Red Flags of Manchuria - Part 2 | A House Divided
“We will win – we will prove to those weak bourgeois compromisers who claim we are too radical, who say we will alienate the moderates and who mock our program as the ‘longest suicide note in history’ that our victory – the victory of the people – is inevitable. Anyone who stands in the way of this victory will only be crushed by the tide of history.”
Shalamov listened quietly to his running mate’s speech. He was too enthusiastic, Shalamov thought, and he was still keen to give speeches to inspire supporters even after the polls were closed. Sometimes Gao Gang’s remarks made him a little worried, but his confident and ambitious running mate was very effective in mobilizing the Chinese community and the peasant groups to support him. That was enough, wasn’t it? Of course, he was not as confident as Gao Gang, but they did have a great chance of defeating Ruan Zhenduo…
And that is what happened.
53-46, it was slightly better than Shalamov expected, but Gao Gang seemed a little disappointed, he seemed to expect some bigger victory. But it was a victory anyway. So he quickly gave another radical speech and then excitedly enjoyed the cheers of the crowd.
Shalamov was not like that. He thought - the alliance with Lev Sedov was not without cost, Sedov asked for the post of Minister of Defense, which would definitely anger the military. However, betrayal would bring worse consequences, so he could only keep his promise, which would definitely increase the resistance to his government from the beginning...
Shalamov smiled bitterly. Maybe he shouldn't continue to think about this, just leave it for tomorrow. Today is a day to celebrate the victory, and any concerns about his government can be discussed tomorrow.
He stood up, walked to the stage, cleared his throat, and began to speak to his countless supporters below the stage...
"Comrades, today, we witnessed the victory of the Manchurian people...
Varlam Shalamov, New President of Manchuria
Posted May 5, 2025, 1:59 AM UTC