The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 525 Marshall is here

The roar of the engine echoed in the cabin, but it could not suppress the worries in General George Marshall's heart.

He looked out the porthole at the rapidly expanding green land below him - that was the Southeast Asian land belonging to the soon-to-be-established United States of Southeast Asia.

Lush tropical rainforests, winding rivers, and towns scattered across the land...

Marshall closed his eyes and began to rest, but his mind was filled with the solemn and worried analysis reports of the staff at the strategic meeting held in the Pentagon before departure.

As military personnel, Marshall and the Pentagon naturally developed a war plan for each country, whether it was an enemy or an ally.

Nanyang, which was about to establish a country, naturally became an imaginary enemy.

However, the situation is not optimistic.

The data from the Pacific battlefield is cold and biting. When the Marines and the Army faced the elite divisions of the Japanese, even though they had absolute firepower and air superiority, the casualty exchange ratio was often close to 1:1.

Although they were able to annihilate their opponents in the end, and the White Eagles suffered mostly wounded with relatively few casualties, this fully demonstrated the tenacity and combat effectiveness of the Japanese.

The predecessor of the Nanyang National Defense Army, the Anmin Army, fought bloody battles with the Japanese for several years in the jungles, cities, and plains of Southeast Asia, achieved a large number of impressive results, and liberated large tracts of land.

(The current territory of the Nanyang United States is over 120 million square kilometers, equivalent to the four provinces of Shanhe plus Shaanxi, Hubei, and Anhui, 2.2 times that of Gaul and 3.2 times that of the Japs)

After evaluation, the General Staff concluded that the overall combat effectiveness of the Nanyang Defense Force, especially the tenacity and tactical flexibility of the infantry, was stronger than that of the Japanese.

Moreover, the latest intelligence shows that with the assistance of the White Eagle, the total strength of the Nanyang Defense Force (army, navy, and air force) has exceeded 60, and its equipment is mainly Eagle-type weapons.

Once a conflict breaks out between the White Eagle and it, although its logistics system will appear suspicious under the blockade of the White Eagle Navy, its localized production capacity is rapidly improving.

After simulations, the Pentagon's staff concluded that in order to completely invade and defeat such an emerging force with home advantage, strong fighting will and large military strength, the White Eagle would need to deploy at least one million troops.

And that's not counting its formidable navy and budding air force.

Although Marshall was reluctant to admit it, based on scattered intelligence, it was determined that the Nanyang Air Force possessed far more White Eagle aircraft than the number provided for in the Lend-Lease Act. It was likely that Nanyang had already reached a private deal with the financial tycoons in the White Eagle country?

And these 60 are only the active troops in Southeast Asia.

Marshall knew that the Nanyang built by Zhang Chi was a modern, initially industrialized country.

What made him even more uneasy was that once the war became stalemate, with Zhang Chi's almost "deified" prestige among the Chinese in Southeast Asia, his strict and efficient organizational skills, and his industrial capacity, Zhang Chi was fully capable of mobilizing a million or even more young and middle-aged Chinese in a short period of time, arming them as light infantry and sending them to the battlefield.

These soldiers may be poorly equipped, but their fighting spirit and loyalty to Zhang Chi will far exceed imagination.

If things develop to the point where a war needs to be declared in Southeast Asia, even if the White Eagle can win the cooperation of some indigenous forces in Siam, Malaya, Pegu and other places (which is extremely uncertain in itself), the price will inevitably be the complete collapse of relations with the entire Republic of China.

The White Party may be happy to see this happen, but the ordinary people who make up the vast majority of the Republic of China will inevitably develop a deep hatred for the White Eagles because of the experiences of the Chinese in Southeast Asia.

By then, the White Eagle will be stuck in a huge quagmire in the Far East, with the Red Bear gazing covetously in the north, the hostile Republic of China in the middle, and the indestructible Nanyang fortress in the south...

The most crucial thing is, when victory is in sight on the European battlefield and countless White Eagle soldiers are eager to return home, how many people are willing to leave their homes, cross the vast Pacific Ocean, and go to an unfamiliar tropical jungle to fight an expedition with an unpredictable outcome and high cost?

These analyses and deductions weighed on Marshall's heart like a huge rock.

Nanyang, which is about to establish a country, has an industrial base, a sufficiently strong army, and an enterprising leader. It occupies most of the land in Southeast Asia and owns the important Strait of Malacca.

He was clearly aware that if the friendly relations between Nanyang and White Eagle fluctuated, then directly mobilizing large-scale military forces to deal with Nanyang's relaxation would be too costly for White Eagle to bear and would most likely fail.

The use of force can only be the last and worst option.

During this trip, he must represent Commander Luo and White Eagle to win over Zhang Chi and completely incorporate Nanyang into the post-war order framework dominated by White Eagle.

On the plane, Marshall spoke, it was really a different time now.

A strong enough ally can be won over, suppressed, or even betrayed, but the only thing you can no longer do is shout and give orders as you did before.

Soon after, the plane landed smoothly at the airport in Yangon.

Marshall was greeted with the highest level of courtesy, with a red carpet rolled out, a guard of honor standing in formation, and a military band playing the national anthems of both countries.

Even Zhang Chi himself came to greet him at the gangway, and Marshall's worries were temporarily put to rest. At least for now, it seemed that Zhang Chi was still very "loyal" to White Eagle.

"Welcome to Rangoon, General Marshall. Your arrival is an honor to Nanyang." Zhang Chi stretched out his hand and shook hands with Marshall firmly.

"Thank you, Your Excellency Zhang Chi, for your hospitality. It is my honor to witness this vibrant land with my own eyes." Marshall responded, sizing up the young oriental hero in front of him with sharp eyes.

Marshall had to admit that the 'King of the South Seas' before him was in no way inferior to the first founders of the White Eagle United States. He was capable, skillful, and a bit idealistic.

Now it seems that Zhang Chi is still obediently lying dormant under the wings of the White Eagle, and even uses the name of the country as the United States of Southeast Asia in a flattering manner.

But this is only for now, what about the future? Commander Luo can control Nanyang, but once Commander Luo passes away, can the ZZ amateur Truman who takes over be able to do so?

Thinking of the obvious signs of decline, the dying Commander Luo, and the innocent Truman who looked as if he knew nothing, Marshall couldn't help but shook his head.

-----

In the motorcade heading to the State Guest House, Marshall glanced out the window.

The streets of Yangon are clean and orderly, pedestrians are walking hurriedly but full of vitality, new factory buildings can be seen everywhere, and although there are not many vehicles on the road, it is obvious that economic activities are very prosperous.

All of this demonstrates Nanyang’s thriving vitality and its industrial potential that cannot be underestimated.

What made his pupils shrink even more was that when the convoy passed an intersection, he clearly saw another convoy of black luxury cars, heading in the other direction, escorted by guards with distinctly Slavic faces.

On the front of the car, a small but extremely dazzling red flag fluttered in the wind.

"The Russians' people?" Marshall asked Chen Wenxuan, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Southeast Asia, who was accompanying him, seemingly casually.

Chen Wenxuan's smile remained unchanged, not a single word leaking out: "Yes, General. That is the Russian friendship delegation led by Mr. Victor Ivanov. They arrived a day earlier than you. They are here to celebrate the upcoming founding of our country and to have some friendly exchanges."

Marshall sneered in his heart.

Friendly exchanges? At this crucial moment, Uncle Steel dispatched a high-profile delegation, at the level of Deputy Foreign Minister, with an obvious purpose: to win over Zhang Chi and create trouble for the White Eagles in the Far East.

He knows the Russian bear's tactics too well. What you say is not important, what you do is what matters most.

Before coming to Southeast Asia, he naturally knew that the Russians had diplomats in Yangon. This was nothing. Now they were allies, and the Russians also had diplomats in DC.

But he didn't expect that the person who came this time was of such a high level and acted so quickly.

There is no doubt that this will give Zhang Chi, the little fox, a lot of bargaining chips.