On July 8, 1947, Du Yuming, commander of the Northeast Security Department, and Xiong Shihui, director of the Northeast Xingyuan, were dismissed from their posts at the same time, and they were replaced by Chen Cheng. As a close confidant of Chiang Kai-shek, why did Chen Cheng choose to leave the central position around the president and go to the Northeast Battlefield?
Chen Cheng, born on January 4, 1898, was a native of Qingtian, Zhejiang, and his dream when he was a teenager was only to be a primary school teacher. However, at the age of 19, he was admitted to the Baoding Military Academy by mistake and embarked on the road of joining the army. After graduation, Chen Cheng entered the Whampoa Military Academy as an instructor, and the artillery major he studied was scarce at that time, and was discovered by Chiang Kai-shek because of night reading, which became a model for teachers and students in the whole school. The artillery company he led made great achievements in the Battle of Mianhu during the Eastern Crusade, and became a close confidant of Chiang Kai-shek.
In 1928, after Chiang Kai-shek's return, Chen Cheng became his guard commander, and the strength of the three guard regiments under his command exceeded that of a miscellaneous army. On this basis, Chen Cheng formed the 11th Division and the 18th Army, thus establishing the prominent position of the "Civil Engineering Department" in Chiang's army. Chen Cheng not only met Chiang Kai-shek's requirements for his henchmen, but was also the godson-son of Chiang Songgan's son, so he had a prominent position in Chiang's group.
Chen Cheng has always had a good reputation in both military and political circles. He was called "one of the few generals who did not want money and were willing to work hard", and Zhou Enlai also commented that he was "a very determined hard worker" and "a patriot". After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Chen Cheng served as Chief of Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, and his personal prestige reached its peak with Chiang Kai-shek.
However, after 1947, Chiang's army suffered a series of crushing defeats in the Northeast Theater. When Chiang's army launched an attack on the liberated areas, it was defeated repeatedly. In the face of the powerful offensive of the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army, Xiong Shihui and Du Yuming had no confidence. At this time, Chen Cheng, as Chiang Kai-shek's cronies and core decision-maker, took the initiative to choose to leave the central position and go to the northeast battlefield.
After Chen Cheng took office, he first expanded his armaments and warfare, expanding four regular armies and one division, with a total strength of 550,000 troops. He mobilized troops, changed the defensive strategy, and tried to seize the initiative in the northeast. However, Lin Biao, as the commander of the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army, skillfully used strategy and adopted the method of mobile warfare, and always maintained control of the battlefield.
In the battle for western Liaoning, Chen Cheng made a mistake in his strategic judgment, concentrated his forces on the Beining line, and did not adjust his strategy in time, and was finally taken the initiative by Lin Biao in the way of "pulling east and west". Although Chen Cheng continued to reinforce, he could not change the rout of Chiang's army in the northeast.
In the end, in the winter offensive launched by Lin Biao, the New 5th Army led by Chen Cheng was completely annihilated, which made Chen Cheng feel deeply defeated. In the face of criticism, Chen Cheng put all the responsibility for the defeat on his generals, and asked President Chiang Kai-shek to severely punish the army. However, Chiang Kai-shek did not severely punish Chen Cheng, but allowed him to resign from his post as director of the Northeast Xingyuan.
The rout in the northeast caused an uproar in Nanjing, and under the pressure of public opinion, Chen Cheng could not go abroad for medical treatment, so he had to lie down in the army hospital of the Shanghai Joint Logistics Headquarters. In the chaotic war situation, Chen Cheng's departure also marked the end of the "civil engineering department" in Chiang's army.
Chen Cheng's departure has made people lose confidence in the war situation in the northeast. Chiang Kai-shek's successor, Wei Lihuang, also lost confidence in the field, which made the Northeast Battlefield difficult for a time. The entire Jiang army had been completely frightened by Lin Biao, and the offensive on the northeast had stalled.
All in all, Chen Cheng, as a close confidant of Chiang Kai-shek, chose to leave the central position and go to the Northeast Theater, hoping to achieve victory in the Northeast War by mobilizing troops and changing strategy. However, due to various reasons, he was unsuccessful and was eventually forced to leave the Northeast, leaving behind a defeated battlefield.
Chen Cheng's experience in Northeast China makes people think deeply about the importance and challenges of military decision-making in war. This story tells us that even high-ranking generals will face difficulties and failures in various wars, and the right decision-making and execution have a crucial impact on the victory or defeat of war.
