Life And Death Line:Study On The Relationship Between Railway And Anti-Japanese War

Railway has important strategic value and significance in modern war since its emergence.Railway has even become the "line of life and death" of the warring parties in modern war.In wartime,the railway must be used when it needed and must be destroyed as far as possible when it's not needed,otherwise it may cause the war to fail.Whether it is used or destroyed depends on the change of the war situation.If we can not make decisive decisions on whether use of or destroy the railway strategically and tactically according to the changes of the situation,it often becomes the key factor of the outcome of a war.The "line of life and death" is the precise strategic positioning of the railway in the railway war.Sometimes it is the line of attack,sometimes it is the line of defense or the line of blockade;sometimes it is lifeline,sometimes it is deathline.The nature of the "line" depends on who take control of the railway and who can use it by itself.Railway also played a very important role in the Anti-Japanese War.This paper studies the interaction between railway and Anti-Japanese War from the following five aspects:After the Meiji Restoration,the railway gradually became the war weapon of Japanese foreign aggression.During the War of Resistance Against Japan,Japan used the railway to advance the aggressive war against China,and used the railway to carry out the "cage policy" in the enemy-occupied areas.In order to fight for control of the railway,the Japanese army invaded and destroyed the Chinese railway.In order to maintain the smooth flow of the blood-transfusion pipeline as the route of its invasion in China,the Japanese invaders carried out colonial administration of the railway in the enemy-occupied areas,and carried out some measures to facilitate the maintenance and operation of the railway,such as carrying out the road-loving movement,carrying out railway combined transport,repairing old roads and building new roads,in order to enhance the railway transport capacity.Japan's railway transport in the enemy-occupied areas was mainly military transport,meanwhile it carried the task of transporting the resources plundered by the invaders in China.However,as a result of the resistance of the Chinese military and people,especially the launching of the railway strike war under the leadership of the Communist Party of China,Japanese army's activities of repair?construction and operation of the railway was hard hit.The Japanese aggressor's attempt to keep the railway open and provide efficient services for its aggression was also hit.Railway is the traffic weapon of war,so it is very necessary and important to prepared it well for war before and during the war.The content of the National Government' railway combat readiness mainly includes:Establishing the railway transportation command,improving railway regulations and management systems,which includes improve railway operation and management,reorganize railway police,establish wartime inter-traffic vehicle system.Meanwhile,The National Government improved and enriched the equipment of some railway lines,such as shifting heavy rails,sleepers and strengthening bridges to increase speed;purchasing more locomotives to enhance transport capacity;adding telecommunications equipment to unify vehicle scheduling;building and improving air defense equipment;increasing battlefield equipment to improve transport efficiency;purchasing storage of vehicles and emergency repair materials.In addition,the National Government carried out some war preparations,such as open the Guangdong-Wuhan Railway,construct the Suzhou-Jiaxing Railway,and build Qiantang River Bridge.Finally,the National Government strengthened the war preparedness management of railway employees,such as enhance their communication and cooperation ability,motivate their work efficiency and reserved talents.Railway construction and transportation determine the maneuverability of war.The political and economic centers of The National Government were transferred because of the rapid advance of the Japan's War on China along the railway line,which caused most of the Chinese railways to fall in the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japan.The National Government has built a railway network in the south-west and north-west in order to ensure communication between the rear and the front lines of the war and the international community.The National Government has adopted some corresponding measures to improve the anti-Japanese transportation capacity of the railway.Such as improve the railway equipment,strengthen the joint transport mechanism,co-working in railway line,personnel incentives,coordination combat between transportation organs and the army,etc.During the wartime railway transportation was mainly used in military,it also used as transporting passenger and cargo.Due to the destruction of the war and the shortage of railway equipment and fuel in wartime,the transportation capacity of railway in wartime has been seriously affected,resulting in the imbalance of railway transportation.Although The circumstances of the war limited the effectiveness of the railroads,the railways still made a major contribution to the war effort t under the heroic struggle of the railroad workersBecause of its own advantages,the railway is regarded as "the weight of the country " of all countries in national defense.Railway is not only the strategic logistics supply route for the war and the main military target,but also the direct weapon of war.During the war of resistance against Japanese aggression,the Chinese army and people launched many railway campaigns through sabotaging railroad operations or fighting for control of railway lines.For example,the break battle behind enemy lines led by the Communist Party and railroad scramble battle led by the Kuo Min Tang.Because of the Japanese's invasion and destruction,China's railways continue to retreat and fall with the loss of land.China's railway staff demolished and transported the railway vigorously in the withdrawal of the railway,they advance and retreat together with the army all the time and struggle valiantly with Japanese army in the enemy-occupied areas.Their behaviors shows the national spirit of hard struggle,heroic dedicationDuring the 14 years of the War of Resistance against Japan,the Japanese destruction of the Chinese railway and the self-destruction and dismantling of the railway by the Chinese army at the time caused direct and indirect losses to the railway,such as the losses of railway installations,industrial equipment,property,business operations and railway personnel.The Nanjing National Government has begun planning and preparing for the railway demobilization before and after the victory of the War of Resistance against Japan.However,the intention of the National Government's recovery of railways and demobilization railway staffs is to fight the civil war.It exposed the corrupt,darkness and reactionary nature of the Kuo Min Tang.Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China,the broad masses of the people launched a tit-for-tat railway military struggle,which eventually led the National Government's railway scheme shattered.In studying the interactive relationship between railway and Anti-Japanese War,we can draw the following basic conclusions:After the birth of the railway,it played an important role in the modern war,changed the strategy and tactics of the war,and also increased the scale and cruelty of the war,the railway services was tested in the modern war,and developed to a certain extent;Railways have played an important role in modern wars;The railway is a major power,railway construction and development influence even determine a country's overall national strength,decided the victory of the war to a certain extent;In the war,the railway became the main object of contention between the warring parties.The railroad became an instrument of war,torn down and restored,torn down and repaired by war.The victory of the war decided the survival of the railway;In the war,railways not only played an important role in military transport,but also in passenger and cargo transportation to stabilize the people.However,due to the destruction of the war,the railway transportation capacity was not fully utilized.