In late October 1936, more than 20,000 vanguard troops of the former Red Fourth Front Army crossed the Yellow River west to carry out the Ningxia campaign plan.
In early November, according to the decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Military Commission, the troops crossing the river were called the Western Road Army.
After crossing the Yellow River, the Western Route Army fought alone for more than four months under extremely difficult conditions, annihilating more than 20,000 enemies. Due to the strategic mistakes of the operation of crossing the Yellow River to the west, the tactical failure to play a big role, coupled with the unfamiliar environment, insufficient preparation, no rear, and difficulty in supply, the Western Route Army fell into a predicament.
After the Western Route Army entered the Qilian Mountain area, it continuously sent electricity to the central government, asking the central government to send troops to rescue.
In order to save the Western Route Army, on February 24, Mao Zedong sent a telegram to Zhou Enlai in Xi'an, telling him that Ma Bufang, who had heard that he had besieged and suppressed the Western Route Army, loved money, and asked him to consider whether to send a sum of money to Ma Bufang, asking Ma Rong to allow the Western Route Army to return to the east of the Yellow River. After Zhou Enlai answered the phone, he made many representations with Zhang Chong, a representative of the Kuomintang, and others, but to no avail.
On February 26, 1937, at the request of the Western Route Army, the Central Military Commission issued instructions on organizing aid to the Western Army, and decided to transfer the 4th, 28th, 31st, and 32nd Corps and a cavalry regiment to form the Western Army. On February 27, the Central Military Commission decided that Liu Bocheng would be the commander of the Western Aid Army and Lin Yuying would be the political commissar.
After the formation of the Western Route Army, Mao Zedong specially invited Lin Yuying to the cave and asked: "The central government has decided that you and Liu Bocheng will form an army to aid the West, what are your opinions?" ”
Before Mao Zedong talked to Lin Yuying, the Politburo Standing Committee had decided that Lin Yuying would be the head of the Ministry of Industry and Agriculture of the CPC Central Committee, and Zhang Wentian had already informed Lin Yuying of the Central Committee's decision, and he was mentally prepared. Now Mao Zedong said that he wanted him to be the political commissar of the Western Army, but he did not talk about any price, and immediately replied: "I obey the decision of the Central Committee, but ..."
"It's just what, that's it."
"I'm afraid I won't be able to complete this task."
"Why can't it be done?"
"I used to do party affairs for a long time and never fought. This time, it may be difficult to lead more than 10,000 troops at once. ”
Mao Zedong saw that Lin Yuying had concerns, and said to him: "I heard Luo Fu and Lin Biao tell them that you are a very smart person, and I believe that you will complete the task." ”
After talking for a while, Mao Zedong asked Lin Yuying again: "Do you have any other ideas?" ”
"Nope."
"Lack of confidence?"
"Have faith."
"Well," Mao Zedong continued, "but the task is very difficult. During the Long March, many cadres and soldiers, harmed by Zhang Guotao's right-leaning separatist mistakes, crossed the meadows three times, endured a lot of hardships, and sacrificed many people. So, the central government decided to send you. Militarily, Comrade Bocheng is very strong. In this way, both the civil and military generals who aid the Western Army are hard characters. ”
"Comrade Bocheng is very strong, I learned from him..."
Before Lin Yuying finished speaking, Mao Zedong laughed loudly: "You are also very good!" You are from Hubei, isn't there a saying in Hubei that 'only you have talent'? You are also Chu Cai! ”
"The chairman has passed the prize!"
After talking for a while, Mao Zedong said to Lin Yuying: "The Western Road Army is in danger, and time is urgent. You should quickly discuss with Comrade Bocheng, first take the troops from northern Shaanxi out, and then concentrate all the troops in Zhenyuan County, Gansu, and then assist and receive the Western Route Army. ”
"I'll leave right away."
When Lin Yuying came out of the cave, Mao Zedong held his hand and said, "I wish you a victorious victory!" ”
Lin Yuying nodded, and then waved goodbye to Mao Zedong.
The next day, Lin Yuying said goodbye to his wife Tu Junmin and cousin Lin Biao, and then embarked on a journey west with Liu Bocheng.
After the formation of the Western Aid Army, the work was quite difficult.
Because the cadres and soldiers were not clear about the task and purpose of aiding the west, when Lin Yuying arrived in the army, some cadres and soldiers asked him and Liu Bocheng one after another: Why did he go to Gansu after returning to northern Shaanxi? In the first place, why did you transfer the Western Road Army to cross the Yellow River? When some comrades heard that the journey to aid the west was more than 3,000 li and that they had to cross the desert again, they were afraid of difficulties, and some found all kinds of excuses and were unwilling to go to the "aid west."
Lin Yuying felt that before the troops set out, they should make a mobilization report to the officers and men, inform them of the intention and necessity of aiding the west, and unify the thinking of the troops. After discussing with Liu Bocheng, he decided to hold an oath meeting.
On March 5, Lin Yuying spoke at the mobilization meeting of the Western Army, saying:
After the comrades of the Western Route Army crossed the Yellow River in the west, after several months of arduous fighting, they now encountered great difficulties. The Party Central Committee decided to send us to rescue them. The Western Road Army is a people's army led by the Party and is our class brother. They fought for the new China and lost the battle for the people. Now, they are killed, can we see death and not save them?
After the Long March of the Red Army, the troops suffered great losses, and every comrade who passed through the Long March was the backbone of the revolution, the wealth of the Party and the people, and the spark of the revolution. The same is true of every comrade of the Western Road Army. Today, the central authorities sent us westward to rescue the Western Road Army to save the fire and save wealth. Although we will have to walk more than 3,000 miles to aid the West this time, and we will also have to walk through the desert and uninhabited, for the sake of the revolution and the cause of the party and the people, we must put the overall situation first, carry forward the spirit of not fearing difficulties, not being afraid of sacrifice, and sacrificing ourselves to save others, and rescue and assist our class brothers. I believe that the officers and men of the Red Army, who have been tempered by thousands of times, will certainly be able to complete this glorious and arduous task!
At this meeting, Commander Liu Bocheng also made a touching remark. The pre-war mobilization reports of the political commissars and commanders lifted the spirits of the officers and men of the Western Army.
On the same day, the troops set out from Sanyuan and Chunhua and marched west day and night. After half a month of rapid marching, the troops arrived in Zhenyuan County, Gansu in mid-March.
As soon as the troops stopped, they immediately received a telegram from the Western Route Army. The telegram said that after several bloody battles, they suffered setbacks one after another, and most of the cadres and soldiers were killed and captured. The rest of the personnel were forced to go up to the Kanglong Temple in the Qilian Mountains, and they had run out of ammunition. The troops assisting the west could not quench their thirst from the near water, and did not have to cross the river.
After receiving this telegram, telecommunications between the Western Aid Army and the Western Route Army were cut off.
Lin Yuying took the telegram from Liu Bocheng and said with a heavy heart: "It seems that the Western Road Army is finished. ”
Liu Bocheng sat on the stone bench, feeling very painful. After a while, he said, "What a loss!" ”
Lin Yuying said to Liu Bocheng: "Is it necessary to gather the comrades of the headquarters for a meeting to study the issue of rescuing the separated and wounded, and then send a telegram to the central authorities to report that the Western Route Army has failed, and whether our troops can stop advancing?" ”
Liu Bocheng agreed with Lin Yuying's opinion.
The CPC Central Committee immediately sent a telegram, asking for the aid of the Western Army to temporarily garrison Zhenyuan, to receive the lost personnel of the Western Road Army on the one hand, and to carry out rectification and training on the other. In accordance with the instructions of the central authorities, the headquarters of the Western Army stationed the Fourth Army in Tunma Town, Zhenyuan County, and the 31st Army moved to Pingyuan Town, and the headquarters was stationed in Zhenyuan County.
On March 20, the Western Aid Army held a meeting of cadres at and above the company level in the square of Zhenyuan County, chaired by Lin Yuying, at which Liu Bocheng read the last telegram sent by the Western Route Army to the Western Army.
As soon as the telegram was read, the atmosphere on the field immediately changed. Some lost their voices and cried, some bowed their heads and sobbed...
Liu Bocheng said a few words, but he couldn't continue. Lin Yuying and Song Renqiong, who were sitting on the field, also burst into tears.
After half an hour, there were still people crying on the field, and there were still people crying...
Lin Yuying was quickly relieved from her grief. He knew that no amount of tears could help his career. At present, the most important thing is to turn grief into strength and bring the troops well. He wiped away his tears with a handkerchief and preached to all the cadres of the army:
Comrades, I share the same feelings as everyone else, sad that the Western Road Army is a very good contingent under the leadership of our party. Some of them participated in the jute riots, some were the children of workers and peasants who rushed out of extremely difficult difficulties, and some were guerrilla fighters from eastern Megatron Chuan, and they were like flesh and blood and brotherhood with the commanders and fighters of our Western Army. It is natural that everyone was heartbroken and very sad to hear the news of their failure. However, we should also understand that the defeat of the Western Route Army is irreparable, and it is useless to be sad. The defeat of the Western Route Army was partial, the revolutionary situation was still very good, and the future of the revolution was also bright. We must use suffering as motivation to put our troops in order and expand them well. If we do this, I believe that under the correct leadership of the Party Central Committee, the fire of revolution will surely become stronger and stronger, and the people's army will surely become more heroic and stronger in the war!
Lin Yuying's speech swept away the sad atmosphere on the field, and the mood of the cadres became active again.
Although the Western Route Army did not play the role of "aiding the west" during the period when the Western Route Army was on standby in Zhenyuan, it took in thousands of separated officers and men of the Western Route.
Xu Qianqian, the person in charge of the Western Road Army, was also sent by Liu Bocheng and Lin Yuying to the county seat of Zhenyuan.
One day, a soldier of the Western Road Army was taken back to Zhenyuan, and the soldier who was playing basketball on the court stopped and ran to ask for warmth, arranged for him to eat, and sent him to the guest house to rest. The comrades of the headquarters saw that he was scrawny and wore only a torn sheepskin, and without waiting for the arrangement of his superiors, he sent him clothes one by one, and some sent him shoes, towels, toothbrushes, soap and other daily necessities.
The next day, all kinds of condolences continued to arrive in his room, and only clothes and daily necessities filled the room. This soldier of the Western Road Army was moved to tears when he saw that the commanders and fighters of the Western Army cared so much and loved him.
Later, Lin Yuying and Liu Bocheng learned that Ma Bufang had detained 6,000 captured personnel of the Western Route Army in Liangzhou, and they tried many ways to win the release of these people, but for various reasons, they did not achieve their goal. For this matter, Lin Yuying and Liu Bocheng were sad for a long time.
The old revolutionary Song Renqiong said in an article that when Lin Yuying led the commanders and fighters of the Western Army to take in the lost personnel of the Western Road Army in Gansu, he had the following description:
In order to enable the commanders and fighters of the Western Route Army who had been separated in the extremely arduous struggle to find us quickly, the Political Department of the Western Route Army wrote and posted notices along the road from Lanzhou to Xi'an, indicating the places where the Red Army was stationed, and welcoming them back. We warmly received comrades who had returned one after another from many hardships, and came back to see one by one, and returned to see a group of people, and expressed warm welcome and condolences to them. One afternoon, I accompanied Commander Liu and Political Commissar Zhang Hao (i.e. Lin Yuying) to the guest house to visit the lost personnel of the Western Road Army, and when they saw us, they were moved to tears...
As for the personnel of the Western Route Army who were taken in, Lin Yuying instructed the Political Department to make better arrangements for them, some of them went to study in the camp school and Yan'an, and some were integrated into the nearby Western Army.
After the troops lived in Zhenyuan for a period of time, the cadres and soldiers thought of the failure of the army of more than 20,000 people, and asked the central authorities to investigate the cause and responsibility for the failure of the Western Road Army. Everyone talked about everything, and finally talked about Zhang Guotao's head, believing that the final defeat of the Western Road Army was caused by Zhang Guotao's split escape route, and the central authorities should hold Zhang Guotao accountable.
Obviously, the minds of some officers and men of the Western Army have been confused again.
At this time, Ren Bishi was appointed by the Central Committee to aid the Western Army to convey the spirit of the enlarged meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee and the Central Committee's "Decision on Zhang Guotao's Mistake." When conveying the decision of the Central Committee, he called on the commanders and fighters of the Western Army to distinguish between right and wrong in the struggle against Zhang Guotao, not to be entangled in some minor issues, and to rally closely around the Party Central Committee.
According to the decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Western Aid Army immediately launched a struggle to criticize Zhang Guotao's mistakes.
As soon as this criticism began, some cadres of the Western Army had deviations in their thinking. Some believe that the responsibility for the defeat of the Western Route Army lies with the CPC Central Committee, and some people, when criticizing Zhang Guotao's mistakes, confuse the Red Fourth Front Army with Zhang Guotao, and it seems that there are no good people in the entire Fourth Front Army. When many companies and organs held meetings and discussions, people with different opinions often argued and sometimes fought with each other.
Lin Yuying quickly noticed these erroneous tendencies.
In order to unify the understanding of the whole army and bring the mistake of criticizing Zhang Guotao to the right track, he went down to all armies, divisions, and regiments, reported to cadres and soldiers again and again, and patiently conducted ideological education among grassroots officers and men by laying out facts and reasoning, guiding them to profoundly understand the seriousness of Zhang Guotao's mistake, enhance the ideological consciousness of the vast number of commanders and soldiers, and strictly distinguish Zhang Guotao from the vast number of cadres and soldiers of the Red Fourth Front Army in accordance with the policy boundaries set by the CPC Central Committee. He said:
The Red Fourth Front Army is good, the cadres and fighters of the Red Fourth Front Army are loyal to the party, and some comrades follow Zhang Guotao to make mistakes because Zhang Guotao was sent by the central authorities and did not understand him. Therefore, Zhang Guotao should be responsible for the mistakes of the past, and the vast number of cadres and soldiers are not responsible. The merits of the Red Fourth Front Army must not be obliterated because of Zhang Guotao's mistakes.
The purpose of our criticism of Zhang Guotao's mistakes is to make the broad masses of cadres and soldiers deeply understand the seriousness and harmfulness of Zhang Guotao's mistakes, draw lessons from his mistakes, and prevent our party and army from making similar mistakes in the future...
Where sincerity goes, gold and stone are open. Lin Yuying's powerful ideological and political work not only enabled the cadres and men of the Western Army to enhance their understanding and unify their thinking, but also eliminated the influence of Zhang Guotao's erroneous line in the Red Fourth Front Army, and the mental outlook of the officers and men was also completely new.
Regarding Lin Yuying's work in aiding the Western Army, General Hu Qicai, former political commissar of the 12th Division of the Western Army, described in the article "Comrade Zhang Hao in Aiding the Western Army":
Comrade Zhang Hao (i.e. Lin Yuying) attaches great importance to ideological and political work and is also very good at doing ideological and political work; he often uses vivid metaphors to explain profound truths in simple terms to convince people. ...... Although I have worked under the leadership of Comrade Zhang Hao for less than a year, I was deeply impressed by Comrade Zhang Hao's approachable and modest attitude, his noble character of taking into account the overall situation, safeguarding unity, and his excellent style of maintaining contact with the masses and doing ideological and political work in depth and meticulously.
Comrade Zhang Wentian's wife and our party's daughter Liu Ying also said in an article recalling Lin Yuying: "He is very busy with work, and he is asked to give reports everywhere. ...... Every time he gave a report, he consulted many books and gave vivid and concrete explanations in light of his rich experience in practical struggle. So, his report was very popular. ”
The Western Aid Army lived in Zhenyuan County for a period of time, but due to logistical difficulties and the reception of a group of separated personnel of the Western Route Army, the food and clothing of tens of thousands of people became a big problem. The problem was reflected in Lin Yuying, who frowned and calculated his heart: to do the united front work of Zheng Jianmin, the former county magistrate of the Kuomintang town, and let the local government of the Kuomintang help solve the difficulties of aiding the Western Army.
He brought a group of people from the Political Department and the Logistics Department to the Jinyuan County Government.
When Zheng Jianmin heard that Lin Yuying came to the county government with a group of people, he was very scared and hid at home and did not dare to come out. Lin Yuying sent someone to Zheng Jianmin's house to ask him to come to the county government, and Zheng Jianmin saw that he could not escape, so he had to agree to see Lin Yuying. When he saw Lin Yuying, he smiled on the surface, but in his heart he was fifteen hanging buckets fetching water—seven up and eight down. He sat respectfully opposite Lin Yuying and waited for Lin Yuying to speak.
Lin Yuying saw his psychological activity and said to him with a smile: "Mr. Zheng, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party have established an anti-Japanese national united front. In the future, the Communist Party will unite with the Kuomintang to resist Japan, and our main spearhead in the future will be Japanese imperialism, not you. We have come here not to beat you or divide your property. Don't be scared and don't be nervous. ”
When Zheng Jianmin heard Lin Yuying's words, his nervousness was eliminated, and he was no longer as scared as before.
"What do you think of this policy of the Chinese Communist Party?" Lin Yuying asked again.
"Very supportive, very supportive."
Lin Yuying saw that he still had concerns, and was a little insincere, and said: "Let's not talk about support, please tell us your opinion." ”
"This policy is good," Zheng Jianmin added, "the Kuomintang and the Communist Party are all Chinese." In the past, we were the gods of the door and the gods of Vesta—and since the fight, the Japanese took the opportunity to enter. For the survival of the Chinese nation and to combat Japanese imperialism, the two parties should abandon their past differences and unite with the outside world. Under the premise of the War of Resistance, we should support each other..."
Lin Yuying saw that he was speaking beautifully, and asked him: "Since you think that this policy of the Communist Party of China is good and that the Kuomintang and the Communist Party should unanimously deal with Japan, then we now have a big problem that we need your support, can you do it?" ”
"What problem?"
Lin Yuying said: "There are difficulties in the supply of our troops, and I ask the county magistrate to help solve some of them. ”
"This..." Zheng Jianmin felt a little difficult.
"You have difficulties, we know." Lin Yuying continued, "We are stationed in Guixian, and there are difficulties in providing for us, of course, we can only find the county magistrate to help solve it. Our troops will soon go to the front line of the War of Resistance to fight the Japanese devils, and you are actually supporting the anti-Japanese resistance by providing for our army. If Mr. Zheng had done this, our officers and men would not have forgotten it. ”
After Lin Yuying's explanation and publicity, Zheng Jianmin replied again and again: "My government does its best to provide for your ministry. ”
A few days later, Zheng Jianmin really sent a batch of grain and cloth to the Western Aid Army, which relieved the urgent needs of the troops. The party's united front policy has seen great results in Jinyuan County. Through this incident, Lin Yuying deeply felt that the anti-Japanese national united front policy formulated by the party in Wayaobao was extremely correct. Once its role is brought into play, it will play a tremendous role in promoting the revolutionary cause. With this correct line, people from all walks of life and all walks of life throughout the country will contribute to the anti-Japanese cause. Once the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression gains the support of the people of the whole country, it will surely win the final victory.
Since then, Lin Yuying has paid more attention to the party's united front work.