Battle of Yan'an

Last updated
Battle of Yan'an
Part of Chinese Civil War
DateMarch 19, 1947
Location
Result Nationalist victory
Belligerents
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the Republic of China Army.svg Hu Zongnan Flag of the Chinese Communist Party (Pre-1996).svg Peng Dehuai
Flag of the Chinese Communist Party (Pre-1996).svg Xi Zhongxun
Strength
8,100 3,700
Casualties and losses
1,500 ?

After World War II, Hu Zongnan battled the Chinese Communist Party and in the early stage of the struggle, was successful in the Battle of Yan'an capturing Yan'an, the capital of the communist base in Shaanxi. [1]

Yan'an became the capital of the Chinese Communist Party after the Xi'an Incident in 1936. [2] It became famous in this role during the Sino-Japanese War and throughout World War II, until its capture in 1947. (Before taking over Yan'an, Mao had been based at Bao'an.)

In 1947, there was only minimal communist resistance, as most of the communists had already fled in advance in a strategic withdrawal to lure Hu to the Northwest.

With the outbreak of full-scale civil war between the Communists and Nationalists in early 1947, Xi Zhongxun remained in northwestern China to coordinate the protection and then recapture of the Yan'an Soviet Area.[2] As political commissar, Xi and commander Zhang Zongxun defeated the Nationalists west of Yan'an at the Battle of Xihuachi in March 1947.[2] After Yan'an fell to Hu Zongnan on March 19, 1947, Xi worked on the staff of Peng Dehuai in the battles to retake Yan'an and capture northwest China.

Many high-level Communist leaders were forced to flee their lost capital, and Chiang Kai-shek declared final victory.

KMT forces were only able to hold Yan'an for about a week, and PLA forces rapidly recaptured it. The KMT commitment to conventional-style warfare with a focus on capturing fixed political capitals as objectives, immobilized a large KMT army in the useless Northwest front, making them impotent for the more important mobile campaigns in the East.

The famous picture of Mao, often erroneously attributed to the Long March, is actually of Mao leading the march to Northern Shaanxi in 1947.

Mao Marching to Northern Shaanxi Long march Mao.jpg
Mao Marching to Northern Shaanxi

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese Civil War</span> 1927–1949 civil war in China

The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party, with armed conflict continuing intermittently from 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949, resulting in a Communist victory and control of mainland China in the Chinese Communist Revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long March</span> Military campaign during the Chinese Civil War

The Long March was a military retreat by the Chinese Red Army from advancing Nationalist forces during the Chinese Civil War in 1934 through 1936.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Li Zongren</span> Chinese warlord, politician, and general

Li Zongren or Li Tsung-jen, courtesy name Telin, was a prominent Chinese warlord based in Guangxi and a Kuomintang (KMT) military commander during the Northern Expedition, Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War. He served as vice-president and acting president of the Republic of China under the 1947 Constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">He Long</span> Marshal of the Peoples Republic of China (1896–1969)

He Long was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and a Marshal of the People's Republic of China. He was from a poor rural family in Hunan, and his family was not able to provide him with any formal education. He began his revolutionary career after avenging the death of his uncle, when he fled to become an outlaw and attracted a small personal army around him. Later his forces joined the Kuomintang, and he participated in the Northern Expedition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xi Zhongxun</span> Chinese politician (1913–2002), father of Xi Jinping

Xi Zhongxun was a Chinese communist revolutionary and a subsequent political official in the People's Republic of China. He is considered to be among the first and second generation of Chinese leadership. The contributions he made to the Chinese communist revolution and the development of the People's Republic, from the founding of Communist guerrilla bases in northwestern China in the 1930s to initiation of economic liberalization in southern China in the 1980s, are numerous and broad. He was known for political moderation and for the setbacks he endured in his career. He was imprisoned and purged several times. His second son, Xi Jinping, is the current President of the People's Republic of China and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xiong Xianghui</span> Chinese communist spy and official

Xiong Xianghui was a Chinese Communist Party spy during the Chinese Civil War, and, after the establishment of the People's Republic of China, a high-ranking official in diplomacy and intelligence. He played a role in the victory of the Chinese Communist Party over the Kuomintang in the Chinese Civil War, in his capacity as private secretary and aide-de-camp to Hu Zongnan, one of the most senior Nationalist generals; Xiong was secretly a Communist mole and for many years passed highly sensitive information to the Communist Party leadership, including top-secret orders and documents of Chiang Kai-Shek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hu Zongnan</span> Republic of China and Taiwanese general

Hu Zongnan, courtesy name Shoushan (壽山), was a Chinese general in the National Revolutionary Army and then the Republic of China Army. Together with Chen Cheng and Tang Enbo, Hu, a native of Zhenhai, Ningbo, formed the triumvirate of Chiang Kai-shek's most trusted generals during the Second Sino-Japanese War. After the retreat of the Nationalists to Taiwan in 1949, he also served as the President's military strategy advisor until his death in 1962.

Lanzhou Campaign was a series battle fought between the nationalists and the communists for the control of the largest city in northwestern China during the Chinese Civil War in the post World War II era, and resulted in the communist victory.

The Campaign to the North of Nanchuan County, Sichuan, was part of the Campaign in Southwestern China launched by the communists against the nationalists in the region to the north of Nanchuan (南川) County during the Chinese Civil War in the post World War II era, and resulted in communist victory.

Lüliang campaign (吕梁战役), also called Southwestern Shanxi campaign (晋西南战役), was a series of battles fought between the nationalists and the communists in Lüliang region in southwestern Shanxi during the Chinese Civil War in the post World War II era, and resulted in the communist victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Li Kenong</span>

Li Kenong was a Chinese general and politician, one of the creators of the security and intelligence apparatus of both the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Liberation Army. Notably, he served as Director of the Central Investigation Department, Deputy Chief of the PLA General Staff Department and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and was awarded the rank of General in 1955.

The history of the Chinese Communist Party began with its establishment in July 1921. A study group led by Peking University professors Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao to discuss Marxism, led to intellectuals officially founding the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in July 1921. In 1923, Sun Yat-sen invited the CCP to form a United Front, and to join his Nationalist Party (GMD) in Canton for training under representatives of the Communist International, the Soviet Union's international organization. The Soviet representatives reorganized both parties into Leninist parties. Rather than the loose organization that characterized the two parties until then, the Leninist party operated on the principle of democratic centralism, in which the collective leadership set standards for membership and an all-powerful Central Committee determined the party line, which all members must follow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baota District</span> District in Shaanxi, Peoples Republic of China

Baota District, is a district in Yan'an, Shaanxi, China. The district has an area of 3,537.6 square kilometres (1,365.9 sq mi), and a permanent population of 497,085 as of 2019. Baota District serves as Yan'an's administrative center, hosting the city's government offices. The district is Yan'an's urban core, as it is highly urbanized, with over 80% of its population living in urban areas. The majority of Baota District's economy is derived from its tertiary sector, though the district is home to other economic activities such as agriculture, animal husbandry, and petroleum extraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yan'an Soviet</span> Communist-governed Chinese base area (1937–1950)

The Yan'an Soviet was a soviet governed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during the 1930s and 1940s. In October 1936 it became the final destination of the Long March, and served as the CCP's main base until after the Second Sino-Japanese War. After the CCP and Kuomintang (KMT) formed the Second United Front in 1937, the Yan'an Soviet was officially reconstituted as the Shaan–Gan–Ning Border Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zhang Lingfu</span> Chinese general of the National Revolutionary Army

Zhang Lingfu was a high-ranking general of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army. He successfully fought against the Communists and the Imperial Japanese Army. In 1947, his unit was surrounded by Chinese communist forces commanded by Field Marshal Chen Yi and General Su Yu. Zhang was unable to breakout from the communist encirclement because the relief efforts headed by his nationalist colleagues did not arrive in time, and he was killed in action in the Menglianggu Campaign on May 16, 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liu Zhidan</span>

Liu Zhidan, also known as Liu Chih-tan, was a Chinese military commander and Communist leader, who founded the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Base Area in north-west China, which became the Yan'an Soviet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese Communist Revolution</span> 1927–1949 social revolution in China

The Chinese Communist Revolution was a social and political revolution that culminated in the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. For the preceding century, China had faced escalating social, economic, and political problems as a result of Western imperialism, Japanese imperialism, and the decline of the Qing dynasty. Cyclical famines and an oppressive landlord system kept the large mass of rural peasantry poor and politically disenfranchised. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was formed in 1921 by young urban intellectuals inspired by European socialist ideas and the success of the October Revolution in Russia. The CCP originally allied itself with the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) party against the warlords and foreign imperialist forces, but the 1927 massacre of Communists in Shanghai ordered by Kuomintang leader Chiang Kai-shek forced them into the Chinese Civil War, which would last more than two decades.

The First Field Army of the Chinese Communist Party was a military formation in the last stages of the Chinese Civil War (1949–1950).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chongqing Negotiations</span>

The Chongqing Negotiations were a series of negotiations between the Kuomintang-ruled Nationalist government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 29 August to 10 October 1945, held in Chongqing, China. The negotiations were highlighted by the final meeting between the leaders of both parties, Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong, which was the first time they had met in 20 years. Most of the negotiations were undertaken by Wang Shijie and Zhou Enlai, representatives of the Nationalist government and CCP, respectively. The negotiations lasted for 43 days, and came to a conclusion after both parties signed the Double Tenth Agreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hu Wei (general)</span> Chinese major general (1920–2018)

Hu Wei was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and a major general of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). He fought in the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Civil War, and the Korean War, and was commander of the PLA's 61st Division in the Battle of Dengbu Island (1949). He later served as commander of the 21st Army, deputy commander of the Lanzhou Military Region, deputy director of the Revolutionary Committee of Shaanxi Province, director of the General Office of the Central Military Commission, and deputy chief of staff of the PLA.

References

  1. Denton, Kirk A. (2012-01-01). 8. Yan'an as a Site of Memory in Socialist and Postsocialist China. Brill. pp. 233–281. doi:10.1163/9789004220966_009. ISBN   978-90-04-22096-6.
  2. Mao Tse Tung Ruler of Red China by Robert Payne, p.175