On March 6, 1950, the soldiers of the 18th Army gathered in an open field in Leshan, and each of them had a major task written on their faces. On this day, they will participate in a pledge meeting about the future. Behind this apparent solidarity and determination, however, an unprecedented crisis is quietly unfolding.
Recently, the morale of the 18th Army has been shaken, and there have even been voices in the ranks of cadres openly refusing to march into Tibet. Zhang Guohua, the iron-fisted and far-sighted military commander, faced the biggest challenge of his tenure. How to stabilize the morale of the army and how to deal with those cadres and soldiers whose wills are wavering has become a problem that he must quickly solve.
Introduction: Internal turmoil in the 18th Army
At the beginning of 1950, as the order to go to Tibet was conveyed in the 18th Army, the entire army fell into an unprecedented state of tension. In the army camp, the usually neat queues began to loosen, and the soldiers gathered in twos and threes to talk to each other, and the atmosphere in the camp was completely different from the solemnity of the past. Due to the sudden order, the originally strict military discipline also appeared to be somewhat loose.
In front of the military department, groups of soldiers were called for an emergency meeting. Commander Zhang Guohua and Political Commissar Tan Guansan were on the makeshift podium, facing a pair of expectant and anxious eyes below. In front of them were a map of the deployment of troops and a road map to Tibet. At this time, the commanders of each battalion and company were scattered around, holding the list of soldiers in charge of their own hands, and their faces were solemn.
The arrival of Commander Zhang Guohua and Political Commissar Tan Guansan did not immediately calm the anxiety of the soldiers, and the soldiers in front of the podium still discussed in a low voice, and from time to time there were anxious eyes on the two high-ranking officials. At this rally, Zhang Guohua began to explain in detail the specific mission and strategic significance of the trip to Tibet. His voice was heard through the camp through a megaphone, but despite this, his words were drowned out by the whispers of the soldiers.
In the middle of the meeting, a company of soldiers abruptly left the group, and his movements attracted the attention of the soldiers next to him, and immediately after, the other two soldiers began to sneak quietly towards the exit of the camp. This scene was seen by a deputy company commander in charge of supervision, who immediately stepped forward to stop them and sternly ordered them to return to the team. At this moment, the atmosphere of the camp was tense to the extreme.
During this time, the commanders of the battalions began to move around the camp, check the state of the soldiers, and try to maintain order. They visited the tents, asked the soldiers what they thought, and tried to reassure people by explaining the importance of the mission. Some soldiers urgently packed their bags in their tents, preparing for the march order that would be given at an unknown time.
As night fell, the tent area was lit up and the soldiers sat or lay down, facing their bags, silent more than talking. The sentry in the camp changed more frequently, and guards were placed at all entrances and exits to prevent more soldiers from leaving the unit without permission. Inside the camp, some seasoned veterans began to share their past combat experiences within the group in an attempt to boost morale, albeit with limited success.
High-level responses
In the tense atmosphere of the 18th Army, Army Commander Zhang Guohua and Political Commissar Tan Guansan reacted quickly to the current crisis situation. Together, they traveled to various camps to check the actual situation of the troops on the spot and had face-to-face communication with commanders at all levels. Their first stop was the regimental headquarters where Commander Qiao Xueting was located, and the situation here seemed to be more serious than anywhere else.
When he arrived at the regiment headquarters, Commander Qiao Xueting was already waiting in the conference room of the camp. The conference room was lined with rudimentary wooden chairs and a long table, and on the walls hung improvised maps and troop charts. The head of the regiment, Qiao Xueting, greeted the two high-level executives and quickly got to the point. He presented a report detailing the specific manifestations of unstable mood in the troops, especially the change in the attitude of Deputy Political Commissar Liu, which had a great impact on the morale and discipline of the entire regiment.
Commander Qiao Xueting showed Zhang Guohua and Tan Guansan a detailed report submitted by his subordinate troops, which cited specific cases of a large number of soldiers and some cadres requesting retirement or refusing to go to Tibet. They mentioned that even some experienced cadres began to openly express doubts and reluctance about future tasks. During the exchange, the regiment commander also pointed out a number of key management challenges, such as how to deal with these requests and how to maintain the existing combat capacity.
After hearing the report, Zhang Guohua and Tan Guansan did not respond immediately, but asked for separate talks with several commanders directly involved. They then held a closed-door discussion with the company commanders and deputy political commissar Liu of several companies. These discussions mainly revolved around how to deal with the current instability and the deployment of a concrete action plan to stabilize morale.
In their meetings with Liu, Zhang Guohua and Tan Guansan tried to understand his specific concerns about the mission. Although Liu was not directly asked about his personal feelings, the two leaders sought to motivate him by discussing the importance and strategic significance of the task. During the meeting, they emphasized the importance of the Tibet mission to national unity and border security, as well as the responsibilities of every soldier.
After completing the meeting with Qiao Xueting and Liu, Zhang Guohua and Tan Guansan convened all the senior cadres involved for a broader meeting. At this meeting, they conveyed the instructions and expectations of the Military Commission and proposed a series of targeted measures to strengthen discipline and morale.
The seriousness of the problem of deserters
Against the backdrop of the 18th Army's growing internal instability and desertion, Commander Zhang Guohua quickly made a decision to control the situation with harsh means. He personally issued an order that all soldiers who tried to escape from the army would be barred from participating in operations to Tibet and immediately decommissioned. This decision was quickly communicated in the troops, and was explained in detail to the lower ranks through commanders at all levels.
At the daily roll call and rallies of the troops, the company commanders began to announce the new order, clearly informing all soldiers that any attempt to flee would directly affect their military careers, and this draconian measure was aimed at rooting out those factors that destabilized the troops. Additional guards have been deployed in each camp and night patrols have been intensified to ensure that no soldier leaves the camp without permission. At the same time, communications within the unit are strictly monitored to prevent the spread of negativity among soldiers.
In parallel with the implementation of these measures, the leadership of the troops also realized that it was not enough to rely on strict disciplinary measures, but also needed to strengthen ideological education. As a result, they began to organize a series of political study and psychological counseling activities, aimed at increasing the loyalty and sense of mission of the soldiers. The unit's political instructor began to hold group discussions among the soldiers, explaining the great cause of the country's reunification and the importance of going to Tibet. They also screened films of heroic deeds in the War of Liberation as a morale boost.
At the same time, the reaction of the soldiers began to change positively. Some soldiers were in their dormitories late at night, writing oaths on paper with their own blood to express their determination to stay in the unit and complete their mission. These so-called "blood letters" were collected one by one and placed in the exhibition room of the battalion headquarters as a symbol of morale boosting. Morale in the troops gradually stabilized, and those soldiers who had wavered began to regain their sense of responsibility as soldiers.
The leadership of the unit also paid special attention to the commendation of those soldiers who wrote the "blood book". At the weekly flag-raising ceremony, Zhang Guohua personally presented medals and certificates to these soldiers in recognition of their loyalty and courage, which played a good role in demonstrating in the troops. This recognition is not only an individual affirmation, but also an encouragement to all soldiers, reinforcing their unity and determination in the face of difficulties and challenges.
Ideological work and challenges
In addition to collective education, political instructors conducted individual conversations in the troops. They will have face-to-face communication with the soldiers one by one, listen to their concerns and questions, and provide targeted answers and psychological counseling. Such individual conversations are especially aimed at soldiers who show obvious uneasiness or desertion tendencies to ensure that everyone receives adequate attention and guidance.
In addition, the troops have also made use of media such as radio and propaganda boards to continuously broadcast propaganda materials on the importance and sense of honor of going to Tibet. During their daily breaks, soldiers can hear motivational words and deeds of battle heroes from the radio, which have been carefully designed to boost morale and enhance a sense of purpose.
In the barracks, Commander Zhang Guohua also personally presided over several large-scale swearing-in meetings. At these conferences, he would deliver impassioned speeches reaffirming the strategic importance of entering Tibet and honoring soldiers for their outstanding performance. These activities greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers and made them feel that the mission they had undertaken was noble and glorious.
In order to further strengthen the effectiveness of ideological education, the army has also brought in some experienced retired servicemen and historians who have come to the army to tell the story of the liberation war and the historical background of the Tibetan region. These lectures not only provided a wealth of historical knowledge, but also gave the soldiers a deeper historical and cultural understanding of the mission to be carried out.
Although the implementation of all these measures has initially seen positive results, the instability of the soldiers has eased, and the resistance to going to Tibet has been reduced, the leadership is clear that sustained efforts and time will be needed to completely reverse the demoralization situation. Therefore, they plan to continue to strengthen and enrich the content and form of ideological and political education in the coming months to ensure that every soldier can firmly carry out orders and meet the upcoming challenges in the best condition.
The convening of the pledge meeting
On March 6, 1950, Leshan in full spring became a spectacular picture. The 18th Army held a pledge meeting to march into Tibet here. As the first rays of the morning sun shone on the makeshift podium and more than a thousand soldiers in full gear, the whole camp was enveloped in a solemn and agitated atmosphere.
The venue was decorated with extraordinary solemnity, with huge red flags fluttering in every corner, and the words "Glorious March to Tibet" were printed on them. In front of the podium in the center, a huge Mao Zedong statue and national flag were hung as a symbol of the spirit of the soldiers. The soldiers, dressed in neat uniforms and wearing shiny cockades, stood in a formation in the square, and in front of each of them stood a spear with a red streamer tied to the tip of the spear.
As the ceremony began, the military band played a majestic military anthem, and all the soldiers and officers attending the meeting sang the national anthem together, and the sound echoed throughout the camp, inspiring everyone's heart. In the sound of the national anthem, Commander Zhang Guohua and Political Commissar Tan Guansan slowly stepped onto the stage, and their arrival immediately attracted the attention of all the soldiers.
Zhang Guohua spoke first. His voice was heard through the microphone throughout the venue, clear and unwavering. He reviewed the glorious history of the 18 th Army, mentioned its heroic performance in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation in the past, and stressed that going to Tibet is an important task for defending the security of the country's borders and safeguarding national unity. His speech was interspersed with praise for the loyalty and sacrifice of the soldiers, as well as unwavering confidence in the tasks ahead.
Then, Political Commissar Tan Guansan made a speech, and his words were full of encouragement and mobilizing power. He described in detail the specific plan and strategic significance of the advance into Tibet, explained the importance of the mission, and called on all soldiers to face the next challenges with the highest discipline and morale.
Later, a representative of the commended soldier took the stage to speak, he recalled his experience in the army, expressed his love for the unit and his determination to carry out the tasks to be carried out. His words were concise and powerful, and won the applause of the soldiers in the audience.
The climax of the meeting was the oath taken by all the soldiers, who raised their right hands and took the oath with sonorous force, which echoed in the fresh air and high morale. At this moment, the expressions of each soldier appeared unusually determined, and their eyes flashed with confidence and determination for the upcoming mission.
As the assembly ended, the soldiers left the venue and returned to their camps for the final preparations for departure.
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