Blood, Sweat, and Fire
(1948-2017: Sixty-Nine Years that Changed the World)
Part One, Chapter Nine:
Dangerous Jade
“...The reaction to the Sino-American War, worldwide, was quite the mixed bag. On the one hand, the Western Europeans and other American allies viewed the war against the Communist threat, at the very least, with some degrees of approval, though many felt it was a war misguided and best suited elsewhere; but, in the Soviet Union and its allied states, a great deal of panic was experienced. While fantasy, the thought and threat of President MacArthur making a more militant United States, designed to so eagerly fight Communism wherever it could...proved to be more than Comrade Stalin could handle. All the more reason to even the playing field, as swiftly as they could, the leadership rationalized. For once they had access to certain weaponry...”
Lao Bei Fong, author of, Red vs Blue: A History of the World-Wide Struggle Between Communism and Capitalism (circa 1999)
“...How ironic, that our Greatest Foe would seek to finish what we started so long ago, in China...”
A quote attributed to former Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, after being informed of the American invasion of China
The use of atom bombs in the Sino-American War brought fighting everywhere to a brief standstill, as news about the destruction of Ruijin, Anshan, and Fushun by nuclear fire spread. Chinese on both sides of the war were struck with disbelief and horror at these turn of events; and while most of the Nationalist Chinese grimly accepted the loss (if they couldn't have it, Mao certainly couldn't!), but the Communists reacted with outrage...and fear.
After all, if the Americans were willing to use nuclear weaponry against the Chinese, how on earth could the Communists hope to stop them?
Still, Mao was quick to work damage-control, fearing that desertion might become a norm if his men weren't reassured. Nearly a week after the bombings, Mao gave a invigorating speech throughout China via radio, declaring that the Communists would not stand down in the face of American “brutality”. This defiance against the KMT and Americans rallied the Communist Chinese to Mao's banner once again, and their strength was renewed. If anything, the anger and fury felt in the aftermath of the American bombings only served to strengthen the determination of the Communists.
Still, despite Mao's vow of continued fighting, the reality on the battlefield was not so bright. Despite holding out for nearly an entire month, Nanjing was retaken by American-KMT forces after a fierce siege of the city. The Nationalist Capital of China was once again restored to Chiang Kai-shek, and the war continued to turn against Mao.
This did not come without a price.
Limited as he was, Mao did not forgo any attempts at revenge for the utter annihilation of three of his cities. While he had no means to launch a nuclear retaliation of his own, or otherwise inflict massive damage on the United States with his forces, he did manage to use more underhanded methods of vengeance.
With the help of spies in the Kuomintang, the food of several American army camps were tainted and poisoned, leading to the death of many soldiers before the Army caught wind of this. And, while this attack was less devastating as it could have been, MacArthur and the military were still furious. Several KMT aides and soldiers were eventually charged in the conspiracy, after a formal investigation was conducted.
The worse was yet to come, though, and President MacArthur knew that. As the United States continued to gain new ground in China, Mao would become more and more desperate. And thus, strikes of terror like this would become increasingly common. It was clear that a lot of soldiers on both sides were going to die before anyone could declare victory.