12dz Chapter 294 Justice Judgment
Chapter 294 Justice Judgment
Li Jinai continued, "Regarding Lieutenant Colonel Zhang's crimes and the facts of his crimes, I believe that the judge and the jury will make a fair judgment. However, I believe that the trial of Japanese military officers and civilians for war crimes is also imperative! Before the law, no matter who they are, as long as they commit crimes, they should be tried and brought to justice. I hereby call for any act of freeing Japanese TH and civilians from crimes to be unacceptable. Otherwise, the flower-growing countries and the people of the flower-growing countries, as well as the countries and peoples persecuted by Japan, will never accept it!"
With Li Jinai's rebuttal, everyone present realized that the Flower Planting Party was using the war crimes committed by Lieutenant Colonel Zhang and others to declare to the world that they would trace the beginning of the war crimes committed by Japanese militarists, Japanese imperial family, and Japanese civilians. And they would never compromise!
Zhang Jizhong, who had been hanging his head, now understood that his lingering hope of survival was gone. When the judge finally asked him if he pleaded guilty, Zhang Jizhong shook his head and frankly admitted guilt. However, he remained somewhat unconvinced and made his final statement, saying, "I am guilty, I plead guilty. However, the Japanese militarists and high-ranking officials who launched this war and the wanton slaughter during it are guilty far more severely than I am. If they do not stand trial, even if I die, I will not rest in peace!"
The Ximending massacre ultimately resulted in the death sentences of over a dozen soldiers, including Lieutenant Colonel Zhang. This incident immediately attracted the attention of the Allies. They immediately strengthened discipline among their troops stationed in Japan, and harassment of Japanese civilians was significantly reduced. However, the military and civilian populations increasingly questioned the delay in the detention, trial, and punishment of Japanese war criminals. Consequently, the Allies were forced to negotiate, and a joint tribunal for Japanese war crimes was quickly established. The invaded countries also organized various tribunals, preparing to begin trials for Japanese military atrocities and war criminals in their respective regions. The trials of Japanese war criminals were no longer limited to high-ranking officers; some convicted soldiers were also tried for war crimes.
On June 1945, 6, after a trial by a joint tribunal, Japanese civilians were formally convicted. This marked the beginning of the retroactive investigation of all Japanese war crimes and provided a legal basis for the next phase of investigation into Japanese crimes and compensation.
On the same day, all nations reached a consensus to completely abolish Japan's Ten-Han system and redefine Japan's future political landscape in line with Western democracy. The Japanese Ten-Han and his family were moved from house arrest to detention, awaiting a historic and just trial.
As Commander-in-Chief of the Marine Corps, Yang Hong dismissed Liao Yaoxiang, who was appointed Deputy Commander of the Third Army Group. He would lead the 3rd Marine Army to the Middle East, joining Kuang Zhengqi's Third Army Group. Together with the 18th Army deployed from China, China's total military strength in the Middle East and North Africa theater reached four armies and one air wing, totaling nearly 4 troops.
At this time, the Allied forces, with the momentum of defeating Japan, boosted their morale and captured Jordan, Palestine and parts of Syria in one fell swoop, and recaptured the area south of Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. With the support of the Allied forces, the Kurdish guerrillas continued to harass German and Italian roads and facilities, forcing them to shrink their defenses and withdraw troops to intensify internal crackdowns.
Similarly, Iran, which had been on the verge of a move, faced a fatal threat and was forced to declare its neutrality. This relieved the Allies of their worries and they formed the Iraqi Army Group, with the British 3rd, 8th, and 5th Armies on the right wing, and launched a fierce attack on the German-Turkish coalition forces that continued to occupy northern Iraq. Meanwhile, the Chinese Third Army Group, with its 2nd Army, continued its advance into Syria, while its 7th Army launched a fierce attack on Lebanon and attacked the Turkish mainland.
In Nagasaki, a seemingly intact building served as the headquarters of the Chinese garrison. Yang Hong and Cai Yong sat in the commander-in-chief's office. Cai Yong looked disheartened. This afternoon, according to the verdict, Zhang Jizhong and a dozen others would be executed by firing squad. Cai Yong was deeply dissatisfied with this, believing that the decision, while gaining international acclaim, had dealt a blow to the morale of the people and the army. Domestically, there were mixed reactions to this matter. Although the Military Court issued a final supplementary decision stating that the sentence against Zhang Jizhong and others would not affect their honor in the army, and that their families would continue to be cared for after their deaths as soldiers killed in action, the public remained dissatisfied, believing that this was unnecessary.
Yang Hong looked at Cai Yong, who had a gloomy face, and said softly, "Old Eight, why don't you think about that? You should know that war is actually just a means of politics. The war against Japan seems to be over, but politics continues. This is an invisible war."
"Li Jizhong and his men are unfortunate to have been chosen as the spark that prolongs this war. The Flower Planters, in their quest to completely settle accounts with Japan, will always find excuses and opportunities to justify their occupation and liquidation of Japan's sins. You should understand that through this incident, we will completely eradicate Japan's entrenched system, and our liquidation of Japanese capital will be justified. These will be the most advantageous factors for our rise."
Cai Yong knew that in this time and space, Japan was defeated first. Without civil war and atomic weapons, the Flower Clan would be able to exploit Japan's defeat more thoroughly. However, this would also expose the Flower Clan's strength, alerting the US, Britain, and even the Soviet Union. The US and the Soviet Union, in particular, would undoubtedly plan ahead to block and prevent the Flower Clan. In a different time and space, Japan, under these circumstances, quickly gained support from the United States, emerged from the shadow of defeat, and became an economic powerhouse and even a hidden military power, causing considerable trouble for the Flower Clan.
In this time and space, America will undoubtedly go even further in its pursuit of absolute Pacific dominance. If Japan's war crimes aren't thoroughly reconciled and its economic foundations are not destroyed, it will become an even greater threat to the Flower Planting Society! Therefore, the Flower Planting Society is using this as an excuse to overthrow Japan's Tian H system, completely dispose of Japanese capital, and consolidate its military presence. Even with America's support, Japan's renewed growth will require significantly more manpower, material resources, experience, and time. Perhaps by then, the Flower Planting Society will have already risen to prominence, forming a truly equal triangle with America and the Soviet Union. This will be the best guarantee for true world peace. This is a blessing for the Flower Planting Society and the world!