In August 1945, this was a major turning point during the War of Resistance Against Japan. On August 8, the Soviet government declared war against Japan. On August 9, 1.5 million Soviet Red Army attacked the Japanese Kwantung Army, which was entrenched in the northeastern region of the mainland. On August 10, Commander-in-Chief Zhu De issued the first major counter-offensive order from the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army in Yan'an, ordering the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army troops throughout the country to launch an all-out attack on the Japanese army. On August 15, Emperor Hirohito of Japan announced his unconditional surrender by radio.
In the case of a sharp turn of events, the strategic location of the northeast is very important, which is the region with the most heavy industry and the most abundant resources in China, and at that time, millions of troops of the Kuomintang army were shrunk in the southwest region, not to mention the northeast, and even to Nanjing had to go for a while. At that time, the Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army and other units were in the enemy theaters such as East China and North China, which were very close to the northeast and could advance into the northeast at any time. At that time, the closest to the northeast was Li Yunchang's Jireliao Military Region. Before the Soviet army sent troops to the northeast, Commander-in-Chief Zhu and Nie Rongzhen, commander of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region, issued a number of orders to Li Yunchang, asking the ministry to quickly march into the northeast and establish people's power in the northeast.
After receiving the order, Li Yunchang immediately led the main force and the Korean Volunteer Army totaling more than 13,000 people, as well as more than 2,500 local cadres to advance to the northeast region. The Jireliao Military Region was divided into three roads and marched northeastward, with Zeng Kelin, commander of the 16th Military Subdistrict of Jireliao, and Deputy Political Commissar Tang Kai leading the 12th Regiment, the 18th Regiment, the Shanhaiguan Guerrillas, and a part of the Korean Volunteer Army, a total of more than 4,000 people, marching toward Shenyang via Shanhaiguan.
Except for the weak resistance of the Japanese army at Shanhaiguan, Zeng Kelin did not encounter too many troubles. With the cooperation of the Soviet army, Zeng Kelin took over Suizhong, Xingcheng, Jinzhou and other places along the way. On September 5, 1945, Zeng Kelin led his troops into Shenyang. At first the Soviets were surprised by the arrival of the Eighth Route Army and did not allow the troops to enter the city, but after consultation and negotiation, on September 7, the commander of the Sixth Army of the Soviet Guards Army, General Kravchenko, the military commissar Lieutenant General Tumanian, and the commanders of the various services received and feasted on Zengklin and Tang Kai.
The Soviets behaved very politely at the banquet, not only apologizing, but also addressing each other as comrades with the representatives of the Eighth Route Army. Finally, after the study of both sides, Zeng Kelin established the Shenyang Garrison District of the Northeast People's Autonomous Army in Shenyang, with Zeng Kelin as commander and Tang Kai as political commissar. In the next two or three days, Zengklin disarmed more than 15,000 puppet troops and gendarmes. The Soviets then handed over some Japanese arsenals to Zeng Kelin's department, including the largest Sujiatun arsenal in Shenyang at that time, and Zeng Kelin, fearing that there would be a change, sent a regiment to move it for three days before it was completely emptied, removing a total of 20,000 machine guns, thousands of machine guns, and hundreds of cannons, as well as a large number of military supplies, and the first batch of eighth route army each had a steel helmet.
After obtaining a large number of Japanese-style equipment, Zeng Kelin immediately expanded his army, setting up a large number of independent brigades and independent regiments in Shenyang, Benxi, Liaoyang, Anshan, Fushun and other places, and the 16th Military Sub-district expanded from 4,000 to 80,000 people. In just one month, li yunchang and hebei reliao military regions of 13,000 people expanded to 120,000 people. Soon after, Zeng Kelin went to Yan'an to report on the situation in the northeast, and after the high-level meeting of the Yan'an side, he immediately sent 100,000 elite soldiers and 20,000 cadres to the northeast to prepare to take over the northeast in its entirety.