The peaceful liberation of Peiping was a pivotal moment in Chinese history. At the beginning of 1949, with the continuous changes on the battlefield in North China, the fate of Peiping seemed to be at hand. However, the story behind it is surprisingly complex.
Fu Zuoyi, the commander-in-chief of the "Suppression Chief," seems to have made representations with the PLA the key to the peaceful liberation of Peiping. Although his troops had been severely damaged, he still tried his best to maintain the stability of the city. In addition, in order to counter the threat of the Central Army, he also readjusted the military layout of Peiping, deploying its main forces in key positions.
It is worth noting that the strength of the central army in Peiping at that time far exceeded Fu Zuoyi's troops. Among them, Li Wen's 4th Corps and Shi Jue's 9th Corps, two Huangpu first-term students, controlled the actual military strength in the city. However, despite their numerical superiority, they did not pose much threat to Fu Zuoyi in terms of strategy and position.
Peiping, as an ancient capital with a history of thousands of years, its cultural heritage is of great value. There are countless cultural relics and monuments scattered throughout the city, including the Forbidden City and Beihai Park. This is also why both sides at that time did not dare to make an easy move. The PLA made it clear that if the Kuomintang troops withdrew to the university or the Forbidden City, they would actively avoid the attack. Fu Zuoyi also did not want to bear the charge of destroying the ancient capital, and he even proposed that if he really wanted to fight, he would stay away from Beiping and do so in Zhuo County.
Against this background, Fu Zuoyi finally announced the peaceful liberation of Beiping on January 20, 1949. He allowed Li Wen, Shi Jue, and other high-ranking officials of the Central Army to safely evacuate Beiping after choosing their own agents. This decision actually ensured a smooth transition in Peiping and laid a solid foundation for later construction.
Looking back at that period of history, we can see that although it was ostensibly a confrontation between the military, in fact there were complex power struggles and exchanges of interests behind it. The peaceful liberation of Peiping was not only a victory in military operations, but also a victory in wisdom and strategy.