General Song Xilian, born in 1907 in Xiangxiang, Hubei Province, was a standard fellow countryman with General Chen Geng. However, in that era of ups and downs and talents, the monstrous tide of revolution and the vicissitudes of the situation can easily make people lose themselves in their choices. Yes, the same starting point, different choices, make people's fates very different, and when they reunite at a certain node, they often make people sigh. The life path of Song Xilian and Chen Geng is a typical microcosm.
General Song Xilian was born into a family of officials and eunuchs, and his ancestors were mostly appointed as officials, and his father Song Yuesheng lived in seclusion at home after he stepped down as governor. With a good economic foundation and family education, Song Xilian had the opportunity to read poetry and books, and he had the ambition to serve the country since childhood. When he was a teenager, he studied at the Xiangxiang TaoGong School and wrote in the article "Carry forward the Spirit of the Ancestors": The Chinese nation is a great nation standing in the East, and our ancestors worked hard and bravely explored in this fertile land, creating a splendid civilization and enjoying the reputation of a broad and profound country of etiquette. For thousands of years, it has never been conquered by outsiders, and this history cannot die in our generation. The rise and fall of the country is the responsibility of the puppet; the sacrifice of the country is not abandoned; the benefit of the people, after death.
At that time, Song Xilian was of course a hot-blooded young man, and his patriotic heart could be learned from the sun and the moon. In 1921, he was admitted to Changsha Changjun Middle School, deeply influenced by the ideas of the May Fourth Patriotic Movement and influenced by progressive teachers, and actively participated in the patriotic student movement. During this period, he often participated in parades and rallies with Chen Geng, an alumnus he had known before.
He parted ways with Chen Geng and gradually became Chiang's Eagle Dog
In 1924, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party cooperated for the first time. In May, with the support of the Soviet Comintern, the Whampoa Military Academy was established. Because the warlords were afraid of the flames of the revolution and constantly blocked the revolutionary activities, the previous enrollment work of the military academy was carried out in secret in various places. Song Xilian was admitted to the first phase of the Whampoa Military Academy with Chen Geng and joined the Kuomintang. At the beginning of 1926, after Chen Geng talked and introduced, Song Xilian joined the Communist Party, and at this time Chen Geng had been in the Party for 4 years. Soon, Chen Geng introduced him to meet with Zhou Enlai.
On March 20, 1926, Chiang Kai-shek created the "Zhongshan Ship Incident" and launched the "Qing Dang" operation. Song Xilian was transferred to the 21st Division 63rd Regiment 1 Battalion Battalion Commander, broke away from the Communists, and later accompanied the Army on the Northern Expedition. Chen Geng's choice was to resolutely oppose Chiang Kai-shek's actions, bravely declare his communist identity, and break away from the Kuomintang.
Since then, the two hot-blooded young people, who have chosen different class interests, have gone farther and farther in the tide of fate and gone their separate ways.
In 1927, Song Xilian, who was wounded in Suzhou after being wounded in the Battle of Tonglu, wandered and was sleepy, so he wrote a letter to the "principal", and Chiang Kai-shek replied to let Song Xilian go to Nanjing to see him. Under Chiang Kai-shek's arrangement, Song Xilian, who was recovering from his wounds, studied at the Japanese Army Infantry School for more than 2 years.
In the spring of 1930, the Central Plains War broke out, and Song Xilian was recalled by Chiang Kai-shek to participate in the war, and made a military contribution for Chiang Kai-shek in the melee with various warlords, and was promoted from military position all the way.
The iron-blooded resistance against Japan was also great
In 1932, when the Shanghai 1.28 Incident occurred, Song Xilian heard about the Japanese army's aggressive behavior, was indignant, and expressed to He Yingqin the strong desire of the officers and men of the 261 whole brigade to participate in the war, and after repeated struggle, he was finally able to lead his troops to support the 19th Route Army and fight with the Japanese army side by side. Song Xilian's battle plan was praised by General Zhang Zhizhong, who led his troops to attack the flank of the Japanese army, greatly containing the main Force of the Japanese army attacking the 88th Division, and the 19th Route Army also bravely attacked. The Japanese army was besieged on three sides, overwhelmed and chaotic, and the offensive plan was directly forced to stagnate.
Unfortunately, on March 5, the Chiang government signed the shameful Songhu Armistice Agreement with Japan, and the soldiers who fought bloodily were ordered to cease fire and retreat. Song Xilian, who had performed well in combat, was promoted to deputy commander of the 87th Division.
In 1933, at the age of 27, Song Xilian was promoted to commander of the 36th Division, and major general became lieutenant general. Song Xilian understood that receiving the opportunity of military education and going all the way up the ladder was entirely the promotion and cultivation of Chiang Kai-shek, and he was not an ungrateful person. Song Xilian was strict with the management of the army, ordered the prohibition, won Chiang Kai-shek's weight, and was repeatedly commended, and soon the troops became concubine troops.
In 1936, after the Xi'an Incident, the Kuomintang and the Communists cooperated for the second time, and Chiang Kai-shek was forced to guard against the Communist Party everywhere. Song Xilian, then commander of the 36th Division, was ordered to garrison Shaanxi. At the Xi'an Hotel, Song Xilian and Chen Geng secretly met again after ten years of separation. A commander of a nationalist army division and a division commander of the Red Army, in ten years of civil war, saw each other with knives and soldiers, and they were fellow villagers and fellow soldiers, and they also carried guns together. How can this not be emotional! The two talked happily, and the wrong way in political opinions did not affect the personal relationship between the two. A few days later, Song Xilian did not hesitate to take political risks and once again met with Zhou Enlai, former director of the political department of the Whampoa Military Academy, at chen gung's suggestion.
After the July 7 Incident, the Japanese army invaded China in an all-round way. In August, the Japanese army attacked Shanghai again, the Battle of Songhu broke out, the Nationalist 87th Division and 88th Division rose up to fight back, and Song Xilian was ordered to lead the 36th Division from Xi'an to rush to Shanghai. Song Xilian personally led his troops to attack the Japanese positions. At the Huishan Wharf, the troops fought with the Japanese army in the alley, engaged in hand-to-hand combat, and the officers and soldiers' disregard for life and death frightened the Japanese troops on the dock, and even retreated to the south of the bridge to surrender to the British troops in the concession and seek refuge. Under the resistance of Japanese artillery fire, tanks and aircraft, the officers and men of the 36th Division suffered heavy casualties. Song Xilian's 36th Division fought a bloody battle with the Japanese army for 3 months in the unprecedented Battle of Songhu, replenished 4 soldiers, and killed 12,000 people.
After the fall of Shanghai, the Japanese army surrounded Nanjing, and the defense of Nanjing broke out. After the Battle of Songhu, Song Xilian's 36th Division, with only more than 3,000 men left, rushed to the Nanjing front to block the Japanese army.
At the Battle of Wuhan, Song Xilian, who was the commander of the 71st Army, led the 36th Division and the 88th Division to defend Fujinshan, and under the indiscriminate bombardment of the Japanese army, they actually fought the Japanese army 5 times to replenish the number of personnel, and could not go further for 10 days. The Japanese tried to bypass the 36th Division, but were ambushed by the 528th Regiment of the 88th Division, killing more than 500 people. The Japanese army lamented: When encountering a strong hand, there is no way to do anything! Later, the 71st Army and the 33rd Army defended the last defensive line of Wuhan - Shawo and Xiaojieling, and the two armies cooperated in a bloody battle, blocking the Japanese army in this defensive line for more than a month, and never being able to break through. Since then, the prestige of the 71st Army has been greatly enhanced, and it has won a grand commendation from the Kuomintang.
In 1942, in order to defend the Burma Highway, Song Xilian, then commander of the 11th Group Army, was ordered to march south along the Burma Road to block the Japanese army. In the Battle of Baoshan Huitong Bridge, Song Xilian commanded the 36th Division to engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat with white blades, almost annihilating more than 500 Japanese troops crossing the river and only escaping more than 10 people.
In 1944, the Northern Yunnan-Burmese Counterattack Began, and Song Xilian's 11th Group Army successively conquered Longling, Mangshi, and Chafang, and in January 1945, it conquered the town of Qi. During this period, the Japanese 38th and 56th Divisions were completely annihilated, and the 2nd and 33rd Divisions were severely damaged. The Sino-Indian highway was completely opened, and the strategic materials of international assistance continued to enter the Chinese anti-Japanese battlefield. After fighting for 3 years, Song Xilian's troops were distinguished in battle, and Song Xilian was awarded the Order of the Blue Sky and the Order of the White Sun and the American Medal of Freedom.
The murder of martyrs is a great mistake, and the blame is hard to blame
In 1935, Qu Qiubai was captured by Song Xilian's 36th Division and identified by traitors. Qu Qiubai was one of the early leaders of the Communist Party, and in his early years, Song Xilian had read his articles, listened to his reports, and was influenced by his Soviet propaganda. Unexpectedly, the figure he revered at the beginning was now caught by his subordinates. Song Xilian didn't know what to do at once, didn't he once have the identity of the Communist Party?
Song Xilian was determined to talk to Qu Qiubai to see if there was room for maneuver. The two talked about communism from revolution and the Three People's Principles, Qu Qiubai was a staunch communist, passionate, and Song Xilian was speechless. Later, Chiang Kai-shek sent a unified agent to come and try to persuade Qu Qiubai to surrender, but Qu Qiubai flatly refused, defending the iron backbone of the Communists.
Earlier, Song Xilian had thought that a communist leader of such a high level as Qu Qiubai would definitely be escorted to Nanjing to await the ruling. Unexpectedly, in June 1935, Song Xilian received two telegrams from Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Dingwen on the summary execution of Qu Qiubai. Song Xilian remembered all kinds of things in the past and had a thousand thoughts. Perhaps, Chiang Kai-shek knew his relationship with the Communist Party, and in order to pull him into the water, let him kill the leader of the Communist Party as a sign of surrender?
In the whirlpool of politics, in the general environment of the time, it was difficult for the will of the individual to be reflected, and it could only float and sink with the rolling torrent. Song Xilian finally carried out the order and ordered the execution of Qu Qiubai, who shouted slogans and died heroically.
Song Xilian knew that when he became this executioner, he had formed a blood feud with the Communist Party, which was not only a difference in political opinions. This has nothing to do with whether he is subjectively willing or not, and the big mistake has been cast.
Time passed, and after the defeat of the army, he tried to imitate the Red Army to establish a revolutionary base area
In the War of Liberation, Song Xilian was defeated by Yichang and Chuandong, and there were only more than 3,000 soldiers left under his command, which was the end of the crossbow, and at this time Chiang Kai-shek was still constantly sending reports to supervise the battle. Song Xilian, who was extremely disappointed in Chiang Kai-shek, said: Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Kai-shek have been talking empty words all their lives and have fought a lifetime of defeat.
He neither surrendered nor obeyed Chiang Kai-shek's command, and was determined to go west to open up base areas. This was the revolutionary road of the Red Army, and was it true that, after many years of experience, Song Xilian tacitly acquiesced to the correct path of the Communist Party? The huge military strength of the Chiang family dynasty, the People's Liberation Army has swept its autumn wind like leaves in more than three years, I don't know if he has any remorse for the choice of that year?
In December 1949, Song Xilian was captured by the People's Liberation Army at the Dadu River. In the spring of 1950, Chen Geng, then deputy commander of the Southwest Military Region and commander of the 4th Corps, made a special trip to visit Song Xilian. Chen Geng only had earnest care in his eyes, like a brother, like a grandfather, that is, there was no victor's posture, and Song Xilian was moved to tears.
The meeting of the two generals is very similar to the history of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, starting from the starting point and running in different directions, and it is already a new day to meet again.
In 1959, Song Xilian was pardoned, and Zhou Enlai and Chen Geng met with him many times, and their generosity and elegance made him feel like a spring breeze. On March 16, 1961, General Chen Geng died, and Song Xilian, who heard the news, lost his voice and cried, tears rippled, and he lost a good friend in his life.
Later, under the care of the Party Central Committee, Song Xilian was able to go to the United States to live with his children, whom he had not seen for many years. In the United States, he published an article entitled "Taiwan and the Mainland Must Be Peacefully Reunified," making great contributions to the reunification of the motherland. At this time, the Taiwan authorities were no longer the Eagle Dog of Chiang Kai-shek, and Song Xilian, who had been an eagle dog for Chiang Kai-shek for many years, was slandered by them as the Eagle Dog of the Chinese Communists. In 1993, Song Xilian passed away.
Halfway through his life, General Song Xilian realized that the choices of that year had changed his life, and only who could save China. Meritorious and renren commented that what has not changed is general Song Xilian's patriotic heart.