Seventy years ago today (July 16, 1949), Chiang Kai-shek ordered the Kuomintang troops to begin a formal and gradual withdrawal from the mainland and taiwan. It also heralded the basic end of the Chiang dynasty's rule in Chinese mainland. So, who gave Chiang Kai-shek the idea of retreating to Taiwan? Who was in charge of Taiwan before retreating to Taiwan?
<h3>An inconspicuous person suggested</h3>
<h3>It attracted the attention of Chiang Kai-shek</h3>
After the three major battles of Liaoshen, Pingjin, and Huaihai, the strength of the Kuomintang army had become very weak. Chiang Kai-shek was also well aware of his own strength, and he began to think about the way back. At that time, Chiang Kai-shek still had several places in the southwest, Hainan, and Taiwan that he could retreat, but where did he retreat? Chiang Kai-shek hesitated, and there were differences of opinion within the Kuomintang.
Previously, Chiang Kai-shek was more concerned about the southwest centered on Chongqing and Chengdu in the places where he retreated in the southwest and Hainan. Because the great southwest centered on Shu land is militarily easy to defend and difficult to attack, there are Qinling Mountains in the north, three gorges of the Yangtze River in the east, and Hengduan Mountain Range in the south, etc., the terrain is dangerous, there are many barriers, and there is room for retreat, which is also a "blessed land" for the eight-year War of Resistance. Although Hainan Island is secondary, it also has many advantages. Across the Qiongzhou Strait, the sea can resist for a while, in case the People's Liberation Army comes ashore, it is too late to retreat to the Philippines and other places.
Just when Chiang Kai-shek hesitated. The suggestion of a man who looked inconspicuous in the military attracted Chiang Kai-shek's attention. This person is Zhang Qiyun.
(Zhang Qiyun)
Speaking of Zhang Qiyun, who was born in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province in the early twentieth century, he is not a hero who has made many achievements in the battlefield, but he has made great achievements in the study of geography and human history, and has published a number of works on historical geography, known as the founding father of Chinese geography. Judging from Zhang Qiyun's graduation and the first few years of his work, he has nothing to do with the military struggle in China, and his main energy is to concentrate on academic research.
However, everything seemed to be predestined, and Zhang Qiyun graduated from Nanjing Normal University and worked in the Shanghai Commercial Press and Nanjing Central University. By chance, he became acquainted with Chen Bray, an important minister close to Chiang Kai-shek, and was also valued by Chiang Kai-shek. After the Liberation War, Chiang Kai-shek's army actually had many places in the southwest, Hainan, and Taiwan to choose to retreat. However, after considering various factors, Zhang Qiyun still believed that Taiwan was a suitable place for the Kuomintang army to "settle down."
Although Zhang Qiyun did not understand military affairs, he was an expert in geography. He explained to Chiang Kai-shek the advantages of Taiwan over the retreats of the other two places.
(Zhang Qiwu and Chiang Kai-shek)
In Zhang Qiyun's view, Taiwan's biggest advantage is that it is located above the sea, which is difficult to attack for the Platon Army, which was relatively weak in the navy and air force at that time. In addition to this, Taiwan has advantages in climate, transportation, and military. First of all, the local climate is conducive to the cultivation of many kinds of crops to meet the basic needs of the military and the local people. Secondly, because there is still a local industrial base before Japan, there is a good industrial base and a relatively developed transportation, if it can be used well, it will definitely make the local economy improve in a relatively short period of time. And most importantly, Taiwan is close to an important shipping route in the Pacific Ocean, occupies an important geographical position, and can easily get the support and help of the United States. In addition, maritime transportation was not very developed at that time, and the residents of Taiwan Island were not easy to contact the mainland, which was easier for the Kuomintang to rule and manage. In this way, various reasons persuaded Chiang Kai-shek, and finally decided to retreat to Taiwan.
<h3>Who was in charge of Taiwan before retreating</h3>
He was a famous anti-Japanese general of the Kuomintang army, General Sun Liren.
(Sun Liren and Chiang Kai-shek)
In August 1947, Chiang Kai-shek transferred Sun Liren out of the northeast and became deputy commander-in-chief of the army and commander of the army training department, and established the army training headquarters in Nanjing. In November, Sun Liren moved the Army Training Department to Taiwan, and transferred hundreds of cadres from the New First Army who were in the Tax Police Corps and during the operations in Burma to train new soldiers and establish a new army in Taiwan.
In October 1948, Sun Liren selected Fengshan, Taiwan, as the training base of the New Army and began the last military training in his life. In November, Sun Liren moved the Land Training Department to Fengshan and transferred the 9th batch of graduates of the New First Army Teaching Corps to Taiwan as a demonstration team. Sun Liren's original training plan for the New Army was to train as a new recruit. However, at that time, it was no longer possible to train existing troops instead.
In 1949, when the Kuomintang lost the civil war, Chiang Kai-shek led some Kuomintang military and political personnel to retreat to Taiwan as planned and issued martial law, declaring that Taiwan was in a state of wartime mobilization, closing the whole province, restricting entry and exit, imposing military control, blocking mainland news, and strictly prohibiting all prohibited speeches, publications, strikes, and demonstrations. On December 11, the Kuomintang Central Committee moved to Taipei City. At this point, Taiwan Province fell into a state of separation from the mainland.
(Produced by One Point "Festival Research", Qilu Evening News - Qilu One Point Reporter Zhai Hengshui, References: Zhang Qiyun Profile, Sun Liren Resume, etc., Picture from the Internet)