In January 1931, after Xu Jishen's 1st Army and Cai Shenxi's 15th Army met in Changzhu Garden, south of Shangcheng, the two armies were immediately merged and renamed the 4th Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, with commander Kuang Jixun, political commissar Yu Dushan, chief of staff Xu Xiangqian, and political department director Cao Dajun.
In October 1931, the Central Bureau of the Communist Party of China and the Military Commission of the Communist Party of China dispatched some units of the 10th, 11th and 12th Divisions of the Red 4th Army to form the 25th Army of the Red Army in Mabu, Lu'an County, Anhui Province, with kuang jixun as the commander and Wang Pingzhang as the political commissar. The Red 25th Army was actually developed from the Red 4th Army and belonged to the twin brothers of the Red 4th Army.
In November 1931, the Red 4th Army and the Red 25th Army were merged into the Red Fourth Front army in Hong'an Qiliping, Eyu-Anhui Su District, with the commander-in-chief Xu Xiangqian, the political commissar Chen Changhao, and the director of the Political Department Liu Shiqi. The Headquarters of the Red 4th Army is directly commanded by the headquarters of the Red Fourth Front, that is, the headquarters of the Red Fourth Front.
In March 1932, the 31st Regiment of the 11th Division of the 4th Red Army and the local independent regiment were merged to form the 75th Division of the 25th Red Army.
In May 1932, the 3rd Independent Division in northwestern Anhui was reorganized into the 74th Division of the Red 25th Army.
In July 1932, the Red 25th Army participated in the fourth anti-encirclement and suppression campaign in the Eyu-Anhui Soviet Region, and Cai Shenxi was transferred to the commander of the Red 25th Army. The Red 25th Army suffered heavy losses, and the 74th Division was abolished and merged into the 73rd Division.
In October 1932, the commander of the Red 25th Army, Cai Shenxi, was killed, leaving the Red 25th Army to stick to the Dabie Mountain with the 75th Division, and the main force of the 73rd Division followed the headquarters of the Red Fourth Front to the west.
In November 1932, the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China rebuilt the 25th Army of the Red Army at Tanshugang, Huang'an (present-day Hong'an) County, Hubei Province, with Wu Huanxian as the commander and Wang Pingzhang as the political commissar, with the 74th and 75th Divisions and the Special Service Battalion under its jurisdiction, totaling more than 7,000 people.
In January 1933, the 221st Regiment of the Fifth Red Army and the Special Service Battalion of the Red 25th Army were formed into the Red, 28th Army. Military Commander Liao Rongkun, Political Commissar Wang Pingzhang. The Red 28Th Army developed from the Red 25th Army and belonged to the twin brothers of the Red 25th Army.
In July 1933, the Fourth Front of the Red Army, based on the 73rd Division, together with the independent regiments and battalions of Nanjiang, Hongjiang (now part of Tongjiang, Nanjiang), Guangyuan and other counties in Sichuan Province, was expanded into the 31st Army of the Red Army, with Wang Shusheng as the commander, Zhang Guangcai as the political commissar (later passed on as the sixth), Huang Chao as the director of the political department, under the jurisdiction of the 91st, 92nd, and 93rd Divisions, a total of 7 regiments. The Red 31st Army belongs to the main force of the former Red 25th Army, so it belongs to the "big brother" of the newly formed 25th Army. This formed the "four brothers" of the Red 4 army, the red 31 army, the red 25 army, and the red 28 army.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Red 4th Army developed into the 385th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, with Wang Hongkun as the brigade commander, Wang Weizhou as the deputy brigade commander, and Geng Biao as the chief of staff. Wang Hongkun was awarded the rank of general in 1955. The Red 31st Army was developed into the 386th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, with Chen Geng as the brigade commander, Chen Zaidao as the deputy brigade commander, Li Jukui as the chief of staff, and Wang Xinting as the director of the political department. Chen Geng was awarded the rank of General in 1955. The Red 25th Army developed into the 344th Brigade of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army, with brigade commander Xu Haidong, deputy brigade commander Huang Kecheng, chief of staff Han Zhenji, and director of the Political Department Cui Tianmin. In 1955, Xu Haidong and Huang Kecheng were both awarded the rank of general. The Red 28th Army developed into the fourth detachment of the New Fourth Army, with Gao Jingting as commander, Lin Weixian as chief of staff, and Xiao Wangdong as director of the political department (later Dai Jiying took over), accounting for one-third of the total strength of the New Fourth Army. Gao Jingting was mistakenly killed in June 1939 and restored his reputation in 1977.
