Xu Xiangqian

Xu Xiangqian (1955)

Xu Xiangqian ( Chinese  徐向前  /  徐向前 , Pinyin Xú Xiàngqián , W.-G. Hsü Hsiang-ch'ien , born November 8, 1901 in Wutai , † September 21, 1990 in Beijing ) was a leading politician and military officer of the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Republic of China . He was one of the ten Marshals of the People's Republic appointed when the state was founded, and the only one of the ten to come from northern China.

Xu was one of the earliest students of Whampoa Military Academy , participated in the Northern Campaign as an officer , and became a member of the CCP. During the First Chinese Civil War , he participated in the Guangzhou uprising. He was in command of the Red Army against the siege of the Kuomintang army against the communist-occupied areas in the Jinggang Mountains . On the Long March he commanded the Communist Fourth Army. He then led a failed expedition on the north bank of the Yellow River . During the Sino-Japanese War he was deputy commander of the 129th Division of the 18th Army. He opened two bases behind the Japanese lines in Hebei and Shandong . During the Second Chinese Civil War , the communist army under his leadership occupied Shanxi Province after a series of battles . After the establishment of the People's Republic, Xu became Chief of Staff and Vice President of the Military Commission and the Defense Commission. In the Cultural Revolution it came in connection with the " February countercurrent " ( 二月 逆流 ). After Mao Zedong's death , he became Minister of Defense . During his tenure, he officially ended the "cannon duel" with Taiwan that had lasted over 20 years .

Early years

Xu was born in a village in Wutai County, Shanxi Province. His family was one of the local greats. However, his grandfather's business went bankrupt, so that the family lost their jobs. Although his father passed the imperial civil servant examination, Xu grew up in a very poor family. As a child he had to help out around the house, collect manure for the fields, cut firewood, look for wild herbs, and now and then weave baskets. Xu was very inquisitive and hardworking. At the age of ten he was sent to the village school by his father, later he went to the school in the district town, but had to drop out of school due to poverty. A relative in Fuping took him on as an apprentice in his bookstore for two and a half years.

In the spring of 1919, his older brother, who was meanwhile working in Taiyuan , wrote to him recommending the newly established teacher training school in Shanxi Province. Xu passed the entrance exam easily and got into the fast class. The school was built according to modern standards and the guest lecturers included personalities such as Hu Shi , from whom Xu profited greatly. His fellow students included later politicians such as Bo Yibo and Cheng Zihua . In 1921, Xu graduated from college and became a teacher. His parents arranged a marriage for him. However, his wife died shortly after giving birth to their daughter. After the Sino-Japanese War broke out, his daughter was taken to Yan'an .

Xu in the National Revolutionary Army

On January 1st, 1924, Xu heard of the military academy the Sun Yat-sen government was preparing in Guangzhou and that the Shanghai academy was recruiting students. In February, he went to Shanghai with some friends to take the entrance exam. In April he was accepted as one of the first students at the Whampoa Military Academy. He became a member of the Kuomintang. In September, his unit accompanied Sun Yat-sen as a bodyguard to Shaoguan to prepare for the northern expedition. Meanwhile, dissatisfied merchants in Guangzhou started a riot. The Whampoa students were mobilized to put down the uprising, which was the graduates' first combat action. At the end of November, Xu successfully passed the academy's final exam. He was hired at the academy as a trainer and platoon leader.

February 1925 Xu successfully participated in the war against the warlord of Guangdong, Chen Jiongming . At the end of May, Guangzhou was besieged by warlords from the neighboring provinces. The Whampoa forces rushed back and liberated Sun's makeshift capital. Xu was later posted to Henan . He became a trainer and staff officer in the National Revolutionary Army under the leadership of Feng Yuxiang . After Feng's defeat, Xu first returned to his homeland, then went south again to make contact with the revolutionaries. November 1926, Xu went to Wuhan via Shanghai and became a military instructor again. He became a member of the CCP in March 1927, and in June he became a staff officer of Zhang Fakui .

First Chinese Civil War

Guangzhou uprising

On April 12, 1927, Chiang Kai-shek began purging the Kuomintang from the communists . On July 15th, the Wang Jingwei government in Wuhan also changed course of the communist persecution. On August 1, the communists, led by Zhu De , Zhou Enlai and Ye Ting, started the Nanchang uprising . This started the first Chinese civil war.

Xu was sent to Guangzhou via Shanghai by the Communist Party to organize the Guangzhou uprising . The insurgents were reorganized into the 4th Red Division. Xu was first party commissioner of the 10th regiment, later division chief of staff and division commander. The 4th Division united with the 2nd Red Division and waged a guerrilla war in Guangdong Province. After the uprising was crushed, Xu reached Dabie Shan via Hong Kong and Shanghai with the help of the underground communists .

The first three sieges

In 1929, the CCP Central Military Committee dispatched Xu to northeast Hubei. From June he became deputy division commander of the 31st division. Under his leadership, the troops won numerous victories and grew to over 700 men. In November he and others wrote a paper about the experiences of the guerrilla fight. At the end of the year, Xu Xiangqian married a soldier.

Xu Xiangqian in the Red Army

In the spring of 1930, Xu was appointed deputy corps commander of the 1st Corps and commander of the 1st Division. His force operated along the southern stretch of the railway line between Beijing and Hankou . Xu's forces destroyed two regiments, two brigades and occupied Xinzhou from June to August . At the same time, Chiang Kai-shek dispatched eight divisions and began the first siege of communist-occupied areas. By spring, Xu's troops had destroyed a total of five enemy brigades . The 1st and 15th Corps were merged to form the 4th Corps, and Xu became Chief of Staff. He is testing a new tactic by besieging parts of the enemy troops and destroying the troops that came to the rescue. In several battles he smashed a regiment and captured a division commander.

In April 1931, the Komingtang government began the second siege. He Yingqin was appointed as the commander in chief. A total of five divisions were brought together, three from the north and two from the south. The aim was to pacify the communist areas within a month. However, he did not want to fight the communists, instead he sent negotiators to negotiate with the Red Army. However, his gestures of peace did not meet with approval. Under Xu, the Fourth Red Corps attacked opposing troops from the south and won several victories. Meanwhile , Zhang Guotao was sent to the Fourth Corps as political commissar . However, serious disagreements arose between Zhang and the military leadership. After the victories, Zhang wished the troops marched east to directly threaten the Chinese capital, Nanjing . Xu found the idea impractical. Instead, he stepped up his attack against the southern army, thereby ending the second siege.

Zhang called for the troops to turn back. The majority of commanders, however, were against it. Zhang wrote a letter to party headquarters accusing the commanders of opposing the party leadership. In September, Zhang received permission from the headquarters to conduct a cleanup. Zhang accused several commanders that they were in reality spies of the enemy. As a military commander, Xu was not allowed to interfere in political affairs. However, his wife also fell victim to the purge. The reason for her death was kept from Xu, however, and he did not find out the real reason until 1937.

November 1931, the 4th and 25th Corps were combined to form the Fourth Large Association. Xu was the corps commander of the 4th Corps. The large association had a total of 30,000 men. By this time Chiang had launched the Third Siege of the Soviet Zone, this time with 15 divisions. In the Battle of Huang'an, Xu smashed the 69th, 33rd and parts of the 31st Divisions, and captured a division commander. Xu captured Shangcheng in early 1932 . In March he smashed the 7th, 46th and 55th divisions and took the commander in chief of the enemy troops prisoner. In June the enemy 20th Corps was defeated by the Fourth Large Unit. The third siege had thus failed.

First strategic move

Flag of the Chinese Workers and Peasants Red Army

After defeating the Third Siege, Chiang personally initiated the Fourth Siege. In July the Fourth Association held a meeting to discuss further strategy. While Xu advocated a wait and see, Zhang suggested the attack. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions, which were used against the Fourth Association, belonged to Chiang's elite force. The tactics of the Kuomingtang troops had also changed. They just carefully and slowly pulled the siege ring together. Xu's troops were not prepared for this tactic, and he was clearly inferior to the enemy in terms of armament. His troops suffered heavy losses in fierce trench warfare. Xu and Zhang telegraphed to KP headquarters in September, asking for permission to leave. The situation forced the fourth major association in an emergency meeting of commanders to withdraw from the Soviet zone of Hubei. The 25th Corps was left behind as a guerrilla. In October the large association began to move west. The Kuomintang troops immediately followed up and completely surrounded the large formation. The troops got involved in fierce fighting. On the evening of November 13th, Xu made the breakthrough. On November 24th, Xu's forces crossed Qin Ling and reached Shaanxi . When they got near Xi'an , they became involved in fighting with Yang Hucheng's forces. He crossed the Qinling again in early December, leaving the persecutors behind. Until then, 14,400 men remained from the fourth major association. At the end of December they crossed Daba Shan , reached Sichuan, and established the Sichuan-Shaanxi Soviet Zone in Tongjiang .

Because of hostilities between the warlords in Sichuan and Chiang's troops, the national government forces could not easily invade Sichuan to pursue the communists. After the Fourth Large Union had gained a foothold in the north of Sichuan, they immediately began land reform and the establishment of a Soviet zone. On January 1st, 1933, Xu led his force against the local forces and occupied Bazhong . The success of the communists led to an end to the internal conflicts of the local warlords. They decided to work together against the communists. Chiang appointed one of them to be in command of the siege. Xu withdrew his troops to shorten his line. After four months of retreat, he turned his own disadvantage to the enemy's disadvantage and struck. In total, the National Army suffered a loss of 24,000 men. After that victory, the Fourth Association reached a secret non-aggression agreement with Yang Hucheng.

Meanwhile, Zhang Guotao began the next round of purge that killed many communists. After the siege was averted, the Red Army held a meeting in July and decided to end the purge. At the same time the army was reorganized. The 40,000 troops were divided into the 4th, 9th, 30th and 31st Corps. Xu became commander in chief of the large association.

In August, Xu launched three major attacks. On August 12th, he occupied Yilong and Nanbu . Both of these counties were important to the Soviet zone because they had salt deposits. The national troops suffered losses of 3,000 men. On August 20, he occupied Yingshan and Qu . These were strategic defense positions of the national army. On October 17th, in collaboration with the guerrillas, he occupied Xuanhan and Dachuan . An ammunition factory was captured and the guerrillas were reorganized into the 33rd Corps. After that, the Red Army already held eight district towns. The troop grew up to 80,000 men.

The successes of the Red Army intensified the cooperation of the warlords. They mobilized over 200,000 men and deployed the army in six directions against the Soviet zone. After heavy fighting, Xu was able to throw the enemy back. There were differences of opinion between Xu and Zhang on the question of further strategy. In the end, however, Xu had to bend. Xu's subordinate, Li Xiannian , resisted the order. With a daring tactical advance he was able to encircle and destroy the retreating enemy main force. This also averted this attack. The price for victory was still high. The Red Army lost about 20,000 men. The entire Soviet zone was badly devastated and supplies became very difficult.

Second strategic move

In late 1934, the Soviet Zone in Sichuan was badly damaged. At the same time, the 25th Corps, led by Mao Zedong, was also forced to begin the Long March and move west. Chiang Kai-shek sent more troops to Sichuan and ordered Yang Hucheng to participate in the attack against the communists. After consulting the high-ranking military commanders, Xu decided to lead the Fourth Large Union towards Gansu in order to unite it with Mao's troops.

Using his old tactics, Xu besieged Guangyuan in the hope that his opponent would send reinforcements and ambush her along the way. However, his plan did not work out. Since he was unable to conquer Guangyuan, he had to retire. The party headquarters had held the Zunyi Conference at that time and began the Long March with the First Large Union. The Fourth Large Union was ordered to advance north and unite with the First Large Union. In February 1935 the Fourth Large Union crossed over to Mian via Ningqiang . In March, he occupied Yilong and Cangxi , and crossed Jialing River to Jiang . The strategically important Jiange was occupied in April . The strength of the team grew up to 80,000 men.

Left: meeting point of the First and Fourth Large Union; Right: Red Army propaganda slogan

Chiang Kai-shek sent numerous troops to prevent the two Red Army units from meeting. Zhang Guotao decided to head west. On May 12th, Xu began advancing towards Beichuan . He captured Mao on the 15th and Beichuan on the 21st. After that, he captured Li . Li Xiannian's troops captured Xiaojin , where he met the First Major League on June 13th.

After the meeting of the two major associations, a dispute broke out between their leaders about future strategy. Mao wanted to go north, to the border area between Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu. Zhang wanted to lead the troops south to solve the supply problem. A meeting was held on June 26th to discuss this. In mid-July, Xu met with Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai , Zhu De . At this meeting it was decided to intensify the cooperation between the two major associations and to strengthen the feeling of togetherness. Xu became commander in chief of the troops. Chiang Kai-shek sent more troops to besiege the Red Army. The Red Army changed course and marched north, taking Xiahe . Zhang insisted that the question of strategy should be clarified. He also insisted that the Red Army should be organized into two major units. Xu agreed with Mao that they should move north. It was decided that Xu Xiangqian, Ye Jianying and Peng Dehuai their troops north through Zoige should lead, while Zhang Guotao, Zhude and Liu Bocheng to Ngawa were advancing. Xu moved very quickly and attacked the 49th Division. The division commander was killed. The National Army lost 4,000 men.

However, the force Zhang led did not move as planned. On September 8th, Zhang telegraphed Xu and ordered them to return. This made the power struggle between Zhang and Mao obvious. Mao also wired Xu that evening and ordered him to march north. The next day, Zhang wired Xu again, insisting that the troops return. Xu was torn. Mao went to see Xu that evening and asked about his decision. Xu said the troops should no longer be separated.

On September 10th, Party headquarters decided not to wait for Xu anymore. The First and Third Corps of the First Large Union moved north that night. Xu didn't find out about the movement until the next morning. He led his troops south again to unite them with Zhang. On October 5th, Zhang announced that he would set up an independent party headquarters and appoint himself as party leader. Liu Bocheng, who openly spoke out against Zhang, was demoted. Xu Xiangqian and Zhu De were against the split, but they gave up. They suggested creating a base of their own first. First, Xu was able to conquer Baoxing , Tianquan and Lushan . Then he met the main forces of the National Army and suffered heavy losses. The situation of the fourth major association became very precarious.

On January 1st, 1936, Zhang was forced to give up the split in the party. His military commanders all demand to march north and follow the First Major League. Over the next month, they began advancing into Dawu , Luhuo, and Garzê . In July they arrived in Garzê with the second major unit and decided to march north. On August 5th, Xu captured Zhang . Since the north of Shaanxi was very barren, it was foreseeable that three major associations could be supplied there. It was therefore decided that the second major association should operate on the border between the Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. The fourth major association was to advance towards Ningxia . Since the Red Army had concluded a secret agreement with the Northeast Army of Zhang Xueliang , there was no longer any major fighting in the further course of the Long March. In October, Xu reached Huining and finished the Long March.

West train

October 1936, start of the western train

The communists' strategy at the time was to make a peace with Chiang, or to force it, and jointly advance the Japanese. This also included the west towards Gansu and Ningxia in order to create a corridor to the Soviet Union. Chiang Kai-shek also relocated his troops to further aggravate the communists. Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changmao were ordered to cross the Yellow River west. The 30th Corps was supposed to translate first, then the 31st.

On October 16, Chiang Kai-shek ordered the attack on the communists. On the 18th, the 1st, 3rd and 37th Corps of the National Army were set in motion. On October 22nd, Chiang flew to Xi'an to personally monitor the attack. On the same day, the National Army occupied Huining. On the 24th, the 30th, 9th and 5th Corps crossed the Yellow River. On October 28th, the commander and his staff also crossed the river. The 31st Corps was originally supposed to follow, but was hindered. As a result, the Red Army lacked clout on the west coast of the river. On October 30th, the National Army occupied Jingyuan , cutting off the Red Army on the west side of the river. They were forced to move north.

Xu's army only had supplies for three to four days and was in a very precarious position. Fierce fighting broke out between Xu's army and troops from the local warlord family. On November 6th, Xu decided to venture west. The troops were renamed the Western Army. Xu became Commander in Chief and Deputy Political Commissar.

On November 11th, the party headquarters telegraphed Xu that he would definitely have to give up supplies and suggested that the Western Army be taken to Xinjiang and united with Sheng Shicai . Xu began his attack on Liangzhou . The 9th Corps attacked Gulang and suffered heavy losses. The 30th Corps besieged Liangzhou and attacked Yongchang and Shandan . At that very moment the Western Army received an order from Party headquarters to stay in place and open a new base. There was considerable controversy within the Western Army over how to proceed. Xu telegraphed to the headquarters and received the confirmation again: The Western Army should establish a new base in Gansu. At the same time, the warlords stepped up their attack. The Western Army suffered heavy losses and was decimated to 15,000.

On December 12th, the Xi'an incident occurred . The warlords stopped their attack against the Western Army. Meanwhile, the argument about how to proceed continued. Xu wanted to go further west, while the headquarters wanted the army to march east. After the incident ended, the headquarters gave permission to advance west. At the end of December, the Western Army occupied Gaotai and Linze . At that time, the party headquarters again ordered her to set up a base in Gansu. The back and forth gave the warlords time to pull their troops together. On January 12, the warlords captured Gaotai and the Fifth Corps was completely destroyed. On the 16th, Xu received another telegram from headquarters with the order to march east. On the 23rd, the Western Army was completely surrounded. In mid-February, the headquarters changed their orders again and let the troops move west. There was also internal strife in the army leadership. Xu was charged with cowardice. After seven days of fierce fighting, Xu was finally able to free the troops from the siege, at which point only about 3,000 men were left of the Western Army. In a meeting, the army leadership decided that Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao should return to Yan'an , while the remaining troops should split up and fight guerrilla warfare. Of these, only about 700 men, led by Li Xiannian, reached Xinjiang via Qilian Shan .

Xu disguised himself as a beggar and reached Pingliang . There he met other communists and was brought to Yunyang with Ren Bishi . He was first placed under Peng Dehuai. He was later sent to see a doctor in Xi'an for a toothache and met Zhou Enlai there. Then he returned to Yan'an. At this point, the "Zhang Guotao Line" was being criticized. Many members of the Fourth Association were arrested. Xu was also heavily criticized for the total loss of the Western Army. Mao said to Xu, “As long as the mountain is there, you don't have to worry about running out of wood. That you managed to return is very good. As long as there are chickens, there will be eggs too. "

Sino-Japanese War

The Second Sino-Japanese War began with the incident at the Marco Polo Bridge on July 7, 1937 . In August, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, and Ye Jianying traveled to Nanking to negotiate the regrouping of the Red Army under the National Army. On August 13th, the party headquarters in Luochuan City held a conference, which Xu Xiangqian also attended. He was elected a member of the Military Commission at the conference. On August 28, the Red Army was regrouped into the Eighth Army of the National Army. Xu became vice-commander of the 129th Division.

Shanxi

Xu in front of the cadres of the 129th Division

By this time Japan had already occupied Zhangjiakou and was advancing towards Shanxi from two directions. The 129th Division was sent to Shanxi to assist Yan Xishan's troops in defense. Xu came from Shanxi, so he had acquaintances there, including in the army. Because of this, he was appointed liaison officer. In September, he accompanied Zhou Enlai to Taiyuan to negotiate with Yan. They then went to Datong to negotiate with Fu Zuoyi . After the trial, Xu was able to visit his homeland for the first time in a long time.

Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, and Xu Xiangqian left Taiyuan to engage in guerrilla warfare in Wutai Shan and Heng Shan and to support Yan Xishan's main force. In the Battle of Xinkou, 80,000 Chinese soldiers met 50,000 Japanese. The Japanese occupied Xinkou on October 26th. Xu led the 769th Regiment to Xiyang to divert Japanese troops at Niangziguan . On November 9th, Taiyuan was lost, the 129th Division was relocated south and began guerrilla warfare.

In December 1937, Xu was able to repel an attack by the Japanese. Since he avoided a decisive battle, the Japanese troops had to withdraw. Since the Japanese suffered repeated defeats at this point, they launched a major attack against the 129th Division in April. Xu Xiangqian and Liu Bocheng were able to defeat about 2200 Japanese soldiers first with the 386th Brigade. Xu built on this success and was able to conquer a total of 18 districts in May.

Hebei

Xu (left) and squad of the 115th Division

On April 21, 1938, the party headquarters of the PKC ordered the 129th advance into Hebei and Shandong. At a meeting in Zuoquan , it was decided that Xu should lead the 796th and 689th Regiments south of Hebei, while the 386th Brigade should advance towards Xingtai and Shahe . On the 26th, Xu reached Nangong and started the guerrilla war there.

On May 10th, Xu captured Wei and Linqing . On May 16, he repulsed local militias. By the end of May he had defeated over 2,000 men and united the local anti-Japanese forces. Within two months his force grew to 18,000 men. By the end of September, the communists had already occupied over 20 district towns. In November the Japanese launched an attack against Xu's forces. The 129th Division had to evacuate part of the occupied territories. In January 1939, the Japanese made another attempt to drive out the communists. Xu evacuated the district towns, but intensified the attack on the enemy supply line. After five months, the Japanese attempt to drive out the communists had failed.

Shandong

Shortly after this campaign, in May 1935, Xu was sent from party headquarters to Shandong . After the occupation of Beijing and Tianjin, the Japanese began to advance south along the railway line. The Commander in Chief of the National Army fled. At the same time there was constant friction between the National Army and the Communist 9th Army. The communist force comprised around 70,000 men in this region and required a unified leadership.

In June, Xu Xiangqiang reached Yimeng Shan and met the senior commanders of the Eighth Army there. In August the army was regrouped. Xu became the commander in chief. The task of the army was to wage the guerrilla war against the Japanese in Shandong. On September 20, 1939, Xu married for the third time. His wife, Wang Jing, was a cadre in the party's women's work.

In late 1940, Xu Xiangqian on his way to Yan'an

In late 1939, Japanese troops attacked the area around central Shandong. They couldn't drive out the communists. In March 1940, a force of Japanese and auxiliaries pushed almost a hundred cars into the Yimeng Shan without the help of the other troops. They were completely destroyed.

Return to Shaanxi

On June 6th, 1940, Xu Xiangqian and his wife left Shandong and returned to Yan'an to attend the Seventh Party Congress of the CCP. Before a meeting, however, Xu was injured by a horse and suffered a broken bone. He had to spend several months in the hospital. In May 1942, Xu was appointed Deputy Commander in Chief and Chief of Staff of the Soviet Zone. He was responsible for training the troops, streamlining administration and building up production. Through its work, among other things, the Soviet Zone was able to guarantee self-sufficiency.

In 1943, Xu was appointed director of the cadre school in the Soviet zone by Mao Zedong. In March, Xu came to Suide and started his work. In July 1944 he became seriously ill and was taken to hospital. That's why he missed the party convention. Then he had to heal by the end of 1945. Meanwhile, his marriage to Wang Jin broke up. In May 1946, Xu married Huang Jie for the fourth time.

Second Chinese Civil War

At the end of 1945 negotiations between the nationalists and the communists failed. In June 1946 the nationalists launched a general attack against the communists and the second Chinese civil war began. After the attack was unsuccessful, the nationalists focused their attack on Yan'an from 1947 onwards. On November 18th, the CCP headquarters was forced to pull out of Yan'an. In the provinces of Hebei and Shandong, the communists were able to achieve success and repel the attacks. In Shanxi, however, Xishan's troops suffered several defeats against the communists.

Battle of Yuncheng

Xu (left) in 1947

In 1946, Xu was sent to Taihang Shan at his own request. Xu reached Liulin on January 1st , 1947 and was received by He Long . Finally he reached Changzhi . On June 13th, Xu was appointed the deputy commander-in-chief with the task of conquering Shanxi. At the same time, the communists began their counterattack: Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping crossed the Yellow River and moved towards Dabie Shan. Another force led by Chen Geng and Xie Fuzhi also pushed across the Yellow River west of Henan . The Soviet Zone, which had served as the communist base during the Sino-Japanese War, had three tasks: to guarantee supplies to the southern front, to occupy the remaining areas in the north, and to carry out land reforms in the occupied areas. Xu had only 50,000 militia men who lacked experience and were poorly equipped.

Xu initiated the Battle of Yuncheng . Yuncheng was a transportation hub and of strategic importance. Yan Xishan had assigned a total of 10,000 men to the defense. As early as April 1947, the communists tried in vain to take Yuncheng. A second attack began in October under Xu's command. The communists besieged the city from the east, north and west. Although the attack was carefully planned, the communists were again unable to take the city. In December, Wang Zhen came to join him, and Xu made a third attempt. Mao gave orders that every effort had to be made to prevent the nationalists from sending reinforcements from the south to Shanxi via Yuncheng. Fierce fighting broke out between December 16 and 27, with heavy casualties on both sides. On the evening of the 27th, Xu's troops managed to deposit 3000 kilograms of explosives under the north side of the city wall and detonate them. This brought the communist troops into the city. At the same time, it was possible to prevent nationalists from sending reinforcements into the city from the south across the Yellow River. This cut off Yan Xishan's troops.

Battle of Linfen and Jinzhong

Xu Xiangqian during the 1948 troop inspection prior to the Battle of Linfen

In January 1948, the nationalists took Yuncheng with a surprise attack. Xu had to besiege the city again. However, the nationalists withdrew voluntarily, so that in the south of Shanxi only the city of Linfen remained under the control of the nationalists. Linfen was converted into a fortress by the Japanese during the Sino-Japanese War. After the Second World War, Yan Xishan and Hu Zongnan expanded and reinforced the existing defenses. 25,000 men were stationed in the city, including the 30th Brigade and the 66th Division. The aim of Xu's preparation for the attack was to prevent the stationed national troops from withdrawing from the city and being deployed elsewhere. On March 6, Xu received a report that transport planes had landed at Linfen Airport to remove the 30th Brigade. Xu decided to launch the attack early. The airport was captured on the morning of March 7th.

Despite being ill, Xu went to the front in person to command the battle. Because of the strong fortifications, the People's Liberation Army could not gain any terrain, Xu had to change his plan of attack and concentrated on the north and east. From March 23 to 29, the People's Liberation Army tried in vain to take the east fortress with cannon fire support and tunnels. Xu changed his plan of attack again. This time he concentrated on the fortress and the tunnel construction. On April 9, four tunnels were completed and over 8,000 kilograms of explosives were deposited. On April 10th, the People's Liberation Army was able to take the fortress. The bitter struggle for the city itself began on April 15th. In late April, the national army suddenly attacked Shijiazhuang . This increased the pressure on Xu as Party headquarters ordered him to deploy troops to the Shijiazhuang rescue. Xu had to change his plan of attack again. Zhu De also wrote a letter to the troops to raise morale. It was not until the evening of May 17 that the communists were able to blow up a hole in the city wall and thus penetrate the city. The struggle lasted a total of 72 days and cost the communists 15,000 lives. But they could now control the entire south of Shanxi. The 23rd Brigade, which first penetrated the city, suffered particularly heavy losses and was henceforth called the "Linfen Brigade" and is still one of the most renowned troops of the People's Liberation Army (now the 12th Army 179th Brigade).

Xu Xiangqian at the front

In 1946, the CCP decided to rename the former Soviet Zone to the North China Region. Xu Xiangqian became the deputy commander in chief of the North China Military Region. There were a total of 60,000 men under Xu. Xu's next step was to conquer the center of Shanxi. Yan Xishan, the longtime warlord of Shanxi, had four corps and other elite troops stationed here, with a total of 100,000 men. Their job was to secure the harvest. Xu's troops were inferior and also exhausted from the last fighting. Xu had given the goal of destroying four to six divisions of the enemy. Yan decided not to repeat the mistake of Yuncheng and Linfen and also waged a war of aggression and movement.

On June 20, Xu ordered his troops to march into the center of Shanxi. To cover up his intentions, he pretended to want to cross the Yellow River. He also released some prisoners with false information. However, on June 11th, his vanguard was discovered and attacked by the enemy and suffered heavy losses. Xu was still ill at the time, but he went to the front to personally command the fight. Xu was able to lure the enemy into a trap and destroyed the 70th Division. The opposing division commander fell. On June 21, Xu surprised his opponent again. This time, Yan's elite division was the victim. The enemy lost 7,000 men. On June 23, he was able to ambush and beat the 19th Corps on the way. The corps chief of staff was captured. In total the nationalists lost 17,000 and the communists 4,000 men at that time.

At the end of June, Xu's troops advanced further north. He wanted to surround the nationalists in the middle with a pincer movement. His intention was recognized by his opponent. On July 3, fierce fighting broke out on the north side of the encirclement. With heavy losses, Xu's troops were able to prevent an outbreak of the nationalists. The nationalists evaded to Yuci on July 6, falling into the trap Xu had set them. A total of 30,000 men were surrounded. On the evening of July 7th, Xu's forces occupied Qi and captured the 37th Division commander. Due to a tactical miscalculation, the nationalists failed to break out in time. On July 10th, Yan Xishan tried to send relief for those trapped. Xu Xiangqian were able to repel the relief forces. With no hope of salvation, the struggle for the center of Shanxi ended with the communists' victory on July 21. The battle for the center of Shanxi lasted a month in total. The communists occupied 14 district towns and destroyed a total of 70,000 opponents. Several senior nationalist commanders were captured.

Battle for Taiyuan

People's Liberation Army during the Battle of Taiyuan

Taiyuan is the provincial capital of Shanxi. It is surrounded by mountains from the north, east and west. It has been an important key point in the province since ancient times, and has a reputation for easy defense. It is also the last stronghold of Yan Xishan. At that time, 60,000 men were stationed here for defense. On July 15th, Xu suggested to party headquarters that they besiege Taiyuan. The next day the proposal was approved. On July 21st, Xu requested reinforcements for the attack, which was also approved. First the troops were given a month's rest. After that, however, Xu became seriously ill and had to be sent to Shijiazhuang for a cure. In September, Xu attended the CCP Political Bureau Meeting. He told Liu Shaoqi that he was personally unable to command the attack on Taiyuan for health reasons. However, Liu insisted that he lead the attack. As political commissar of the troops, he let Hu Yaobang convey his greetings and raise the morale of the troops.

After reinforcements arrived, the People's Liberation Army measured 80,000 men, while Yan Xishan had also increased his strength by recruiting up to 100,000 men. Over 5,000 fortifications have been built around Taiyuan within a 50 km radius. The communists planned to take the city within three months and planned to start the attack on October 19th. However, on October 1st, Yan Xishan first took the initiative and attacked the communists during their preparation. On October 5th, the party headquarters ordered the attack to be brought forward. Xu was still sick, but went to the front the next day. On the way he caught a cold, but still reached the command post on October 10th. Initially, the communists made good progress, they were able to quickly open a gap in the second line of defense. From October 16, the communists began their second phase of the attack. The goal was to capture the four most important forts around Taiyuan. After a total of 17 days of fierce fighting, the communists were able to achieve their goal. The loss on both sides was over 15,000 men.

Shortly before the end of this phase of the fighting, Xu Xiangqian caught another cold while inspecting the front. When he returned to headquarters, he felt severe pain in his chest and stomach. He was later diagnosed with edema in the lungs and pleurisy. Zhou Enlai, Hu Yaobang, and others advised him to rest, but Xu insisted on commanding the fight. After the important fortresses outside of Taiyuan were occupied, party headquarters decided to take its time with the storming of the city. After conquering the fortresses, both sides had suffered heavy losses. Chiang Kai-shek sent the 83rd Brigade as reinforcements, and Yan Xishan set up five temporary airfields for their transport. The communists received 5,000 additional men who had taken part in the Battle of Jinan , and 10,000 new recruits. Meanwhile, Bo Yibo sent a letter to Yan Xishan to urge him to give up. Xu Xiangqian also had Yan Xishan's teacher write a letter to him. Yan killed the messengers to show his determination. Attempts to convince parts of Yan's troops to overflow also failed. Afterwards, Xu Mao Zedong advised Yans to surrender and initiate the storming.

In January 1949, Fu Zuoyi surrendered in Beijing. Taiyuan became the only nationalist fortress in northern China. On March 1, Xu was named the attackers' commander in chief. He also got reinforcements. On March 29th, Yan Xishan left the city by plane. Peng Dehuai, Vice-Commander in Chief of the People's Liberation Army, came in person to visit the troops. On the morning of April 20, the communists began to storm the city from the north, east and south in three directions. On the 22nd, all fortifications outside the city wall were occupied. The defenders again refused to surrender. The city was captured on the 24th.

The battle for Taiyuan had lasted over a year. A week later, the troops surrendered in Datong . Xinxiang surrendered on May 5th , leaving the communists in control of all of Shanxi. The next day, Party headquarters ordered Xu Xiangqian to finally go on vacation. Xu agreed. He said goodbye to his troops and went to Qingdao for a cure.

People's Republic

Xu Xiangqian (left) at the award ceremony on September 27, 1955

Start time

The People's Republic of China was established on October 1, 1949 . Xu became government commissioner, military commissioner, and chief of staff of the People's Liberation Army. In 1950, Xu moved from Qingdao to Beijing. In the summer of 1951, Xu led a delegation to the Soviet Union. The task of this delegation was to buy weapons, build up the armaments factories with the help of the Soviet Union, coordinate weapons technology and transfer technology. The delegation set off by train on May 25 and reached Moscow on June 4. The negotiations lasted four months and the contracts were not signed until mid-October. On the way back, Xu caught another cold with inflammation of the pleura. He developed a high fever and took a long time to recover. Only then could he slowly begin his duties as chief of staff.

In 1954, Xu became vice chairman of the Military Commission and the Defense Commission. Air force and air defense were subordinate to him . In 1955 he was promoted to Marshal, he received the First Class Medal, First Class Independence Medal, and First Class Liberation Medal. From 1963 he headed the militia. From 1965 onwards, he became Vice Commissioner of the Permanent Commission of the People's Representation.

Cultural revolution

In 1966 the Cultural Revolution broke out. On January 6, 1967, Mao ordered Xu Xiangqian to take over as the military man in charge of the cultural revolution. Xu refused. He justified his decision with illness and submitted a resignation, which was rejected by Mao. On the 12th, Xu Xiangqian accepted the position and Jiang Qing became his counselor.

In mid-January, Chen Boda caused the Red Guard to bring the Cultural Revolution into the military. A meeting of the Military Commission was called on January 19 to discuss whether there was a need to bring the Cultural Revolution to the military. Marshals Xu Xiangqian, Ye Jianying and Nie Rongzhen were strongly against it, while Mao's confidants Jiang Qing, Kang Sheng and Yao Wenyuan were in favor. Meanwhile, the situation outside continued to worsen. That same evening, the home of the highest political commissar in the army was searched by the Red Guard. The next morning there was a heated argument at the meeting. Ye hit the table with his fist so hard that he broke a bone. This event was the beginning of the “February countercurrent”.

After the meeting, the Red Guard began to criticize other senior military officials. The Central Military Committee was effectively paralyzed. On the evening of January 24th, Xu Xiangqian went to Lin Biao and asked for calm and stability for the military. Lin agreed. They called Ye Jianying and Nie Rongzhen to Lin and established seven rules. Then the marshals discussed with the leadership group of the cultural revolution of the party headquarters. The rules were then communicated to the district military commanders and asked for their opinion. Eight rules were then determined from the feedback. On January 28th, Lin and Xu went to see Mao, Mao made the eight rules as his orders. Only then did the military slowly calm down.

On February 8th there was a meeting of the Politburo . There was another argument. On February 11th, the marshals clashed with Kang Sheng and Zhang Chunqiao . On the 16th, the argument reached its climax. At the meeting, many high-ranking military officials railed about the Cultural Revolution. After the meeting, the leadership group blackened the marshals to Mao. Mao supported the leadership group. From then on the events were called “February countercurrent”. In April, at the Military Commission meeting, Xu was forced to be self-critical. On April 16 and 17, Xu's home was ransacked twice. Since Xu was warned, he was able to hide outside. On July 29th, Red Guards led by Kuai Dafu ransacked his home a third time. On September 16, Xu Xiangqian again submitted a resignation, which was again rejected by Mao. At the October party conference, Zhu De, Chen Yun , Ye Jianying, Xu Xiangqiang, Chen Yi , Nie Rongzheng and other senior military officials received criticism. Although Mao forgave his marshals on January 3, 1969, criticism came again in April at the Ninth Party Conference.

In January 1969, Xu was sent to a factory to work. In October, armed conflict broke out on the border between China and the Soviet Union. Chinese troops were mobilized. Almost all the senior military personnel were evacuated to different parts of the country: Zhu De went to Guangzhou, Ye Jianzing to Changsha, Chen Yi to Shijiazhuang, Nie Rongzheng to Handan , Xu Xiangqian to Kaifeng , Peng Dehuai and He Long were arrested by the Lin Biao was alone in Beijing with ten marshals. In August 1970, Xu returned to Beijing for the party congress and then had to go back to Kaifeng. Xu Xiangqian was only allowed to return to Beijing in 1971. At that time, Lin Biao had just passed away. Chen Yi also died. Mao ordered the "February countercurrent" to be rehabilitated.

Late period

At the CCP's 10th Congress, Xu became vice chairman of the military commission and commissioner of the party headquarters. In addition, he became vice-chairman of the Permanent Commission of the People's Representation. In 1977 he became a member of the Politburo. In March 1978 he became Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. In 1979, Xu officially ended the 21-year-old cannon duel in the Taiwan Strait . In 1981 he resigned as Vice Prime Minister and in 1981 as Minister of Defense. In 1982 he was re-elected to the Politburo and Vice-Chairman of the Military Commission. In 1985, Xu resigned from all positions except as Vice Chairman of the Military Commission. At the 13th Congress in 1987, Xu gave up all his offices.

Xu lived in Beijing as a pensioner. On June 27, 1990, his chronic tuberculosis became acute and he was hospitalized. He died on September 21st. Before his death, he said to his family and to his long-time subordinate Li Xiannian "no public farewell, no public condolence and dispel the ashes in Dabie Shan, Daba Shan, Taihang Shan and Hexi corridor ."

memories

After his death, his son made a last wish to President Jiang Zemin , who requested a memorial service. Therefore a small farewell party was organized. On October 18, the flag of Tiananmen and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was half-mast. The top of the state and family members said goodbye to Xu, whose body was covered with the Party's flag. His ashes were scattered in the four locations as requested.

Xu's birthplace was converted into a museum and listed as a historical monument. The building is a typical Siheyuan where his remains are exhibited today. In addition, the local government planned to open a memorial in 2011 for his 110th birthday. A Liberation Memorial is located in Taiyuan to commemorate the conquest of the city by Xu Xiangqian. In Sichuan Bazhong there is a museum of the Red Fourth Army Command Center, where Xu's deeds are also exhibited.

Xu's memoirs were published by the People's Liberation Army Publishing House. He appeared in some Chinese films. Several documentaries have been made about him.

family

Xu's family was once very powerful. After his grandfather's business went bankrupt, they lost wealth and power. When Xu was born, she was already impoverished. His father passed the Qing Dynasty state examination. After his death, his mother had to raise the five children alone. Xu has two older sisters, an older brother and a younger sister. Since Xu had decided in favor of the communists at an early stage and made the Kuomintang an enemy, his family was often harassed by Chiang Kai-Shek and Yan Xishan in order to find out his whereabouts. Yan even had his ancestors' graves destroyed. His family was secretly protected by the communists.

Xu got married four times in total. The marriage to his first wife, Zhu Xiangchan, was arranged by his parents. They married in 1919, and the next year Zhu gave birth to a daughter, Xu Songzhi. She died soon afterwards, and Xu's second wife, Chen Xunxuan, married him while they were in Hubei. She was secretly murdered in the purge of Zhang Guotao in the 1930s. After that, Xu remained unmarried for eight years. On September 20, 1939, Xu married a third time, this time with Wang Jing. After three years, however, the marriage fell apart. In 1946, Xu married Huang Jie. Huang was a student at the Whampoa Military Academy on Wuhan Campus, while Xu was a student leader there at the same time. However, they hadn't met then. Huang's first husband was also murdered by Zhang during the purge.

Xu has three daughters and one son. His eldest daughter was born to his first wife, the other three children are from the last. His eldest daughter was taken to Yanan in 1941, where she was trained as a military doctor for the People's Liberation Army.

Fonts

• Xu Xiangqian: 徐向前 元帅 回忆录 (Memoirs of Marshal Xu Xiangqian).解放军 出版社 (People's Liberation Army Publishing House), 2005, ISBN 7-5065-4866-6 .
• Xu Xiangqian: 历史 的 回顾 (Review of History).解放军 出版社 (People's Liberation Army Publishing House), 1987, ISBN 7-5065-0126-0 .

literature

• Wu Guoyou: 红军 长征 全 史 (第三 卷) ( History of the Long March, Volume Three).东北 师范大学 出版社 (Northeast Normal University Publishing House), 1996, ISBN 7-5602-1842-3 .
• Zhang Gaolin: 徐向前 兵团 征战 记 (Battles of Xu Xiangqian).国防大学 出版社 (National Defense University Publishing House), 1997, ISBN 7-5626-0664-1 .
• Tang Shaojie: 一葉知秋: 清華大學 1968 年 「百日 大 武鬥」 (A leaf shows autumn). Chinese University Press, 2003, ISBN 962-996-126-1 .
• Xu Xiangqian , in: Internationales Biographisches Archiv 49/1981 from November 23, 1981, in the Munzinger archive ( beginning of article freely available)

credentials

1. ↑ 王瑛 、 王秀静: 地方 特色 鲜明 的 山西省 立 国民 师范学校 (Shanxi Provincial Teaching School) . In: 新 建筑 . 3, 2008.
2. ↑ Xu Xiangqian et al .: 中共 鄂 豫 边 第 一次 代表 大会 关于 军事 问题 决议案 ( Chinese (simplified) ) October 2, 1929. Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
3. ↑ 1933 年 杨虎城 与 红 四 方面军 达成 “汉中 协定” (The 1933 Agreement between Yang Hucheng and the Red Fourth Large Union ) ( Chinese simplified ) 汉中 档案馆 (Hanzhong Archives). November 3, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
4. ↑ 徐向前 (1901-1990) ( Chinese ) 中青网. Archived from the original on April 4, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
5. ↑ 张国焘 、 徐向前 、 陈昌浩 (Zhang Guotao, Xu Xiangqian, Chen Changhao): 关于 川西 北 敌我 情况 给 中央 的 报告 (Report at the party headquarters on the hostile and own situation in the northwest) ( Chinese ) June 12, 1935. Archived from Original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
6. ↑ 陈昌浩 、 徐向前 (Chen Changhao, Xu Xiangqian): 关于 西路军 的 十 一份 电报 (Eleven Telegrams from the Western Army) ( Chinese ) October and November 1936. Archived from the original on April 10, 2011. Retrieved May 9 2010.
7. ↑ Xu Xiangqian: 开展 河北 的 游击 战争 (Beginning of the guerrilla war in Hebei) ( Chinese ) 《群众》, No. 23 May 21, 1938. Archived from the original on May 25, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
8. ↑ 煤渣: 就 山东 抗战 形势 答 记者 问 (Interview about the war in Shandong) ( Chinese ) 山东 《大众 日报》. September 11, 1939. Archived from the original on May 24, 2007. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.
9. ↑ Xu Xiangqian: 粉碎 敌人 的 新 “扫荡” 与 我们 的 紧急 动员 工作 ( Chinese ) 山东 《大众 日报》. December 1939. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved on May 9, 2010.
10. ↑ Xu Xiangqian: 山东 纵队 的 建设 任务 及 工作 ( Chinese ) 《山东 八路军 军政 杂志》. June 1, 1940. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.
11. ↑ ^{a b} 解密 ： 为什么 说 徐向前 在 十大 元帅 里 是 最 苦 的？ (Among the ten marshals, why is Xu's life the hardest) ( Chinese ) MSN China. January 6, 2009. Accessed on May 12, 2010.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )
12. ↑ Xu Xiangqian: 孙祖 战斗 的 总结 ( Chinese ) 《山东 八路军 军政 杂志》. March 25, 1940. Archived from the original on May 26, 2007. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.
13. ↑ Xu Xiangqian: 实行 “精兵简政” ， 完成 整 军 任务 (Troop Reform) ( Chinese ) December 1942. Archived from the original on January 21, 2013. Retrieved on May 10, 2010.
14. ↑ Xu Xiangqian, Teng Daizuan, Bo Yibo: 关于 运城 战役 的 三份 电报 (Three Telegrams Regarding the Battle of Yuncheng) ( Chinese ) September 1947. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
15. ↑ 王志林 (Wang Zhilin): “临汾 旅” 被 授予 荣誉 称号 之 谜 (Origin of the name of the Linfen Brigade) ( Chinese ) Xinhua. December 11, 2002. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
16. ↑ 徐向前 (Xu Xiangqian) ( Chinese ) 新华网 (Xinhua). Retrieved May 19, 2010.
17. ↑ 肖伟俐 (Xiao Weili): 十大 元帅 中 唯一 会 织毛衣 的 元帅 ： 布衣 元帅 徐向前 (The only marshal who can knit) ( Chinese ) 人民网 (people.com.cn). October 27, 2009. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
18. ↑ 陈 元 (Chen Yuan): 一个 国家 的 哀悼 史 ： 不但 追忆 伟人 ， 也 尊重 平凡 (History of State Mourning ) ( Chinese ) 新华网 (Xinhua). April 22, 2010. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
19. ↑ 李彦 增 (Li Yanzeng): 徐向前 元帅 故居 (Birthplace of Marshal Xu Xiangqian) ( Chinese ) 中国 共产党 新闻 网 (KPC website). Retrieved May 15, 2010.
20. ↑ 金俊贤 (Jin Junxian): 徐向前 元帅 纪念馆 年内 竣工 ​​- 明年 为 徐 帅 诞辰 110 周年 献厚礼 ， 正式 对外开放 (The memorial for Marshal Xu Xiangqian should be completed in 2011) ( Chinese ) 忻州 日报. May 11, 2010. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
21. ↑ 太原 解放 纪念馆 (Memorial to the Liberation of Taiyuan) ( Chinese ) 黄河 新闻 网 (sxgov.cn). November 21, 2007. Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
22. ↑ 金 勇 (Jin Yong): 红 四 方面军 总 指挥部 旧址 纪念馆 (Museum of the Command Post of the Red Fourth Army) ( Chinese ) 红岩 联 线. July 27, 2007. Archived from the original on December 16, 2011. Retrieved on May 15, 2010.
23. ↑ 赵峰 (Zhao Feng): 徐向前 (Xu Xiangqian) ( Chinese ) 中国 文明 网. September 29, 2008. Archived from the original on September 7, 2016. Retrieved on May 16, 2010.
24. ↑ 王泉云 口述 、 刘邦琨 整理 (Orally narrated by Wan Quanyun, compiled by Liu Bangkun): 我 奉 刘伯承 之 命 看望 徐向前 父亲 ( Chinese ) 光明网 （转自 《文史 春秋》 2003 年 第 12 期）. November 18, 2004. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved on May 17, 2010.
25. ↑ 陈建功 (Chen Jiangong): 徐向前 元帅 的 爱情 故事 (Love Story of Marshal Xu Xiangqian) ( Chinese ) CCP website. April 9, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2010.