With the end of the three major battles, Chiang Kai-shek's millions of troops were annihilated by the People's Liberation Army north of the Yangtze River, and there was a great deal of noise within the Kuomintang, and Chiang Kai-shek had to announce his resignation on January 21, 1949, with Li Zongren, the leader of the Gui clan, as acting president, responsible for negotiations with the Communists.
Both Chiang Kai-shek and Li Zongren hoped that the Kuomintang would be able to preserve the area south of the Yangtze River, rule the river with the Communist Party, and engage in a modern version of the "Southern and Northern Dynasties."
Li Zongren once said: "I want to be able to rule by drawing the river, and the Communist Party is finally satisfied, as long as the southeast half of the wall is preserved, we will have a way." ”
Bai Chongxi also sent Liu Zhongrong, who had long been in contact with the Communist Party, as a negotiator, and said to him: "You tell Mao Zedong that the three-dimensional defense of the Kuomintang army and navy against the wooden boats of the People's Liberation Army is one hundred to one." ”
After Chairman Mao met Liu Zhongrong, he said firmly: "Let's not be a jiang? It's impossible! As for Bai Chongxi's "land, sea and air defense system," Chairman Mao also laughed: "You have long lost the hearts of the people, and you want to prevent us from crossing the river by relying on a few planes and warships?" That can only be a praying mantis arm as a car! ”
Finally, Chairman Mao said to Liu Zhongrong: "We must not be the benevolent and righteous teachers of Song Xianggong, we must cross the river!" ”
In fact, at that time, not only the Kuomintang, but also the Soviet Union and the United States also believed that China's "rule by drawing the river" would outweigh the disadvantages.
Why, then, did Stalin support "rule by drawing a river"? What good would this do to the Soviet Union?
At that time, the Cold War had just begun, the Soviet Union was vying the United States for territory around the world, the United States already controlled Japan and South Korea, the Soviet Union actually controlled North Korea, and it also had substantial influence in northeast China.
The Soviet Union's defense system on the eastern front, the northeast has the outer northeast and Northeast China, North Korea, the southeast direction has the People's Liberation Army is engaged in three major battles, if the People's Liberation Army does not cross the Yangtze River, only control the north of the River, it is equivalent to the Soviet Union actually controlling the Jiangbei region, and the United States actually controlled the area south of the Yangtze River "river and rule", equivalent to the Soviet Union's defense in the southeast line from Mongolia to the south of the thousands of kilometers, up to the north bank of the Yangtze River.
In other words, the Soviet Union could engage in a strategic confrontation with the United States along the Yangtze River, and even if the north bank of the Yangtze River was destroyed, the loss would be China, the Soviet Union would be unharmed, and the United States would be the same.
However, if the People's Liberation Army crossed the river to unify the whole country, although it was the same socialist camp, China was also willing to move closer to the big brother of the Soviet Union, but after all, it was too big, and whether it could listen to the Soviet Union was still unknown. And if the Communist Party agreed to "rule by drawing the river," then the strength of "North China" was not strong enough to annex the "South China" supported by the United States, and it was bound to move closer to the Soviet Union, listen to the Soviet Union, and eventually become a "vassal state" of the Soviet Union.
Therefore, China's "rule by drawing the river" is in the interests of the Soviet Union.
However, Chairman Mao has long seen through Stalin's thoughts, and "ruling by drawing a river" conforms to the interests of the Soviet Union and the United States, but it does not conform to the interests of China.
In fact, as early as the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Soviet Union opposed the Eighth Route Army's recovery of lost territory, and Stalin also strongly demanded that Chairman Mao go to Chongqing to negotiate with Chiang Kai-shek, saying: "There can be no civil war, otherwise the existence of the Chinese nation will be endangered, because the international community and the Chinese people want peace, so Mao Zedong should hold peace talks with Chiang Kai-shek in Chongqing." ”
Chairman Mao was very disgusted by Stalin's arrogance, and it was not until more than a decade later that Chairman Mao told Soviet Ambassador to China Eugene: "Stalin did not allow us to revolution and opposed our revolution at the most critical juncture. At this point, he made big mistakes. ”
Of course, in 1945, our army was not absolutely sure of victory, so Chairman Mao, out of consideration for the overall situation, accepted Stalin's suggestion and personally went to Chongqing to negotiate with Chiang Kai-shek.
However, by 1949, the economy of the Kuomintang had collapsed, the morale of the army was low, and the people were full of complaints, whether from a political or military point of view, the PLA had a certainty of victory, so Chairman Mao would no longer submit to Stalin.
We can imagine that if we really "rule by drawing the river," the area south of the Yangtze River is economically developed, densely populated, rich in products, and has a very large strategic depth; if Chiang Kai-shek can carry out thorough reflection and adjustment, the war mobilization ability in the Jiangnan region will still be quite strong, and the longer the time goes on, the more unfavorable it will be to reunification.
Moreover, if "rule by drawing the river," "South China" is bound to fall to the United States, and the United States will also have a great probability of stationing a large number of troops in the south, just like the Korean Peninsula today, China will also become the forefront of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, and the difficulty of the Chinese nation to achieve great rejuvenation is unimaginable!
Chairman Mao had a far-sighted vision and had long seen through these advantages and disadvantages, so he did not agree to Stalin's proposal, but resolutely issued the order to "fight across the Yangtze River", liberating Nanjing in one fell swoop, and then sweeping through southern China and liberating most of the country.
After the liberation of Nanjing, Chairman Mao was full of emotion and wrote the famous poem "Seven Laws: The People's Liberation Army Occupies Nanjing" --
Zhongshan was windy and rainy, and millions of heroes crossed the river.
The tiger is better than the past, and the world is turned upside down.
It is advisable to chase the poor and the poor, and not to become the overlord of the famous school.
If the heavens are full of love and the heavens are old, the right way in the world is vicissitudes.
Even Stalin had to admire the great victory of the People's Liberation Army, and during Chairman Mao's visit to the Soviet Union, Stalin specifically said to him: "The victor is not condemned. The victor cannot be condemned, this is a general axiom. ”
Even Li Zongren, who took the initiative to "rule by drawing the river," later, after seeing the great achievements of New China, was deeply disturbed by his actions in those years, writing in his memoirs: "If the Americans fully supported me and enabled me to divide China along the Yangtze River and Mao Zedong, China would fall into the same tragic situation as Today's North Korea, Germany, Laos, and Vietnam." The southern government depended on the United States for its survival, while the northern government could only rely on the Soviet Union, and neither of them could seek true independence except to stand out from each other and kill each other. And because China is a country of 600 million people, it will be in deeper pain than the small countries mentioned earlier, and the wounds suffered by the nation may not be cured for generations.
"If this happened, what kind of sinner would I be in the future history of our beloved fatherland?"
History has proved countless times that it is Chairman Mao's far-sightedness that has enabled China to take many fewer detours, to achieve such brilliant achievements, and to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!
(References: "Mao Zedong of Great Talent and Great Talent", "Outline of the History of the Kuomintang-Communist Negotiations", "Memoirs of Li Zongren")