At the beginning of February 1925, in the face of Chen Jiongming's provocation, the Guangzhou Revolutionary Base Camp was forced to respond to the battle, established the Eastern Expeditionary Army to declare war on Chen Jiongming, and at the same time ordered Li Zongren to lead the Guangxi Revolutionary Army to meet Shen Hongying, and sent the Guangdong army Chen Jitang to lead his troops into Guangxi to reinforce Li Zongren.
The First Crusade begins.
The Eastern Expeditionary Army was divided into three routes, of which Xu Chongzhi's Yue army was the right wing, Yang Ximin's Yunnan army was the left wing, and Liu Zhenhuan's Gui army was the middle army.
In his capacity as president and chief of staff of the right wing of the Eastern Expeditionary Army, Chiang Kai-shek led a student army of more than 3,000 people from the 1st and 2nd regiments, which were composed of instructors and first-term students of the Whampoa Military Academy as grassroots officers, to set out from Changzhou Island to join the right-wing Guangdong Army.
Zhou Enlai accompanied the army on the expedition as the director of the Political Department.
In fact, Yang Ximin and Liu Zhenhuan, the two bad old boys on the left and middle roads, have been secretly bought by Chen Jiongming. The two of them did not move, and the three-way army could not form an effective cooperation.
Therefore, only the Right Route Army led by Xu Chongzhi and Chiang Kai-shek took the initiative to fight. The total strength of the Right Route Army was more than 10,000 people, especially the teaching regiment led by Chiang Kai-shek, which was the backbone of the Eastern Expeditionary Army.
To say that they are the backbone is not to brag, to tell you who these two regiments are.
The commander-in-chief was Chiang Kai-shek.
The commanders of the two regiments are He Yingqin and Wang Bailing, please note the name "Wang Bailing", this is a magical character.
The battalion commander was served by instructors from the first phase of Whampoa, such as Ye Jianying, the later Marshal of the Republic.
Among the students are also Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers, look at these names. On the Kuomintang side, Du Yuming, Guan Linzheng, Wang Yaowu, Zheng Dongguo, Song Xilian, Yu Chengwan, Yu Jishi, Chen Cheng, Hu Zongnan, and Sun Yuanliang were on the Kuomintang side.
On the Communist side, Jiang Xianyun, Chen Geng, Xu Xiangqian, Zuo Quan, Wang Erzhuo, Xu Jishen, and Zhou Shidi, any of whom were leaders above the group army level in the future (except for those who died in the early days), were only company commanders, platoon commanders, party representatives, and even ordinary soldiers in the teaching regiment at this time.
There is no doubt about the strength of the entire team.
Although the Whampoa Student Army has poked out some baskets because of their lack of experience in marching, logistics, and even on the battlefield, their overall quality is extremely high, and they only need to accumulate experience and improve themselves through training. Therefore, when such a group of generals meets the right training opportunities, it is enough to grow into an extremely good team.
Sure enough, the student army, which grew up rapidly in one battle after another, was brave and good at fighting, and it was overwhelming. They worked perfectly with the Guangdong army and connected Dongguan, Pinghu, Shenzhen and other places. In less than two weeks, the vanguard of the Eastern Expeditionary Army had arrived at Chen Jiongming's important stronghold, Tamsui City.
Although Tamsui City is a strong city with heavy troops, it is easy to defend and difficult to attack, but in the face of courage and sacrifice, heavy troops and natural dangers can also be conquered. With the cooperation of the Cantonese army, the student army formed a "brave squad" (death squad) with 10 officers and 100 soldiers, taking advantage of the enemy's contempt and launching an attack at dawn by surprise. The large forces then took the predetermined strategic target of Tamsui.
In this difficult battle, most of the instructors and students fought bravely and performed well. It's a pity that there are exceptions to everything, and there are deserters from such a good group.
The first is Wang Bailing, director of the professor department of the Whampoa Military Academy and head of the Second Teaching Regiment. This benevolent brother ran away in the name of "asking for help". Although the soldiers of the 2nd Regiment slapped their commander's face with a heroic performance in the battle, Mr. Wang did not want to be embarrassed, and the slap in the face was ineffective against him.
Wang Bailing had a good personal relationship with Chiang Kai-shek - the two were classmates and sworn brothers at the Baoding Military Academy, and they had also made some contributions to the revolution, so they only lost their officials, but they saved their lives. And Sun Liang, the commander of the 7th Company of the 2nd Regiment, was unlucky, and this benevolent brother who led his troops to retreat was immediately executed by Chiang Kai-shek's military law. Sun Liang can be regarded as using his own head to make some contributions to the revolution - killing chickens and setting an example for monkeys. The brutal military discipline prepared the whole army for the coming life-and-death decisive battle - and no one dared to retreat after that.
Next, Xu Chongzhi and Chiang Kai-shek decided to leave a small number of men and horses to block the enemy in Huizhou, lead the main force to bypass Huizhou, which was heavily defended by Chen Jiongming, and continue to advance eastward, compressing Chen Jiongming's living space, and eliminating Chen Jiongming's living forces - Ye Ju and Hong Zhaolin.
Based on a common good wish: to help Chen Jiongming finish quickly, Xu Chongzhi and Chiang Kai-shek carried out a clear division of labor. Xu Chongzhi led the Cantonese army to attack Hailufeng. Chiang Kai-shek led the student army to cut off the enemy's sources of finance and taxation -- Chaoshan, Chaozhou, and Shantou, so that Chen Jiongming's army had neither food nor money to spend, which was really a good way to dissipate the enemy's military morale in an efficient and stable manner.
Principal Chiang led the student army to drive hundreds of miles and occupy Chaoshan in early March. The performance of the Guangdong army did not fall behind, and successfully won Hailufeng. Ye Ju and Hong Zhaolin were beaten to the point of crying and calling their mothers, and they fled to the sea to save their lives.
In a little more than a month, the right-wing troops composed of 10,000 Cantonese troops and student troops defeated an enemy who was several times their size and had an absolute superiority in weapons and equipment. More importantly, this army was under the absolute control of the Party, and everywhere it went, it was warmly welcomed by the masses everywhere, the workers' and peasants' movement flourished, and the prestige of the base camp reached unprecedented heights.
At the same time, the Guangxi Revolutionary Army led by Li Zongren had also defeated Shen Hongying's main force, which was twice as strong as its own, and the two forces had a tendency to join forces. The revolutionary situation has never been clearer, and the future has never been brighter.
However, in the good situation, there are big worries. At this time, the news that Sun Yat-sen was critically ill in Beijing came out!
With decades of ups and downs of revolutionary experience, Sun Yat-sen was widely expected, and was recognized as a revolutionary leader in the hearts of Huangpu teachers and students, and was the banner of the revolutionary army. If the banner falls, but Sun Yat-sen has no successor who convinces all parties, how can those forces that were not at ease to unite around the revolutionary army not start anew?
Of course, we have to start from scratch. After Tang Jiyao learned the news that Sun Yat-sen was critically ill, he couldn't hold back his commotion: The opportunity is coming! Look around, try to ask the heroes of the world, who is more qualified to take over the banner of Sun Yat-sen than me, Tang Jiyao!
Therefore, Tang Jiyao took over a large amount of arms aid from the Japanese, announced that he had assumed the post of deputy marshal of the Guangdong base camp, which had long since expired, and telegraphed to the base camp that he would bring 100,000 troops to Guangzhou to receive the generalissimo's government.
Li Zongren could only temporarily let go of Shen Hongying, who was already ravaged to death, and hurriedly led the Guangxi Revolutionary Army back to block Tang Jiyao's southward movement.
Since Li Zongren and the others have undertaken the task of blocking the attack, the Eastern Expeditionary Army must also defeat the rest of Chen Jiongming's troops as soon as possible, reinforce Li Zongren, and pacify Yang Ximin and Liu Zhenhuan, otherwise the previous victory will be in vain.
Just when the situation entered the most dangerous stage, Chen Jiongming began to fall into the ground. He jumped over the wall in a hurry, dispatched troops, and wanted to fight to the death with the Eastern Expeditionary Army.
Soon, Chiang Kai-shek received bad news from the peasant association: Chen Jiongming's subordinate Lin Hu gathered more than 20,000 people, and the soldiers were divided into two routes, all the way out of Cotton Lake and all the way to Lihu Lake, in an attempt to cut off the return route of the Whampoa student army!
Chiang Kai-shek estimated the situation: there was the uncaptured Huizhou Jiancheng in the front, and Lin Hu pursued the troops to intercept it, and the Cantonese army could not catch up in a short time. The student army is facing the danger of being flanked by the front and rear, which can be described as a dilemma!
But fortunately, Huizhou is more than 200 kilometers away from here, and with his understanding of Yang Kunru, the defender of Huizhou, this person's ability to defend the city is okay, but he is short-sighted, and he will not dare to go out of the city to attack him in a short time. As long as Yang Kunru does not send troops, he only needs to single out Lin Hu, and the chances of victory are greatly increased.
Chiang Kai-shek no longer hesitated, and immediately ordered: Teach a regiment to advance towards Cotton Lake and break through Lin Hu's attack head-on!
Teaching the Second Regiment to advance toward Lihu Lake, no one could have imagined that a decisive battle that would determine the direction of China's modern history would break out in this small and unheard cotton lake! If Chiang Kai-shek lost this decisive battle, the Whampoa student army would certainly be wiped out, and Sun Yat-sen's years of struggle would come to naught, and he would not only become a revolutionary sinner, but he would also lose everything -- a chance to do it again, his life, and even his hard-won honor.
This is a war that cannot be lost. Chiang Kai-shek could not afford to lose this war, and neither could the revolution. Therefore, Chiang Kai-shek, the Kuomintang and even the Communist Party had only one choice: a desperate battle, only at this time!
Let's go! Meet Lin Hu!
On March 13, 1925, the 1st Regiment of the Student Army encountered the main force of Lin Hu of more than 15,000 people near Mianhu, while the opponent of the 2nd Regiment was Lin Hu's division of more than 4,000 people.
This was the most critical situation since the formation of the student army, not only was Lin Hu occupy the favorable terrain, but also taught the regiment to face an enemy ten times its size, and even the headquarters of Chiang Kai-shek and Zhou Enlai were surrounded by Lin Hu's main force with superior forces.
In the face of such adversity, the student army broke out with great combat effectiveness and engaged in fierce battles with the enemy army.
When fully formed, they rely on superior team combat effectiveness to fight the enemy.
After the organization was disrupted by the enemy, they relied on the quality of a single soldier to kill and wound the enemy, fighting bayonets when they ran out of bullets, and hand-to-hand combat when the blades of bayonets were rolled.
Generally speaking, the duty of officers is to use their wisdom and strategy to maximize the combat effectiveness of their soldiers, but when the battle reaches the decisive moment of victory or death, all military wisdom can no longer be used, and the officers are left with only one last trick: pick up the guy and go into battle himself.
Jiang Xianyun, Cao Yuan, Guan Linzheng, Yu Jishi, Yu Chengwan, Du Yuming and other junior officers all went into battle to fight!
There were still not enough people, and Chiang Kai-shek had to take part in the battle himself.
Advisor Galen jumped into the trench and opened fire on the enemy with his machine gun.
Liao Zhongkai and Zhou Enlai led He Jinhan, Deng Wenyi and other members of the Political Department to join the battle.
The orderlies and men all went into battle to meet the enemy.
At the critical moment, Chen Cheng made great contributions. The artillery company under his command reserved some shells, and whenever a large group of enemy troops rushed over, Chen Cheng rewarded them with a cannon. The enemy was naturally afraid of death, so he had to retreat back. Chen Cheng's move relieved a lot of pressure on the student army.
It stands to reason that even if they were to teach a regiment to be brave and fearless, it would be difficult for them to survive a day in front of an enemy ten times their size. But the fact is that they not only survived, but also killed and wounded several times their own enemies at the cost of more than half of their own casualties.
The reason why the student army succeeded in doing this was that their opponent, Lin Hu, made a stupid move.
Lin Hu is actually a veteran member of the League, who performed well in the Xinhai Revolution and the Protectorate War, and also led a lot of fierce men - Li Zongren and nearly half of the backbone generals of the Xingui family under his command can be regarded as battle-hardened, so he didn't take the fledgling Whampoa student army in his eyes at all, thinking that he could kill the Whampoa army by fighting casually.
The mentality of underestimating the enemy made him not let his army be in place in one step, concentrate the absolute superiority of troops to attack with all his strength, and eat the opponent at one time, but instead played the tactic of adding fuel - increasing troops in batches, which greatly reduced the pressure on the student army.
The lion fights the rabbit with all his strength, let alone facing a strong opponent?
But to this point, it's too late for Lin Hu to regret it. Because Liu Yaochen, Song Xilian, Zheng Dongguo and other fierce men who taught the second regiment had already defeated Lin Hu's other army in Lihu under the leadership of the new regiment commander Qian Dajun (Wang Bailing had been dismissed at this time).
The 1st Teaching Regiment is finally waiting for reinforcements from the 2nd Teaching Regiment!
Teach the 2nd Regiment to attack Lin Hu's headquarters directly and surround Wei to save Zhao. The enemy was overwhelmed by the sudden attack, and the soldiers retreated like a tidal wave. Lin Hu saw that there was no hope of destroying the other party, the casualties of his men were getting bigger and bigger, and the morale was getting lower and lower, so he could only make up his mind to run away. If you don't run away, your life may stay here.
Lin Hu not only lost the battle, but also stood on the opposite side of the general trend of history, and gradually retreated. The student army defeated Lin Hu and 20,000 people with more than 3,000 people, and this battle is known as the "Battle of Cotton Lake" in history. This battle made the image of the Kuomintang in the hearts of the Chinese people suddenly hardened, and the Kuomintang was finally no longer an organization that could only rely on the party and mercenaries to "eat soft rice"!
It was only after the Battle of Mianhu that the student army was informed of the news of Sun Yat-sen's death. The whole army turned grief into strength, and after joining forces with the Guangdong army, without resting and recuperating, they chased the remnants of Chen Jiongming to fight to the death, most of the Chen family army was wiped out, and a small part fled into Jiangxi and Fujian.
Just as the Eastern Expeditionary Army was heading towards Huizhou City, Yang Kunru, who was trapped in the lonely city of Huizhou, saw that there was no hope for reinforcements and surrendered out of the city.
The First Crusade ended victoriously.
The victory of the First Eastern Crusade was the victory of the Guangdong Revolutionary Government, the victory of the Guangdong Army, and even more so the victory of the Whampoa Student Army. "One is a hundred" is often used as an exaggerated rhetoric, but the term used to describe the student army in the Crusade is a real thing. Later, if the warlord troops heard anyone shouting "the student army is coming," they would throw away their guns, turn around and run, and they would have reached the point of being terrified.
In addition, the Whampoa instructors He Yingqin, Liu Zhi, Chen Cheng, Gu Zhutong, Qian Dajun, Jiang Dingwen, Wei Lihuang, and others, represented by the Baoding department, rose to the leadership of the Kuomintang army by virtue of the prestige they had established in this bloody battle.
However, most of them were only second-rate in military and political affairs, and this was one of the factors that led to the defeat of the Kuomintang in the subsequent military victory of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.