<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="93" > preface:</h1>
Due to the fact that China's modern revolutionary war began in the south, most of the founding generals were southerners, and 9 of the ten marshals were southerners. As the only marshal of the north, Xu Xiangqian's struggle can be described as arduous and outstanding.
In 1945, there were 3 candidates to rule the northeast, except for Chen Yi and Lin Biao, Who was Xu Xiangqian, who was recuperating from illness at that time, and when he was about to go to the front, Xu Xiangqian fell ill again, which can be said to have lost a good opportunity to show his skills.
Figure | Xu Xiangqian
Until 1948, Xu Xiangqian started with 60,000 local troops, and in the process of liberating Shanxi, a total of 300,000 enemy troops were annihilated, that is, this unit gave birth to the famous Pi Dingjun Brigade, and at this stage, the "Glorious Linfen Brigade" known as the world's first brigade.
After liberation, Chairman Mao appointed Xu Xiangqian as deputy commander and chief of the general staff in North China, and during the Period of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in 1950, Xu Xiangqian was also The replacement of President Peng. So, how did this native of Shanxi rise? Why did Chairman Mao have a high opinion of Xu Xiangqian?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="149" > was born poor, paid for the Whampoa Military Academy, and joined the party in 1927</h1>
On November 8, 1901, Xu Xiangqian was born into a poor family in Yong'an Village, Wutai County, Shanxi Province, and from the map, Wutai County is close to Wutai Mountain, which is not particularly remote. His father, Xu Maohuai, was a Talent of the Qing Dynasty, so he named his son Xu Xiangqian, and after embarking on the revolutionary road, Xu Xiangqian himself changed his name to "Forward".
Xu Xiangqian's village has a private school, when he was 10 years old, Xu Xiangqian was studying in this private school, and soon, Xu Xiangqian went to the town's Tuoyang Primary School to study, Tuoyang Primary School is still relatively advanced, in addition to teaching traditional Chinese, there is military training, which opened his eyes, and even had the idea of joining the army.
Figure | Xu Xiangqian's parents
Due to family difficulties, his father could no longer provide for the two children to go to school, Xu Xiangqian was very sensible, gave up the opportunity to study to his brother, and taught himself at home. Xu Xiangqian studied hard, his father was very distressed, in order to meet Xu Xiangqian's desire to love reading, his father found him a job as an apprentice in a bookstore through friends. It can be said that the bookstore is the door to Open Xu Xiangqian's thinking, and the data shows that at that time, Xu Xiangqian successively read books such as "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "Journey to the West", "Water Margin", "History" and so on, which stimulated Xu Xiangqian's ambition to hoe and serve the country.
Figure | Yong'an Primary School
When he was 13 years old, Xu Xiangqian received a letter from his brother, who told him that the provincial national normal school was enrolling students and asked him to try. Xu Xiangqian successfully passed the exam and became a student of the National Normal School. A few years later, he saw the huge repercussions of the May Fourth Movement in books, and he saw a large number of students marching, and a revolutionary upsurge was ignited in his heart.
After graduation, Xu Xiangqian was originally a teacher, but the principal said that his progressive remarks were incompatible with the environment at that time, so he dismissed him, and in a fit of anger, Xu Xiangqian ran to Taiyuan alone to make a living. It should be known that At that time, Wutai County was not close to Taiyuan, and Xu Xiangqian began to struggle to survive in Taiyuan.
It just so happened that at that time, Sun Yat-sen was founding the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou and enrolling students in Taiyuan. As a person who has wanted to be a soldier since he was a child, this is undoubtedly a perfect opportunity, and then Xu Xiangqian and several fellow villagers together to collect the travel expenses, introduced by a soldier in Taiyuan, take a train to Shanghai for the exam.
This was 1924, Xu Xiangqian became a student of the first phase of the Whampoa Military Academy because of his excellent grades, and also became the first batch of graduates of the Whampoa Military Academy, from then on, he began his career as a horseman.
Studying at the Whampoa Military Academy was a starting point for Xu Xiangqian to engage in revolutionary activities. Here, he was deeply influenced by revolutionary ideas and read progressive books and periodicals such as Soviet Studies, Guide, and Chinese Youth. At that time, before the Start of the Northern Expedition, Xu Xiangqian also traveled to many places, from Tianjin to Wuhan, he was also assigned to many places, around Xu Xiangqian, there were many young people gathered at that time, all discussing the understanding of the Communist Party.
As a person with advanced thinking, intelligent and love of learning, Xu Xiangqian decided to follow the Communist Party in early 1927, Xu Xiangqian said:
"After two or three months of reflection, comparison, study, and comrade help, I have made a new leap in my understanding of communism and the Communist Party, and I am determined to take the communist road and dedicate my life to the greatest, most beautiful, and most magnificent cause in human history."
In March of that year, Xu Xiangqian was introduced by Fan Bingxing and Yang Dekui and officially joined the Communist Party of China, according to Xu Xiangqian's recollection, when Fan Bingxing showed him the Party Constitution, and what impressed him most was that Communists wanted to shed the last drop of blood for communism.
Figure | Xu Xiangqian was on the battlefield
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="157" > Li Xiannian: The more big battles, hard battles, and evil battles come, the more he is alive and well</h1>
Xu Xiangqian has created 18 firsts in the history of the People's Liberation Army, and presumably everyone already knows that every battle, Xu Xiangqian charges forward, which is extremely difficult. Li Xiannian, who had been the political commissar of the Thirtieth Army of the Red Fourth Front, was a good friend of Xu Xiangqian, and Li Xiannian spoke highly of Xu Xiangqian, saying: "Forward has amazing military boldness, and never knows what fear is. The more big battles, hard battles, and evil battles came, the more he was alive and well, and his spirit was a hundred times greater. ”
In 1929, Xu Xiangqian, who had already learned a lifetime of skills, came to the Eyu-Anhui Soviet District, showed off his military talents, and soon became a famous general who frightened the Kuomintang. When he first arrived in Eyuwan, the original division commander had already died, and the troops only left more than 300 peasant soldiers, leading the team to battle for the first time, and when the enemy's machine guns were strafing, Xu Xiangqian stood there motionless, establishing the prestige of the soldiers. It was here that in just two years, Xu Xiangqian developed the armed peasants of more than 300 people into the Red Fourth Front Army with more than 40,000 people, which was also greatly praised by Chairman Mao.
Figure | Xu Xiangqian during the Red Army period
At the beginning of 1931, the First Army and the Fifteenth Army were merged into the Fourth Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, serving as the chief of staff of the army. Assisted commander Kuang Jixun and other command units to continuously thwart the first and second "encirclement and suppression" of the Kuomintang army against the Eyu-Anhui Soviet Region. Before the Red Army began the Long March in 1934, he was elected as a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Chinese Soviet Republic.
If We say that Xu Xiangqian's achievements in the Red Army period, we have to say that in the Battle of Shuangqiao Town, under the leadership of Xu Xiangqian, the Red Army annihilated a whole division of the Kuomintang for the first time and captured Yue Weijun alive, it is said that at that time, in order to capture Xu Xiangqian alive, the Kuomintang once rewarded his head with 100,000-200,000 oceans, which is the same price as Zhu De's "human head".
Among all the generals, he can be said to be not paying attention to eating and wearing, speaking Shanxi dialect all his life, and his favorite food is also Shanxi rice, for example, in the Liberation War, the Battle of Linfen and the Battle of Taiyuan commanded by Xu Xiangqian are the representative battles of his feelings for Shanxi.
Figure | Battle of Linfen
During the siege, Xu Xiangqian said that we should minimize casualties and cherish the lives of every soldier. It is precisely because of Xu Xiangqian's feeling of seeing every soldier as a brother that every soldier closely follows Xu Xiangqian, and he has also accumulated a high reputation in the army. It is said that during the Battle of Linfen, Xu Xiangqian often ate with the soldiers, and the soldiers ate wild vegetables, and he also ate wild vegetables.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="163" > Mao Zedong saw that the telegram was Xu Xiangqian, added six words, and Xu Xiangqian was moved</h1>
From the period of the Red Army to the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, it can be said that Xu Xiangqian made great contributions, and in the War of Liberation, he made great achievements; from October 1947 to April 1949, Xu Xiangqian, then deputy commander of the Jinji-Hebei Luyu Military Region, continuously commanded the troops of the Jinji-Hebei Luyu Military Region to launch the four major campaigns of Yuncheng, Linfen, Jinzhong, and Taiyuan, sweeping through thousands of troops and liberating the entire territory of Shanxi. During this period, he has been commanding operations with illness.
Knowing that Xu Xiangqian had been fighting with illness, Chairman Mao was very concerned, and after the Battle of Jinzhong, the Central Military Commission sent a telegram to Xu Xiangqian:
"Comrade Qian will use the period of rectification and training to rest in the rear, and after the middle of this month, he will first come to North China and the central authorities for a talk."
According to the data, at that time, Xu Xiangqian's condition was very serious, and he often coughed up blood, the doctor suggested that he be hospitalized for three months, but he only lived for half a month, after the Battle of Taiyuan, Xu Xiangqian disregarded his condition and rushed to Taiyuan day and night.
In early November 1948, Xu Xiangqian was commanding the battle to attack Taiyuan, when he suddenly felt tightness in his left chest, even a cone-like pain, and a sweat on his forehead, everyone saw the situation and quickly helped Xu Xiangqian back to the office, after the doctor's examination, he thought that he was now seriously ill and had to rest well.
But Xu Xiangqian did not listen, let the guards pull the telephone line to the bedroom, continue to command the battle, for the sake of Xu Xiangqian's health, the military region's health minister Qian Xinzhong consulted with everyone and decided to reflect this matter to the central authorities, Xu Xiangqian's character He knew that if it were not for Chairman Mao's personal supervision, Xu Xiangqian would not rest.
Figure | Xu Xiangqian and Chairman Mao
At that time, after receiving the telegram to understand the situation, the Central Military Commission immediately reported it to Chairman Mao, who said that he must let Xu Qianqian recuperate. Then he immediately sent a reply to the former committee: "Qianqian is very ill, I hope to ask Minister Qian to diagnose and treat him, and I hope that you will pay attention to the care, so that he can completely get rid of work, rest for a period of time, and report Xu Xiangqian's illness in time." ”
It is reasonable to say that the order of the Central Military Commission Xu Xiangqian should be to carry out the order, and when the staff brought this telegram to Chairman Mao and issued it, Chairman Mao was still very worried, so he personally added a sentence after the telegram: "If you are seriously ill, you should come to the Central Hospital. In a word, it reflects Chairman Mao's concern for Xu Xiangqian.
A few days later, Zhou Enlai, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, also learned of Xu Xiangqian's condition and immediately sent two doctors to the Taiyuan front to help Xu Xiangqian for treatment.
A week later, Chairman Mao personally wrote a letter on behalf of the Central Committee, and on behalf of the Central Committee, he sent a telegram to Xu Xiangqian, and Chairman Mao wrote: "When you hear the extreme illness, you must rest in peace and mind, do not worry about work, the front command is shouldered by Zhou, Hu, and Chen, and when your illness is slightly able to move, come to the central government to recuperate, and then go to the front line after the illness is healed." Before the telegram was sent, Chairman Mao wrote again: "In short, everything is easy to deal with when you are sick." It is said that when Xu Xiangqian saw Chairman Mao's six words, tears welled up.
Figure | Xu Xiangqian (2nd from left)
In order to carry out the central order, Xu Xiangqian agreed to temporarily stay in Yuci Yubi Village, on the one hand, to adjust the condition, on the other hand, to continue to work. In March, when Peng Dehuai was going from Xibaipo to the northwest, he passed through Taiyuan and was specially entrusted by Chairman Mao to visit Xu Xiangqian, who was indeed seriously ill at that time and retained Peng Dehuai to participate in the attack on Taiyuan.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="170" > Xu Xiangqian said: I am a poor commander</h1>
In 1955, when he was awarded the title, Xu Xiangqian was awarded the founding marshal, as the marshal of the republic, Xu Xiangqian has always lived a simple life, and his "rustic" is known as the "marshal of the cloth".
In fact, before liberation, Xu Xiangqian's feeling of "cloth clothes" had long existed. After the liberation of Taiyuan in 1949, many of his relatives came to him, on the one hand, they felt that Xu Xiangqian was a big official, and it was reasonable to arrange an official and a half-post for his children, on the other hand, Shanxi was full of loess at that time, and the people's life was still difficult, so it was also appropriate for Xu Xiangqian to help.
But Xu Xiangqian did not help a person, Xu Xiangqian told them, rest assured to work in the family farming, wait for the liberation of the whole country, good days to return. Although Xu Xiangqian is "aware of the reason", many relatives still say that he is "not recognized by the six relatives" and "unkind". As a high-ranking general who had experienced bloody storms on the battlefield, there was no way to face this human condition.
Figure | Xu Xiangqian and his family
Soon after, Xu Xiangqian's two sisters also came to him, and his sister and himself were blood relatives, so if they didn't help others, they should always help themselves, right? Xu Xiangqian burst into tears when he saw his two sisters, because during the War of Resistance Against Japan, the two sisters handed over their children to themselves, and finally the two nephews were sacrificed on the battlefield. In the face of this blood relative, Xu Xiangqian said helplessly: "Sister, I am sorry for you, I am a poor commander, we communist parties are doing things for the common people, we can't do it for ourselves." You can't take my stuff either, it's all public. In a word, let the two sisters eat the closed door soup.
In 1950, a year after the founding of New China, Xu Xiangqian rushed from Qingdao to Beijing to attend the Third Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee, and the secretary told Xu Xiangqian that your old suitcase was already very old, do you want to go to Beijing to buy you a new one? Xu Xiangqian said solemnly: "Buy something new, I think it is very good, this box followed me to conquer the north and south, and many places are still very poor, we can save a little is a little." Xu Xiangqian's frugality made people tear up.
Figure | Xu Qianqian handwriting
This summer, Xu Xiangqian wanted to lead a military delegation to visit the Soviet Union, and only wore a thin coat when he went, but in the Soviet Union, he stayed for four months, the weather in the Soviet Union was no better than in China, the temperature in July and August was the same as in winter, and the police officer privately customized a set of winter clothes for Xu Xiangqian's body, and Xu Xiangqian knew that he was furious. Xu Xiangqian believed that he had a winter coat at home and let the comrades who came to the Soviet Union carry it with them. At that time, Xu Xiangqian said:
"I have a coat at home, why should I buy it here?" Clay is expensive, and the workmanship is also expensive. Nowadays, for every dollar of foreign exchange, we have to pay gold! Our country's construction is in need of money, and the money that can not be spent should be spent as much as possible, that is, it will be rich in the future, and the money that should not be spent cannot be spent indiscriminately. ”
After Xu Qianqian finished speaking, the guards all sobbed, silently distressed for this "poor commander".
Xu Xiangqian's two daughters, the second daughter Xu Luxi, said that his father was also very touched, he said that his father Zeng Shuguo famously said: "After seeing the rise and fall of the former dynasty, success is from thrift and thrift to luxury." "Father has always told the children that no matter where they are, they must be diligent and thrifty, remember the suffering of their revolutionary predecessors, and cannot waste and have a luxurious life.
Figure | Xu Xiangqian's office (Xu Xiangqian Memorial Hall restoration simulation map)
Xu Xiangqian was born in the war-torn years, and the children could not understand what kind of suffering his generation had experienced, so he wrote a warning for the children: The value of words lies in deeds, the preciousness of deeds lies in the results, and everything is the same.
According to Xu Xiangqian's only son, Xu Xiaoyan, when he was in elementary school, every time he came home in dark, because he bought food for the car fare and did not have enough to eat every day. After Xu Xiangqian learned about it, he did not blame his son or give him more living expenses, and the daily fare was still 3 cents.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="179" > Li Xiannian went to the hospital to visit Xu Xiangqian, and Xu Xiangqian solemnly confessed: My last words have 3</h1>
Xu Shuai was not only a military man, but also a man of letters, and in his 80s he wrote in the Battle of Yixiangtangpu:
"Wei Wei Tai Xing wolf smoke, Li Wading Road Hidden Bow String." The dragon leaps and tigers jump and kill, and the wolves rush to the enemy's fear. The heaven-fighting fire dragon swallowed the remnants, and the earth army sang triumphantly. Forty years after the flick of a finger, long look at the spring intention in the human world. ”
In 1990, since the beginning of spring, Xu Shuai, who has always been very healthy, began to have frequent angina pectoris, sometimes several times a day, and experts also conducted many consultations, believing that it was unstable angina, which had a certain danger. On June 5, Xu Xiangqian had to be hospitalized for treatment, and before going out that day, he looked at the small courtyard where he lived with great nostalgia and said softly: "This time I will not be able to come back..."
Figure | Xu Xiangqian in his later years
According to Xu Xiangqian's secretary, Xu Shuai, who was seriously ill, was very painful, and had been calling out the names of the staff, asking the staff to tell him about major national affairs and things in the army.
On June 29 of that year, Xu Shuai's good friend Li Xiannian came to visit him, and Xu Xiangqian solemnly confessed to Li Xiannian: "My last words are three: first, do not bid farewell to the body, second, do not hold a memorial service, and third, scatter the ashes in Dabie Mountain, Daba Mountain, Taihang Mountain and Hexi Corridor. Li Xiannian is Xu Xiangqian's friend, and the inscription of Xu Xiangqian's former residence is written by Li Xiannian, and now when he hears his friend's last words, he also silently shed tears.
Figure | Xu Xiangqian and Li Xiannian
Until August 5, Xu Xiangqian's illness worsened, and seeing that the children were all guarding his side, he repeated his last words with difficulty, and instructed his children: After I die, you must always follow the party, be consistent with your words and deeds, and do what you say!
On 8 August, Jiang Zemin, chairman of the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, went to see Xu Xiangqian and told Xu Xiangqian about the recent situation, and Xu Xiangqian was very happy. Before leaving, he said to the staff outside the ward: "Xu Shuai is an old Bolshevik, and he is worthy of being a model for communists!" ”
At 4:21 a.m. on September 21, 1990, Xu Xiangqian passed away. According to his last words, his ashes were scattered on the Dabie Mountains, Daba Mountains, Hexi Corridor, and Taihang Mountains, where he had fought. Today, Xu Shuai has left us for 31 years, and whenever I think of this northern marshal, I am moved, and his name, like the mountain, will always stand in the long river of history.