In October 1938, Wuhan and Guangzhou were lost one after another, and the national War of Resistance entered a stalemate. In view of this situation, the Japanese Kou gradually changed their tactics and began to implement a combat policy of mainly inducing and surrendering to the Kuomintang, directing the military offensive directly at the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army!
At that time, the Japanese had already advanced their troops to kaifeng, Xinyang, Hefei, Yueyang, Wuhu, and Hangzhou, and invested millions of troops. They believe that "as long as you control the Central Plains, you can essentially dominate China." ”
At this time, central China had become the lifeline of the anti-Japanese resistance, but the Kuomintang diehards, under the lure of the Japanese Kou, vigorously opposed communism and created friction in many ways!
Under such circumstances, Liu Shaoqi was appointed secretary of the Central Plains Bureau (later secretary of the Central China Bureau).
Liu Shaoqi
When analyzing the situation in central China at that time, Liu Shaoqi said: "The best time to develop central China has in fact passed, but it has not completely passed, and there is still time to remedy it. ”
On November 23, 1938, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu Lizhi, Guo Shushen, Li Xiannian, and Tan Xilin left Yan'an for the Central Plains. As soon as they arrived in Shichi, Henan, they immediately threw themselves into intense work.
In light of the political and military situation and geographical characteristics of the Central Plains, Liu Shaoqi decided to abolish the Hubei and Henan provincial party committees and establish the party committees of the northern hubei region and the party committees of southern Henan, western Henan, Eyuwan, and Yuwansu provinces.
He clearly pointed out: "The task of the Party in the occupied areas is to establish Party organizations, mobilize the masses, arm the masses, carry out guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines, and create base areas; the task of the Party in the unaccompeted areas is to restore and develop party organizations, mobilize the masses, arm the masses, accumulate strength, prepare for guerrilla warfare and support the War of Resistance behind enemy lines." Thus, ideologically and organizationally, wang ming basically corrected the mistake of capitulationism. ”
On January 15, 1939, the independent guerrilla brigade of the New Fourth Army, commanded by Li Xiannian, advanced to the outskirts of Wuhan to open up a new anti-Japanese base area. In view of the strategic situation that after the fall of Wuhan, the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression had entered a stalemate stage, Liu Shaoqi made different arrangements for different regions.
He said: "Western Henan is at the forefront of the struggle between the enemy and ourselves, and there is still a possibility of falling, so the task facing the party organization in western Henan is to carry out guerrilla warfare at any time and establish anti-Japanese base areas. To this end, it is also necessary to vigorously develop party organizations and strengthen the united front. The situation in southwest Henan is different, and it will be stable for a period of time. ”
"The situation in the entire Central Plains region is a situation of guerrilla warfare and development; your region is still an area ruled by the stubborn forces of the Kuomintang; under the present situation, it is necessary to conceal, be capable, and preserve forces, actively carry out the work of the anti-Japanese national united front among the people at the top, and actively carry out the activity of making friends with the upper echelons in the work of friendly armies. At the same time, he also warned them that there has recently been a counter-current in the anti-Japanese national united front, and the Diehard Kuomintang faction is afraid that the masses will rise up to resist Japan and that the masses will support us. Wherever they can, suppress the anti-Japanese salvation movement and strike at us. You must be mentally prepared for this. For the underground members of the CCP in the Kuomintang army, they are required to make up their minds to sink. ”
Liu Shaoqi (1941)
Regarding the central Hubei region, Liu Shaoqi pointed out: "You have the Kuomintang's Gui troops, the Sichuan army, Chiang Kai-shek's concubine troops, and local forces. Among these troops, there are progressive and retrogressive ones; some advocate unity in the War of Resistance and some are resolutely anti-communist. There are different contradictions between them, and the struggle is very complicated. ”
"You must further do a good job in united front work; at the same time, you must adhere to the principle of independence and self-reliance, develop progressive forces, win over the middle forces, and isolate the stubborn forces."
"It is necessary to buy time, expand the armed forces, and quickly open up the situation of the war of resistance behind the enemy lines."
Under the command of Liu Shaoqi, the Ezhong Special Committee held high the banner of the anti-Japanese national united front and developed the anti-Japanese armed forces with great momentum. Soon, two famous battles were organized, namely the ambush of the public security village and the night raid on Yunmeng City. Especially in the ambush battle of The Gong'an Village, our army killed the Emperor of Japan's imperial relatives, causing a huge shock in the Japanese army, and the Japanese army from yingcheng to songhe wore filial piety for him for three days! The Battle of Gong'an Village was the first important victory of the anti-Japanese forces in central Hubei led by the party against the Japanese army, breaking the myth of the invincibility of the Japanese army, and the military and people of central Hubei were greatly encouraged.
Regarding the creation of the base area of the Yusu-Anhui Border Region, Liu Shaoqi put forward the principle of accumulating a small amount into a large number and gathering sand into a tower, developing from a small piece to a large block, and one piece developing into multiple pieces, and then connecting them together. This important instruction immediately made the Yusu-Anhui Border Region a hub connecting the various anti-Japanese base areas in north and central China, and became a forward position for our army to advance eastward and open up northern Jiangsu.
Liu Shaoqi wrote "On the Cultivation of Communist Party Members" in the Yangjialing Cave in Yan'an
Liu Shaoqi came to Huazhong, just like a dying patient waiting for a divine doctor with a clever hand to rejuvenate, and within a few months, the situation of the War of Resistance in Central China was completely new.
Liu Shaoqi resolutely implemented the instructions of the party Central Committee on developing Huazhong and, in light of the actual situation and in light of the favorable situation, firmly put forward: "Develop behind enemy lines, let go of the masses behind enemy lines, let go of the expansion of the New Fourth Army, persist in developing progressive forces, win over intermediate forces, isolate anti-communist diehards, and independently establish anti-Japanese democratic base areas." ”
Peng Xuefeng later said to Li Boren: "Comrade Shaoqi has solved many fundamental problems since his arrival. ”
On March 18, 1939, Liu Shaoqi, who had completed his mission well, was ordered to return to Yan'an. Before leaving, Liu Shaoqi once again analyzed the anti-Japanese situation at that time and the actual situation in various places in central China, and made meticulous and detailed plans for the work of various provinces, laying a solid foundation for the new situation of anti-Japanese resistance in the future!