On July 7, 1937, the Japanese invaders brazenly launched the Lugou Bridge Incident. The all-out war of aggression against China began, Japan was clamoring for the destruction of China for three months, and the Chinese nation was in danger.
The next day, the Communist Party of China sent a telegram to the whole country, issuing "The Communist Party of China Electrified the Japanese Army's Attack on the Lugou Bridge," and angrily sent a message to the people and people's police throughout the country:
"Hiratsu is in danger! North China is in danger! The Chinese nation is in danger! ”
On 17 July, Chiang Kai-shek delivered his famous "Last Minute" speech and "Solemn And Just Statement on the Lugou Bridge Incident" in Lushan, in which Chiang Kai-shek said:
"If there is no chance of compromise, if we give up our land and sovereignty, we will be sinners of the Chinese nation through the ages." "If the war ends, it means that the land is divided into north and south, the old and the young, no matter who they are, they all have the responsibility to defend the territory and resist the war, and they should all have the determination to sacrifice everything." ”
The Lushan speech was regarded as the beginning of an all-out war between China and Japan, and also a symbolic event of the second Kuomintang-Communist cooperation.
In the "August 13 Incident", the Japanese army attacked Shanghai, our army rose up to fight back, and the Battle of Songhu began.
On August 14, Chiang Kai-shek issued the "Declaration of Self-Defense and Resistance Against Japanese Aggression", officially declaring war on Japan.
The CPC Central Committee, represented by Ye Jianying, went to Nanjing to participate in the talks issued by the CPC Central Committee on the "Declaration of cooperation between the CPC Central Committee for promulgating the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.", and Ye Jianying, as the plenipotentiary representative of the CPC side, met with Chiang Kai-shek to discuss the details. So the red army's reorganization was finally put on the agenda. Throughout August, the two sides engaged in fierce negotiations on the reorganization of the Red Army.
Originally planned, our party proposed that the four armies should have a total of 120,000 troops under the jurisdiction of the four armies, with Lin Biao, He Long, Liu Bocheng, and Xu Xiangqian respectively, and four people serving as military commanders
, maintain a state of independence and autonomy, and in principle obey the leadership of the Central Committee of Nanjing.
In line with the principle of suppressing the development of the Communist Party, Chiang Kai-shek was preoccupied with the question of the number, establishment, and command of the army, and on the grounds of the barrenness of the northwest, he directly cut off three-quarters of the number of troops and allowed only three divisions to be formed, and demanded that cadres at or above the division level not be allowed to set up a general command office, and that Nanjing appoint the chief of staff of the division and the director of the political training department.
The first round of negotiations between the two sides was not successful due to huge differences.
However, the war on the front line was urgent, the people of the whole country were watching the negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communists, and the Kuomintang also needed the communist troops to go to the front to relieve the pressure, and the two sides had no choice but to start negotiations again.
On the basis of adhering to principles, the deputies of the Communist Party made appropriate concessions. On the basis of the original 120,000 people in the twelve divisions, it was reduced to a strength of 40,000 people in three divisions, and the Kuomintang side basically agreed after careful consideration.
On the basis that the Yan'an side retained the command right and did not accept any commissioner appointed by the Nanjing side, the Two Sides reached a ten-point consensus. The Red Army accepted the incorporation of the Nanjing National Revolutionary Army and was formally incorporated into the Eighth Route Army under the National Revolutionary Army.
On August 25, Chairman Mao, together with the Red Army generals Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, He Long, and Lin Biao, sent a telegram to Chiang Kai-shek. denote:
"The officers and men of the Red Army, under the leadership of Chairman Chiang Kai-shek, resisted the Japanese army and defended the country. The Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee issued an order for the reorganization of the Red Army, and Zhu De and Peng Dehuai sent a telegram to the whole country to officially announce their appointment as the chief and deputy commanders of the Eighth Route Army.
Our army had three main forces during the Red Army period. namely:
Red Army: The "Central Red Army" of the Central Soviet Zone. Zhu De was appointed commander-in-chief, Peng Dehuai was appointed deputy commander-in-chief, and Mao Zedong was appointed secretary of the General Front Committee and general political commissar.
Red Second Front: The Red Army in the revolutionary base areas of western Hunan and Hubei. He Long served as commander-in-chief, and Ren Bi was the political commissar at the time.
Red Fourth Front: The Red Army in the revolutionary base area of Eyuwan. The commander-in-chief is Xu Xiangqian and the political commissar is Chen Changhao.
After the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, our army created the 115th Division on the basis of the Red Front (the Central Red Army), the 120th Division on the basis of the Red Second Front, the 129th Division on the basis of the Red Fourth Front, and the guerrillas in the eight southern provinces were reorganized into the New Fourth Army. During the War of Resistance,
The three divisions of the Eighth Route Army, together with the New Fourth Army, are the four main forces.
The number one main force, the 115th Division
Zhu Zong, the former commander-in-chief of the Red Army, was promoted to commander-in-chief of the Eighth Route Army, and Lin Biao, commander of the Red First Army, served as the commander of the 115th Division. Deputy Division Commander Nie Rongzhen, Director of the Political Training Office Luo Rongheng. The total strength of the 115th Division is 15,500 people, which is recognized as the most fully equipped and the most effective of the three divisions.
A month after the establishment of the 115th Division, it played a beautiful flat-shaped Guan dajie, and the 115th Division and Lin's great fame spread far and wide throughout the country. But Deser, dressed in a Japanese military coat and riding a Japanese dayangi horse, was shot down by Yan Xishan's sentries and forced to go to the Soviet Union to recuperate, so that he missed the entire War of Resistance. After he left,
The strong 115th Division was divided into three, and the whole country blossomed.
The first unit of the 115th Division: Nie Rongzhen created the Jin-Cha-Ji anti-Japanese base area.
In late September 1937, after the Battle of Pingxingguan, the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army marched south to the southeast of Jin, leaving the deputy division commander Nie Rongzhen to lead a total of about 3,000 people to create the first anti-Japanese base area behind enemy lines in the Wutaishan area of Shanxi Province——— the Jin-Cha-Ji Anti-Japanese Base Area.
Since then, the military region has developed rapidly, and by 1939, the main force has expanded to 100,000 people, and the territory has expanded from the original Wutai Mountain to 72 counties, all the way to Jizhong. The President's"
Before there was Lu Zhishen, now there is Nie Rongzhen
"That's how it came about. The CPC Central Committee and Mao Zedong praised them as "a model anti-Japanese base area behind enemy lines and a model area for the united front."
By the end of 1940,
Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region
It has jurisdiction over the Jizhong Military Region and the Jirecha Advancing Army, with a total of 12 military sub-districts, 37 regiments, and more than 20 guerrilla detachments (general) units, with a total strength of about 109,000 people and a militia of about 500,000 people.
During the entire War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region fought more than 65,000 battles and annihilated more than 330,000 Japanese puppet troops. The "Five Heroes of Wolf's Tooth Mountain" belong to this military region. In the Battle of Loess Ridge, lieutenant general Norihide Abe, the supreme commander of the Japanese "Mongolian Garrison Army", was killed. Bethune's main time in China, from 1938 to 1939, was working in the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region, where he also died.
On May 9, 1948, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided that the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region and the Jin-Ji Luyu Military Region would merge to form the North China Military Region. Led by Nie Rongzhen
North China Field Army
It did not join the sequence of the four major field armies, and the three corps were directly under the command of the central government. It is often said that our army has four major field armies, but in fact there are five field armies in total.
In the North China Field Army, Nie Rongzhen was appointed commander and Bo Yibo was appointed political commissar. There are 3 field regiments and 11 corps, with a total of 272,000 people. The 1st Corps, Xu Xiangqian was also the commander and political commissar; the 2nd Corps, Yang Dezhi as the commander, Luo Ruiqing as the political commissar; the 3rd Corps, Yang Chengwu as the commander, Li Jingquan as the political commissar.
The second branch of the 115th Division: Luo Ronghuan and Chen Guang,115th Division, formed the Shandong Military Region
This branch inherited the name of the 115th Division, mainly the headquarters of the 115th Division and part of the main force, with a total of more than 70,000 people. They were in March 1939
Political Commissar Luo Ronghuan and Acting Division Commander Chen Guang
Under the leadership of Shandong, he advanced into Shandong. Luo Rongheng was one of Chairman Mao's earliest and closest followers. Mao Zedong was Mao Zedong's right and left arm at the time of the Autumn Harvest Uprising, and later they went up Jinggangshan together.
In March 1943, the 115th Division merged with the Shandong Military Region to form the new Shandong Military Region, retaining the name of the 115th Division. The new Shandong Military Region and the 115th Division, with Luo Ronghuan as commander, acting division commander, and political commissar, took sole power.
Mao once said: "Shandong only replaces one Luo Ronghuan, and Shandong's overall chess will be alive."
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Chen Guang, acting commander of the 115th Division's First Commander
By 1945, the number of the Shandong Military Region and the 115th Division had grown to 270,000, accounting for more than 1/4 of the total number of the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army. In the past 8 years, he fought against the enemy more than 30,000 times, killed and wounded more than 600,000 Japanese puppet troops, and annihilated about 30% of the total number of enemies in the whole army.
After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Lin Shuai was appointed commander of the Shandong Military Region, and the old chief finally returned! Lin Zong and Luo Shuai rushed to the northeast with 30,000 cadres and 60,000 soldiers from the Shandong Military Region, and soon developed into a million-strong Fourth Field Army.
The third branch of the 115th Division
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The 344th Brigade established the Jiluyu Military Region and the Jiluyu Base Area
The 344th Brigade of the 115th Division (the commander of the division was Xu Haidong, who was in a bad physical condition and recuperated) was divided into two, one led by deputy brigade commander Yang Dezhi to establish the Jiluyu Military Region, and the other led by political commissar Huang Kecheng to establish the Northern Jiangsu Military Region, which joined the New Fourth Army after the Anhui Incident.
The second main force, the 129th Division
The 129th Division was established on the basis of the former Four Fronts. Liu Bocheng was appointed division commander, and Xu served as political commissar to Former Deputy Division Commander Zhang Hao (Lin Biao's cousin Lin Yuying), and the following year Lin Yuying was transferred back to Yan'an due to illness and was succeeded by Duke Deng. Originally, it was divided into two brigades, the 385th Brigade (Brigade Commander Wang Hongkun) and the 386th Brigade (Brigade Commander Chen Geng). Wang Hongkun was the cousin of the general Wang Shusheng, and after liberation, he served as deputy commander of the navy with the rank of general.
The three divisions of the Eighth Route Army were all military districts at that time. Take the 129th Division as an example, it has a structure
Taihang Military Region, Taiyue Military Region and Ji'nan Military Region
There are three second-level military districts, and under the second-level military regions there are military sub-districts. At the end of 1941, in addition to the 56,000 field and local units directly under the division and 9 combat brigades, there were more than 7,000 medical personnel in the 129th Division system, with a total strength of more than 80,000 troops at the end of 1941.
Taihang Military District
One deputy commander was Wang Shusheng, and later a major general, the Taihang Military Region had six military sub-districts under its jurisdiction. For example, Qin Jiwei, commander of the First Military Subdistrict, Chen Xilian, commander of the Third Military Region, and Pi Dingjun, commander of the Fifth Military Subdistrict, are more famous.
Taiyue Military Region
The commander is Chen Geng, the deputy commander is Xie Fuzhi, and the political commissar is Bo Yibo. At this time, Chen Geng was no longer the brigade commander of the 386 Brigade, and was succeeded by his beloved general Wang Jinshan (the prototype of Li Yunlong).
Ji'nan Military Region
Initially, Song Renqian served as commander, and later he became political commissar, with a generation of fierce generals Chen Zaidao as commanders. The Ji'nan Military Region has six military sub-districts under its jurisdiction.
During the eight-year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the 129th Division's famous battles included night attacks on Yangmingbao Airfield, Shentouling Ambush, and Qigen Village, Xiangtangpu, Changle Village, and the Hundred Regiments Battle. During the eight-year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the 129th Division annihilated more than 420,000 Japanese puppet troops, and it also grew to 300,000. In 1947, Liu Deng led the main force to cross the Dadu River and advance into the Dabie Mountains, which later developed into the famous Erye.
The third main force, the 120th Division
The 120th Division was created on the basis of the Red Second Front, with division commander He Long and deputy division commander Xiao Ke, with a total of more than 14,000 people in the division.
In late September 1938, the 120th Division entered the rear of the enemy army in two groups, mobilized the masses, and created an anti-Japanese base area in northwestern Jin. He Long led the division and the 358th Brigade into the northwestern Jin region, while Wang Zhen led the 359th Brigade into the Wutai and Pingshan areas.
On November 7, 1940, the Northwest Jin Military Region was established to unify the command of the armed forces in the Jinsui area, and its leading organ was the leading organ of the 120th Division. He Long concurrently served as commander, and Guan Xiang should concurrently serve as political commissar. By the end of 1940, the number of troops in the Northwest Jin Military Region had grown to 51,000. At the end of the anti-japanese war, the number of 120 divisions grew to 130,000.
From the end of 1940, the 359th Brigade was stationed in the south Niwan area south of Yan'an to carry out production campaigns.
The foundation of the Red Second Front was the worst among the three main forces of the Red Army, and the development of the 120th Division could be said to be the worst of the three main divisions, which had long assumed the role of reserve, and the Jinsui Military Region they had created was also inferior compared with the base areas of other units. Of course, there are some objective reasons for this.
Because the 120th Division had other tasks, it could not let go of its hands and feet like other units. In addition to fighting against the Japanese army, the 120th Division also needed to guard the security of the base area in northern Shaanxi and shouldered a certain responsibility of guard units. Since it has a defensive mission, the opportunity to take the initiative to attack is naturally less, which is different from the 120th Division.
The northwestern Jin and Jinsui base areas pioneered by the 120th Division are also the most important barriers to the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia base areas, and as long as this base area is in our hands, then the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region will be basically safe.
He Long and American journalists
It is precisely because the 120th Division has undertaken important strategic tasks that it cannot march eastward like other units, go deep behind enemy lines without scruples, let go and mobilize the masses to open up base areas, recruit troops and strengthen itself. Since ancient times, the Jin Sui and northwestern Jin regions have been barren and poor areas, and the shortage of soldiers and grain sources has also greatly limited the development of the troops.
In addition to defending Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia, the 120th Division is also the main force involved in the production and construction of the northern Shaanxi Border Region, and the aforementioned 359 Brigade's Nanniwan Reclamation is a typical example. After the 359th Brigade was withdrawn, He Long only had Zhang Zongxun's 358Th Brigade in his hands, and for a period of time there was no food in northwestern Jin, and with the approval of Yan'an, he went to jizhong, which was relatively better, to develop, expanded some troops, and was transferred back to northwestern Jin.
After the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, He Long's troops were reorganized into the Jinsui Field Army, in the face of Fu Zuoyi's attack, He Long led his troops to attempt to capture Guisui and Datong, but the results were not captured, but he lost a lot of soldiers and horses, hu Zongnan, who was near Xi'an, had no worries and began to boldly attack Yan'an, He Long's troops were transferred to Yan'an, and later Peng Zong took over the baton and formed the Northwest Field Army, that is, Yiye, with Peng Dehuai as commander.
Probably because of the poor performance of the 120th Division, Xiao Ke, the deputy division commander, was only awarded the rank of general in 55 years, and the deputy division commanders Xu Xiangqian and Nie Rongzhen of the other two main divisions were marshals.
The fourth main force, the New Fourth Army
The New Fourth Army was reorganized from the guerrillas of the eight southern provinces, and its composition was very complex, including the troops left by the Central Red Army before the Long March, such as Chen Yibu; there were the red Fourth Front's troops left behind when they left Eyuwan, such as Gao Jingting's troops; and there were also some small branches, such as Ye Feibu in eastern Fujian. The New Fourth Army is the main force of our Party on the frontal battlefield, and its equipment is much better than that of the Eighth Route Army, and its uniform is a German-style uniform, and the military hat has the blue sky and white sun emblem on it.
The guerrillas in the eight provinces initially added up to only 10,300 people, and the troops have been developing slowly, only 25,000 at the time of the Anhui Incident, which is much different from the Rapid Development of the Eighth Route Army from 30,000 to more than 500,000. After the Anhui Incident, the troops lost another 9,000. After the reorganization of the New Fourth Army, under the leadership of Chen Yi and Liu Shaoqi, the troops soon grew to 300,000 people.
The Eighth Route Army was organized as a regular unit of divisions, brigades, and regiments, while the New Fourth Army was organized as a guerrilla unit, and its subordinate units were organized into four guerrilla detachments, for a total of 10 regiments. Later, two more detachments were added. When the New Fourth Army was rebuilt after the Anhui Incident, the organization method was changed to the division, brigade and regiment system.
After the reorganization of the New Fourth Army, it was expanded from the original 6 detachments to 7 divisions, the most famous of which was of course Su Yu's 1st Division, in addition to Zhang Yunyi's 2nd Division, Huang Kecheng's 3rd Division, Peng Xuefeng's 4th Division, Li Xiannian's 5th Division, Tan Zhenlin's 6th Division, and Zhang Dingcheng's 7th Division. The commanders of these seven divisions, except for Peng Xuefeng, who died of illness, and Luo Binghui, who died of illness, the other five, four of whom became vice-state leaders after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and one became the longest-reigning president of the country.
The base area of the Eighth Route Army is far worse than that of the New Fourth Army, and the new Fourth Army's activity area is much more abundant in materials, and it will catch fish without rice. The New Fourth Army and the Japanese army in the guerrilla zone saw each other, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai areas, the water network is dense, the commercial development, so the New Fourth Army mobile tax checkpoint was established, the Japanese also have to pay taxes, and pay anti-Japanese donations. The Japanese did not obey and ran to the local Japanese army to complain and ask for a blow, and then the Japanese army fought, did not fight, was captured more motorboats, the fourth master drove these motorboats up and down the river, the Japanese army did not fight. Instead, he urged Japanese businessmen to abide by the rules of the New Fourth Army.
The Huainan Military Region of the New Fourth Army raised funds to acquire a small tobacco factory and created its own brand of "Pegasus" brand cigarettes. In the beginning, most of them would be distributed to the soldiers of the army, and the rest would be sold outside, because most of the workers in the tobacco factory were soldiers of the army, and they were supervised by the troops, and naturally the best tobacco leaves were used to make the highest quality cigarettes. Pegasus brand cigarettes instantly became an explosive brand on both sides of the Yangtze River. Traders from all over the world did not hesitate to cross the battle line and risk their lives to come to the tobacco factory to buy goods. "Pegasus" brand cigarettes rely on quality to overwhelm the brand-name British cigarettes to beat them into the Shanghai Ocean Field and the capital Nanjing, and are affectionately known by the common people as "the smoke of the four masters", and the four masters are the new fourth army. In front of the tobacco factory, there are countless smokers who come to order goods every day, and even there are often smokers waiting in line for delivery, and they are still squatting at night. The tobacco factory grew drier and bigger, and even opened four branches in a row. The profits of the tobacco factories have doubled, and the average profit handed over to the military department every month is as high as 300,000 yuan. The troops exchanged these funds for a large number of medicines and weapons, and by the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the equipment of the New Fourth Army was no less than that of the Japanese Army. After the founding of New China, Pegasus Tobacco Factory became a state-owned enterprise and changed to Lihua Tobacco Company, and Pegasus brand cigarettes once became a well-known trademark until 1992, when production was stopped.
Later, when Chen Yi led the team north to Shandong, the New Fourth Army and the Eighth Route Army still hated each other, one was afraid that the other side was poor, and the other felt that the other side was going to pay.
After Luo Ronghuan led one unit into the northeast, the Shandong Military Region was handed over to the New Fourth Army, and the commander of the military region was of course Chen Yi. The New Fourth Army was formed on the original territory
Central China Military Region
The central authorities originally wanted to make Su Yu the commander of the military region, but General Su gave in and gave way to Zhang Dingcheng. Later, the Eighth Route Army of the Shandong Military Region and the New Fourth Army of the Central China Military Region were merged into a famous one
East China Field Army
, that is, the famous Three Wilds.