ibáñez https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/vicente_blasco_ibanez/autor_cronologia/#anyo_1900 Cronologia literaria Blasco Ibáñez https://anyblascoibanez.gva.es/va/cronologia-literaria Time line de su vida https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/vicente-blasco-ibanez-5ac50faf-ff35-40dd-be42-708435362932 Galeria de imágenes https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cervantesvirtual.com%2Fimages%2Fportales%2Fvicente_blasco_ibanez%2Fgraf%2Fcronologia%2F03_cro_blasco_ibanez_retrato_1018_s.jpg&tbnid=s0ix0VfxLAJ4aM&vet=12ahUKEwi45LKn8vr-AhVYmycCHf1fDVMQMygkegUIARDGAQ..i&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cervantesvirtual.com%2Fportales%2Fvicente_blasco_ibanez%2Fautor_cronologia%2F&docid=rpcl3y5OiYotjM&w=301&h=450&q=Mar%C3%ADa%20Blasco%20blasco%20iba%C3%B1ez&hl=es&client=firefox-b-d&ved=2ahUKEwi45LKn8vr-AhVYmycCHf1fDVMQMygkegUIARDGAQ …….. Capitulo 10 Blasco Ibáñez (Miniserie de TV) https://www.filmaffinity.com/es/film328686.html Blasco Ibañez. La Novela de su vida https://berlangafilmmuseum.com/filmografia/blasco-ibanez-la-novela-de-su-vida/ La novela de su vida Película de Berlanga.Parte 1 https://www.rtve.es/play/videos/blasco-ibanez-la-novela-de-su-vida/parte-1/6666338/ La novela de su vida Película de Berlanga.Parte 2 https://www.rtve.es/play/videos/blasco-ibanez-la-novela-de-su-vida/parte-2/6666336/ Revolucionarios de entretiempo https://www.casamuseoblascoibanez.es/portfolio-items/r-soriano-revolucionarios-de-entretiempo-el-pueblo-1903-2-4/?utm_source=perplexity ELENA ORTUZAR, SEGUNDA ESPOSA DE VICENTE BLASCO IBAÑEZ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6JP0XPM30s EL CAIMAN/Recorte del Capítulo/EL VENDEDOR DE LIBROS/Alberto López https://www.facebook.com/groups/264448073665991/permalink/6007134019397339/?_rdr Las cartas de amor de Galdós a Pardo Bazán, ni desaparecidas ni destruidas https://culturacolectiva.com/arte/letras/las-cartas-de-amor-de-benito-perez-galdos-y-emilia-pardo-bazan/ El placer femenino y la revolución sexual de Emilia Pardo Bazán https://www.rtve.es/television/20211219/emilia-pardo-bazan-galdos-cartas-sexo-imprescindibles-misterio/2239384.shtml El sórdido crimen de Pier Paolo Pasolini... cineasta, poeta y atormentado. https://www.burbuja.info/inmobiliaria/threads/el-sordido-crimen-de-pier-paolo-pasolini-cineasta-poeta-y-atormentado.1852159/ Saló o los 120 días de Sodoma (abstenerse mentes débiles) https://ok.ru/video/1582822197833 Orden de destruir totalmente la edición de La voluntad de vivir http://elargonautavalenciano.blogspot.com/2019/07/con-leon-roca.html Vicente Blasco Ibáñez (1867-1928): viaje por Oriente y Egipto https://arbor.revistas.csic.es/index.php/arbor/article/download/477/478/478 Vid. TORTOSA, P . (1972): Tres mujeres en la vida y la obra de Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, Valencia. La tercera parte la dedica a Elena Ortúzar. Asimismo, RoCA, J.L. (1992): Los amores de Blasco Ibáñez, Valencia. Significado de la palabra cacho https://dle.rae.es/cacho Ciclo metónico https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciclo_met%C3%B3nico Ciclo calípico https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciclo_cal%C3%ADpico Muerte y entierro de Blasco Ibáñez en Menton https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/portales/vicente_blasco_ibanez/imagenes_muerte/ Terraza (Galería) pompeyana, Chalet de la Malvarrosa https://humanidadesdigitales.uc3m.es/s/ripomphei/item/42893 Volado el monumento a Blasco Ibáñez en Valencia https://elpais.com/diario/1980/02/05/espana/318553226_850215.html Giner denuncia grafitis en las esculturas y bustos conmemorativos de la avenida Blasco Ibáñez https://www.levante-emv.com/valencia/2022/08/25/giner-denuncia-grafitis-esculturas-bustos-73848939.html ETA asesina en Valencia de un tiro en la nuca al consejero de Estado Manuel Broseta https://elpais.com/diario/1992/01/16/espana/695516420_850215.html BROSETA PONT, Manuel (1932-1992) https://humanidadesdigitales.uc3m.es/s/catedraticos/item/44382 Memoria Broseta https://www.fundacionbroseta.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/memoria-broseta.pdf Este es el nuevo nombre de la parada de metro de Facultats https://valenciasecreta.com/facultats-manuel-broseta/ La Batalla Del Marne: An Episode of Los Cuatro Jinetes Del Apocalipsis https://www.amazon.es/Batalla-Del-Marne-Episode-Apocalipsis/dp/1141129647 Linterna de la muerte entrada al osario https://www.123rf.com/photo_47131816_lantern-of-the-death-at-the-entrance-of-the-ossuary-battle-battles-bataille-batalles-marne-lantern-o.html Monumento Nacional de la Victoria del Marne https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_national_de_la_Victoire_de_la_Marne MONDEMENT - EL MONUMENTO NACIONAL DE LA VICTORIA DEL MARNE http://frontdechampagne.over-blog.com/2014/09/mondement-le-monument-national-de-la-victoire-de-la-marne.html Gaia realiza las cariátides y los capiteles de la casa Blasco Ibáñez en Valencia https://obrasrestauradasgaia.blogspot.com/2012/07/gaia-realiza-las-cariatides-y-los.html Casa Museo de Blasco Ibáñez https://www.arae.es/portfolio/casa-museo-de-blasco-ibanez/ Casa Museo de Blasco Ibáñez. Historia del Edificio https://www.casamuseoblascoibanez.es/casa-museo/ Malvarrosa nacida del agua paz forzada https://valenciaactua.es/malvarrosa-nacida-del-agua-paz-forzada/ EGREGORES, OBELISCOS Y LÍNEAS LEY https://tecnicopreocupado.com/2016/09/01/egregores-obeliscos-y-lineas-ley/ Historia del obelisco del Vaticano http://roma.andreapollett.com/S3/roma-co1.htm Monolito en Alzira https://www.elseisdoble.com/vernoticia/11066/xi_aniversario_de_la_inauguracion_del_monumento_a_blasco_ibanez_en_alzira
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Last time we spoke about Manchu Restoration of Zhang Xun. After the death of Yuan Shikai, Duan Qirui maneuvered to maintain control amidst the political chaos. After being outed from Premiership for trying to drag China into WW1, General Zhang Xun suddenly marched upon Beijing seizing the capital. Zhang Xun then proclaimed the Qing Dynasty restored with Emperor Puyi back on the throne, shocking the entire nation. Li Yuanhong freaked out, ran for his life and begged Duan Qirui to come back and save the republic. Ironically Duan was already in the process of marching upon the capital, so with a smile he went along with everything making it look like he was a hero. After taking back power, Duan resumed his premiership, but made sure to get rid of any threat to his authority. However, Duan's authoritarian rule and neglect of certain officers led to opposition from figures like Feng Guozhang, who formed the Zhili Clique. #98 The Invasion of Outer Mongolia & First Anhui/Zhili War Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. During the Xinhai Revolution many provinces and regions declared independence, one of them was Outer Mongolia. In 1910, the Qing Dynasty had appointed the Mongol, Sando to be viceroy over Mongolia, with his base being in the capital city of Urga. Just a month after his arrival conflicts emerged, prompting Sando to ask Jebstundamba Khutuktu, the spiritual leader of the Mongolians to help out but he refused and this led to a campaign to have Sando removed. More conflicts followed and by spring of 1911, prominent Mongolian nobles, such as Prince Tögs-Ochiryn Namnansüren persuaded Jebstundamba Khutukhtu to form a meeting of the nobility to discuss declaring independence. The meeting resulted in a deadlock. 18 nobles wishing to declare independence took matters into their own hands pressuring Jebstundamba Khutukhtu to send a secret delegation to Russia for help. Of course at this time Russia sought Outer Mongolia as a buffer state. The Mongols knew this and offered economic concessions if the Russians helped arm them and brought troops over. Russia did not want to add Outer Mongolia to the empire however, so she offered diplomatic support rather than military support. The Russian minister to Beijing informed the Qing the Mongols had sent a delegation and this prompted the Qing to order Sando to investigate. Yet while all of this was going on, the Wuchang Uprising had sprung up and soon rebellion would hit the entire nation. When the Mongols received news of what was happening to China, they simply joined in and declared independence. By December 1st a provisional government of Khalkha was set up under the theocratic rule of Jebtsundamba Khutuktu who became the Bodg Khaan over the new Bogd Khanate. Fast forward to 1915, the new Republic of China and the Bogd Khanate reached an agreement that Outer Mongolia could be autonomous under Chinese suzerainty, a protectorate basically. Then came the Russian Revolution and with it, the Russian Civil War. This resulted in a rather bizarre movement springing up along the Siberian/Mongolian border. Grigory Semyonov a White movement member in Transbaikal with Japanese backing, took quite an interest in Mongolia. Semyonov spoke Mongolian and Buryat fluently, he was also a soldier who fought in WW1 and then during the civil war. He led an anti-soviet rebellion, but lost after a few months and was forced to flee to Harbin. He moved to Manzhouli in Inner Mongolia and from there setup a base to launch raids into siberia to help the white movement. By the summer of 1918 he managed to captured Chita, setting it up as his own capital as he declared a Great Mongol State. Semyonov fancied unifying the Oirat Mongol lands, parts of Xinjiang, Transbaikal, Inner and Outer Mongolia, Tannu Uriankai, Kobdo Hulunbe'er and even Tibet to form a new Mongolian state. The situation caused a divide amongst the leadership in Outer Mongolia. Some favored their current protectorate relationship with China and wanted to end the Semyonov threat. Others were dissatisfied with the status quo and saw it as a great opportunity. The Chinese high commissioner in Mongolia, Chen Yi was soon delivered word from some of the Mongolian nobles, Soviet forces were preparing to invade Mongolia. The Cossack consular guards at Urga, Khovd and Uliastai had all fled. The Russian communities in Mongolia were beginning to support a Bolshevik regime. It was under said pretext, Semyonov and his white Russian colleagues came to Mongolia. Chen Yi began frantically sending telegrams to Beijing requesting troops while simultaneously persuading the Bogd Khaan government to agree to allow a Chinese battalion to come over. Chen Yi and Mongol noles came up with a document with 64 points titled "On respecting of Outer Mongolia by the government of China and improvement of her position in future after self-abolishing of autonomy", yes they could have summarized it somewhat, though I imagine the english translation is lacking. The stipulations offered to replace the Mongolian government with Chinese officials; introduce Chinese garrisons and the keeping of feudal titles. However by July of 1918, the Soviet threat seemed to have dissipated. Meanwhile Semyonov had assembled a detachment of Buryats and Inner Mongolian nationalists to fight for his pan-Mongolian cause. They made several attempts to try and persuade the Bogd Khaan's government to join, but the Mongol nobles thought it foolish to throw their lot under a new master they knew nothing about. Gradually Semyonov threatened to invade Mongolia to force their compliance. The Bogd Khaanate was in a bad position. They lacked the strength to repel Semyonov, on the other hand they were not interested in Chinese troops entering their lands. Now taking a step back, there was another player in the region. When the Manchu Restoration of Zhang Xun broke out, Zhang Zuolin, the warlord of Manchuria sat on the fence in Mukden. Yet a subordinate of his, Feng Tielin had just unsuccessfully plotted against him and was implicated in the Manchu Restoration. This gave Zhang a good excuse to imprison and dismiss the man from his command and better yet he stole the man's troops. In August of 1917, Zhang Zuolin took control over Heilongjiang province after a small rebellion had broken out there. Then in October, the warlord in Jilin province turned out to also be a Manchu Restorationist, or at least Zhang accused him as such, so he used diplomacy to get rid of the man. After this Zhang seized Jilin and thus controlled all of Manchuria, excluding parts under Japanese occupation. In February of 198, Duan Qirui sent a rather unpopular subordinate named Xu Shucheng to try and persuade Zhang Zuolin to join the Anfu club. The reason was because Duan Qirui distrusted Wu Peifu and the emerging Zhili clique and saw Zhang as a beneficial ally. Xu Shucheng was the founder of the Anfu club, the political arm of the Anhui clique. They recently earned 3/4s of the seats in the national assembly. Xu was also a fixer in many ways, at one point he discovered Lu Jianzhang had tried to persuade his nephew, Feng Yuxiang the Christian warlord, to fight the Anhui CLique. Xu leaked this and had Lu executed. Thus he had a pretty rough reputation. Xu came to Zhang with a bribe from Duan Qirui, it was information that a shipment of Japanese arms worth 30,000 yuan, enough to equip roughly 7 mixed brigades and just come to port in Qinhuangdao. Zhang Zuolin performed a random inspection of the port and confiscated the goods, reminds you of the New York mob. In response to this friendly gesture, Zhang sent 50,000 of his troops southwards to aid Duan Qirui's new campaign that he called “unification of China by force”. For this nice gesture, the Beiyang government gave Zhang Zuolin the title of inspector of the 3 Manchurian provinces. At this point Zhang Zuolin truly became known as the tiger of Manchuria, or the “king of the northeast”. Things were not great, but not bad between Duan and Zhang, then Xu Shucheng received a new command, and things changed dramatically. Because of the situation in Outer Mongolia, Duan Qirui decided to form a new “Northwestern Frontier Army” and he gave command of it to his right hand man, Xu Shuzheng. Now, allegedly this was also coerced by the Japanese who had their own designs on Outer Mongolia. But Duan Qirui certainly had his motives for such an action. The leaked information about the Nishihara loans alongside other bad press had most of the Chinese public against him. His reputation as a republican patriot had been tarnished, even defeating Zhang Xun had not done a ton to reverse it. Duan Qirui had cultivated a large and strong army during WW1, but now the war was over and all of his political enemies questioned why he kept the army. Of course everyone knew the real reason why, he wanted to defeat his rivals in the south to reunify China. When the Russian began to encroach in Mongolia, it was a perfect excuse to use said army, legitimizing it somewhat. Publicly Duan Qiruir stated the Northwestern Frontier army would go to Outer Mongolia to defend them against Bolshevik encroachment. Their expedition was supposed to commence in July 1919, but their train broke down on them. In October, Xu was forced to lead a spearhead of just 4000 men to storm the capital of Urga. There was no actual battle, the Chinese entered peacefully and began occupying the capital. They were soon followed up with 10,000 additional forces who began to occupy Mongolia. Xu Shuzheng met with Chen Yi and the Mongol nobles and stated the 64 point document needed to be renegotiated. He then submitted a much tougher set of conditions calling for the express declaration of Chinese sovereignty over Mongolia; to increase Mongolia's population via Chinese colonization; to promote commerce, industry and agriculture. If the Mongols resisted these conditions, Xu threatened to deport the Bogd Khaan to China. To make a point Xu then placed troops directly in front of Bogd Khaan's palace. It seems Xu may have also been pressured by Japan to install some pro-Japanese chinese officials in Mongolia to thwart any future Russian encroachment. These demands, titled “the eight articles” were given to the Mongolian Parliament on November 15th and the upper house accepted them, but the lower house did not. Many members publicly called for armed resistance. The most tenacious were the buddhist monks to fight off the Chinese, but the upper house ultimately prevailed. Then a petition to end autonomy signed by the ministers and deputy ministers of the Bogd Khaans government was presented to Xu. Body Khaan refused to give his seal still. Then a new Prime Minister was installed by the orders of Xu Shuzheng, his name and do forgive me was Gonchigjalzangiin Badamdorj. Alongside the conservatives within the Mongolian political scene they forced the acceptance of the Chinese demands. Xu Shuzheng was hailed as a hero in China. Dr Sun Yat-sen even sent a letter of congratulations from the rival Guangzhou government, it was clearly satirical, but those like Duan Qirui paraded it as propaganda. Now Xu Shuzheng then humiliated the Mongolian Council of Khans in a speech and would return in February of 1920 to preside over an extremely humiliating ceremony. During the ceremony the Bogd Khan and other Mongol nobles were forced to kowtow before Xu Shuzheng and the new Five races under one union flag. This ceremony was so insulting, it would mark the beginning of active Mongolian resistance against China. The occupation of Mongolia had aroused frustration from Zhang Zuolin because he regarded Mongolia to be within his sphere of influence. Xu Shuzheng after occupying Mongolia began to set up banks in the northwest, raised public loans and all of this was of course done to increase his own personal power. At this time, since he was the 2nd strongest Anhui Clique leader, he had so many forces under his thumb he was seen to be greater than Zhang Zuolin the “inspector of the three provinces of Manchuria”. Xu Shuzheng's Northwestern Army had troops in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Xinjiang and Shaanxi. Now while Zhang Zuolin's Fengtian Clique could not hope to defeat the Anhui Clique alone, they were not in fact alone. Zhang Zuolin with his ear to the political ongoings in northern China would find a new ally to thwart Duan and Xu's encroachment into his realm. We need to rewind just a little bit to explain the rather chaotic political situation in north China. After Zhang Xun's Manchu Restoration was defeated, Duan Qirui found himself in a bit of an awkward position. He was now the defender of the republic, he took back his premiership, but his puppet Li Yuanghong had fled his position as president, it was now Feng Guozhang who was president. Now Feng Guozhang was not elected or anything, he was merely filling out the term of Li Yuanghong. Before leaving Nanjing to come over to Beijing, Feng compelled Duan to accept his appointees to offices in the Yangtze area, where his power base was located. Now there was a division of military power, a sort of split within the Beiyang army between the Premier and President. This led to the “Anfu Club” being created of Duan followers and in turn the Zhili Clique of Feng followers. The Anfu Club was far better organized, better funded and was dominated by Duan and Xu. Xu by the way was nicknamed Little Xu, because he was seen as simply Duan lackey as they say. The Anfu Club also had high ranking politicians like Wang Yitang, Zeng Yujun and Liu Enge. Yet the Anfu Club was not really an alliance of military guys, it was more a political force that exerted influence over Parliament and other parts of the civil bureaucracy. There was no war at this point despite the conflict between Duan and Feng growing. Thus the fighting was all within the political realm for awhile, they simply fought to control government institutions and such. Duan and Feng's main objective at this time was simply to dominate Parliament, and Duan was winning. Duan mae Wang Yitang the speaker of the house who made sure Feng could not dissolve parliament. If Feng dissolved parliament it would call for an election that could see Duan lose premiership again. Now a little bit about the Zhili Clique, from 1917-1920 the clique was not really united politically or militarily. They were really a riff raff of pissed off Beiyang officers and politicians whom Duan Qirui had overlooked. Their most influential military commanders in the beginning were Wang Zhanyuan the warlord of Hubei, Li Chun and Chen Guangyuan the warlords of Jiangsu. The Zhili clique lacked strong leadership and a real source of funding. They did not have much influence over Parliament, thus they were quite hopeless against the Anhui clique who were only getting stronger each day. In October of 1918, the Anfu Club managed to secure a new president, Xu Shichang. Xu Shichang was the former viceroy of Manchuria, considered a safe pick by the Anfu members. Xu lacked a following, he was quite old, a school type, someone they all assumed could be easily manipulated, basically a new Li Yuanghong. By the end of 1918 the Anfu club appeared to be in a position to unify China for the first time since the death of Yuan Shikai. However they depended heavily on Japanese loans and as a result easily fell victim to those who would label them to be in league with Japan. Members of the Zhili clique capitalized on this, spreading accusations left right and center, making public statements accusing the Anfu members of selling China out to Japan. By 1919 the Anfu group still looked sturdy, but then the Treaty of Versailles situation hit. The public outrage to the peace talks led many Anhui clique members of Duan's cabinet to flee to Japan. Then the May Fourth Movement began, prompting the Zhili clique to latch themselves onto the cause of the student protestors. Duan Qirui realized his stronghold on Beijing was becoming fragile. Any direct attack against another warlord would be dangerous, thus he tried to do things covertly. He began by trying to economically strangle areas of his enemies, he reduced government funds to their provinces. He also tried to set up new appointments in the central provinces to dominate them. He appointed General Zhang Jingyao to be the military governor over Hunan province. Wu Peifu whose powerbase was in Sichuan and western Hunan saw this as a direct threat. Now when this was occuring, Japan was facing economic problems and thus could no longer loan money to the Anhui clique. This led the Anfu club to seek a new source of revenue. Meanwhile, Wu Peifu reacted to the threat to his territory by seeking out support from the Zhili clique, in particular he went to his old mentor Cao Kun. Cao Kun had been an officer in the Beiyang Army, initially he did not side with Feng or Duan. When the Anhui clique began to move into central China, this drove Cao to the Zhili clique. Wu Peifu approached his old mentor with a plan, it was to be a campaign against the Anhui. Cao agreed to the idea, only if Wu could prove they would have enough forces capable of attacking Anhui's powerbase around Beijing. Wu then went to work calling upon the warlords of Sichuan, Shanxi and Hubei who were all not receiving much funding from the central government. Thus they all banded together. In November of 1919 Wu Peifu met with Tang Jiyao and Lu Rongting at Hengyang, where they signed a treaty entitled "Rough Draft of the National Salvation Allied Army" This effectively formed the basis of a true anti-Anhui clique alliance. After this in April of 1920, while visiting a memorial service at Baoding for soldiers who died in Hunan, Cao Kun added more warlords to the new anti-Anhui clique alliance, including the rulers of Hubei, Henan, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Zhili. The conflict became public as both sides began deploying for the coming war. By May of 1920, Wu Peifu was prepared to launch a campaign to strike into northern China and he began to mobilize his armies up the Tientsin-Pukow railway. Yet before this he also did something else, Wu extended a hand out to an unlikely figure, Zhang Zuolin. He explained his campaign plan to Zhang Zuolin, and advised him, a campaign from the northeast above the Great Wall might be very beneficial to them both, wink wink. Thus in March of 1920, Zhang Zuolin had arranged a feast in Mukden for the warlords of Zhili, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang. It was a secret conference to set up a solid 8 province alliance against the Anhui clique. This intense period of scheming saw President Xu Shichang invite Zhang Zuolin over for a meeting in Beijing. American writer Nathaniel Peffer was there and had this to say of Zhang. “Until his triumphal entry into Peking in 1920, Zhang Zuolin had not come down out of his Mukden fastness for years. In those years a legend had grown up round him — a legend of a fierce, uncouth, primitive creature of the wilds. It was with some zest, therefore, that I accepted an invitation of his nearly English-speaking secretary to attend an audience for foreign correspondents. It was with even greater amazement that I found myself bowing to a slender, delicate little person in subdued silks, soft-spoken and with hands as lovely and graceful as I have ever seen on a man. The terror of the north country looked like a precious aesthete. There was nothing of the aesthete in his speech or his demeanour, however. The interview was marked by none of the usual subtle evasion, the nice circumlocution. There was blunt talk on both sides; and it was eloquent that, when our questions verged on the brutally frank, the secretary who interpreted did not translate them as they were put, but softened them until the meaning was transformed. The quailing of the servitors when the tea was a second late also was eloquent. When he recommended the execution of a whole regiment as a proper punishment for mutiny; one was glad the regiment was not in his command”. During the meeting, Zhang told Xu he had no idea what a “zhili group was or what an Anfu group was”. Everyone should just cooperate in general for a northern cause. Then Zhang Zuolin traveled from Beijing to Baoding to meet with the Zhili's defacto leader Cao Kun. As Zhang was on his way, the anti-anfu coalition managed to force President Xu Shichang to dismiss Xu Shuzheng from all of his posts. Allegedly, after this President Xu Shichang sent an invitation to Zhang Zuolin to come back to his residence after his trip to Baoding was done and he planned to kill him. Premier Duan heard of the plan and told the president to not go through with it, because Zhang Zuolin had supported him in the past. Nonetheless Zhang Zuolin high tailed it back to Manchuria under a disguise. Once back in Mukden, Zhang Zuolin sent a telegram to Xu and Duan stating “in the future instead of mediating politically, I will do so militarily”. In July various Zhili and Fengtian generals such as Cao Kun, Zhang Zuolin, Wang Zhanyuan, Li Shun, Chen Guangyuan, Zhao Ti and Ma Fuxiang all signed a denunciation of the Anhui clique and its political arm, the Anfu Club. This denunciation was circulated through a telegram called Paoting-fu on July 12th. Duan Qirui was outraged by the situation and demanded President Xu Shichang dismiss Cao Kun and Zhang Zuolin from all of their positions. In response to the very obvious threat, Duan formed the National Stabilization army, using 5 divisions and 4 combined brigades with himself as commander in chief and General Xu Shuzheng as his general chief of staff. Duan deployed his forces in 2 fronts, the west covering the regions of Zhouzhou, Gu'an and Laishui and the east covering Hamlet, Beijimiao, Yang and Liang. Cao Kun gathered their 3rd division and 9 combined brigades to form a Traitor Suppression army, with Wu Peifu as the front line commander-in-chief. The Zhili clique deployed their forces in the region of the Yang hamlet and due west of Gaobei. In the northeast, Zhang Zuolin deployed 3 divisions, roughly 70,00 men at the Machang and Junliangcheng. The battle plan was for the Zhili to strike from the south, converging on Baoding and then Beijing while the Fengtian would advance through the Shanhai pass of the Great Wall to attack the northern territories. Now the Anhui clique basically held dominance over the Beijing area, Anhui and along most of China's coast, however the Zhili clique now was dominating Jiangsu province, thus severing the vital railway that the Anhui depended on to move troops from north to south. While Duan could see the Zhili were mobilizing, the appearance of 3 Fengtian divisions advancing through Shanghaiguan caught his men by complete surprise. Duan in a rather panicked fashion ordered his troops in the capital to converge around Tientsin where he was forced to meet both enemies on a southern and northern front. On July 14th of 1920, the Anhui army made the first move by simultaneously attacking both fronts. Zhili troops were forced to abandon Gaobei and 2 days later with Japanese assistance the Anhui forces were able to capture the Yang Hamlet, forcing the Zhili to form a second line of defense in the Beicang region. It was at Beicang where the Anhui forces finally lost momentum and were halted. On July 17th, Wu Peifu personally took command of the Zhili western front, where he unleashed a daring maneuver. He outflanked the Anhui forces at Zhouzhou and proceeded to storm the western Anhui army HQ. There Wu Peifu captured the Anhui front line commander-in-chief Qu Tongfeng and many of his officers, including the 1st division commander. After the capture of Zhuozhou, Wu Peifu pursued the retreating Anhui forces towards Beijing. With the exception of the Anhui 15th division, their western front was all but annihilated.Also on the same day, the Fengtian army crashed into the Anhui eastern front.General Xu Shuzheng received word of the collapse of the western front and promptly fled to Langfang and then Beijing, leaving his forces to surrender to the combined forces of Wu Peifu and Zhang Zuolin. While the majority of the Anhui forces would be taken prisoners, many also managed to escape to Zhejiang and Shanghai, but they were a fraction of what they once were. By July 19th, Duan realized he had lost the war and publicly announced he was resigning from all of his posts. On the 23rd the combined Zhili and Fengtian forces entered Nanyuan and gradually pacified Beijing accepting the surrender of the Anhui clique. In less than a week of battle, the strongest clique was unexpectedly defeated. Zhang Zuolin's military capabilities received a enormous boom from the short battle. His men had captured vast quantities of arms, armaments, ammunition and military vehicles from the Japanese financed frontier defense army of the Anhui clique. It apparently took 100 railway wagons to send all the looted goods back to Mukden, alongside 12 captured aircraft. Zhang Zuolin also suffered pretty much nothing during the battle. The fengtian had merely put a heavy force on the field, they actually sat back quite idly most of the time allowing Wu Peifu to take the lionshare of the actual action against the enemy. At this junction Zhang Zuolin faced two large decisions. First he could return to his powerbase in the northeast with assurances Beijing would not interfere with the development of his provinces. The Japanese were likewise constantly hassling Zhang to refrain from getting involved in the national political scene, to just develop his own region. Obviously Japan was arguing this while dangling financial aid because they were heavily invested in Manchuria and did not want any threats aimed at it, especially from Beijing. Wang Yongjiang, who would become a brilliant economic administrator to the Fengtian Clique, aiding in a lot of reforms, he believed the northeast provinces could continue to develop while keeping out of anything going on south of the Great Wall. He also added his voice, arguing Zhang should just stay the hell away from Beijing and its chaos. The second choice was of course, diving right into the chaos. After the fall of the Anhui Clique, Zhang Zuolin for the first time had tasted a real victory, especially one over a superior adversary. For the first time he had the opportunity to influence the politics of China, he could stop being just a mere bandit leader. Could someone like Zhang Zuolin be the man to reunify China? This he wondered. Thus his choices were to go back to being the tiger of Manchuria or become the man who would lead all of China. What do you think he would choose? I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The occupation of Mongolia looked like a good idea at the time to Duan Qirui, perhaps its could save his reputation so he could focus on defeating the pesky southern warlords. What a shock it was to find out all of the north rallied together to knock him off his tower. Now the Zhili and Fengtian cliques controlled Beijing, but would they work together, or simply fall into conflict, furthering China's misery.
En este epsiodio quiero hablarte de un glaciar que está triste pero se resiste a desaparecer. Vamos a caminar a la Gran Laguna de la Sierra y a recibir los mensajes y reflexiones que nos deja la montaña.*Para comprar mi libro Me quedan las montañas haz clic AQUÍ.**Si quieres que te mande información sobre el taller Una aventura con la escritura o los campamentos de escritura y montaña, haz clic AQUÍ.♡ SÍGUEMEEn Instagram AQUÍPor Facebook AQUÍ♡ Hazte Caminante Sonora/o AQUÍ. Si quieres ir a la Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, te recomiendo a VulturtrekMezcla, edición e ilustración: Carolina Echeverri O.Estudio de grabación y asesoría en producción: Mauricio Romero de Gente que (Productora de podcast)
durée : 00:59:23 - Chita Rivera : une vie " All that Jazz " (2/2) : Chicago - par : Laurent Valière - En 1975, John Kander compose pour Chita Rivera l'air qui devient sa signature « All That Jazz » dans la comédie musicale « Chicago ». - réalisé par : Olivier Guérin
durée : 00:58:42 - Chita Rivera : une vie "All that Jazz" (1/2) : West Side Story - par : Laurent Valière - Chita Rivera était un exemple impressionnant de l'art américain de la comédie musicale : extraordinaire danseuse, chanteuse et comédienne. Elle a disparu le 30 janvier à l'âge de 91 ans. Nous racontons sa carrière à commencer par la création du rôle de Anita dans West Side Story en 1957. - réalisé par : Céline Parfenoff
Often on Valentine's or other holidays, we tend to reminisce on the times we got our heart broken. In this episode, we speak about the pain caused by the people in our lives and how it made who we are today.Come and listen to us discuss about our feelings. Don't forget to share and comment.Chita epi vin koute 2 manmzelle yo! Epi pa blye pataje ak zanmi'w.Side note: We recorded this over a year ago. Our feelings and view point may have changedFollow us at @2mamzelles on Instagram and TwitterFind Stelly at @sherriies & Leila at @Leila_adolphe on social media
Broadway Legend Chita Riveria passed away last night.
Ericka and Hunter took the pod to the skies and went to sit in Chita Beseau's Breakroom in Las Vegas Nevada... Chita had a year full of twists and turns that ultimately ended in her creating her legacy. This is one y'all DON'T want to miss!!! https://www.instagram.com/chitabeseau/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/breakroombanter/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/breakroombanter/support
Let's face it - CQC inspections can be scary stuff for principals and managers (and even associates!) As per your request, I brought on a CQC Specialist Advisor, Dr Chita Davda to share her top tips to passing with flying colours. https://youtu.be/iLkclWANzsk Watch GF021 on Youtube We discussed the common things that CQC checks on a practice, common questions they ask, and some tips on how to pass the examination. The emphasis is on understanding that the CQC and dental professionals share the same core ethics. Inspections aren't about catching each other out but ensuring the best possible care for patients. Need to Read it? Check out the Full Episode Transcript below! If you want to learn more about Dr Chita, you can check out her website https://www.trainwithchita.co.uk In the upcoming CPD event at The Shard, attendees will get a rare opportunity to hear from a lead inspector from the CQC. This provides a chance to debunk myths and understand common errors, offering clarity to dental professionals. If you want to be a part of this event, head over to https://protrusive.co.uk/shard If you enjoyed this episode, you will also like Indemnity vs Insurance 2023 – Which one is best for you? – GF019 Did you know? You can get CPD from the Web App or Phone App and watch premium clinical videos, for less than a tax deductible Nando's per month? Click below for full episode transcript: Yeah, so we try and keep it as fair as possible. And obviously we'll ask permission of the dentist just to make sure they're okay for us to go through it. [Jaz]And if they say no, is that a cheat code? [Ruchita]If they say no, then we feel like you want something to hide. Try not to say no. I've had it queried a couple of times, but also we have like a warrant when we go into a practice. So in theory, we are able to access what we need to. But I'd also, as a fellow dentist, I like to just keep that respect for everyone. So even if I have to look at the drawers inside a dent, like a surgery, I'll always just be like, do you mind if I have a look? If there's anything you don't want me to see, maybe just get rid of it for a few minutes and then put it back in if that's okay. Jaz's IntroductionHello, Protruserati. I'm Jaz Gulati and welcome to a group function. We haven't done one of these episodes in a long while. A GF episode is basically when we take a question from the Protruserati. And you know what? I've always kind of shied away from compliance, right? Compliance type things don't excite me so much, but it's important to cover because that's what allows us to practice our dentistry safely. And that's exactly what today is about. So there's something in the UK called the Care Quality Commission or the CQC, and every dental practice needs to have some sort of inspection at some point from the CQC to make sure that everything is safe and well for that practice to deliver patient care. So I brought on today Dr. Ruchita Davda to talk us about what are the common pitfalls we make when it comes to these CQC inspections and how to make sure we pass with flying colors. There are no premium notes for this episode, but at the end you can get CPD for this by answering a few questions on the app. Otherwise, those of you listening, please enjoy those of you watching. It's not a super visual episode, but there's so many important nuggets. If you are a UK practitioner and you have a practice, or you're thinking about buying a practice one day, it gives you great insights into what the CQC actually does and how to make sure you are prepared for that eventuality. Please enjoy the episode and I'll catch you in the outro. Main Episode:Chita Davida, welcome to the Protrusive Dental Podcast. How are you? [Ruchita]I am good. Thank you. And how are you, Jaz? [Jaz]You know what? I've had the sniffles. I've been trying to shake it off for the longest time. And I emailed everyone about it,
We sit down with Houston's favorite meteorologist, Chita Craft. Chita—pronounced Cheetah—is a family name. In fact, there are five generations of mother-daughter Chita's in her family, including her daughter, who is also a "Chita." Chita shares her journey being born in Knoxville, TN to growing up in southern California to becoming a crucial part of the Houston news scene 12 years ago. From forecasting us through our most severe events like Hurricane Harvey and the Texas Freeze to being recognized as one of 'Top 30 Influential Women of Houston' for her work as a meteorologist and her support of the community, Chita is a true Houston legend.
We are starting the season a little spicy. Leila & Stelly share their experience and views on sex. We give insight of what have affected our sex lives and views on it. This episode is part 1 of a fè bagay series.Come and listen to us discuss about our opinion on sex. Don't forget to share and comment.Chita epi vin koute 2 manmzelle yo! Epi pa blye pataje ak zanmi'w.Follow us at @2mamzelles on Instagram and TwitterFind Stelly at @sherriie & Leila at @Leila_adolphe on social media
O Markl tinha uma história pendurada desde julho... mas não se esqueceu.
At the age of 23, Danielle Matthews was hit by a drunk driver and sustained a life-altering injury to her brain. The medical world said there was no hope of recovery and told her to accept this life as her “new normal”. Although her body was physically impaired, her spirit was strong and she refused to believe their diagnosis. Her mind was determined to recover. And she did.She is a testament to the concept of post-traumatic growth and has since built an international business that did $2.2 million in sales last year. She also authored an e-book called, Mind Control: It's All In Your Head, to share her life-altering experience with countless people around the globe.
La trágica historia de Chita y Pancho, los chimpancés que se encontraban bajo el cuidado del Bioparque Ukumarí en Pereira y que fueron sacrificados. ¿Qué pasó? ¿Cuáles serán las consecuencias de este hecho?
La Luciérnaga se enciende para hablar sobre Salvatore Mancuso, uno los comandantes más importantes de las Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, quien se encuentra retenido en Estados Unidos será ‘gestor de paz' del gobierno nacional. Según Gustavo Petro, la designación de Mancuso será para terminar el proceso de paz con las Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, negociación que se desarrolló a partir del año 2002, durante el primer periodo presidencial de Álvaro Uribe Vélez. También, el pasado domingo 23 de julio se presentó un escape de chimpancés en el Bioparque Ukumarí, lo que activó el código rojo de emergencia de la entidad y zonas aledañas, pues las autoridades indicaron que a uno de los animales lo vieron dirigirse hacia el Parque Consotá. Sin embargo, este lunes, el Bioparque emitió un mensaje lamentando el fallecimiento de los dos animales, Pancho y Chita. Asimismo, hoy se presentó un caso de sicariato en la Calle 85 con Carrera Séptima donde delincuentes armados, le quitaron la vida a un ciudadano, quien salia del gimnasio. Los hechos, se presentaron a plena luz del día, hacia las 2:00 p.m. Ante esta grave situación, se pronunció la alcaldesa Claudia López. La Luciérnaga, un espacio de humor y opinión de Caracol Radio que acompaña desde hace más de 30 años a sus oyentes en el regreso a casa.
After a long hiatus, we are back new and fresh!Here's an episode to give a small update of what we've been up to. Come and listen to us discuss about the changes we went through these past few months. Don't forget to share and comment.Chita epi vin koute 2 manmzelle yo! Epi pa blye pataje ak zanmi'w.Follow us at @2mamzelles on Instagram and TwitterFind Stelly at @sherriie & Leila at @Leila_adolphe on social media
This week, KHOU Meteorologist Chita Craft shared what to expect and how to prepare for the 2023 hurricane season. See KHOU's flood resources here. See HAR's flood resources here. Are you an HAR MLS Platinum Subscriber? Join our Facebook Group! Click to join. Sign Up for your free Real Estate News Subscription here. Sign up for your free Inman Select Subscription here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube , and LinkedIn.
Chita and the guys talked about her new book 'Chita: A Memoir.' Rivera told the guys she has no regrets and is happy with her career.
184 VENEZUELA SUB 17 EMPATA / DAVID MARTÍNEZ HEROE VINOTINTO / VENEZOLANOS EN LIBERTADORES Y SUDAM.
Chita pale sa chill anpil, Marianata gen yon bèl fason li pale de Atizay ak sou jan l travay sou plizyè medium. Se te yon lonè pou m te tande l e yon plezi pou m te akeyi l.
Jason Alexander Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wow! Just wow! I've loved Jason Alexander since Pretty Woman, and in everything, I've seen him in since. He somehow managed to exceed my high hopes and great expectations as a human, a storyteller… a mensch! Such a huge fan, I was anxious that I'd muck it up being in awe. His smile as soon as he entered the Zoom room set me at ease, and his open willingness allowed the conversation to never cease flowing. It would be impossible to cite a favorite “part.” Each story a gem. From his family of NOVIDS (love it!) how they coped, continue to, how he met his wife, adorable story, the secret of their 40-year martial success as Jason has come to see it––magnificent, I've replayed that part thrice already, his parents, how he shifted his dream from magic to show biz, fabulous story there, landing his first Broadway show at 19, Sondheim and Hal Prince, please! The Rink with Liza and Chita, an inspiring tale to take forward, a terrific story about scoring Pretty Woman with a little help from a movie star new friend, and getting Seinfeld, amidst fierce competition. Creating George, changing George, Larry David, Jerry, Julia, and Michael, the group dynamic, Curb, and then we jumped to Jason's upcoming podcast, Really No Really, with Peter Tilden, dropping in February on iHeart and then available wherever you get your podcasts. There was so much more to discuss but the time was flying. Jason agreed to come back and offered to in February to coincide with the drop. Gonna hold him to it. Hours later, I still haven't stopped smiling. I got so much out of this time with Jason, much food for thought, and takeaways all over the place. The topper is that it was such exuberant fun. As much as I admired and adored Jason before, it's that much more having spent this time in his great company. This is a gift to us. Happy Festivus! Jason Alexander Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wednesday, 12/14/22, 5 pm PT, 8 pm ET Streamed Live on my Facebook Replay here: https://bit.ly/3PIT4pH All BROADcasts, as podcasts, also available on iTunes apple.co/2dj8ld3 Stitcher bit.ly/2h3R1fla tunein bit.ly/2gGeItj Also on iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Voox, OwlTail, Backtracks, PlayerFM, Himalaya, Podchaser, and Listen Notes
J&M Podcast Sezon 3 EP 21 DJX-Tacy te chita pale ak Jojo Kijan Barca ye? sa kap pase Lakers ak Warriors? Siw vle gade tout match an dirèk pa bliye telechaje J&M Live https://onelink.to/3y95ku #jmsports101 #haiti #sports #soccer #laliga #ballondor #benzema #ronaldo --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jmsports101/support
En el episodio de hoy hablamos de una expresión que los nativos españoles utilizamos de manera coloquial: a la chita callando. Os explico su significado y uno de sus posibles orígenes. En este enlace tenéis 1 semana gratis de prueba del programa de hábitos: https://fluentspanish.express/gratis/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/fluentspanishexpress/message
In this episode, Hunter and Ericka sit down in the breakroom with viral sensation Chita Beseau. She talks all about social media, and how it has helped boost her career to the next level. Then we continue the conversation over on patreon on the afterpod! FOLLOW CHITA BESEAU https://www.instagram.com/chitabeseau/ Follow our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/breakroombanterpod FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL: https://www.instagram.com/erickatheredhead/ https://www.instagram.com/hairxhunter/ https://www.instagram.com/breakroombanterpod/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/breakroombanter/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/breakroombanter/support
Incomparable two-time Tony Award Chita Rivera winner will recreate signature moments from her legendary career at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on July 31. In addition to a tribute to her dear friends John Kander and Fred Ebb, the timeless music of Leonard Bernstein, Charles Strouse and Lee Adams, Jerry Herman and Stephen Sondheim will also be featured, accompanied by her long-time trio.
BEST THEATRE EXPERIENCES LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR BEST THEATRE EXPERIENCES https://www.instagram.com/jayanda_aregay/ (Jay & A are Gay the Podcast) hosted by https://www.instagram.com/jaysonlkerr/ (Jayson Kerr) & https://www.instagram.com/directorsalazar/ (Aaron Salazar); they are back where they belong: Talking BEST THEATRE EXPERIENCES. Jayson & Aaron cover everything from Chita to Lady Day and EVERYTHING in between, leading to their TOP 3 Theatre Experiences. ART, LOVE, LIFE, THEATREEEEEEEEEEEE Jump in with a coffee or cocktail and get your weekend going right! Gay Podcast Gay Podcast Gay Podcast FOLLOW US https://www.instagram.com/jayanda_aregay/ (@JAYANDA_AREGAY)Please SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jay-a-are-gay/id1573658715 (HERE)Alvarez Keko Salazar Productions
The Cold Coffee Club gets to chat with Chita Craft, meteorologist from Houston's KHOU11 news team! She shares how she manages to maintain an incredible career serving the Houston area while raising two beautiful children with her husband, Lane. Some true wisdom and advice from such a lovely, talented mama! "Cream & Sugar" Recommendations: Jenny is so appreciative to Next Level Urgent Care! Next Level has been clutch for her and her family lately. So easy to get the care patients need with a quick and simple process and patient care. She strongly recommends their app to get the health care you need. Ashley is reading Lot: Stories, written by Bryan Washington, a Houston-native who has written a collection of short stories about H-Town and its diverse community, that centers around a boy's coming of age in our city. "House Blend" Favorite Posts: We are all about the guides! Houston Moms is always helping you find ways to fill your calendars with incredible, family- friendly experiences and adventures for all ages. Don't miss out on these need to know resources: Houston Happenings in April, Ultimate Camp Guide & Bluebonnets Sightings!
Our guest Ritu Agarwal, PhD, and Robert H. Smith Dean's Chair of Information Systems and founding director of the school's Center for Health Information and Decision Systems (CHIDS) discusses using digital technology, analytics, and AI to educate the next generation of health IT researchers and executives and leaders. This episode is part of a Health IT series by the AMA-MSS Committee on Health Information Technology, hosted by Kristofer Jackson, Medical student at the University of Toledo College of Medicine.
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In episode 15, Culture and Corporate Social Responsibility with Chita Kabulo we had a memorable conversation about servant leadership, culture, and confidence. In this replay episode we discuss: - How her identity has formed as both a Black and African woman. - Dealing with others who are intimidated by your power, position, and purpose. - Gaining confidence in the midst of transition. - Navigating through the nuance of conversation without overstepping boundaries. - The power of being available and “raising your hand.”And so much more!Connect with Chitahttps://www.instagram.com/chitamweshi/and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chitabalakabulo/Connect with Arylle at: www.linkedin.com/in/arylleyoung_WORK N PLAY EQUIPMENT LIST:Blue Yeti Podcast Microphone https://amzn.to/3q4WOa8Ring Light https://amzn.to/3wh7wvkPodcast Mixer https://amzn.to/3CJSwZeBox Light https://amzn.to/3q4SXtMTo listen on the audio , click here to listen anywhere :https://www.podpage.com/the-work-n-pl...Get your Corporate Exit Blueprint Free training here: http://www.corporateexitblueprint.com... To be a guest on the Work N Play Podcast, contact: info@guidecp.comThanks for listening!
Shop Talk by 124Go - Conversations for those who are licensed to create.
@chitabeseau | Standing behind what you believe in | Doing Your Part Listen to the first interview with Chita: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tbt-chitabeseau-on-professionalism-inspiration-social/id1445070927?i=1000503404101 Follow Chita on social: https://www.instagram.com/chitabeseau/?hl=en https://www.tiktok.com/@chitabeseau?lang=en More on Keune Education: https://keuneeducation.com Looking to private label? Try Genesis Private Label - www.bit.ly/GenesisShopTalk Say hi to Chris and John on social: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/124.go/ https://www.instagram.com/chrissulimayhair/ https://www.instagram.com/noindoorvoice/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/124GO/ If you're a hairdresser, salon owner, salon manager or hair beauty professional, please subscribe and give us a Wicked Good Review!! Follow us on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/124.go/ / Music information: Never Wanna Grow up, by the incredible Katrina Stone. https://artlist.io/song/6748/never-wa… Thank you for stopping by! Chris and John
