In the hearts of the people, the Red Army is not only an army, but also a revolutionary spirit that is not afraid of hardship, unremitting self-improvement, and daring to sacrifice. However, when we look back at the history of the Chinese revolution, we can't help but find a problem: in the Great Long March, we always hear the words Red First Front Army, Red Second Front Army, Red Fourth Front Army, etc., but rarely hear Red Third Front Army.
So, did the Red Trilateral Army exist?
Or does the number "three" have another meaning?
As a matter of fact, the establishment of the Red Third Front Army was brought up for discussion at meetings more than once, but for various reasons, it did not make its mark in the glorious history of the Chinese revolution. It all started with the formation of the Red Army.
The origin and development of the Red Army is awe-inspiring. After the defeat of the National Revolution, Chiang Kai-shek massacred members of our Party and the revolutionary masses. Against this background, the leaders of our party began to sum up the lessons and organize the armed forces. The outbreak of the Nanchang Uprising marked the beginning of the revolutionary road for the uprising - August 1 was also designated as the "Army Day".
After that, the Autumn Harvest Uprising and the Guangzhou Uprising broke out one after another, and the names of the Fourth Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army and the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army also came into being.
With the development of the Red Army in full swing in various places, the Party Central Committee made a decision to establish the Red Army Corps. The First Red Army, the Second Red Army, and the Red Fourth Army were established one after another. However, with the passage of time, the Party Central Committee made another decision on the formation of the Red Three Fronts. However, this decision caused controversy at the time.
The 1st Red Army was composed of the 3rd, 4th, and 10th Red Armies, the 2nd Red Army was composed of the 2nd and 6th Red Armies, the 3rd Red Army was composed of the 5th and 8th Red Armies, and the 4th Red Army was composed of the 1st and 9th Armies. This policy decision was also put forward in order to deal with the phenomenon of local fighting for each other as the number of Soviet areas increased, and through reorganization, the role of the armed forces could be better brought into play.
However, we have to admit that at that time, both the development of the Party and the Red Army, as well as the thinking of individual leaders, were advancing in exploration. There are "left" tendencies in the thinking of some leaders, which makes it extremely difficult to achieve the goals. At the same time, the "encirclement and suppression" of the Kuomintang army also put the Red Army under tremendous pressure, and it was necessary to think more about preserving its strength.
A month later, a new adjustment plan was introduced, and the Red Army was divided into four fronts, which were still reorganized according to the division of corps. In the process, Comrade Peng Dehuai raised objections. Based on the actual battlefield situation, he objectively pointed out that the current Red Fifth Army and the Red Eighth Army are too "bluffing" and cannot truly improve the Red Army's combat strength.
Mr. Peng has a point in saying this. The Red Fifth Army and the Red Eighth Army suffered heavy losses in many battles, and even the formation of corps appeared to be somewhat "illusory", and the actual number of troops was already less than one brigade. The situation of the Red Eighth Army was even more difficult - after this army was attacked by Bai Chongxi's troops in early 1930, it lost more than half of its losses and its combat effectiveness was seriously damaged. Therefore, Mr. Peng resolutely opposed the establishment of the "Red Three Front Army", believing that its practical significance was not great.
It is precisely for this reason that the Party Central Committee finally decided to reorganize the Red Fifth Army and the Eighth Army into the Red Third Army Corps, and to put aside the establishment of the Red Third Front Army for the time being. Although this reorganization had a positive impact, the Red Army's combat capability was enhanced, and the number of troops increased, but had it not been for the "adventurous" command of the time, the future of the Red Army might have been much brighter.
Later, the Red Fourth and Red Second Front armies were also established one after another. The establishment of the Red Second Front Army was to fully implement the instructions of the Central Committee. Although there was not much contact between the two armies, during the arduous Long March, the two armies eventually merged to form the Red Second Front. And when the planned Red Front Army reappeared relatively rarely, it just proved that this institution was never well integrated into the war situation.
The spirit of the Red Army soldiers who are not afraid of difficulties and dangers deserves to be remembered forever. And those fighters who once fought for the revolutionary cause deserve our admiration and remembrance. Let us pay tribute to the revolutionary martyrs who bravely sacrificed for national independence and the happiness of the people!