People who are more concerned about the military-related developments on the mainland may often hear the terms garrison area, garrison area, and garrison area, and many people do not understand the difference between these three types of military regions, nor do they know what the difference is between them and the military regions of the past and the current theater of war.
【Garrison】
In fact, no matter what the region is, it is a kind of division of military ranks, and the level of the level is linked to the size of the troops, the direction of operations, and the geographical location.
The difference between the three zones
The origin of the garrison is actually very long, the garrison has since ancient times refers to the soldiers guarding the edge of the city, the word 戍 was the first hieroglyph of the soldiers who held the ge, and later developed into the Chinese characters we see today.
The term "garrison" can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty, when the garrison was stationed on the edge of the city, and later with the development of history, there were more and more cities, and the meaning of the garrison also changed somewhat, and it was upgraded to a unit dedicated to guarding the capital.
This definition has also continued to this day, the mainland garrison is the military organization that guards Beijing, in fact, in the army, the level of the troops responsible for the city guard is relatively low, after all, it is difficult for the city to face direct threats in peacetime.
But after all, the capital is the heart and brain of a country, so the level of the garrison is relatively high, and the garrison is a regular army-level unit in the PLA.
【Garrison】
In terms of priority, garrison areas are subordinate to garrison areas, but in fact, garrison areas often face greater pressure on national defense, because garrison areas are generally set up in border cities, or core cities that are of great significance to territorial defense.
In addition to the traditional alert and combat operations, the garrison area is also responsible for military mobilization.
Therefore, despite the fact that the level of the garrison area seems to be lower than that of the garrison area, the task attributes and training intensity of the troops are greater.
【Garrison】
Moreover, different security areas will have different levels depending on the external situation they are facing. For example, the level of the garrison set up in the direction where the risk of war is relatively high is the army level, and if the external situation is not so tense, there are also garrison areas at the division level.
Historically, there has been a unique level of garrison area on the mainland, that is, the brigade garrison area that appeared in the 60s of the last century, and this garrison area is several times the corps level.
The reason why the level was so high had a lot to do with the international environment in which China was located at that time and the external situation it was facing, and after the Sino-Soviet war in the 60s of the last century, the Soviet Union became the biggest threat to China's national defense security.
【Officers and Soldiers of the Brigade Garrison Area】
The location of the garrison area of the brigade is the first line of defense after the Soviet army invaded China in the south, and only when the brigade holds on for enough time can the organs and troops of the capital retreat and transfer, so the level of the garrison area far exceeds that of the ordinary garrison area.
This is a special product of a special era, and since then, there has never been a corps-level garrison area on the mainland.
The garrison area is more special, and the function of the garrison area is to defend, and this garrison is often an independent defense, that is to say, even if the garrison area is surrounded by the enemy, it must have enough independent combat capability to hold on for a certain time.
【Garrison】
Garrison areas are not common in the interior, and their military connotations are also very strong, and the level changes according to the military organization that leads the area, and if the superior unit is at the division level, then the level of the garrison area is also a division.
The role of different distinctions
In contrast, the garrison can only assume the simplest, that is, to guard the capital and the surrounding areas, modern China established a special garrison division of the Republic of China, and the area and troops used to guard the president of the Republic of China at that time were called the garrison governor's palace.
【Garrison】
In 1927, after the old Chiang settled the capital of Nanjing, the Garrison Governor's Office was renamed the Garrison Headquarters, which was specifically responsible for the defense of Nanjing and the surrounding areas.
After the Battle of Nanjing, the establishment of this organization was not abolished, but followed the Provisional Government of the Republic of China to many places, and the garrison troops at that time no longer guarded Nanjing, but guarded the office of the Nationalist Government.
Today's PLA garrison forces have gathered many relatively unique formations, such as the famous honor guard of honor in the garrison, which is today's honor guard of the three services. There is also the extremely mysterious Central Guard Regiment, which is responsible for the security and personal safety of the offices of the central leadership.
【Honor Guard of the Three Services】
Since China has been at peace for many years, it is actually easier to defend the garrison areas of large cities, after all, no country in the world dares to say that its military strength can invade China itself.
On the contrary, it is the garrison area that really undertakes the front-line tasks, and there are several famous garrison areas in the history of the mainland, all of which have been prepared for military struggles all year round.
For example, the Xiamen garrison area was in a state of long-term wartime when the military confrontation between the two sides of the strait was relatively fierce because it was directly facing China's Taiwan, and during several Taiwan Strait crises, many of the troops involved in military exercises and mobilization belonged to the garrison area, and in fact the nature of the war was very high.
【Garrison】
Of course, the Xiamen garrison area, as a land garrison area, actually has a certain mobile combat capability, and there are still some maritime garrison areas on the mainland, which are the real isolated islands, and the meaning of its existence is to hold on to it when the enemy attacks, and hold on until the reinforcement of large forces.
Of course, whether it is a garrison, a garrison or a garrison, this is a product of China's inward-looking national defense policy, and as China's influence in the world grows, the PLA also needs to go global and establish a military presence and intervention capability overseas.
In the future, it is likely that these divisions will be relegated to history and reclassified overseas military administrative regions.
Of course, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) certainly does not engage in overseas military hegemony like the Americans.
【People's Liberation Army】
As far as our military is concerned, the outward development of the military is mainly aimed at safeguarding China's overseas interests, ensuring prosperity and stability and trade between countries, and creating a mutually beneficial and win-win regional system.
Sources:
[1] China Military Encyclopedia Editorial Office, China Encyclopedia Military, China Encyclopedia Publishing House, 2007
[2] Institute of Military History, Academy of Military Sciences, "Military History of the People's Republic of China"[M], ISBN: 7801378008.Beijing.Military Science Press.2005.01.