On National Defense

"On National Defense" is a collection of Jiang Baili's military essays. It was first published by Shanghai Ta Kung Pao in 1937 and is divided into seven articles. The first article, "Defense Economics," emphasizes the establishment of a national defense system that can both feed and fight wars based on China's economic strength. The second part introduces Douhet's air supremacy thought and Ludendorff's total war thought. Article 3 strongly advocates the national defense principle of "consistency between living conditions and combat conditions." The fourth part, "On National Defense Twenty Years Ago," introduces political and military strategy, the relationship between national power, force and military strength, as well as the contents of the compulsory conscription system. Part 5 explains the significance of disarmament, military and civilian defense, and provides a detailed explanation of the compulsory militia system. Part 6 explains modern national defense theory. The seventh article is an essay about the author's trip to Rome. In "On National Defense", Jiang Baili's main arguments are: first, trade space for time, "Whether you win or lose, just don't make peace with it"; second, don't be afraid of being swallowed up, only afraid of cannibalization, and resist the war in an all-out way; third, start a war in Shanghai, use the geographical conditions to weaken the Japanese offensive, prevent the Japanese army from reaching the second ridge (Hunan) to form a confrontation, and form a long-term battlefield. His conclusion was: The resistance against Japan must be based on the people and fight a protracted war. It is still very inspiring for today's readers.