The important turning point in China's Liberation War was not the "Three Great Battles", but the Battle of Jinan in 1948. After this battle, the morale of the Kuomintang troops plummeted and they began to seek a way out. Previously, Chen Cheng had confidently declared that he would destroy the Communist army within six months, but he never succeeded. However, this time, Chen Cheng was relatively objective and calm.
Jinan is an important city in Shandong. The Kuomintang top brass had always pursued the idea of capturing large and medium-sized cities as victory, and this defeat completely shook their confidence. Before 1947, the Kuomintang controlled most large and medium-sized cities nationwide, but its strength weakened year by year. All the so-called "all-out offensives" and "focused offensives" ended in failure.
The failure of such an offensive is more devastating for an army than the failure of defense. Just like in a football game, although the score is tied, as long as the opponent scores, the pressure will increase rapidly. The defeat in the Jinan campaign dealt a huge psychological blow to the Kuomintang. In the Battle of Jinan, which began on September 16, 1948, the East China Field Army captured the city of Jinan in only eight days, and the city's defensive fortifications were quite strong.
In addition to the strong fortifications, the defenders of Jinan were not mediocre. Wang Yaowu was a general who became famous during the Anti-Japanese War, leading the 74th Army to shock the enemy, and was known as "rather touch the king of Yan than touch the old king". He enjoyed great prestige both inside and outside the Kuomintang, and even Chairman Mao knew something about him. However, under such defensive conditions and command, Jinan was lost within eight days, which had a huge impact on the top of the Kuomintang.
The fall of Jinan not only showed the PLA's enhanced ability to tackle tough problems, but also exposed the slow movement of the Kuomintang rescue forces. The long period of siege made the Kuomintang troops slow to move and unable to rescue them in time. Previously, they had held the city with powerful weapons and fortifications, but now they cannot even keep the city. As Chen Cheng said: "The fall of Jinan in late September of the 37th year of the [Republic of China] (1948) was taken as a turning point. "This battle completely changed the situation of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and marked the arrival of a turning point in China's liberation war.