Liaoshen Campaign
Encyclopedia
Liaoshen Campaign literally the abbreviation of Liaoning-Shenyang Campaign, was part of the three major campaigns launched by the People's Liberation Army
(PLA) during the late stage of the Chinese Civil War
. This engagement is known in the Nationalist government
as the Battle of Liaoshi (Traditional Chinese: 遼西會戰). The campaign began on September 12, 1948, and ended in the same year on November 2, lasting 52 days. This campaign was the first of the three campaigns that marked the end of Nationalist dominance in northern China
. (The other two were the Huaihai Campaign
and Pingjin Campaign
.)
, the Northeast Field Army of the PLA had 13 infantry armies, one artillery army, and 15 independent divisions as well as 3 cavalry
divisions, approximately 54 divisions consisting of over 700,000 men. The Communists also had approximately 300,000 troops in non Field Army formations. They also held control of 97% percent of the area in the northeast and 86% of the population. The Nationalists
on the other hand, had four armies consisting of 14 corps and 44 divisions. With the local security forces, they had over 550,000 men. However, they were cut apart in Shenyang
, Changchun
, and Jinzhou
, three major cities that are not geographically connected. Because the Jingha Railway was controlled by the PLA, the land routes through Shanhai Pass
to Changchun and Shenyang were cut off completely. Supplies had to be airlifted to these two cities.
Manchuria was the only place where the Communists had superior military strength to the Nationalists at the time. Therefore, the Chinese Communist Military Committee had chosen Manchuria as the place for the first decisive engagement between the two sides.
Communists: Encircle the city first, then attack it. Cut off the line between Jinzhou
and Tashan
from the south, and cut the Jingha Railway to seal the Nationalist forces in Manchuria.
On September 12, 1948, the PLA Northeast Field Army marched south and began to attack along the Jingha Railway. After the PLA captured Changli and Tashan
, the Nationalist Jingha supply route was cut off. During the battle in Yixian
, the commander of the North Field Artillery Army Zhu Rei was killed in action when he stepped on a mine. Beginning on October 3, the Northeast Field Army gathered up 250,000 men to encircle Jinzhou
. Chiang Kai-shek
ordered the Nationalist defenders in Huludao
and the army group in Shenyang
led by Liao Yaoxiang
(廖耀湘) to reinforce and rescue Jinzhou. However, Hou Jingru, the commander of 17th Army Group in Huludao, was dissatisfied with Chiang's constant interference, and was afraid of being ambushed on the way; he refused to follow the order. Liao Yaoxiang in Shenyang was afraid of leaving fortified defensive positions and delayed the attack. After Chiang took command himself, the Nationalist forces in Huludao marched to Jinzhou, but were blocked by the PLA in the area of Tashan, and were unable to advance further. The Northeast Field Army launched the final assault on Jinzhou On October 14, and occupied the city next evening. They killed or captured 100,000 defenders including Fan Hanjie
, the vice-commander of Nationalist forces in Manchuria. The land route for the Nationalists to retreat to North China Plain was cut.
Meanwhile, the PLA encircled Changchun
. Zeng Zesheng, the vice commander of the Nationalist forces defending Changchun, was originally a subordinate of Long Yun
, and like his fellow soldiers of the 60th Army, he was deeply dissatisfied with Chiang Kai-shek's treatment. Capitalizing on this opportunity, Communists infiltrated Zeng's inner circle and convinced him to rebel against the Nationalists. Zeng so did after the pressure from the fall of Jinzhou. The remaining Nationalist units in the 1st Army Group consequently also gave up their arms. Zheng Dongguo, commander of the Nationalist forces in Changchun, surrendered as well along with 100,000 men on October 21.
After the Nationalist forces were destroyed in Jinzhou and Changchun, the situation turned worse for the Nationalists in Manchuria. Liao Yaoxiang decided to abandon Shenyang. He attempted to lead the main force south to the seaport of Yinkou, and return to the North China Plain by sea. However, they were unable to break through the PLA defensive line around Heshan
(黑山) and Dahushan, and lost a considerable amount of time. Between October 20 to October 28, the PLA forces under Han Xianchu
attacked at Liaoxi(遼西戰役) in the area east of Heshan and Dahushan, and west of Raoyanghe. They destroyed twelve Nationalist divisions, including the elite New 1st Army of 100,000 men, and captured the commander, Liao.
After the fall of Shenyang, the Nationalists in the area of Jinxi and Huludao withdrew to the North China Plain by sea. The Communist force captured these two ports the next day, and all Manchuria was now under the Communist control. Up to this point, the National Revolutionary Army
lost four army groups, eleven armies and thirty-three divisions, approximately 472,000 men. Only the New 5th Army, 52nd Army and the 54th Army were able to retreat. The rest of the Nationalist forces in Manchuria were all destroyed. The balance of military power for the Nationalists and the Communists were reversed, and for the first time, the total strength for the Nationalists was less than that of the People's Liberation Army.
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
(PLA) during the late stage of the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
. This engagement is known in the Nationalist government
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
as the Battle of Liaoshi (Traditional Chinese: 遼西會戰). The campaign began on September 12, 1948, and ended in the same year on November 2, lasting 52 days. This campaign was the first of the three campaigns that marked the end of Nationalist dominance in northern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. (The other two were the Huaihai Campaign
Huaihai Campaign
Huaihai Campaign or Battle of Hsupeng was a military action during 1948 and 1949 that was the determining battle of the Chinese Civil War. It was one of the few conventional battles of the war. 550,000 troops of the Republic of China were surrounded in Xuzhou and destroyed by the communist...
and Pingjin Campaign
Pingjin Campaign
Pingjin Campaign , known as the Battle of Pingjin to the Nationalist Government, was part of the three major campaigns launched by the People's Liberation Army during the late stage of the Chinese Civil War. It began on November 29, 1948, and ended on January 31, 1949, lasted a total of 64 days...
.)
Background
By August 1948, after years of brief advances throughout ManchuriaManchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
, the Northeast Field Army of the PLA had 13 infantry armies, one artillery army, and 15 independent divisions as well as 3 cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
divisions, approximately 54 divisions consisting of over 700,000 men. The Communists also had approximately 300,000 troops in non Field Army formations. They also held control of 97% percent of the area in the northeast and 86% of the population. The Nationalists
National Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
on the other hand, had four armies consisting of 14 corps and 44 divisions. With the local security forces, they had over 550,000 men. However, they were cut apart in Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
, Changchun
Changchun
Changchun is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the center of the Songliao Plain. It is administered as a sub-provincial city with a population of 7,677,089 at the 2010 census under its jurisdiction, including counties and...
, and Jinzhou
Jinzhou
Jinzhou , is a prefecture-level city of Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the "Liaoxi Corridor" , which connects land transportation between North China and Northeast China. Jinzhou is China's northernmost seaport and the coastal economic center of West...
, three major cities that are not geographically connected. Because the Jingha Railway was controlled by the PLA, the land routes through Shanhai Pass
Shanhai Pass
Shanhai Pass , or Shanhaiguan, along with Jiayu Pass and Juyong Pass, is one of the major passes of the Great Wall of China It is located in Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao, Hebei. In 1961, Shanhaiguan became a site of China First Class National Cultural Site.It is a popular tourist destination,...
to Changchun and Shenyang were cut off completely. Supplies had to be airlifted to these two cities.
Objectives
Nationalists: To withdraw from Changchun and Shenyang, as the supply routes were cut off for these two cities, prevent the Communists from entering Shanhai Pass, stabilize the situation, and launch a counter-offensive in Manchuria when the time was right.Communists: Encircle the city first, then attack it. Cut off the line between Jinzhou
Jinzhou
Jinzhou , is a prefecture-level city of Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the "Liaoxi Corridor" , which connects land transportation between North China and Northeast China. Jinzhou is China's northernmost seaport and the coastal economic center of West...
and Tashan
Tashan
Tashan is a semi-urban subdistrict of Zhifu District, Yantai, in the Shandong province of the People's Republic of China. Tashan is noted for its mountain . Tashan Mountain has a temple dedicated to the boddhisatva Kuan Yin as well as a Taoist pagoda dedicated to Three Pure Ones....
from the south, and cut the Jingha Railway to seal the Nationalist forces in Manchuria.
First stage
Tashan
Tashan is a semi-urban subdistrict of Zhifu District, Yantai, in the Shandong province of the People's Republic of China. Tashan is noted for its mountain . Tashan Mountain has a temple dedicated to the boddhisatva Kuan Yin as well as a Taoist pagoda dedicated to Three Pure Ones....
, the Nationalist Jingha supply route was cut off. During the battle in Yixian
Yixian
Yixian may refer to:*Yi County, Anhui, in China*Yi County, Hebei, in China*Yi County, Liaoning, in China*Yixian Formation, a geological formation in Liaoning Province*Empress Yixian, Liang Nüying , Chinese empress during the Han Dynasty...
, the commander of the North Field Artillery Army Zhu Rei was killed in action when he stepped on a mine. Beginning on October 3, the Northeast Field Army gathered up 250,000 men to encircle Jinzhou
Jinzhou
Jinzhou , is a prefecture-level city of Liaoning province, China. It is a geographically strategic city located in the "Liaoxi Corridor" , which connects land transportation between North China and Northeast China. Jinzhou is China's northernmost seaport and the coastal economic center of West...
. Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
ordered the Nationalist defenders in Huludao
Huludao
Huludao is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Liaoning Province, China. It is one of the two principal cities in the Liaoxi Corridor . Known as Jinxi until 1994, Huludao has a total area of 10,415 square kilometers and a population of 2.87 million, of which some 531,000 live in the city proper...
and the army group in Shenyang
Shenyang
Shenyang , or Mukden , is the capital and largest city of Liaoning Province in Northeast China. Currently holding sub-provincial administrative status, the city was once known as Shengjing or Fengtianfu...
led by Liao Yaoxiang
Liao Yaoxiang
Liao Yiaoxiang was a high-ranking nationalist commander who successful fought against both the Imperial Japanese Army and Chinese Communist forces. He was one of the few nationalist commanders who graduated from a western military academy besides General Sun Liren...
(廖耀湘) to reinforce and rescue Jinzhou. However, Hou Jingru, the commander of 17th Army Group in Huludao, was dissatisfied with Chiang's constant interference, and was afraid of being ambushed on the way; he refused to follow the order. Liao Yaoxiang in Shenyang was afraid of leaving fortified defensive positions and delayed the attack. After Chiang took command himself, the Nationalist forces in Huludao marched to Jinzhou, but were blocked by the PLA in the area of Tashan, and were unable to advance further. The Northeast Field Army launched the final assault on Jinzhou On October 14, and occupied the city next evening. They killed or captured 100,000 defenders including Fan Hanjie
Fan Hanjie
Fan Hanjie , courtesy name Jie-ying, was a Chinese military general who served during the Second Sino-Japanese War and Chinese Civil War...
, the vice-commander of Nationalist forces in Manchuria. The land route for the Nationalists to retreat to North China Plain was cut.
Meanwhile, the PLA encircled Changchun
Siege of Changchun
The Siege of Changchun was a siege operation launched by the People's Liberation Army during the Chinese Civil War against the city of Changchun, defended by the Nationalist forces...
. Zeng Zesheng, the vice commander of the Nationalist forces defending Changchun, was originally a subordinate of Long Yun
Long Yun
Long Yun was governor and warlord of the Chinese province of Yunnan from 1927 to near the end of the Chinese Civil War, when he was overthrown in a coup by Du Yuming under the order of Chiang Kai-shek in October, 1945.-Life:Long Yun was an sinicized ethnic Yi , a non Han Chinese people native to...
, and like his fellow soldiers of the 60th Army, he was deeply dissatisfied with Chiang Kai-shek's treatment. Capitalizing on this opportunity, Communists infiltrated Zeng's inner circle and convinced him to rebel against the Nationalists. Zeng so did after the pressure from the fall of Jinzhou. The remaining Nationalist units in the 1st Army Group consequently also gave up their arms. Zheng Dongguo, commander of the Nationalist forces in Changchun, surrendered as well along with 100,000 men on October 21.
Second stage
Heshan
Heshan also known as Hok San in Cantonese is a county-level city of Siyi prefecture administered from Jiangmen city in the southern part of Guangdong province of the People's Republic of China....
(黑山) and Dahushan, and lost a considerable amount of time. Between October 20 to October 28, the PLA forces under Han Xianchu
Han Xianchu
Han Xianchu was a general of the Chinese Communist Party. Han participated in many military campaigns and battles such as Battle of Pingxingguan, Liaoshen Campaign, Pingjin Campaign, Hainan Campaign, and the Korean War...
attacked at Liaoxi(遼西戰役) in the area east of Heshan and Dahushan, and west of Raoyanghe. They destroyed twelve Nationalist divisions, including the elite New 1st Army of 100,000 men, and captured the commander, Liao.
Final stage
Beginning on October 29, the PLA encircled Shenyang from four sides, penetrated Yinkou with three columns and attacked the defending 52nd Army. On October 30, Wei Lihuang, the commander-in-chief of all Nationalist forces in Manchuria, left Shenyang via plane. He turned command over to Zhou Fucheng(周福成), the commander of the 8th Army Group. On November 1, the PLA launched the final assault on the city of Shenyang, capturing the city the very next day. They annihilated two armies with 134,000 men. Zhou Fucheng was also taken prisoner. Yinkou was captured the same day. The PLA killed 14,000 men of the defending 52nd Army. The remnants of the 52nd Army and its commander Liu Yuzhang retreated to Huludao via sea. The Liaoshen Campaign was over.After the fall of Shenyang, the Nationalists in the area of Jinxi and Huludao withdrew to the North China Plain by sea. The Communist force captured these two ports the next day, and all Manchuria was now under the Communist control. Up to this point, the National Revolutionary Army
National Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
lost four army groups, eleven armies and thirty-three divisions, approximately 472,000 men. Only the New 5th Army, 52nd Army and the 54th Army were able to retreat. The rest of the Nationalist forces in Manchuria were all destroyed. The balance of military power for the Nationalists and the Communists were reversed, and for the first time, the total strength for the Nationalists was less than that of the People's Liberation Army.
Reasons for Nationalist defeat
- During the period of March to June, the Nationalists were unable to move their main force southwards to combine with the North China corps and make the balance of forces more favorable to them.
- Inability of the different Nationalist forces to coordinate their attacks on the Communists, often due to factional disharmonies.
- Inability to break through the Communist defensive line, lack of will.
- Chiang's constant interference with the command: Chiang would personally approve his commanders' battle plans during meetings, but after the battles begun, Chiang often changed his mind and gave orders to the Nationalist troops in the field down to the division level directly, bypassing the chain of command. Nationalist commanders above the division level were rarely told in time about the changes by Chiang, and instead, they usually found out about the changes after their subordinates had already carried out Chiang's direct orders.
Reasons for Communist victory
- Initiative to seize strategic points, capture Jinzhou, and besiege the Nationalists in the northeast to destroy them.
- Ability to make quick adjustments and destroy Nationalist forces that did not retreat in time.
- Attacked the Nationalist defenders in Shenyang from multiple sides and swiftly destroyed them.
- Communist forces successfully contained Nationalist forces in North China so they were unable to reinforce the Nationalists in the Manchuria.
- Effectively mobilized, long-term management.
See also
- List of Battles of Chinese Civil War
- National Revolutionary ArmyNational Revolutionary ArmyThe National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
- History of the People's Liberation ArmyHistory of the People's Liberation ArmyThe history of the People's Liberation Army began in 1927 with the start of the Chinese Civil War and spans to the present, having developed from a peasant guerrilla force into the largest armed force in the world.-Historical background:...
- Chinese Civil WarChinese Civil WarThe Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...