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Text | Zhu Xiaoyue loves Kanyu
Edit | Zhu Xiaoyue loves Kanyu
In 1948, at the critical moment of the Liaoshen Campaign, the Kuomintang general Liao Yaoxiang led the order to attack Jinzhou, intending to turn the tide of the war. Unexpectedly, our army was fully prepared, and quickly launched an offensive after Liao Yaoxiang's troops entered the preset encirclement, resulting in the defeat and capture of his troops. Liao Yaoxiang, a general who had made great achievements in the War of Resistance Against Japan, attracted a lot of attention for his attitude and surrender after his defeat. So, what kind of person with a special identity can make Liao Yaoxiang suddenly change in his unyielding posture and take the initiative to toast? How did he become a prisoner of our army? Next, Xiao Zhu will take you into this story.
Liao Yaoxiang was born in Shaoyang in 1906. His grandfather was a private school teacher, and his father was an ordinary farmer who was half farming and half studying. As the eldest son in the family, Liao Yaoxiang has been trained since he was a child, and he began to read and write at the age of six, and his education was arranged by his father. In 1918, he passed the examination and entered the county-level senior primary school, where he performed excellently and graduated two years later. After graduating, he entered Yueyun Middle School for further study, which he completed in 1925. During this period, he was deeply influenced by the radical revolutionary ideas of the time and was determined to devote himself to the revolutionary cause of the country.
The family had saved some money for his studies, but the money to fund his tuition fees had depleted those savings, so much so that even the cost of traveling to Guangzhou became a problem. Due to a shortage of funds, he missed the registration time for the fifth phase of the Whampoa Military Academy. In desperation, he chose to join the 3rd Division of the Hunan Army nearby, hoping to accumulate experience for future learning through his military experience. He was disappointed by the actions of this army, which often oppressed the people and was often seen as a bandit themselves. This environment made Liao Yaoxiang feel suffocated and unfair.
In May 1926, Liao Yaoxiang finally decided not to endure such a situation anymore, he left Hunan, went south to Guangzhou, and after difficulties, successfully entered the Whampoa Military Academy in July. During his time at the military academy, he received systematic military and political training, an experience that profoundly shaped his mind and the direction of his life. Liao Yaoxiang's military academy career laid a solid foundation for his later revolutionary activities, and also strengthened his determination to serve the country and the people.
In 1930, Liao Yaoxiang was given the opportunity to go to France for further study because of his outstanding academic performance, and became the only student in the sixth phase of the Whampoa Military Academy to study in France. This award is not only an affirmation of his personal talents, but also the beginning of his future responsibilities. At the ceremony of issuing a study visa, Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the Nationalist Government, personally handed over the visa to him, and at the same time said to him with high hopes: "Study hard in France and serve the country in the future." In the face of such expectations, Liao Yaoxiang was extremely excited and solemnly promised to return to China after completing his studies and bring advanced knowledge and technology to the country.
Liao Yaoxiang's study and life at the Saint-Cyr Military Academy in France was full of challenges and opportunities. Not only did he have to adapt to a new cultural environment, but he also had to maintain excellent grades in a demanding academic environment. He chose mechanized cavalry as his specialty, a key military field that involved the most cutting-edge technology and tactics of the time. Aware of his responsibilities, Liao spends much of his time in the laboratory and library, studying mechanical engineering, tactical planning, and the operation of modern weapons systems.
After four years of diligent study, Liao Yaoxiang completed his studies with the first grade in his class. His achievements have not only won him the respect of teachers and students, but also brought glory to the country, proving that Chinese students can also excel on the world-class academic stage. In 1936, with a full load of knowledge and technology, Liao Yaoxiang returned to his homeland with confidence, ready to fulfill his promise to Chiang Kai-shek to apply the advanced technology and ideas he had learned to the modernization of the country.
After returning to China, Liao Yaoxiang actively participated in the country's military modernization work, and he played an important role in tactical training and equipment upgrading. His study abroad experience has become a great boost to his career and has also contributed valuable strength to the progress of China's military. This overseas study experience not only greatly enriched Liao Yaoxiang's professional knowledge, but also deepened his understanding and commitment to national responsibility.
At the end of 1941, Chiang Kai-shek made a decision to appoint General Du Yuming as the acting commander of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, leading troops to Burma to fight in conjunction with British forces against Japanese aggression. This operation marked an important turning point for the Chinese Expeditionary Force in World War II.
On March 20, 1942, the high-profile Battle of Tonggu broke out. The 200th Division, the vanguard of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, was the first to penetrate deep into the battlefield in northern Burma and was bogged down in a fierce confrontation with the Japanese army. Not only was the division besieged on all sides, but it was also in an extremely dangerous situation because its supply lines had been cut off. The soldiers of the 200th Division, despite the lack of ammunition and supplies, did not give up their last resistance.
At this critical juncture, General Liao Yaoxiang demonstrated his outstanding military skills and unwavering leadership. In order to break the siege and relieve the 200th Division, he quickly deployed a continuous offensive, carefully designed each impact, and successfully pinned down a large number of Japanese forces. Liao Yaoxiang's decisive action not only effectively relieved the pressure on the 200th Division, but also created an opportunity for it to break through.
After several days of fierce fighting, the Battle of Tonggu finally ended in a stunning victory for the Chinese Expeditionary Force. Despite the lack of troops, the Chinese Expeditionary Force showed an indomitable fighting spirit and succeeded in defeating the Japanese army with fewer victories. This feat was highly praised by the Central Powers, especially Great Britain and the United States. They openly praised the New 22nd Division and the 200th Division as "one of the most elite units in the world," which was not only a recognition of these brave soldiers, but also an affirmation of the overall combat capability of the Chinese Expeditionary Force. The battle not only strengthened the trust of the Allies in China, but also significantly boosted the morale and international standing of the expeditionary force.
As the Liaoshen campaign raged, Chiang Kai-shek decided to take command of the front line, and he arrived in Shenyang and quickly deployed the battle plan. At this critical moment, he sent General Liao Yaoxiang to lead his troops westward, with the goal of rescuing the troubled Jinzhou. On the way to Jinzhou, Liao Yaoxiang's troops encountered a fierce resistance from the enemy, which forced him to temporarily halt his advance and adjust his strategic layout.
Chiang Kai-shek's strategy also included an eastward marching corps, which he hoped would be able to achieve a breakthrough in the Tashan area and thus provide strategic support to Liao's forces. Due to Liao Yaoxiang's hesitation and passivity on the battlefield, the offensive of the Eastern Advance Corps was hindered and failed to successfully break through the defense line at Tashan, which led to the failure of Chiang Kai-shek's overall strategy.
On October 18, the news of the loss of Jinzhou came, and Liao Yaoxiang realized the seriousness of the situation. This news was like a bolt from the blue, and he immediately ordered his troops to speed up their westward advance in an attempt to retreat to the relative safety of Yingkou. But by this time the Northeast Field Army had moved quickly, and they effectively cut off the retreat of the Kuomintang army and surrounded its troops near Yingkou.
This series of military operations shows the cruelty and ruthlessness of war. Liao Yaoxiang's troops were in a desperate situation under the tight siege of the Northeast Field Army. At this critical moment, he had to face the consequences of his decisions on the battlefield, and at the same time, it also reflected the shortcomings of the entire Kuomintang army in strategic coordination and execution. This defeat was not only a test of Liao Yaoxiang's command ability, but also a severe challenge to the overall combat effectiveness of the Kuomintang army.
After the Battle of Liaoshen, our army captured a number of high-ranking Kuomintang generals, including Liao Yaoxiang. Although Liao Yaoxiang's expression was very depressed and dissatisfied, Liu Yalou still ordered the army's cooking class to prepare a sumptuous banquet in accordance with the instructions of his superiors to express the sincerity and goodwill of our army.
When the day of the banquet arrived, the captured Kuomintang generals walked into the dining room located in the office of the logistics department with obvious nervousness. Their eyes twinkled, and they didn't communicate much with each other. Liao Yaoxiang was the last to enter, with his head bowed and his face expressionless. Liu Yalou greeted them at the door with a warm smile and shook hands with them to show friendship.
When everyone was seated, Liu Yalou stood up, picked up the wine glass, and said in an enthusiastic voice: "Generals, I want to express our respect to you here today on behalf of Commander Lin Biao and Political Commissar Luo Ronghuan. Although we were enemies on the battlefield, when the war ended, we were all like-minded friends. I hope that today we can let go of our past suspicions and recount our friendship.
After hearing this, all the generals stood up and raised their glasses accordingly. Liao Yaoxiang is an exception. He sat still, his face still flat. Seeing this, Liu Yalou did not persuade again, but turned around and let Zheng Dongguo go forward.
Zheng Dongguo, a graduate of the first phase of Whampoa, not only enjoys high prestige in the Kuomintang, but is also Liao Yaoxiang's senior brother. When he appeared in front of Liao Yaoxiang, Liao Yaoxiang was obviously very shocked. It turned out that although Chiang Kai-shek had declared that Zheng Dongguo was loyal to the party-state to death, Zheng Dongguo had surrendered to our army.
Faced with such a situation, Liao Yaoxiang was silent for a while, and then bowed deeply and expressed his deep apologies to Zheng Dongguo. He then turned to Liu Yalou and toasted three glasses of wine in a row, expressing his desire for possible changes in the future and his reflection on his past behavior. Liao Yaoxiang's attitude has changed significantly, and his behavior not only eases the atmosphere of the banquet, but also shows that he hopes to regain respect and trust under the new historical conditions.
After the ups and downs of the war, Liao Yaoxiang showed a positive attitude and willingness to reform in the post-war readjustment to the social and political environment. This performance brought him to the attention of the government during his detention. As a result of his excellent behavior in prison and his positive response to the reform policy, Liao Yaoxiang was finally pardoned in 1956, marking his regaining his freedom and opening the way for his reintegration into society.
After the amnesty, the government took into account Liao Yaoxiang's contribution to the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and his active performance in the process of transformation, and decided to arrange a job for him to help him make a smooth transition back to civilian life. He was placed to work in a state-owned enterprise, mainly responsible for managing and supervising production lines, a job that not only provided him with a stable source of income, but also helped him regain his dignity and influence in society.
On December 2, 1968, Liao Yaoxiang died of illness in Beijing. In May 1980, the state decided to bury his ashes in the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery in Beijing, which was the highest recognition of his heroic deeds. The Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery is the resting place of many revolutionary martyrs, and the placement of Liao Yaoxiang's ashes not only symbolizes the country's respect for him, but also allows the public to commemorate the selfless dedication of this hero of the Anti-Japanese War.
References "Liao Yaoxiang, From Corps Commander to CPPCC Member", etc