In 1933, the Dutch East Indies War erupted between China and the Netherlands. Relying on its absolute military superiority, China expelled Dutch forces from the South Seas region. In 1939, the South Pacific–Indian Ocean War broke out between China and Britain — a conflict generally regarded by all nations except Britain as the opening act of the Second World War. The ultimate result was the expulsion of British forces from the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. In 1942, after the People's Liberation Army and the Indian People's Army jointly launched the "Spring Festival Offensive," the British side finally crumbled. Both parties signed a treaty aboard the Indian Ocean Fleet's flagship, the aircraft carrier Zheng He, which was then conducting operations in Indian Ocean waters. Britain unconditionally acknowledged its defeat.

From that point through March 1943, China focused on digesting the fruits of its victory over Britain while selling materiel and a small quantity of arms to both sides of the Second World War. It was not until the First Tehran Conference that China officially joined the Allied powers — delivering Germany the fatal blow.

The People's Army — which had been fighting virtually without pause since the Fengtai County revolutionary base area — possessed extraordinarily rich large-formation combat experience. From every campaign in its history, the People's Army had consistently upheld Chairman Chen Ke's concept of "military modernization." The term, as articulated by Comrade Chen Ke — one of the army's founders — in his various speeches to the military and to the Central Military Commission, held that military construction must adapt to the demands of future warfare: increasing the scientific and technological content of the armed forces, raising overall combat capability under modern conditions, and building genuine warfighting and deterrent capacity suited to modern war. Guided by advanced military thought and armed with advanced science and technology, the goal was a modernized and regularized military force at the world's leading edge — including advanced weapons and technical equipment, organizational structures suited to modern war, and personnel possessing advanced military thinking who could command modern warfare and expertly operate sophisticated equipment.

One could say that a People's Army guided by such an advanced theory was, from its very founding, ahead of every military in the world. But the foreign nations that came to understand Chinese military power through the wars before and during WWII only noticed what the People's Army was willing to show them.

When the Chinese Army fought in Europe, it brought the world four things: field fortifications, camouflage, bugles, and Chinese cuisine.

1) The Chinese Expeditionary Force

In May 1943, following the First Tehran Conference, China joined the Allies and declared war on the Axis. The first combat units to deploy — all belonging to the PLA's 38th Group Army — had begun secret assembly and training two months prior. On May 11, the 38th Group Army's 4th Engineer Regiment, 5th Armored Division, and 7th Air Defense Division entered the Soviet Union from the Northeast via the Trans-Siberian Railway. The 6th Armored Division and the 112th Light Mechanized Infantry Division, along with the Indian Ocean Fleet led by the aircraft carrier Zheng He, proceeded to North Africa. The North Africa Group Army's ground forces advanced through Iran, while the Indian Ocean Fleet blockaded the Suez Canal from the Red Sea. Simultaneously, the second echelon of troops began assembling, this time with air force units as the primary component.

The Tannu-Uriankhai Group Army (the forces sent to the Soviet Union) and the North Africa Group Army had a primary mission not of combat but of serving as advance forces, gathering battlefield experience for the larger third echelon to follow. Two months after the first echelon reached the front and had been baptized by the new style of warfare, the air-force-heavy second echelon began joining both group armies to establish air superiority.

In September 1943, China assembled an even larger force. At the Soviet Union's request (for more and stronger armored formations), the Tannu-Uriankhai Group Army received an armored corps (three armored divisions, over 47,000 personnel, over 960 tanks) and was officially upgraded to the Tannu-Uriankhai Front. Lin Husan was appointed Front Commander and Luo Shenzhen as Political Commissar. After integrating the 1st Air Corps (comprising three air divisions, over 6,500 personnel, and over 300 combat aircraft), the North Africa Group Army was upgraded to the North Africa Front. Liu Guange served as Commander, with Xu Shaozhou and Zhu Yao as Deputy Commanders.

Although the two Fronts did not reach initial strength until more than six months later, the advance forces had already fought in both theaters and achieved impressive results that earned them the respect of the entire Allied command. Whether it was the 5th Armored Division and the 4th Engineer Regiment at the Battle of Kursk, or the 1st Marine Division's amphibious assault on Sicily under the Indian Ocean Fleet, the Chinese Expeditionary Force distinguished itself in every engagement. The 5th Armored Division's astonishing ZTZ-43 tank (named for its debut at Kursk), the 4th Engineers' ubiquitous PF40 launchers, the massive Indian Ocean Fleet, advanced landing craft, the combat-ready J-5 jet fighter, and the fearsome H-5 strategic bomber all left an indelible impression on every nation — Germany most of all.

In 1944, the fully assembled Expeditionary Force entered combat at full scale. The two Fronts at full strength were staggeringly powerful — capable of independently launching operations without Allied coordination. This dramatically accelerated the German collapse while simultaneously inspiring deep wariness of China among both the Western Allies and the Soviet Union.

Then came June 6, 1944 — D-Day, Operation Overlord, the Normandy landings. The Expeditionary Force once again stunned the Allies. The 1st Marine Division's participation in the amphibious landing was expected — after all, they possessed rich amphibious combat experience and advanced doctrine and equipment. But the Airborne 15th Division, which joined later under the 1st Air Corps, caught the Allies completely off guard. The Chinese airborne division's capabilities faintly surpassed even those of the American 101st Airborne!

Although the 1st Marine Division suffered heavy casualties in the landing and the Airborne 15th Division sustained massive personnel and equipment losses due to drop-zone errors, both units' refusal to yield — their fighting spirit that grew fiercer with every blow — earned genuine admiration from the Allies. The battle cries they raised during the Normandy campaign have echoed through history ever since.

The first came at Omaha Beach. Facing the Germans' devastating defensive fire, Omaha Beach Commander Brigadier General Norman Cota suggested to the 1st Marine Division's 1st Regiment commander — whose unit had charged the beach thirteen times and sustained devastating losses — that the regiment fall back and let the 75th Rangers take the lead. The blood-maddened regimental commander simply stared at him for a long moment, then bellowed the words that would become immortal: "First Marines — fix bayonets!" Thereupon, the surviving men snapped open the bayonets folded beneath their rifle barrels and charged forward behind their commander...

The second came as the Normandy operation entered its concluding phase and the Airborne 15th Division's remnants began to rally: "Airborne troops are born to be surrounded by the enemy."

The section on the WWII timeline has, as expected, generated differing views. So let me explain the Red Dawn timeline's progression as I envision it.

Crimson Moon never comprehensively laid out the Red Dawn timeline's WWII progression (neither in the main text nor in the official supplementary material). But from scattered fragments, I have pieced together portions of the timeline, supplemented with my own imagination, to produce my conception of the Red Dawn World War II.

1. **Sino-British relations.** There is little to say. The outcome of the Sino-British South Pacific–Indian Ocean War was a British defeat, as the main text amply foreshadows.

2. **Sino-American relations.** Large-scale Pacific standoffs were likely, but as Germany's rampage through Europe posed an unprecedented threat, America made peace with China (temporarily). China read the subtext perfectly and acted accordingly — but while America focused its energy on Europe, China aggressively constructed military bases encircling the Eastern Pacific (also defending the Western Pacific). The enormous Pacific Fleet (comprising two components: the Northern Fleet and the Southern Fleet) used overwhelming force to suppress the American Pacific Fleet (Seventh Fleet). After Sino-Soviet relations entered their nadir, the Northern Fleet also took on the mission of suppressing the Soviet Pacific Fleet.

3. **Sino-German relations.** The Red Dawn main text provides some description. Normal diplomatic relations, with both sides maintaining tacit understandings — but China held the initiative thanks to Chen Ke. China and Germany were never allied and were never lumped in with the Axis. Normal trade continued between them, and China sold Germany strategic supplies and even some military technology (aircraft, tanks, etc.) to further exhaust the strength of other European powers (mainly Britain) and America, tying down their resources. (This partly explains why America barely reacted to China's massive Pacific military base construction.) But the later stages were not described. In my conception, China ultimately joined the Allies and declared war on Germany, for the following reason:

In Europe at that time, anti-Semitism was politically correct — Crimson Moon described this. But after the war, anti-Nazism became the political correctness. On matters of fundamental direction, one could not err. Joining the Allies was therefore inevitable.

4. **Sino-Soviet relations.** During WWII, China and the Soviet Union maintained a tacit understanding (as described in the book). Postwar problems would emerge (as the official supplementary materials have described). But how serious these problems would become was never specified. So I must extrapolate:

First, in the Red Dawn timeline, China was unquestionably the senior partner between the two — an internal Soviet consensus as well.

Second, although the Soviet Union had been weakened by China, and its wartime losses exceeded those of our timeline (a Germany armed with Chinese resources and advanced weapons inflicted greater damage on everyone), Soviet potential remained impossible to ignore. China would not casually "discipline" the Soviets.

Third, as two great red powers, both would face Western blockade postwar (as described in the "Zhurong Plan"). Ideological confrontation would compel both sides to simultaneously watch each other while jointly facing the Western nations. Significant economic complementarity would develop between them (primarily Soviet importation of Chinese capital), until the Soviet Union embarked on its final madness.

From these four points, a rough WWII progression can be extrapolated:

America, alarmed by China's extraordinary performance in the Sino-British war, applied military pressure on China. China refused to back down. Both sides formed a Pacific standoff, but both exercised restraint, avoiding accidental conflict. Despite limited American aid (necessarily modest, as Britain's incompetent showing had already planted America's ambition to replace it), Britain ultimately lost. In the peace negotiations, China — thinking of the future — chose not to destroy Britain utterly. Both sides signed a treaty, ending the Sino-British War.

Britain devoted its remaining energy to confronting Germany. China began digesting its victory while selling strategic supplies to both belligerent sides. Germany used twenty years of accumulated strength to sweep through Europe and push deep into the Soviet Union. America, terrified by Germany's performance, released enormous war energy — its military force ballooning like an inflating balloon — and achieved military supremacy surpassing every nation except China.

By 1943, Germany suffered its first defeats in the Soviet Union. Though its strength was not greatly diminished, Chen Ke recognized that the tide had turned. China joined the Allies in 1943 (having been approached for help by both Britain — whose centuries atop the world gave its politicians the wisdom to make the smartest choice when faced with falling — and the Soviet Union, which pleaded from existential desperation). From there, events proceeded as I have described above...

In our timeline, WWII is presented as an anti-fascist struggle across three theaters. But viewed in historical retrospect, it was really a reshuffling among industrial powers. Anglo-French appeasement emboldened Germany until it achieved its "pentakill." At Dunkirk, the Anglo-French forces scrambled into humiliating retreat. Grand talk about saving experienced soldiers notwithstanding, it was really just cover — equipment losses were incalculable. Germany followed the principle of leaving its enemy a way out and did not kill Britain off entirely (though the Allies later killed Germany entirely). But the world now knew: Britain and France were no longer what they had been. America seized the opportunity, and after helping to destroy Germany, ascended to world preeminence.

Put plainly: WWII was a reshuffling. Whoever laughed last became the boss.

But the prerequisite was: you had to be in the game.

Why did China in our timeline eventually gain the ability to participate in world politics? Beyond the once-in-a-millennium strongmen led by Chairman Mao who defied heaven itself, the most important reason was Korea. New China literally exchanged the soldiers and officers cultivated in the Anti-Japanese War and the Liberation War for the recognition and respect of the world's great powers. New China, almost single-handedly, drove back the United Nations forces. This was unprecedented in world history. And it earned other nations' acknowledgment of New China's strength.

The Red Dawn timeline was the same. Just as with joining WWI, it was about entering the game — if you don't join, no one will let you play. Joining WWII served two purposes: to enter the game, and to display strength — to flex China's biceps. Otherwise, an America that had emerged from WWII having fought Germany to a draw would certainly adopt an aggressive posture toward socialist nations (as in our timeline). Rather than being forced into a postwar confrontation with America that could trigger WWIII — note that in the Red Dawn timeline, there was no Korean buffer; even Japan was under Chinese protection, meaning China and America could only confront each other head-on across the Pacific — it was better to proactively join WWII, proactively demonstrate China's might on the European battlefield, and make other nations think twice when considering China.

Furthermore, Crimson Moon mentioned in "The Space Race" that when China later "divided up" German assets, "China obtained the portion of 'scattered technical materials' it wanted." How? By purchasing them? By secretly arranging for German experts to travel to China? How did such vast quantities of documents enter the country — especially when every nation was closely monitoring German talent? The most likely answer: as a victorious power — and one that had physically entered Germany — China openly took what it wanted.

China could decline to participate in the Battle of Berlin. But China absolutely had to appear in Berlin, at the end, as a victor.

This is my conception of the WWII progression.

2) A Different Kind of Army (1)

When the war reached the phase of the Allied counteroffensive against the Axis, close observation of Chinese forces gave Western nations their first direct understanding of Chinese military power. But what astonished every nation was how the Chinese military differed from their own armies in so many ways — some differences bewildered them, some made them laugh, and some filled them with envy.

When Chinese troops set foot on the European continent, the eyes of the entire world were upon them. This was the first time since Attila the Hun that an army of Asian soldiers had entered Europe, and the shock to the white world was immense. Whether from curiosity or hostility, every gaze was fixed on them. Everyone wanted to understand this ancient Eastern nation — whether as a potential adversary or simply out of fascination.

In fact, since 1939, Western nations had been paying very close attention to Chinese military intelligence. The Chinese military's performance was simply too astonishing. British power in Asia suffered devastating blows — a continuous retreat from Southeast Asia to Australia. Even the Royal Navy, pride of the Empire, under the command of the First Lord of the Admiralty himself, suffered defeat after defeat, nearly total annihilation. This revelation that the former world hegemon had declined prompted many nations to stir. Germany was the most obvious, sweeping through Europe. America was more circumspect — intervening when Britain came calling (the Sino-American Pacific standoff) — but not formally entering the war until mid-conflict, and only after Britain offered substantial concessions.

From that point on, the Chinese military entered the world's field of vision. The personnel, equipment, and secrets of this astonishingly effective fighting force became the most sought-after intelligence. Their navy was of particular interest.

But every attempt at espionage failed. The reasons were simple: white people were conspicuous in China. Bribery didn't work. "Banana people" (Westernized Chinese) couldn't accomplish much either, because the Chinese government's control over the grassroots exceeded everyone's imagination. Some self-proclaimed elite "public intellectuals" did make contact with foreign intelligence services, but aside from demanding exorbitant fees, their competence was infinitely close to zero — leaving foreign intelligence agencies in despair.

Only when the Chinese Expeditionary Force entered the main European theater did other nations finally have their chance to observe the Chinese military up close.

3) A Different Kind of Army (2)

Chinese forces were visually different from Western armies — this was obvious. You didn't need professional expertise; you just needed eyes. The reason was simple: while Western armies still wore solid-color uniforms, the Chinese army — at least the Expeditionary Force — already had substantial numbers of combat personnel wearing camouflage.

In the North Africa Front, three categories of personnel were primarily issued camouflage: the 1st Marine Division, scouts, and snipers. Although only a small proportion of troops wore camouflage, its combat effectiveness was enormous — particularly for scouts and snipers, whose camouflage enabled them to maximize their own protection while completing their missions.

Foreign observations of Chinese snipers' battlefield performance were particularly astonishing. Although their skin color prevented Chinese snipers from penetrating deep behind enemy lines, those positioned along the German front lines consistently returned with full tallies. One sniper surnamed Zhang killed 214 enemies in a single month. Combined with sporadic combat kills recorded later in the war, he fully deserved his title as the Chinese military's "Deadliest Killer," known as "the Chinese Reaper."

Camouflage's enormous impact directly stimulated intense desire for it among the world's armies. Wartime development was limited, but postwar, every nation introduced its own camouflage uniforms. Especially beginning with the 1968 East Africa War, camouflage saw mass application and development, and different patterns began appearing.

Although Britain had used concealment clothing as early as 1864, and the Boer War had taught the great powers the importance of camouflage, and Italy developed the world's first four-color camouflage uniform in 1929, it is universally acknowledged that the Chinese army made the greatest contribution to military camouflage. Not only were they the first to adopt camouflage as standard issue (for certain branches), but they also created specialized variants: desert and marine patterns appeared in North Africa; woodland, mountain, and urban patterns appeared in Europe; and snow patterns appeared on the Soviet-German front. Eventually, the Chinese military was equipped with virtually every type of camouflage known to exist.

The second thing that astonished the Europeans was the equipment: QBZ40, KBU40, PF40, WS40 (Type 40 107mm rocket artillery), ZTZ-43, J-5 jet fighter, H-5 strategic bomber, the Taiwan-class destroyer, the Hainan-class frigate, the underwater ghost "Jingwei"-class conventional submarine, the Ming-class Zheng He aircraft carrier, the JZ-5 carrier-based jet fighter — the visible equipment alone left Western nations in stunned silence. The invisible equipment — airborne radar, laser rangefinders, various engines — was even more staggering.

4) A Different Kind of Army (3)

For the ordinary soldier, the aspects of the Chinese military that captured their interest differed from the brass's concerns. Their first impression was the quality of Chinese equipment. The N39 semi-automatic rifle — modest in numbers but world-famous — was every battlefield soldier's most prized trophy. Simple, reliable, and powerful, it was universally coveted. But now, seeing the arsenal of the nation that produced it, soldiers of every nationality were consumed with envy.

The first object of envy was the QBZ40 assault rifle, universally issued to the Chinese Expeditionary Force. Compared to the N36, the QBZ40 was equally simple and reliable but far more powerful. The Brits' Lee-Enfield, the American GIs' M1 Garand, the Russians' Mosin-Nagant, and across the lines, the Germans' 98k — a Sino-German co-development, ironically — none of them compared to the QBZ40.

As for automatic weapons — the Sten, MP series, PPSh, M1918A2, Chicago Typewriter, and StG 44 — some may have surpassed the QBZ40 in firepower or weighed less, but the QBZ40 achieved universal issue. Its structure was simple, its bolt action reliable, and it had passed the most punishing environmental tests. The comparison was self-evident.

The second object of envy was the handheld radio. Although Motorola invented the handheld walkie-talkie in 1940 (at 2.2 kilograms...), its portability and stability were so poor it was arguably inferior to the field telephone. The Chinese military was different: their handheld radios weighed only 33 ounces, with a communication range of 6 kilometers. Though not yet universally issued, they had reached battalion level (domestically, down to company level). While they couldn't match the American backpack frequency-hopping radio, they drew intense Allied attention. The Allied high command repeatedly asked the Expeditionary Force to "borrow" a few, but the Chinese "righteously" refused: "These are still in battlefield testing. They're not good enough yet. When they are, we'll get you some."

The third was the PF40 anti-tank rocket launcher. By 1944, it had achieved a range of 200 meters with 200mm armor penetration — no tank on earth could withstand such firepower. Reportedly, the German tank crews' greatest fear was not the Allied Firefly, nor the Soviet T-34 swarm or Stalin heavy tanks — but Chinese infantry. Against those armored behemoths, you might resist or flee. Against Chinese infantry — well... Chinese infantrymen lying in ambush were every tank crew's eternal nightmare.

In truth, what the Allies and Soviets envied most was not equipment. Equipment was equipment — as long as yours was adequate, no need to be jealous (the classic self-consolation). What they truly, profoundly envied was the Chinese soldier's food.

Reportedly, Field Marshal Montgomery — on his first visit to the North Africa Expeditionary Force's camp — was "reluctantly" prevailed upon by his hospitable Chinese hosts to stay for a simple meal. The next day at dinner, he summoned his own cook and berated the man savagely. While this may be hearsay, it is beyond dispute that after the war, the Field Marshal's personal chef was always Chinese.

Chinese military food came in two forms: field rations and mess halls. In high-intensity frontline combat, having cooks prepare meals and deliver them was obviously impractical, so individual field rations were developed.

The Chinese preference for hot food — and the fact that hot food aids mental recovery — meant that solving the heating problem was the top priority. Noodles could be ruled out, leaving rice as the only option. After extensive experimentation, a new individual ration was successfully developed in 1939. It used quickite (calcium oxide) as the heating agent, with rice as the staple, three side dishes (selected by the logistics officer), and later additions of appetizing pickled vegetables, canned luncheon meat, and canned salted fish. The heating method was simple: open the main food pouch, add water, fold the top, wait three minutes, and eat. Of course, there were also simpler military hardtack biscuits, available in multiple flavors, though these were thoroughly despised by frontline soldiers.

Naturally, front-line soldiers didn't subsist on rations alone. Standard issue also included a tube of candy (ten pieces, similar to Alpine brand), a tea pouch (five small packets — essentially tea dust, but made from premium leaves), a can of eight-treasure congee (breakfast), and for units with imminent combat assignments, a small bottle of Maotai per soldier the day before (100ml).

For the Chinese — a people supremely devoted to eating — this was really only a very simple, even crude meal (by domestic standards). Frontline soldiers didn't complain, but they vastly preferred the meals prepared by rear-echelon cooks — even though they had complained plenty about those same cooks back in China.

For foreigners, however, it was a revelation. Hot field rations were pure fantasy for the American military — being able to supply canned food to an army of millions was already an achievement. So Allied frontline soldiers eagerly traded all manner of valuables for Expeditionary Force rations. In camp, the freeloaders were even more numerous. Officers on both sides were powerless to stop it. In the end, the Allies could only tacitly accept their troops' mooching, while the Expeditionary Force could only deploy as many additional cooks as possible — with the Allies footing the bill for ingredient transport.

5) A Different Kind of Army (4)

Besides combat troops and the command layer, a battlefield includes a host of logistics personnel. But among the Chinese Expeditionary Force's attachés were certain non-military individuals who performed no logistical work whatsoever. Their frequent activities involved observing at the front lines or conducting surveys during lulls. They appeared in all three services — army, navy, and air force. These were weapons researchers from the General Armament Department back home.

Weapons don't stop being relevant once they're produced and distributed. How did weapons perform in real combat? How much did soldiers like their weapons? How frequently did soldiers' weapons need replacement? Were there flaws? These questions — among many others — were why General Armament Department researchers went to the battlefield.

The researchers' work was extremely dangerous. Because they needed firsthand data, many charged forward with frontline troops during combat. Despite having bodyguards, the danger was immense — often greater than that faced by ordinary soldiers, because these guarded researchers were frequently identified by German snipers as high-value targets. Although very few researchers were killed under their bodyguards' protection, the bodyguard casualty rate was substantial.

The sacrifices of bodyguards and researchers were not in vain. The researchers obtained invaluable firsthand field data. Many wartime weapons improvements — improvised on the battlefield — proved highly beneficial to the Expeditionary Force's operations. The postwar wave of weapons modernization was entirely attributable to the observations and data collected by these researchers on the European front.

Then there were the war correspondents. To create a firsthand record of the Expeditionary Force's combat operations, central-level media outlets led by Xinhua News Agency dispatched large numbers of war correspondents. These journalists, armed with cameras and movie cameras, overcame tremendous dangers to capture extensive battlefield footage. This served not only as invaluable material for domestic military research but also — when selected photographs were disseminated through newspapers and television — powerfully shaped public opinion, countering domestic so-called public intellectuals' rhetoric about "those who love war will surely perish."

To obtain authentic battlefield documentation, war correspondents unflinchingly braved artillery fire alongside the troops. They did not merely photograph soldiers' backs from behind — sometimes they charged ahead of the soldiers to take photographs. The famous photograph "Unknown Martyr Plants the Flag at Normandy" was taken by renowned journalist Fan Changjiang. Compared to America's subsequent "Stars and Stripes over Normandy" and the Soviet Union's "A Red Army Soldier Raises the Victory Banner Over the Reichstag," the "Unknown Martyr" photograph was both more authentic and more poignant.

6) A Different Kind of Army (5)

On April 17, 1945, the Battle of Berlin began.

This was Germany's last stand and the final battle of the global anti-fascist war. Before the Allies and Soviets had even entered German territory, the Führer had already begun systematically preserving combat materiel and personnel. From 1943, as Germany's fortunes waned, vast quantities of gold, jewels, antiquities, and other hard assets were transferred overseas (the Treasure of the Third Reich), while firearms, tanks, artillery, and elite soldiers were gradually repositioned to Berlin and its environs for fortification construction and training.

Facing Germany's and its Führer's final frenzy, China shrewdly announced its withdrawal from the last battle. The reasoning was simple: the Expeditionary Force was just that — an expeditionary force. Only three echelons had been sent; all later arrivals were logistics personnel. After the war, China would not station troops in Berlin or anywhere else in Europe. China merely needed to collect its rightful share of the war's dividends afterward.

Facing such a reasonable China, the Allies and the Soviet Union were both satisfied. In the tripartite agreement, both sides prepared to make minor concessions to China. But China once again astounded them: China did not want German property — neither industrial equipment nor gold and silver. China wanted only technology and talent. Having said this, the Chinese representative handed over a list, personally drafted by Chairman Chen Ke after consultation with his colleagues at the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

This genuinely shocked both the Allies and Soviet Union. Both sides suddenly understood why Chinese technology was so far advanced. America was particularly affected — General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower found this deeply impressive. From his tenure onward, America began large-scale recruitment of talent from around the world.

Returning to the Battle of Berlin: the Allies had estimated that taking Berlin would cost at least 200,000 lives. Losses of that magnitude were utterly unacceptable to any Allied nation, and none was willing to bear them. So the ball was ultimately kicked to the Soviet Union.

Facing the Chinese People's Party's unprecedented territorial expanse and its enormous influence over South Asia and the Middle East, the Soviet Union — itself a socialist state — felt unprecedented pressure. The two nations were founded at roughly the same time, but their influence was in entirely different leagues. China maintained normal trade relations with Western nations. Although there had been unpleasantness between China and Britain, capitalists followed profit — trading with China brought enormous returns, so why wouldn't they? And the Soviet Union? What could it offer? The Soviet-German war had put the entire Soviet state on a war footing, with all industry — heavy and light — serving the war effort. How could it break into the West?

Furthermore, China's wartime banner was anti-colonialism, and it had already begun acting on it — the fiery Indian revolutionary movement being a prime example. The Soviet Union? It had nothing. And China's influence in the West was even greater.

Taking all factors into account, the Soviet Union ultimately accepted the mission and undertook the assault on Berlin.

But there was one condition: they needed the Chinese comrades to supply PF40 rocket launchers, which were extraordinarily effective in urban warfare. After consulting with the Central Military Commission, the Expeditionary Force agreed. On one hand, they were fellow socialist nations — on the eve of the war's end, minimizing losses was only sensible. On the other hand, the PF series' latest model had already advanced to the PF45, so there was no concern about the PF40 falling into outside hands.