The role of railways

1. Railway transportation plays a decisive role in the war situation.

The railway to Mainz was cut off in many places, so the mail came late or stopped completely.

It seems that artillery determines the war situation on a wider street; It opened a way for the army to detour behind the barricade fighters. The Philistines in Frankfurt diligently and enthusiastically opened their doors to the soldiers, thus creating all favorable conditions for them to carry out street fighting. At the same time, the strength of the railway transport troops quickly surpassed that of the slow-moving farmers, which determined the future war situation.

Engels: Frankfurt Uprising (1848 September 19-20),

The Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume 5, page 487.

The attempt of Rhine-Prussia Uprising in May last year clearly showed what position this part of Germany could occupy in the revolutionary movement. In Rhine, Prussia, there are seven fortresses around, three of which are first-class fortresses in Germany, and almost13 Prussian troops are often stationed. Its railways extend in all directions, and the military authorities have deployed transport convoys; Under such conditions, the Rhine uprising only had a chance of success under some completely special circumstances. Only when the fortress is in the hands of the people can the residents of Rhine Province make some achievements by force. However, this kind of thing will only happen if the military authorities are frightened by some major external events or the army is completely or partially involved in the movement. In any other case, the uprising in Rhine province is doomed to failure.

Engels: Germany's Movement to Defend the Imperial Constitution

(end of August1849-65438+February 0850),

The Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume 7, p. 153.

Napoleon's outstanding reform in military science is not a miracle; The new military science is the inevitable result of the new social relations, just as the revolution and the military science founded by Napoleon are the inevitable result of the new relations produced by the revolution. Similarly, just as the proletarian revolution did not destroy the steam engine in industry, but increased its number, militarily, its task is not to reduce the diversity and mobility of the army, but on the contrary, to raise both to a higher level.

The growth of productive forces is the premise of Napoleon's combat methods; New productive forces are also the premise of every new military achievement. Railways and telegrams now give talented generals or army ministers a chance to adopt a brand-new strategy in the European war. The gradual improvement of productive forces and the subsequent gradual increase of population have also made it possible to recruit a larger army. If the population of France is 36 million instead of 25 million, then 5% of this population is 6.5438+0.25 million instead of 6.5438+0.8 million. In the above two proportions, the strength of civilized countries is relatively higher than that of barbaric countries. Only the former has a dense railway network, for example, their population growth rate is twice that of Russia. Therefore, all these statements prove that the possibility of Western Europe surrendering to Russia is getting smaller and smaller. As for long-term surrender, it is impossible.

Engels: 1852 The possibility and prospect of the holy alliance going to war with France.

(185 1 April),

Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume 7, pp. 563-562;

Railways can reduce the personnel and funds of military institutions. Colonel Warren, commander of Fort William, made the following statement before the House of Commons Select Committee:

"If it weren't for the present situation, it would take many days or even weeks to receive information from remote areas in China, and it would take several hours to receive it. If the order can be delivered to the destination together with troops and materials in a short time, the significance of this important situation is immeasurable. The garrison can also be stationed in a more distant and sanitary place than it is now, so that many losses caused by diseases can be avoided. The materials in the warehouse don't need to be stored as much as they are now, which can avoid the loss caused by rot and bad weather. The number of troops will also decrease correspondingly because of the improvement of efficiency.

Marx: the future result of British rule over India (1July 22, 853),

Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume 9, page 24.

The second factor that has greatly changed the way of war since Napoleon's time is steam. Because the French army had railways and ships, it was able to transport a considerable number of troops to Pimont within five days from the ultimatum in Austria to their invasion, which made all the attacks of the Austrian army on Pimont positions fruitless, and after a week, the French army greatly enhanced its own strength, so there were at least 6,543,803 French troops between Asti and Novi on May 20.

Engels: Italian War (1around May 27th, 859),

The Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume l3, Page 398.

If the last battle is carried out according to the unified strategic plan, the main force of the Western Front will take advantage of the victories in Kentucky and Tennessee, enter Georgia through northern Alabama, and seize the railway centers such as Decatur and Miller Guivel there. This will break the link between the separatist eastern army and the western army and make them unable to support each other.

Marx: Comment on the situation in the United States (1August 4, 862),

The Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume 15, page 556.

The second route is along the right bank of the Elbe River, between this river and the Sudeten Mountains (the mountains where Silesia meets Bohemia and Moravia). Almost coincides with the straight line from Berlin to Vienna. On the current route between the two armies, there is a railway line from Lobo to Paldubice, which passes through the Bohemian part bounded by the Elbe River in the south and the mountains in the northeast. There are many good roads in this area. If the two armies move in opposite directions, there may be a conflict here.

Engels: A Brief Comment on Germany's World War II

(between June 1866 and July 5),

The Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume 16, Page 195.

Bourbaki advanced on this part of the German army. He obviously wanted to put his army between Vizul and Belfo, thus isolating Vedel, forcing him to retreat to the northwest, and then defeating him alone. But Vedel may be near Belfo now and has joined Liskov, so if bourbaki wants to get rid of Belfo, he must defeat them both; He should drive the besieged troops back to the Rhine valley, and then he can advance to Luneville along the west side of the Fogg Mountains, where he will reach the main traffic line of the German army. Destroying the railway tunnel near Fort Farce can block the railway line to Strasbourg for a long time, destroy the railway hub station in Frouard, interrupt the railway traffic between Saarbrü cken and Metz, and even send a swimming team to Thionville to destroy the railway near the area, thus cutting off the last direct railway line of the German army. The swimming team can retreat to Luxembourg or Belgium at any time and lay down their weapons there, which is completely cost-effective.

This is probably the purpose of bourbaki. Because the suburbs of Paris have been looted, even if the traffic line between Paris and Germany is interrupted for only a few days, the consequences will be very serious for the 240 thousand Germans outside Paris. For lifting the siege of Paris, Lorraine's 65,438+02-65,438+05,000 French troops can be even more effective than Friedrich-Karl's victory, because when the latter is defeated, it will eventually retreat to the troops besieging Paris. Of course, the Germans also have a railway that passes through Tionville, Mezier and Reims. This railway is probably beyond the reach of even the swimming team in bourbaki, but as long as bourbaki can attack Lorraine, there will undoubtedly be a full-scale people's uprising in enemy-occupied areas; It goes without saying that in this case, the movement along this second railway line will be seriously threatened. In addition, the first consequence of bourbaki's victory will be that Geben was forced to retreat; So it will give the Union Army a chance to cut off this communication line between Sovazon and Meziere.

We think that bourbaki's March is the most important and promising thing that French generals have done in this war. However, we once again point out that this parade must be carried out correctly. If the implementation is weak and indecisive, even the best plan will be worthless. We may not know any exact information about bourbaki's troops or how he commanded them until his battle with Widdel is over.

Engels: A Brief Comment on the War (35) (187 1 year 1 month14th),

Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 17, pp. 244-246.

Russian Prime Minister Gorchakov said after the war: "Russia is not angry, it is accumulating strength." . He doesn't know how right he is. What he said was only diplomatic Russia. But unofficial Russia is also gathering strength. In addition, the government itself has also helped its accumulation. The war has proved that even for purely military reasons, Russia needs railways and large-scale industries. Therefore, the government began to cultivate the Russian bourgeoisie. However, this class cannot exist without the proletariat, and in order to create proletarian elements, it has to carry out the so-called peasant liberation; Farmers gave the best part of their land to the nobles for personal freedom. There is too much land left in their hands, they starve to death, and too little, they can't live. In this way, while the Russian farmers' commune was fundamentally destroyed, the development of the emerging big bourgeoisie was greatly encouraged by various privileges, tariff protection and other preferential measures granted to railway companies; As a result, a real social revolution has begun in cities and villages, and this revolution will not calm the already active ideological circles. The emergence of the young bourgeoisie is reflected in the liberal constitutional movement, while the birth of the proletariat is reflected in the movement usually called nihilism. This is the real consequence of Russia's withdrawal.

Note: in the original text, this word is Russian spelled with German letters; In the English translation, it is spelled in Latin letters, and the following footnote is added: "Russian farmers' autonomous commune". —— Editor's note

Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume 22, pp. 45-46.

There is no doubt that Bismarck allied himself with the Russians. But in order to buy the alliance with Prussia, the Russians have never been forced to pay such a heavy price. In a new Germany, they had to sacrifice all traditional policies. If this time they are used to thinking that this is "just wisdom", then they are all wet. Contrary to all the tragic cries about "empire", the unification of Germany seems to have begun to surpass Bismarck and all Prussians. Therefore, they-that is, the Russians-must move forward more quickly in the East; At present, this favorable situation may not last long. Russia has great financial difficulties, and its industrial progress (if it is still progress) is very slow. Eleven years after the Crimean war, these guys still don't have a railway to Odessa and Bethany, which is obvious. For them, such a railway can now be worth two armies! Therefore, I also think that if all goes well with the Russians, then maybe we will reach the point of using force this year.

Engels: Engels to Marx (1April 4, 867),

Complete works of Marx and Engels, vol. 3/kloc-0, pp. 286-285.

According to the current military situation, it is particularly necessary to transport military materials continuously by railway. Although the railway has done a good job in this respect at present, it still needs greater efforts, because the victory of the whole cause now depends on the railway work in particular. When dealing with military through trains, it is especially necessary to be flexible and accurate. There shall be no delay or wrong line adjustment.

Lenin: To the People's Committee of the Ministry of Communications and the Central Military Communications Administration.

(1August 28th, 920),

Lenin Manuscripts, Vol.8, p.329.

In order to carry out the revolutionary war, we must make long-term and serious preparations. First of all, we must revitalize the economy, rectify the railways (because without railways, it is empty talk to wage modern wars), and restore the strictest revolutionary discipline and self-discipline in various places.

Lenin: A painful but necessary lesson (1918 February 25th),

Complete Works of Lenin, Volume 27, page 50.

The necessary condition for the victory of this war is the unified command of all Red Army troops, and the strictest centralized management of all forces and resources of socialist countries, especially all military supply institutions and railway transportation, because railway transportation is an extremely important material factor in the war, which is of first-class significance not only for the completion of various campaigns, but also for the supply of weapons, clothing and food for the Red Army.

In view of this, the Russian * * * Central Committee believes that:

(1) During the whole socialist self-defense war, it is absolutely necessary to put all materials of the Red Army under the unified leadership of the National Defense Commission of the Russian Soviet Socialist Federation and other central organs;

(2) During the whole socialist self-defense war, it is absolutely necessary to put brotherly socialism and the national railway transportation and railway network under the unified leadership and management of Russian Soviet Federalism and China Railway People's Committee;

(3) The establishment of independent Red Army supply agencies and independent railway people's committees in the brotherly Soviet Republic is incompatible with national defense interests; During the war, these institutions must be reorganized into the supply organs of Russian Soviet Federated Socialism and the subordinate organs of Russian Soviet Federated Socialist People's Committee and Russian Railway People's Committee, which are under the direct management and full jurisdiction of Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Central Supply Organs and Russian Soviet Federated Socialist People's Committee.

(4) Any decree related to the supply of the Red Army, railway transportation or railway network management should be revoked if it conflicts with the resolutions and decrees of the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic regulating the supply of the Red Army, railway transportation and railway network management.

Lenin and Stalin: the draft directive of the Central Committee on military reunification.

(1965438+May 2009),

Complete Works of Lenin, Volume 29, pp. 366-367.

The further development of European capitalism requires new sales markets, the search for raw materials and fuels, the development of imperialism, the export of capital and the need to ensure the trunk lines of maritime and railway transportation. On the one hand, it urges the old nation-state to seize new territory and turn it into a multi-ethnic (colonial) country (Britain, France, Germany and Italy) with inevitable ethnic oppression and ethnic conflicts, on the other hand, it strengthens the ambition of the ruling nation of the old multi-ethnic country. As a result, the ethnic problem has expanded and finally naturally merged with the whole colonial problem. Ethnic oppression has changed from a domestic problem to an international problem, and it has become a struggle (and war) for imperialist "big" countries to conquer weak ethnic groups without full rights.

Stalin: On the Party's Current Task on Ethnic Issues

(1921February 5),

The Complete Works of Stalin Volume 5 15

2. The important role of railway transportation in war attack and defense.

If (proletarian country-editor's note) has appropriate conditions, if the national production can be fully improved and concentrated, if it is absolutely necessary to eliminate classes, ... then the limit of possible recruitment will be completely determined by the number of people who can hold weapons; In other words, in times of crisis, 15-20% of the population can be armed in the shortest time, and 12- 15% of the population can join the fighting army. However, such a large number of people is based on greater mobility, which is far higher than that of the modern army. Without a complete railway network, such a huge population can not be concentrated, can not supply food and ammunition, can not be transferred from one place to another.

Engels: 1852 The possibility and prospect of the holy alliance going to war with France.

(185 1 April),

The Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume 7, page 563.

At that time, in all other parts of the empire, the government usually let private entrepreneurs build railways, ignoring the western railway connecting Vienna and Munich, but Baron Hayes, commander-in-chief of the garrison in West Asia, used thousands of soldiers to build this railway line. No matter how strategic this railway line is, from a commercial point of view, its value is very doubtful anyway. In another case, the plan to build this railway line will have to be shelved by engineers of private companies for another 30 years. Russia is extremely dissatisfied with the construction of these railways, because Austria can now use them to regroup the newly dispersed troops, which takes one-fifth less time than the time it takes Russia to concentrate the same number of troops. Anyone who is willing to take the time to understand the statistics of Austrian railway transportation and compare all the work done by the East purely for political purposes with the situation that the West pays little attention to commercial interests will certainly suspect that the railway line in Galicia was built in such a hurry just to deceive the world. Obviously, the rapid completion of the western railway line connecting Austria and Bavaria is of much greater significance to achieve this goal.

Marx: Austria and War (end of August 1855),

The Complete Works of Marx and Engels, vol./kloc-0, p. 567.

No railway anywhere in Europe can concentrate a large number of troops to support defense as quickly as the railway between the Rhine River and the Seine River. With Paris as the center, the railway line extends along the radius to Bren, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Maastricht, Liutikh and Keren, to Mannheim, via Metz to Mainz, to Strasbourg, Basel, Xu Di and Lyon. No matter where the enemy's greatest strength appears, all the reserves from Paris along the railway will meet there. In particular, the internal defense capability of the Seine River basin has been strengthened, because all railways with a radius of this area pass along the river valleys (Vasser River, Mallner River, Seine River, Aubu River and part of Junna River). But not only that, three concentric railway arcs, each of which is at least a quarter of the circumference, surround Paris with almost equal distance: the first arc is the railway line on the left bank of the Rhine River, and now it is almost directly from Neuss to Basel; The second arc starts from Ostend and Antwerp, passes through namur, Altun, Thionville, Metz and Nancy to Binal, and almost all of them are connected. Finally, the third arc runs from Calais to Chaumont, passing through Lille, Douay, San Quentin, Lim, Xia Long-sur-Mane and San Dizier. Therefore, in this area, a large number of troops can be concentrated anywhere in a very short time; Here, due to natural and man-made conditions, even if there is no fortress, the enemies invading France can make a very strong defense with the mobility of the army, which makes them encounter completely different resistance from those encountered in 18 14 and 18 15.

Engels: Po River and Rhine River -III (1859, late February-early March),

The Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume 13, pp. 286-287

Since the Paris fortress was built, France no longer needs the Rhine as its border. Just as Germany is in Italy, France will defend its northern border first by attacking. The distribution of railway network shows that this problem should be understood in this way. If the attack is repelled, the French army can stick to the wasser River and the Anna River; It will be meaningless for the enemy to move on, because the troops invaded by Belgium are too weak to attack Paris. The French Northern Legion can be deployed behind the Annette River to ensure the communication line with Paris and wait for the arrival of other legions. In the worst case, it can also rely on the Mallner River, which is actively defended by Paris for the left wing. The enemy had no choice but to March on Fort Thierry and attack the French army's communication lines on the Mosel and Rhine rivers. However, these actions are far less decisive than when Paris was unguarded. Even in the worst case, the retreat of other French legions to the Loire River will not be cut off. After concentrating on the Loire region, the French army will still have considerable strength, which can threaten the enemy forces weakened and dispersed by the siege of Paris, and can also attack Paris. In short, due to the fortification in Paris, it is no longer dangerous to bypass Belgium; The influence of this detour is not decisive, and the unfavorable factors caused by this detour and the means needed to resist this detour are now easy to calculate.

Engels: Po River and Caiyin River-3 65438+ end of February-beginning of March, 0859),

The Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume 13, pp. 287-286

It is indeed time for Napoleon and his army to leave Metz. When the French army hesitated on the Moser River, German cavalry crossed the Marsher River near Commsey and destroyed the railway leading to Duke and Bali. They also reached the ears of Yiqi Yao, threatening the flank of the column retreating from Metz to Verdun. From an example of how a cavalry company entered Nancy, charged 50,000 francs, and forced the residents in the city to destroy the railway, we can see that what these cavalry did was bold. Where are the French cavalry? Where are the 43 regiments incorporated into 8 armies and the 12 regiments belonging to the Rhine Army?

At present, the Turkish fortress is the only obstacle for the German army to March, but it will be meaningless if the railway is not controlled. Of course, the Germans need railways, so there is no doubt that they will take measures to capture Turkey quickly. Turkey is an old fortress without an independent fortress, and it can't resist the shelling at all. We may soon hear that this fortress has been bombed indiscriminately 12 hours, and it may not be long before it will surrender.

Engels: A Brief Comment on the War (IX) (1870 August 18),

Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Vol. 17, pp. 56-56.

In short, violence has created economic and political living conditions for an era, a nation and so on. But who created the violence? Organized violence began in the army. Nothing depends more on economic conditions than the establishment, preparation, equipment, strategy and tactics of the army. Equipment is the foundation, which directly depends on the production stage. Weapons of stone, bronze and iron, armor, horseback riding, gunpowder, and great changes caused by large industries in the war through rifling guns and cannons-these guns are products that can only be made by machines that work at the same speed and produce almost the same products. Editing and editing, strategy and tactics depend on equipment. Tactics also depends on the road conditions-the plan and achievements of the battle of Jena are impossible under the current road conditions-not to mention the railway! Therefore, violence is more dependent on the existing production conditions than anything else.

Engels: Preparation Materials for Anti-Turin Theory (1878- 1877)

The Complete Works of Marx and Engels, Volume 20, p. 684.

China's transportation industry, first of all, railway transportation, inland river transportation, maritime transportation and road transportation, has played a great supporting role in the front line. As we all know, traffic is the most important tool to connect the rear and the front. A large number of weapons and ammunition can be produced, but if they are not transported to the front in time, they will only become useless to the front. It should be said that the transportation industry plays a decisive role in the timely supply of frontline weapons, ammunition, food and clothing. If we say that despite the difficulties and lack of fuel in wartime, we finally managed to provide everything necessary to the front, then we must first admit that this is the credit of our transport workers and staff.