Indeed, during the Chinese Liberation War, the Northeast Field Army (Dongye) achieved a large-scale expansion within a year, while the East China Field Army (Huaye) did not grow significantly in the following two years. The reasons behind this discrepancy are manifold.
First of all, the special geographical location and political environment of the Northeast region provided favorable conditions for the expansion of the army in the eastern field. Northeast China was the first region to be liberated by China after Japan's surrender, and it has rich industrial resources and relatively complete infrastructure, which provides material support for the equipment and training of troops. At the same time, the northeast region is far from the center of Kuomintang rule, and the relatively stable rear environment is conducive to the rest and replenishment of troops.
Secondly, Dongye achieved a series of major victories in the early days of the Liberation War, such as the Liaoshen Campaign, which greatly improved the morale and combat effectiveness of the troops and attracted a large number of soldiers to join. In addition, the ethnic composition and social structure of the Northeast region also made it easier for the local people to accept and support the leadership of the Communist Party, thus providing Dongye with a broad military base.
In contrast, Huaye's main activities are in East China, which is not only relatively backward in terms of economic conditions, but also has been damaged by war for a long time and lacks materials, which limits the expansion of troops and the upgrading of equipment. At the same time, East China was the main combat area of the Kuomintang army, and Huaye faced more fierce fighting and greater pressure here, which also made it difficult for the troops to obtain stable opportunities for rest and replenishment.
As one of the main leaders of Huaye, Chen Yi has a deep understanding of the difficulties in Huaye's military expansion. He once pointed out that the reason why Huaye has not achieved a significant military expansion in the past two years is not only limited by the above-mentioned objective conditions, but also related to the management and command structure of the troops. He stressed the importance of strengthening the management of the troops, improving the treatment of officers and men, and enhancing the combat effectiveness of the troops in order to adapt themselves to the ever-changing war situation.
To sum up, the differences between the East Field and the Huaye in terms of army expansion are not only determined by their respective geographical environments, economic bases, and war situations, but also reflect the different emphases and achievements of the two field armies in strategic policy decisions and management implementation.