Ma Zhanshan is a famous patriotic general in our country; after the "918" incident, he led the vast number of patriotic officers and men in northeast China to fire the first shot of armed resistance to Japan throughout the country, which greatly encouraged the enthusiasm of the military and people of the whole country to resist Japan.
Ma Zhanshan
But few people know that in 1938, Ma Zhanshan visited Yan'an and formed a deep friendship with Mao Zedong, which also had a major impact on his legendary life.
Born in 1885 to a poor peasant family in Huaide County, Jilin Province, Ma Zhanshan lost his mother at an early age and herded horses for the rich man's family at the age of seven or eight, so he practiced horse kung fu. When he was 18 years old, he was herding horses for the landlord, he was framed by the landlord for losing a horse and had to go up the hill and fall into the grass.
Ma Zhanshan was skilled in marksmanship, shot in a hundred shots, and was a heroic hero, killing the rich and helping the poor, winning the reputation of "God Riding a Sharpshooter", and soon pulled up a team.
Soon after, Ma Zhanshan's team was absorbed by the Qing army, and he began his career in the army. After the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, he joined the Feng Army, and due to his bravery in battle, his position continued to rise, and by 1930 he was the commander of the Heihe Garrison in Heilongjiang Province.
Ma Zhanshan is a very national integrity person, in his more than 20 years in the northeast, he has witnessed the barbaric acts of the Japanese army burning and looting many times, and he is deeply indignant about this, he once said: "If I gain power on the day, I must teach a lesson to these foreign robbers, otherwise, I will not be able to swallow this foreign breath!" ”
After the "918" incident, because Chiang Kai-shek ordered Zhang Xueliang's Northeast Army to "absolutely not resist," the Japanese invading army occupied more than 30 towns in Liaoning and Jilin provinces and the vast rural areas of southern Manchuria in only one week, and soon invaded Heilongjiang.
At that time, Heilongjiang had more than 30,000 people in the Northeast Border Defense Army, but they were all stationed in Zalantun, Hailar, Heihe and other places, which were difficult to mobilize in a short period of time, and most of them were old and weak soldiers, and their weapons and equipment were rudimentary. At this time, Zhang Xueliang was in Tianjin, and Wan Fulin, chairman of Heilongjiang Province, was also in Beiping, heilongjiang was leaderless for a while, and the situation was very critical.
The Japanese army entered the northeast
On October 10, Zhang Xueliang appointed Ma Zhanshan as acting chairman of Heilongjiang Province, concurrently serving as deputy commander of the Northeast Border Defense Army in Heilongjiang Province and military commander of Heilongjiang Province, responsible for the overall situation of the province. Ma Zhanshan also arrived in the provincial capital Qiqihar on October 19 to take up his official post.
After Ma Zhanshan took office, he issued the "Declaration of Resistance Against Japan" on October 22, in which he said: "When this country is in a difficult autumn, two of the three provinces have died, and those who have the slightest popularity will not hesitate to eat their guts and vow to fight to the death." ”
Subsequently, Ma Zhanshan mobilized about 16,000 people and actively prepared for the battle, and by October 29, he had built three lines of defense with a depth of about 40 kilometers, deployed the north bank of the Nen River, and guarded the river bridge.
The Japanese army repeatedly provoked Ma Zhanshan's defensive area and threatened to use force, and many local gentry advised Ma Zhanshan to surrender, and Ma Zhanshan was furious when he heard this, saying: "If I make a mistake and cause chaos to the country, please cut off my head and send me to the central government to collect the crime." ”
At this time, Xu Baozhen, the leader of the guard, also drew his pistol and shouted loudly: "Whoever dares to say surrender again will kill him!" "No one has dared to say surrender anymore.
In the early morning of November 4, more than 4,000 Japanese troops, under the cover of aircraft, tanks and heavy artillery, officially launched an attack on Jiangqiao. Ma Zhanshan ordered a counterattack, and our soldiers fought bravely and quickly repelled the enemy's attack. This is the well-known "Jiangqiao War of Resistance" at home and abroad, and it is also the first shot fired by the Chinese army after the "918" incident.
Since then, the Japanese army has repeatedly launched an attack on the river bridge, the battle situation is very fierce, Ma Zhanshan has been commanding the battle on the front line, and the morale of the officers and men is very high. At dawn on November 5, the Japanese army once again attacked under the cover of aircraft artillery, Ma Zhanshan commanded the frontal troops to attack the counterattack, and on the other hand mobilized cavalry to surround the enemy's two wings, and finally defeated the Japanese army, and the enemy's remains of more than 700 bodies fled south.
Chinese defenders on the river bridge
When the Japanese army invaded and occupied Liaoning and Jilin provinces, they did not encounter effective resistance, and they never expected to be so violently blocked at Jiangqiao.
It is worth mentioning that when the Japanese planes unscrupulously flew low-altitude bombs, Ma Zhanshan, in a group of 20 people, lay on his back on the ground, shot upwards with a rifle, and actually shot down a Japanese plane, which was the first enemy plane shot down in the history of China's operations against Japan. Since then, the Japanese aircraft have never dared to fly low.
Ma Zhanshan's War of Resistance Aroused a High Degree of Patriotic Enthusiasm of the People of the Whole Country, and condolence missions were organized throughout the country to go to the front line to comfort the officers and men.
The Shenwu General came up from the heavens, and the Haoran Righteous Qi system rose and fell.
Throwing the day ball in the hand is routine, and the twelve gold medals cannot be recalled.
Tao Xingzhi
On November 16, the Japanese army mobilized more than 7,000 troops from the mainland and Korea to launch a fierce attack on the defenders, and the battle lasted until 2 a.m. on the 18th, when our positions were destroyed.
On November 19, the Japanese army captured Qiqihar, and the Jiangqiao War of Resistance was over. Although the Jiangqiao War of Resistance did not prevent the Japanese invasion of Heilongjiang Province, this was the first time since the "918" incident that the Chinese army had risen up in an organized manner to fight back against the invaders. Ma Zhanshan led his troops to bravely kill the enemy, causing the Japanese army to pay a high price of 3 times the casualties than mine, and set a glorious page in the history of the War of Resistance.
In June 1933, Ma Zhanshan came to Shanghai, and he hoped that Chiang Kai-shek would let him continue to resist japan, but Chiang Kai-shek only gave him an empty title of "Military Commissar", which made him very disappointed, so he returned to his hometown in Tianjin to rest.
During his stay in Tianjin, Ma Zhanshan had a close relationship with the anti-Japanese patriots Du Chongyuan, Yan Baohang, and others; they often gathered together to discuss the current situation; through Du Chongyuan's introduction, Ma Zhanshan also got to know Sun Dasheng, an underground member of the CPC, who briefed Ma Zhanshan on the CPC's anti-Japanese stand and hoped that he would help the CPC do Zhang Xueliang's work and persuade Zhang Xueliang not to fight a civil war, and Ma Zhanshan gladly agreed.
Chang
Later, when Ma Zhanshan saw Zhang Xueliang in Wuhan, he once said to him: "We should not obey Chiang Kai-shek's orders and not resist, and lose the northeast." We should not participate in the suppression of the Communists in the civil war, and participating in the suppression of the Communists is a life sentence, and it is to sell one's life for food. We must keep a little old and strive to fight back to our hometown in the northeast. ”
After the "Xi'an Incident", Ma Zhanshan expressed his understanding of Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng's behavior, and he proceeded from the overall situation and suggested that they should not kill Chiang Kai-shek and peacefully resolve the Xi'an Incident, which coincided with the CCP's propositions, and finally Zhang Xueliang adopted his opinion.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Ma Zhanshan again came to Nanjing to ask Chiang Kai-shek for war, but Chiang Kai-shek could no longer shirk it, so he appointed him commander of the Advancing Army and was in charge of the recruitment of the four northeastern provinces, and asked him to go to Datong to form the Advancing Army Headquarters.
After Ma Zhanshan came to Datong, he actively reorganized his armaments and soon developed a team, and he fought with the elite Sakagaki Division of the Japanese Army and the Sakai Mechanized Unit for 10 months, and although the Japanese army was given heavy casualties, he had to retreat to Fugu County in northern Shaanxi in May 1938 because he was outnumbered.
In May 1938, Ma Zhanshan went to Chongqing to report for duty, he met Zhou Enlai at the office of the Eighth Route Army in Chongqing, and listened to Zhou Enlai's analysis of the victory against Japan, which gave him great confidence, and he later said: "Meeting with Zhou Enlai gave me the confidence of victory against Japan, and from then on, I began to lean toward the Communist Party ideologically. ”
Zhou Enlai
When Ma Zhanshan returned from his debriefing in July, he thought that he had received assistance from Yan'an many times in the operations and heavy transportation of the advancing army, so he decided to pass through Yan'an and visit the LEADER of the Communist Party of China, Mao Zedong, so that he would be grateful.
In late August, Ma Zhanshan came to the vicinity of the straw shop more than 50 miles away from Yan'an, where the climate is pleasant and very suitable for hunting, Ma Zhanshan's subordinate Zhang Ruishan specially modified a double-barrel shotgun for him, he picked up the gun and shot at the pheasant, but did not expect that the guards loaded too much gunpowder, and at the same time as the gun sounded, a gun barrel exploded, and the palm of his left hand exploded, and his thumb, middle finger and index finger were broken.
Double-barreled shotgun
After Xiao Jinguang, who was then in charge of the Yan'an garrison, learned the news, he attached great importance to it, and after consulting the central authorities, he sent expert Wang Kangbo to attack and rescue him.
A few days later, Mao Zedong personally came to the hospital to visit Ma Zhanshan, and he humorously said to Ma Dianshan: "In a few days, you will return to Yulin!" You are a well-known person in the world, and if you die in Yan'an, Chiang Kai-shek will make a big fuss and bring me a stain that cannot be washed away. ”
Ma Zhanshan smiled and replied, "It doesn't matter, I can't die." ”
Mao Zedong also said: "The Japanese imperialist forces invading China are beaten everywhere and will inevitably end in failure." However, the puppet Manchuria region, and its elite troops have not lost, it is inevitable to stubbornly resist in manchuria, the future to recover the northeast, you want to build a bridge. ”
Mao Zedong
Ma Zhanshan replied enthusiastically: "Once Mr. Mao's troops advance into the northeast, ma Zhanshan will of course warmly welcome it and will certainly do his best to help." ”
After Ma Zhanshan was discharged from the hospital, the CPC Central Committee and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Government held a grand welcome party for him, and Mao Zedong personally delivered a welcome speech, saying: "Eight years ago, the Red Army and General Ma became anti-Japanese comrades. "General Ma is more than half a hundred years old and is still dealing with the enemy on the front line of the War of Resistance, and this spirit deserves the admiration of the whole country." Subsequently, Ma Zhanshan also delivered a warm speech.
After that, Ma Zhanshan recovered in Yan'an for a period of time, and he went deep into all strata of Yan'an to understand the situation. The shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia border region government has made arduous pioneering efforts, upright and honest, and its achievements in the political, economic, cultural, and military fields, as well as the enterprising spirit of all Yan'an people in striving to be strong, have left an indelible impression on Ma Zhanshan. He bid farewell to Yan'an in late September.
Yan'an
After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chiang Kai-shek appointed Ma Zhanshan as deputy commander of the Northeast Security And asked him to go to the northeast to fight a civil war, but Ma Zhanshan said: "I always feel sad to see my own people beating my own people." "So I never took office.
At Chiang Kai-shek's repeated urging, Ma Zhanshancai came to Shenyang in 1947, but when he saw that the Kuomintang was gone, he came to Beiping in October 1948 in the name of medical treatment.
Fu Zuoyi
Ma Zhanshan then took the initiative to come to visit Fu Zuoyi, and Fu Zuoyi had no idea, and when he saw Ma Zhanshan coming, he hurriedly said to him: "You are a bystander Qing, and you are very touched to come with a sick heart, so let's have a good talk!"
Ma Zhanshan said: "I am the Northeast Army, you are the Northwest Army, Chiang Kai-shek does not care about us at all, what reward can you receive when you are a light rod commander to Chiang Kai-shek?" Beiping is the ancient capital, there are countless precious cultural relics, can not fight, can not be a sinner for thousands of years, or negotiate with the Communist Party as the best policy. ”
Finally, Ma Zhanshan suggested that Fu Zuoyi let Deng Baoshan, deputy commander of the North China "Suppression General" campaign, as a representative to negotiate with the Platon Army, saying: "Deng Baoshan has a deep historical relationship with the Communist Party and has prestige, and if he is invited to serve as a representative for peace talks, it will be conducive to the progress of negotiations." ”
Deng Baoshan
Fu Zuoyi listened to Ma Zhanshan's suggestion and sent Deng Baoshan out of the city to negotiate, and after negotiations, on January 31, 1949, the Chinese People's Liberation Army officially entered Beiping, and Peiping was declared peacefully liberated.
On February 3, 1949, the Political Department of the Beiping City Garrison Headquarters set up the "Diaspora Military Handling Committee", and Ma Zhanshan went to register and cooperated harmoniously with the CCP.
In June 1950, after the outbreak of the Korean War, Ma Zhanshan took the initiative to write an application and submit it to the Council of State, asking him to join the war in Korea, but the government did not approve it considering his age and serious illness. So Ma Zhanshan sent his granddaughter to the Korean front.
In November 1950, Ma Zhanshan's illness became more and more serious, and as he entered his deathbed, he made a will to his children:
I have seen with my own eyes that under the leadership of Chairman Mao and the Communist Party of China, the people of the whole country have been liberated, that new democracy has been successfully implemented, and that everyone lives and works in peace and contentment.
The new type of country I idealized in my life has been built. Although I have been separated from the world because of illness, I can be comforted under the Nine Springs.
I instruct you to follow my will and will, and under the wise leadership of the people's government, sincerely strive to the end for the construction of new China, seek truth from facts, act as a person, and not slacken off. This order.
On November 29, 1950, Ma Zhanshan, a famous anti-Japanese general, died of illness at the age of 65. On December 5, People's Daily reported on his death and published his will. His body was buried in the Wan'an Cemetery in Beijing.
Statue of Ma Zhanshan
General Ma Zhanshan is immortal!