In late 1948, when the Liaoshen Campaign was about to begin, Chiang Kai-shek summoned his men for mobilization. He looked at the generals in the audience who were obviously lacking in confidence, and his heart was full of dissatisfaction and anger.
At the meeting, Chiang Kai-shek loudly asked: "Why did the best students of the Whampoa Military Academy choose to join the Communist Party in the end?" He was puzzled and distressed.
As the war deepened, the Kuomintang army faced the dilemma of lack of talent. On the other hand, the Communist Party will have bright stars and talents.
However, Chiang Kai-shek believed that among the generals of the Nationalist army, there were not without figures who could compete with the PLA. After careful consideration, he decided that there were four generals who might be able to compete with the PLA.
"Little Zhuge " Bai Chongxi
Bai Chongxi, known for his extreme anti-communist stance and unique strategic vision, had a profound impact on China's political and military landscape.
Bai Chongxi played a key role in the April 12 coup d'état in 1927, advising Chiang Kai-shek. He was keenly aware that the Chinese Communist Party, despite its weakness at the time, was a harbinger of future threats to its ideas and organizational capabilities. Bai Chongxi's strategic vision foresaw the potential for communism in China, which prompted the Kuomintang to crack down on the communists.
In addition to his political influence, Bai Chongxi was also an outstanding military commander. In the Battle of Longtan, he was ordered to stabilize the turbulent military morale due to Chiang Kai-shek's downfall. With his excellent command skills, he successfully repelled the attack of the warlord Sun Chuanfang and turned the tide of the battle. The battle highlighted Bai Chongxi's outstanding military talent and adaptability.
During the War of Liberation, Bai Chongxi clashed with our army many times. The most famous is the Battle of Hengbao, although this battle failed to change the fate of the Kuomintang's defeat in Taiwan, Bai Chongxi successfully resisted the offensive of our army with his superb tactical command and flexible deployment of troops. His military wisdom and cunning made him a great problem for our army on the battlefield.
Despite his military and political achievements, his extreme anti-communist stance and loyalty to Chiang Kai-shek also became a stumbling block to his fate. He relied too much on personal ingenuity and talent to the expense of more important political and economic factors. This led to repeated defeats in political battles, which ultimately ended in a bleak end.
Bai Chongxi's story is a legend full of contradictions and complexities. He was known for his strategic acumen and military prowess, but he was also limited by extreme stances and limited political wisdom. His career became a microcosm of that tumultuous era, revealing a brilliant yet controversial historical figure.
"Anti-communist vanguard" Huang Baitao
Huang Baitao, a controversial figure in the national army, has left a deep mark on history with his unique background and behavioral style. Unlike other generals of the national army, he is not a descendant of Whampoa, nor is he a local warlord, but has gradually emerged from the grassroots. After several rounds, he relied on his efforts and talents to be appreciated by Gu Zhu and others, and finally became a general in the national army. However, within the hierarchical national army, Huang Baitao's existence is very embarrassing, because he has never really integrated into any faction.
Huang Baitao thinks he is loyal and upright, but in fact, his loyalty is overly loyal. His loyalty to Chiang Kai-shek reached a blind end, and in some cases even turned into a danger to the country and the nation. In terms of anti-communism, Huang Baitao was particularly radical and became an out-and-out anti-communist vanguard. To a large extent, he did this to show his loyalty to Chiang Kai-shek and others, so as to consolidate his position in the national army.
In the Southern Anhui Incident, Huang Baitao took the initiative to ask Ying to confront our army, and his hands were covered with blood. During the Liberation War, he became extremely active and was no longer snubbed by the national army as before. Chiang Kai-shek also began to attach importance to him, because among the many generals of the national army, Huang Baitao did have outstanding ability. However, it is a pity that Huang Baitao's behavior on the Huaihai battlefield has exceeded the bottom line that a soldier should have.
When Huang Baitao led his troops into the encirclement of the People's Liberation Army, he resorted to extremely cruel methods. In order to prevent his soldiers from surrendering, he wantonly killed PLA prisoners of war, showing his determination to stand out with the PLA. At the same time, he threatened and intimidated his men, forcing them to resist to the end. In the Battle of Nianzhuang, Huang Baitao adopted the Japanese scorched earth policy, wantonly burning, killing and looting, bringing profound disasters to the local people. He drove the people out of the mill and tortured those who could not leave. In addition, he also commanded the officers and soldiers of the country to loot all the grain in the milled village.
What is even more shocking is that when the position was lost, Huang Baitao actually ordered a bombardment with heavy artillery, even ignoring the lives of the soldiers of the national army on the position. This callous act is outrageous. In fact, this cruelty was not forced by a desperate situation, and he had already resorted to the same tactics during the Battle of Eastern Henan. This fully exposes his cruel nature and madness.
Although Huang Baitao has a certain command and combat ability, his bottomless and cruel behavior on the battlefield is impossible to ignore. As a soldier, he violated the proper moral and professional conduct, and completely lost his humanity and conscience. If such people continue to act recklessly on the battlefield, it will bring even greater disasters to the country and the people.
"Cunning Rabbit Three Holes" Hu Lian
Hu Lian, known as the "King of the Golden Gate", his existence is like a double-edged sword, which can both amaze people and make people feel painful. He is like a cunning fox, sometimes showing sharp fangs, sometimes hiding in the grass, which is unpredictable. Today, let's walk into the world of this difficult opponent Hu Lian.
Hu Lian's military talent is well-known in the national army. He is good at taking advantage of the terrain and troops to carry out quick and decisive strikes. In the Battle of Kinmen, with his extraordinary wisdom and courage, he successfully resisted the fierce attack of our army. At that time, our army was in a hurry to attack Kinmen, and there was a mistake in intelligence, and we did not realize that Hu Lian had quietly sent reinforcements. And when our army attacked Kinmen by boat, because it was not good at water warfare, it encountered obstacles carefully laid by Hu Lian, the ship capsized, and the rhythm of the attack was completely disrupted. In this battle, Hu Lian won a complete victory, and thus won the reputation of "King of Kinmen" within the national army.
However, Hu Lian is not only military to make people marvel. His political wisdom should not be underestimated. After Chiang Kai-shek's defeat in Taiwan, he became the vanguard of the fight against the People's Liberation Army. He is well aware of the importance of his mission, so he is always vigilant and ready to respond to any unexpected situation. He led his troops out of nowhere, often launching attacks by surprise, which made our army unguardable. Chairman Mao once commented on him: "Hu Lian of the Eighteenth Army is as cunning as a fox and as fierce as a tiger, so it is advisable to avoid it in order to maintain his strength and stand by to win!" It can be seen how difficult he is in the hearts of the People's Liberation Army.
Hu Lian's difficulties lie not only in his military talent and political wisdom, but also in his perseverance and tenacious perseverance. On the battlefield, he was always able to hold out until the last moment and not pass up a single opportunity. Even in the face of the most formidable enemies, he is able to remain calm and composed, and calmly tackle various challenges. This mental strength is one of the important reasons why he was able to remain invincible in the war.
However, Hu Lian is not without shortcomings and weaknesses. His overconfident and egotistical personality often led him to make mistakes at critical moments. For example, he underestimated the enemy too lightly in the Battle of Kinmen, which led to the defeat of our army. In addition, he also had some political problems, such as his close relationship with Chiang Kai-shek, which led to his limitations and constraints in some decisions. These problems have affected his performance and achievements to a certain extent.
"Can't be killed" Zhong Song
Zhong Song, his name may not be as loud as those commanding generals, but his experience is enough to make people marvel.
Zhong Song was the commander of the Kuomintang 36th Army and belonged to Hu Zongnan's subordinates. In the Battle of Yulin in 1947, he rose to prominence in an unexpected way. At that time, Hu Zongnan was besieged by our army in Yulin due to a command error. When Hu Zongnan asked for reinforcements, Zhong Song did not march according to the regular route, but chose an extremely difficult path - through the desert. This risky decision not only broke through the perception of our army, but also demonstrated his excellent command and leadership skills.
In just five days, the troops led by Zhong Song traveled day and night and rushed to the vicinity of Yulin. This action not only shocked Peng Dehuai, but also showed Zhong Song's unique vision and courage in the war. In the face of the sudden enemy army, our army was defenseless, and after Peng Dehuai considered it, he withdrew the troops that were encircling Yulin. This battle made the Kuomintang excited, and even defined this battle in many newspapers as a great victory in Yulin.
However, Zhong Song's legend did not end there. In the years that followed, he fought Peng Dehuai several more times. Despite the discouragement within the Nationalist army, Zhong Song was still able to win some battles. His cunning and wit gave Peng Dehuai a headache. After several encounters, Zhong Song was always able to turn the danger into a disaster at a critical moment, allowing Peng Dehuai to return in vain.
Zhong Song's outstanding performance naturally attracted the attention of Chiang Kai-shek. In Chiang Kai-shek's mind, Zhong Song became one of the best "models". However, what is laughable is that at the critical moment of the Northwest Battlefield in September 1949, Zhong Song, who was originally the main officer of the Kuomintang, suddenly proposed that he was seriously ill and urgently needed to recuperate. For this reason, he took refuge in Hong Kong. Sure enough, not long after he left, our army completely recovered the great northwest. It turned out that Zhong Song's illness was faked, and although he ran away and was embarrassed, he successfully saved his life.