"Forward, I know you're worried about the war on the front line. Why wouldn't I want to send you to command the battle?" But you're not ready now, and I'm not at ease when I go. Well, why don't you go and run an anti-Japanese military and political university? You have a lot of combat experience, you should bring more people with you. The War of Resistance Against Japan will certainly end, but the man in the south will not be idle! When the time comes, you want to rest, I'm afraid you won't have a chance to rest! ”
Xu Shuai his people
Among the ten founding marshals of New China, not every one of them was a military expert. But Marshal Xu Qianqian was a military man who was like a fake bag. He was born in the first phase of the Whampoa Military Academy, experienced many anti-"encirclement and suppression" campaigns, and had almost no defeat on the battlefield. After the end of the Long March, Xu Xiangqian was ordered to command the Red Army's western expedition, but suffered a defeat in the face of unfavorable supplies. He himself, too, fell ill and began to deteriorate.
After the beginning of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Xu fought many very wonderful victories as the former deputy commander of the 129th Division. In March 1938, Xu Qiangqian commanded the Xiangtangpu ambush, annihilating more than 400 enemy personnel, destroying more than 180 trucks, and capturing many; in 1940, Xu Xiangqian launched the Sun Zu Ambush Battle, killing and wounding more than 190 enemy people, capturing more than 60 cars, and countless other transport materials. The Japanese army swept through many times, but also defeated by Xu Xiangqian. It can be seen from this that the defeat of the Western Route Army did not cause him a shadow, but made it more and more frustrated!
In addition to fighting, Xu Xiangqian still has a job to do. Xu Shuai was a native of Shanxi, and he was a fellow warlord of Shanxi at the time, Yan Xishan. Yan Xishan had a stubborn personality and did not want the Eighth Route Army to "grab territory", so he made it difficult for many parties on weekdays. But this person is very nostalgic, so he is still more polite to Xu Xiangqian. Therefore, Xu Shuai also had to rely on his own strength to make good relations with Yan Xishan. He also completed this task well, and before he left office, the situation in Shanxi was still relatively stable. It can be seen that in terms of political work, Xu Shuai also has a set.
However, in 1941, Xu Xiangqian's body had a big problem. He accidentally contracted pleurisy because the military did not treat it in time. As a result, the disease continued to worsen, implicating the full recurrence of the root of the disease during the Western Expedition. Originally, after returning from the Western Expedition, his symptoms were only toothache, but at this time, he developed a severe headache. Obviously, he could no longer command the operation. Therefore, the Party Central Committee issued an order for him to return to Yan'an as the deputy commander of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia-Jinsui Joint Defense Army. While defending Yan'an, he recuperated from the sick.
Marshal Xu Qianqian was an idle general, and his long absence from the front made his hand itch a little. So in 1943, he approached Chairman Mao and proposed that he wanted to return to the battlefield. Chairman Mao knew his condition and knew that if he was tired, his pleurisy and headache would worsen, so he refused his request and instead made him the acting president of the Chinese Anti-Japanese Military and Political University. This is the scene at the beginning of this article.
First comeback opportunity
Two years later, the Japanese aggressors surrendered and the War of Resistance was victorious. But the dawn of peace has not yet come. Chiang Kai-shek prepared to launch a civil war in order to promote dictatorial rule. At this time, Chairman Mao had foreseen that the key to China's future military struggle must be in the northeast. Later, the general Huang Kecheng also sent a report to the central authorities, hoping to send troops into the three eastern provinces quickly.
The policy has been set, but who will be the leading marshal has not yet decided. The first thing chairman Mao thought of was Xu Xiangqian, who had been recuperating for 4 years! After 4 years of theoretical summary, his level has been higher. Send him, and there will be no problems with military and political work.
However, the natural environment of the northeast is not comparable to Thatuchi, and in the winter, the temperature of minus 20 or 30 degrees Celsius is often low, and no good body cannot bear it. Moreover, this trip to the northeast is bound to have a protracted war with the Chiang Kai-shek clique, and the intensity of the work must be very large. So can Xu Xiangqian's body be able to carry it? Although at this time, his condition has been controlled, but his body is still relatively weak. Really let him go to the northeast, his condition may recur again at any time! Thinking about it, Chairman Mao decided to let Xu Xiangqian stay in Guannei and play his role in a relatively suitable climate.
Second comeback opportunity
On August 12, 1945, the Party Central Committee formally established the Eyu-Anhui Central Bureau, which unified the guerrillas and the Eighth Route Army in several liberated areas. The Eyuwan Central Bureau was headed by Zheng Wei as acting director, while Xu Xiangqian was the internal director. As long as he can go smoothly, the war situation in the Eyu-Anhui area will be fully presided over by him.
The Eyu-Anhui region, which was then the Liberated Area of the Central Plains, has always been a place where soldiers and families must fight. At this time, the struggle environment here is difficult to imagine. The Kuomintang general Liu Zhi led an army of 300,000 people, and the momentum was fierce, and it had formed a siege of the liberated areas!
Marshal Xu Qianqian was anxious at this time, and he was eager to rush to the battlefield and formally confront the enemy. However, Chairman Mao was still uneasy about his health. He personally went to the doctor and inquired about Xu Xiangqian's physical condition. Out of his own professional ethics, the doctor gave his own opinion: At this time, Xu Shuai's body could not meet the conditions for the expedition!
Therefore, the Party Central Committee sent a telegram to Zheng Weisan and Li Xian, saying that Xu Shuai's health did not meet the conditions for going on the expedition and let them break through on their own. So in June 1946, the troops of the Central Plains Liberated Area carried out the "Central Plains Breakthrough" and jumped out of the enemy's encirclement in one fell swoop. Marshal Xu Continued to recuperate.
Third comeback opportunity
Almost at the same time as the Central Plains broke through, there was also an accident in the Shandong region. At this time, the Shandong Field Army, with Marshal Chen Yi as its commander, could not bring its combat effectiveness into play because the overall run-in had not yet been completed. Throughout the month of June, there were almost no wins. In August 1946, the Shandong Field Army was again frustrated in its attack on the Nationalist 172nd Division. The mood of the commanders and fighters suddenly fell to the bottom, and Chen Yi was even pointed at by his subordinates at the meeting and said, "You will not fight!" ”
Marshal Chen Yi's pressure at this time was indeed too great. So he first admitted to the Power Generation Department of the Party Central Committee that he had made in commanding the operation, and then proposed that Xu Xiangqian would take over and lead the Shandong Field Army.
The Party Central Committee agreed with this idea at the beginning. Xu Xiangqian, whether in experience or theory, is a top figure in the People's Liberation Army. If he had gone, he would have been able to turn things around.
But, it was still the question: could Xu Xiangqian's body bear it? After all, two months ago, Chairman Mao personally asked the doctor and got a negative answer. Now, how much better can Xu Xiangqian's physical condition be than two months ago? In the end, the Party Central Committee decided to let Chen Yi continue to stay in office. Moreover, soon after, the Central China Field Army led by Su Yu merged with the Shandong Field Army to form the East China Field Army. There were already excellent commanders like Su Yu in this unit, and Xu Xiangqian did not have to take illness with him.
Fourth comeback opportunity
In 1948, the great national counteroffensive had already begun, and the Jinsui area was no exception. Xu Xiangqian, whose body has finally recovered its health, has finally ushered in the moment of comeback. During that year he became deputy commander of the North China Military Region and commander of the 1st Corps. Since then, he has ushered in another peak of his military career.
In March 1948, Xu Xiangqian first launched the Linfen Campaign, with a newly formed unit, and conquered the fortified City of Linfen; then in June, he launched the Battle of Jinzhong, which defeated Yan Xishan's Japanese army in one fell swoop, making up for his regret that he had only fought half of the War of Resistance; later, in October of that year, Xu Xiangqian launched the Battle of Taiyuan, and the whole territory of Shanxi was liberated.
Just when Xu Xiangqian was about to regain his prestige and continue his glory, the stubborn disease that had plagued him all his life recurred. At the end of the Battle of Jinzhong, his health was already worrying, and he couldn't sleep with a headache every day. The Battle of Taiyuan was almost carried down by him with illness. Immediately after the victory, he fell ill.
When the news reached Xibaipo, Chairman Mao immediately sent a telegram ordering him to recuperate in situ. Xu Xiangqian could only recuperate again after a year of comeback. In the ensuing battles, he was not able to participate again. His comeback can only be regarded as half a time. From then on, he said goodbye to the battlefield.
Fifth comeback opportunity
Dramatically, however, in 1950, Marshal Xu Qianqian was given another chance to go to war.
This year, the Korean battlefield was overcast, and the North and South could go to war at any time. According to the prior agreement, if North Korea needs help, New China will fight with the assistance of the army.
On June 24, the Korean War officially began. When the North Korean side was in a state of disarray, Chairman Mao had already sensed the danger, so he gathered his forces to the northeast in advance. And who will be the leading commander of this war becomes a problem.
At this moment, Marshal Xu Qianqian also briefly entered Chairman Mao's sight. Although he has been absent from the battlefield for a long time, his command ability is still unquestionable. However, his health problems have always been a hidden worry. The environment and pressure on the Korean battlefield were even harsher than in the northeast of that year. With Xu Shuai's body, he definitely couldn't hold on. Therefore, this time, this opportunity can only be lost with Xu Xiangqian.
Write at the end
In the second half of Xu Shuai's military career, his situation was quite regrettable. He had many opportunities to return to the battlefield, but in the end he could not make the trip. Some people say that Chairman Mao of the Party Central Committee did not reuse him, but this is not the case. The original fatal western expedition not only caused heavy losses to the Red Army, but also completely destroyed Xu Shuai's body. Later, he fought against the disease for half a lifetime, but never achieved a complete victory. Chairman Mao of the Party Central Committee, how can he bear to let him go to war with illness? Chairman Mao thought of Xu Xiangqian at almost every juncture of the war, which in itself shows that he wanted to reuse this fierce general. Unfortunately, the conditions really don't allow it.
What is even more interesting is that Marshal Xu Qianqian dragged the sick body and actually lived for 89 years. Ranked fifth among the ten marshals. His death was in 1990, second only to Marshal Nie Rongzhen. It can be seen that although he did not completely overcome the disease, the disease did not defeat him.