Chapter 951: Chapter 710: The Big Detour and Action
It turned out that what the man had said was not false, just as Barton had indicated.
Because just on the second day, General Panxing received an urgent telegram from the government of Minnesota, reporting a large presence of Australasia Army forces in the Newfolden area.
By the time General Panxing called an emergency meeting, two hours had passed, and no one could be certain where the Australasia Army had gotten to or what their objective was.
The worst part for the Western Front Army was that General Panxing had committed most of his 100,000 troops to the front lines, leaving only about 15,000 reserve troops available.
Now, these 15,000 had to delay the onslaught of the Australasia Army, creating an opportunity for the troops on the front lines to retreat.
ed a large-scale offensive, attacking the entire defensive line, targeting the top, middle, and bottom.
...
The enemy no longer hid its movements, as the Russian army, Philippines army, and Kalimantan army all mobilized, with the count of enemies on the front exceeding 120,000.
Over this period, the Australasians had clearly ascertained General Panxing’s defensive deployments.
That’s why this offensive was mainly targeting locations with large military deployments.
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And because of the enemy’s large-scale offensive, General Panxing’s retreat plan was completely disrupted.
If they did not counterattack against the imminent enemy onslaught, their own retreat would become extremely difficult, as the enemy would keep on their tail, making the retreat dangerous no matter where they went.
With a formidable enemy ahead and encirclement from behind, General Panxing sighed and issued his final command: “Strike back with all your might!”
Yes, in General Panxing’s eyes, it was better to go down fighting than to surrender.
Even if the Western Front Army was in its most perilous state, General Panxing refused to be captured by the enemy.
The highest honor for a soldier is to die in battle, and General Panxing decided to do just that, ending his long and brilliant life.
Just as General Panxing resolved to fight to the death, in the farther western Williston, a dramatic scene was unfolding.
eral guards quickly subdued the division’s staff and other officers.
“Damn it, what are you doing, Barton?” The 7th Division’s commander only then reacted, furiously demanding an explanation.
“I am doing what must be done, Your Excellency,” Barton replied calmly, clearly having prepared himself mentally: “Now, my respected Commander, I am honored to inform you that I have taken over the headquarters.
And to all the gentlemen on staff, please do not make any unnecessary movements. After all, bullets do not discriminate, do they? Thank you for your cooperation.”
With that, Barton and his men, controlling the commander and several staff members, slowly walked out of the tent.
This unusual occurrence soon caught the attention of the soldiers at the headquarters, but because Barton controlled the commander and many staff members, they were powerless against the man who had so boldly kidnapped their commander.
“Now, my respected Commander, please instruct these soldiers to lay down their weapons and surrender,” Barton said, calmly shifting his handgun to prompt the commander.
“Have you gone mad, Barton? You will answer for your actions!” the commander of the 7th Division still didn’t grasp the situation, questioning angrily.
“The one who’s crazy is you, Brigadier General,” Barton’s expression remained calm as he looked at the many soldiers surrounding him. “Everyone, please think carefully, who is this war really for?
Our families are still suffering from hunger, does the government provide them any help or subsidies? Even if they do, how did it all come to this?
Our resistance will only lead to more casualties. Don’t you want to go back and see your families again?
Now, the Australasia Army has successfully moved behind us. If we don’t stop resisting, the only outcome for all of us will be capture or being killed.
I promise you, those who lay down their weapons now will receive a severance pay and then be able to return to their hometowns safely.
The war will end soon, the foolish Hoover won’t last much longer. We do not need to risk our lives for someone who disregards the interests of the common people. Our loyalty should be to all Americans, not the American Government.
Look at California, it has become better under Australasia’s administration—isn’t that the best proof?
Our country has rotted under the government’s management, with those officers colluding with capitalists, exploiting us ordinary Americans.
We should establish an America for Americans, where we and our families are away from war, instead of risking our lives for President Hoover.
ad been separated from their families for several months and had suffered from war and casualties, these new recruits naturally developed a longing for their homes.
Barton’s words were the best persuasion for them, enabling them to deeply consider whether what they were doing was worth it.
Beyond the initial subsidies during recruitment, the government offered them, and even their families, no help or subsidy during the entire economic crisis.
Does it really make sense to help such a government? Compared to the current situation in California, these soldiers even have trouble distinguishing which government is actually elected by the American people.
Naturally, Barton did not count on all the soldiers giving up resistance. His real trump card lay in the soldiers outside the command post who had already proven their loyalty to him.
These soldiers were carefully selected from Barton’s Infantry Regiment; they all subscribed to Barton’s ideas and believed that ending the war promptly was good news for Americans.
For Barton, it was enough to shake the beliefs of these soldiers. Once his loyal soldiers arrived at the command post, he would be able to smoothly take control of the entire Seventh Division, completing a large part of the plan.
As for the rest, they would simply wait for the Australasia Army to arrive and then hand over the entire area where the Seventh Division was stationed to Australasia’s administration.
Of course, Barton’s previous promise to let these soldiers go was not false.
For Australasia, maintaining a favorable impression among the common American people was very important. Allowing these soldiers to return home would enable them to spread positive news about Australasia, improving the American people’s impression of Australasia.
ns to control barbarians, allowing Americans to govern Americans, which will at least eliminate concerns about stability.
After all, even if Americans don’t trust Australasians, could they not trust their own fellow countrymen who share the same roots?
Moreover, these officers will certainly be chosen by all Americans themselves in public. If they can’t trust even those they’ve chosen, there will not be many left to trust.
As Barton took action, an Australasia Army had already crossed the Poplar River and was heading towards Williston.
This area was previously patrolled by Barton’s Infantry Regiment, but today it was deserted.
This allowed the Australasia Army to proceed smoothly, reaching Williston within just a few hours.