alternatehistory.com
The Generalissimo and the Widow
The Vulture - Cheers 
Things are going really well thanks. We've both dropped the L-bomb on each other and I couldn't imagine life being better. I haven't decided to do with Thailand yet - I'm probably going to have them go Japanese - if only for balance reasons
Hendryk - Thanks Hendryk - correction made.
tallwingedgoat - I'm sure the fraternal comrades and brothers and sisters in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics will be happy to allow material and commerce to flow from the peace-loving people's of Germany and China as they struggle against the unfair death lock of the Capitalist powers...
Geekhis Khan - Thanks Geekhis I'm surprised by how well I'm doing to be honest! But there's no way I should be allowed to win. Your TL is several light years ahead of mine both in the quality of the writing and the research (You have a freaking opera in yours!!!)
Nivek - Thanks Nivek - If anything the racism and "White Policy" in Australia and New Zealand is even stronger in this TL thanks to a stronger more hostile China. The tiger might not fly in China but what about a condor? Hmm - there's no reason for the Nazi to make another movie about Chiang - especially now that Chinese and German relations are in a bit of a low.
Wyragen-TXRG4P - Thanks. Without giving too much away the Chinese will send aid and metrial to both sides.
The Vulture - And portugal will be pushed. Very hard.
Wyragen-TXRG4P - Daqing will be discovered soon enough, And it's discovery will lead to - how shall we say - interesting times.
_____________________________________________________________
The Generalissimo and the Widow
The Generalissimo sat calmly yet rather stiffly. The posture reflecting the man's inner thoughts. Calm yet panicked. Secure yet so fragile. So powerful and yet so weak. Images flashed before him - crawling in the mud, shrapnel tearing into his right thigh - on his wedding night, lying drunk sprawled in the bathroom, weeping, fits of hysteric alcohol soaked tears staining his elegant white shirt.
Attempting to flash an easy smile the Generalissimo looks up at the Widow:
"The Wife tells me you've decided to run against me?"
The Widow nods curtly.
"I'm sure that the Diplomat's charm and wit will be enough for you and his faction to win."
The Widow flashes the briefest of smiles before replying:
"Oh, yes, yes I'm sure - but personally I like the look of his party machine too. Actually - let's cut the charade - you and I know that Wang controls the Kuomintang."
The Generalissimo winces but proceeds:
"Ah yes my dear - but I think you're forgetting that power ultimately grows out of the barrel of a gun. Besides - do you really think that the common people will vote for a woman like you?"
"If she's the wife of the Dearly Beloved Sun Yat-sen they might. They will. That's what we're banking on at any rate."
"Good luck then, be careful though - I've been hearing a few rumours about you and -"
The Widow laughs - no cackles, the hair on the Generalissimo's skin stand out.
"I wouldn't go there if I were you Chiang. I'm sure a lot of people might remember a few things here and there about your wedding ni-
"ENOUGH!"
The Generalissimo's fist smashes hard on the table, a dark brown colour built from the finest baltic timber - it vibrates slightly but it stays. The white gloved fist of the Generalissimo contrasting with the dark wood. Face impassive the Generalissimo maintains his stance - as if daring the Widow to laugh.
The Widow cackles again.
The Generalissimo and the Prophet:
To conquer the command of the air means victory; to be beaten in the air means defeat and acceptance of whatever terms the enemy may be pleased to impose.
- Giulio Douhet, Command of the Air
- The High Prophet of Air Power
Any discussion about the Chinese Air Force would be imcomplete without discussing at lenght the works of Giulio Douhet. His influence on the development of Chinese Air Power in the early 20th century marks him as not only as a prophet but as a practical minded man as comfortable with the hard graft of moulding a new air force as with grand, lofty, abstract theorizing. His ability to meld the practical and the theoretical marks him out to be one of history's most astounding military theorists.
Giulio Douhet started life in an obscure little city in Italy. His childhood was a pleasant - if unconventional one. He drifted without much aim or purpose until he found outlet in the military arts - being assigned to the General Staff at the beginning of the century. He was a far-sighted and innovative officer - giving lectures on mechanization and air power long before they were recognized. Alas - he was in a conservative regime and found himself jailed in 1915. Although he was released in 1917 and assigned to be the First Commissioner of Italian Aviation he found himself loathing the army and it's hidebound bureacracies. After the Great War ended - Giulio Douhet - like so many bored impetous men went looking for adventure in China. Like the German Gunther Pluschow, Giulio would soon find himself training many tens of thousands of young Chinese to be fliers. Unlike Gunther Pluschow - Giulio was a philosopher and a prophet. He wrote and published "Command of the Air" in 1923 arguing for the need of a nation to have a fleet of "Strato-Airship Bombers" that could fly so high that they could not be intercepted that would drop "bombs of fire and death" that would ultimately be so terrible that the enemy civilian population would revolt and sue for peace.
In Europe - the conservative hide bound militaries may have dismissed Giulio as either a quack, a deluded soul or brain damaged. In China - Chiang found in him a prophet. (The fact that Chiang also waves millions of Yuan into a project to train dolphins to attack submarines using sonic waves is irrelevant to this) Although there was yet no money available for Airships - there would soon be. Napoleon once said that when China awoke the world would tremble - he had no idea how true his words would eventually proves thanks to Giulio Douhet...
The Generalissimo and the Englishman:
It was no secret that the Generalissimo hated the English. They had gassed him just as the war was about to draw a close and he hated them for that. He hated them for their hypocrisy and their arrogance.
It was odd then to have an Englishman to be right next to the Generalissimo as they stood on the balcony silently watching the parade. The load and impressive roar of engines revebrating across Nanking. Rows and rows of neatly lined tanks filed past. Rows and rows of neatly lined trucks filed past now - filled with rows and rows of neatly lined men in grey hard helmets with grey, hard faces facing to the Generalissimo. The day turned into night and finally the long columns filled past one last time. The Generalissimo turned to the Englishman and said:
"I hope you are pleased with your children?"
Turning bright red with either awe, embarrasment or a frightful mixture of both the Englishman replied:
"Your Excellency, they have grown up so quickly I no longer recognize them."
_________________________________________________________
Thank you all very much for your kind comment and feedback and your votes in the Turtledoves
Apologies for the lack of updates as of late - I'll try to get one weekly but that's hard to maintain with the girlfriend, uni and party work.
Comments and feedback actively solicited and appreciated
Things are going really well thanks. We've both dropped the L-bomb on each other and I couldn't imagine life being better. I haven't decided to do with Thailand yet - I'm probably going to have them go Japanese - if only for balance reasons Hendryk - Thanks Hendryk - correction made.
tallwingedgoat - I'm sure the fraternal comrades and brothers and sisters in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics will be happy to allow material and commerce to flow from the peace-loving people's of Germany and China as they struggle against the unfair death lock of the Capitalist powers...
Geekhis Khan - Thanks Geekhis
I'm surprised by how well I'm doing to be honest! But there's no way I should be allowed to win. Your TL is several light years ahead of mine both in the quality of the writing and the research (You have a freaking opera in yours!!!)Nivek - Thanks Nivek - If anything the racism and "White Policy" in Australia and New Zealand is even stronger in this TL thanks to a stronger more hostile China. The tiger might not fly in China but what about a condor? Hmm - there's no reason for the Nazi to make another movie about Chiang - especially now that Chinese and German relations are in a bit of a low.
Wyragen-TXRG4P - Thanks. Without giving too much away the Chinese will send aid and metrial to both sides.
The Vulture - And portugal will be pushed. Very hard.
Wyragen-TXRG4P - Daqing will be discovered soon enough, And it's discovery will lead to - how shall we say - interesting times.
_____________________________________________________________
The Generalissimo and the Widow
The Generalissimo sat calmly yet rather stiffly. The posture reflecting the man's inner thoughts. Calm yet panicked. Secure yet so fragile. So powerful and yet so weak. Images flashed before him - crawling in the mud, shrapnel tearing into his right thigh - on his wedding night, lying drunk sprawled in the bathroom, weeping, fits of hysteric alcohol soaked tears staining his elegant white shirt.
Attempting to flash an easy smile the Generalissimo looks up at the Widow:
"The Wife tells me you've decided to run against me?"
The Widow nods curtly.
"I'm sure that the Diplomat's charm and wit will be enough for you and his faction to win."
The Widow flashes the briefest of smiles before replying:
"Oh, yes, yes I'm sure - but personally I like the look of his party machine too. Actually - let's cut the charade - you and I know that Wang controls the Kuomintang."
The Generalissimo winces but proceeds:
"Ah yes my dear - but I think you're forgetting that power ultimately grows out of the barrel of a gun. Besides - do you really think that the common people will vote for a woman like you?"
"If she's the wife of the Dearly Beloved Sun Yat-sen they might. They will. That's what we're banking on at any rate."
"Good luck then, be careful though - I've been hearing a few rumours about you and -"
The Widow laughs - no cackles, the hair on the Generalissimo's skin stand out.
"I wouldn't go there if I were you Chiang. I'm sure a lot of people might remember a few things here and there about your wedding ni-
"ENOUGH!"
The Generalissimo's fist smashes hard on the table, a dark brown colour built from the finest baltic timber - it vibrates slightly but it stays. The white gloved fist of the Generalissimo contrasting with the dark wood. Face impassive the Generalissimo maintains his stance - as if daring the Widow to laugh.
The Widow cackles again.
The Generalissimo and the Prophet:
To conquer the command of the air means victory; to be beaten in the air means defeat and acceptance of whatever terms the enemy may be pleased to impose.
- Giulio Douhet, Command of the Air
- The High Prophet of Air Power
Any discussion about the Chinese Air Force would be imcomplete without discussing at lenght the works of Giulio Douhet. His influence on the development of Chinese Air Power in the early 20th century marks him as not only as a prophet but as a practical minded man as comfortable with the hard graft of moulding a new air force as with grand, lofty, abstract theorizing. His ability to meld the practical and the theoretical marks him out to be one of history's most astounding military theorists.
Giulio Douhet started life in an obscure little city in Italy. His childhood was a pleasant - if unconventional one. He drifted without much aim or purpose until he found outlet in the military arts - being assigned to the General Staff at the beginning of the century. He was a far-sighted and innovative officer - giving lectures on mechanization and air power long before they were recognized. Alas - he was in a conservative regime and found himself jailed in 1915. Although he was released in 1917 and assigned to be the First Commissioner of Italian Aviation he found himself loathing the army and it's hidebound bureacracies. After the Great War ended - Giulio Douhet - like so many bored impetous men went looking for adventure in China. Like the German Gunther Pluschow, Giulio would soon find himself training many tens of thousands of young Chinese to be fliers. Unlike Gunther Pluschow - Giulio was a philosopher and a prophet. He wrote and published "Command of the Air" in 1923 arguing for the need of a nation to have a fleet of "Strato-Airship Bombers" that could fly so high that they could not be intercepted that would drop "bombs of fire and death" that would ultimately be so terrible that the enemy civilian population would revolt and sue for peace.
In Europe - the conservative hide bound militaries may have dismissed Giulio as either a quack, a deluded soul or brain damaged. In China - Chiang found in him a prophet. (The fact that Chiang also waves millions of Yuan into a project to train dolphins to attack submarines using sonic waves is irrelevant to this) Although there was yet no money available for Airships - there would soon be. Napoleon once said that when China awoke the world would tremble - he had no idea how true his words would eventually proves thanks to Giulio Douhet...
The Generalissimo and the Englishman:
It was no secret that the Generalissimo hated the English. They had gassed him just as the war was about to draw a close and he hated them for that. He hated them for their hypocrisy and their arrogance.
It was odd then to have an Englishman to be right next to the Generalissimo as they stood on the balcony silently watching the parade. The load and impressive roar of engines revebrating across Nanking. Rows and rows of neatly lined tanks filed past. Rows and rows of neatly lined trucks filed past now - filled with rows and rows of neatly lined men in grey hard helmets with grey, hard faces facing to the Generalissimo. The day turned into night and finally the long columns filled past one last time. The Generalissimo turned to the Englishman and said:
"I hope you are pleased with your children?"
Turning bright red with either awe, embarrasment or a frightful mixture of both the Englishman replied:
"Your Excellency, they have grown up so quickly I no longer recognize them."
_________________________________________________________
Thank you all very much for your kind comment and feedback and your votes in the Turtledoves
Apologies for the lack of updates as of late - I'll try to get one weekly but that's hard to maintain with the girlfriend, uni and party work.
Comments and feedback actively solicited and appreciated
- CCA
- Word Count: 1.3k