Su Yu
Encyclopedia
Su Yu (August 10, 1907 - February 5, 1984) was a Chinese Communist military leader. He was considered by many to be among the best commanders of the PLA
only next to Lin Biao
and Liu Bocheng
. Su Yu fought in the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and in the Chinese Civil War
. He commanded the East China Field Army (renamed 3rd Field Army in 1949) during the Chinese Civil War.
to an ethnic Dong
(侗族) family, but he considered himself a Han
(汉族); he was the 3rd child among six siblings. Su's father was Su Zhouheng (粟周亨), his mother was Liang Manmei (梁满妹), and the family depended on the 30 mu of inherited farmland for survival. By the age of 18, Su Yu entered the Hunan
Provincial 2nd Normal School at Changde
for his post-secondary education.
. He took part of the Northern Expedition and later the Nanchang Uprising
. He emerged as one of the ablest guerrilla commanders in the Jiangxi Soviet
during the 1930s. He did not join The Long March because he was tasked to fight against the nationalist troops for a delaying action, and stayed in the South of Zhejiang
until 1937.
, he won the Cheqiao Campaign against the Japanese Army. After this, he had some other campaigns in Central Jiangsu. He was also responsible for expanding communist power bases in Shandong
and Jiangsu
provinces by attacking nationalist-controlled cities; the nationalist forces under General Gu Zhutong
retaliated by wiping out a large segment of communist troops in the New Fourth Army Incident
, which marked the end of the united front.
to change his military strategy of the Chinese Civil War
, from traditional guerrilla style warfare to a more mobile and conventional approach. In July 1946, he led 30,000 communist troops which triumphed over 120,000 American-armed nationalist troops in seven different engagements, captured and killed 53,000 Kuomingtang soldiers and stunned the country. The Central Jiangsu Campaign was the first of many of the brilliant campaigns that defined his legacy. He was also the commander of the PLA in the famous and much propagandized Menglianggu Campaign
. In this campaign, the elite Nationalist Seventy-Fourth division
was completely destroyed after Su Yu succeeded in encircling the unit.
He was the major commander during the Huaihai Campaign
(淮海战役, November, 1948 to January, 1949). It was at his suggestion on January 22, 1948 that the two armies of Liu and Su followed a sudden-concentrate, sudden-disperse strategy that led to this decisive victory in late 1948, with the destruction of five Nationalist armies and the killing or capture of 550,000 Nationalist soldiers. Su's army alone destroyed 4 nationalist armies, and was the decisive force in destroying the fifth.
broke out in 1950, it was rumored that Su Yu was the commander that Mao wanted to lead the Chinese Volunteer Army into Korea, because of his experience of commanding a large number of troops. However, because of his illness (caused by shell fragments in the 1930s), neither Su nor Lin Biao
(also rumored to be sick) was able to command the CVA. In the end, Peng Dehuai
was selected, after Lin refused to lead the army.
He was made a Senior General (General of the Army
) in 1955. He served in numerous positions, including the Chief of the General Staff of the PLA in the 50s. When he was old, he wrote a book called 《The Memoirs of Su Yu》(《粟裕回忆录》). He died in Beijing on February 5, 1984 at the age of 77.
(楚青) on February 1941. They had three children, all of whom were sent to join the PLA
by Su Yu. The eldest son Su Rongsheng (粟戎生) was born in 1942, followed by the second son Su Hansheng (粟寒生), and the youngest, a daughter Su Huining (粟惠宁), who married Chen Xiaolu (陈小鲁) in August, 1975. Chen Xiaolu (陈小鲁) was the youngest son of Chen Yi
who was Su Yu's direct superior during war time. According to Su Rongsheng, Su Yu was an extremely strict father. When Su Rongsheng was only three years old, Su Yu forced him to learn how to swim by giving him only a piece of bamboo as a float, and pushed him into the water in front of his mother, and prohibited anyone from attempting to save Su Rongsheng. Su Yu's wife, Chu Qing was outraged and asked Su Yu angrily whether he was not worried about Su Rongsheng being drowned. But Su Yu answered that Su Rongsheng would have never learned how to swim any other way and besides, he was not being drowned. At age of 20, Su Rongsheng joined the PLA and remained in service for 45 years, rising from an ordinary soldier to a lieutenant general
when he retired as the deputy commander-in-chief of Beijing Military District at age 65.
Category:1907 birthsCategory:1984 deathsCategory:Chinese military personnel of World War IICategory:People's Liberation Army generalsCategory:People from Huaihuaja:粟裕zh:粟裕
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...
only next to Lin Biao
Lin Biao
Lin Biao was a major Chinese Communist military leader who was pivotal in the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, especially in Northeastern China...
and Liu Bocheng
Liu Bocheng
Liu Bocheng was a Chinese Communist military commander and Marshal of the People's Liberation Army.Liu is known as one of the "Three and A Half" Strategists of China in modern history...
. Su Yu fought in the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) and in 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...
. He commanded the East China Field Army (renamed 3rd Field Army in 1949) during the Chinese Civil War.
Early life
Su Yu was born in Huitong (会同) county on August 10, 1907 in HunanHunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
to an ethnic Dong
Dong people
The Dong , a Kam–Sui people of southern China, are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They are famed for their native-bred Kam Sweet Rice , carpentry skills, and unique architecture, in particular a form of covered bridge known as the "wind and rain...
(侗族) family, but he considered himself a Han
Han people
Han people may refer to:* Han Chinese , the majority ethnic group of China.* Han , an indigenous people of North America.* Koreans , whose ethnicity can also be called "Han" in the Korean language....
(汉族); he was the 3rd child among six siblings. Su's father was Su Zhouheng (粟周亨), his mother was Liang Manmei (梁满妹), and the family depended on the 30 mu of inherited farmland for survival. By the age of 18, Su Yu entered the Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
Provincial 2nd Normal School at Changde
Changde
Changde is a city in the north of Hunan Province, China, with a population of 5,717,218 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,232,182 in the built up area made of 2 urban districts .-History:...
for his post-secondary education.
Encirclement Campaigns and the Long March
In 1926, he joined the Communist Youth League of China, and in 1927 joined the Communist Party of ChinaCommunist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
. He took part of the Northern Expedition and later the Nanchang Uprising
Nanchang Uprising
The Nanchang Uprising was the first major Kuomintang-Communist engagement of the Chinese Civil War, in order to counter the anti-communist purges by the Nationalist Party of China....
. He emerged as one of the ablest guerrilla commanders in the Jiangxi Soviet
Jiangxi Soviet
The Chinese Soviet Republic , also translated as the Soviet Republic of China or the China Soviet Republic, and often referred to in historical literature as the Jiangxi Soviet , was a state established in November 1931 by the future Communist Party of China leader Mao...
during the 1930s. He did not join The Long March because he was tasked to fight against the nationalist troops for a delaying action, and stayed in the South of Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
until 1937.
Second Sino-Japanese War
In the Second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, he won the Cheqiao Campaign against the Japanese Army. After this, he had some other campaigns in Central Jiangsu. He was also responsible for expanding communist power bases in Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
and Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
provinces by attacking nationalist-controlled cities; the nationalist forces under General Gu Zhutong
Gu Zhutong
Gu Zhutong courtesy name: Moshan , was a Chinese military general and administrator of the Republic of China.-Early life and career:...
retaliated by wiping out a large segment of communist troops in the New Fourth Army Incident
New Fourth Army Incident
The New Fourth Army Incident , also known as the Wannan Incident , occurred in China in January 1941 during the Second Sino-Japanese War, during which the Chinese Civil War was in theory suspended, uniting the Communists and Nationalists against the Japanese...
, which marked the end of the united front.
Chinese Civil War
The successes of the battle persuaded Mao ZedongMao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
to change his military strategy 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...
, from traditional guerrilla style warfare to a more mobile and conventional approach. In July 1946, he led 30,000 communist troops which triumphed over 120,000 American-armed nationalist troops in seven different engagements, captured and killed 53,000 Kuomingtang soldiers and stunned the country. The Central Jiangsu Campaign was the first of many of the brilliant campaigns that defined his legacy. He was also the commander of the PLA in the famous and much propagandized Menglianggu Campaign
Menglianggu Campaign
The Menglianggu Campaign was a campaign fought between the nationalists and the communists during the Chinese Civil War in the post-World War II era and resulted in communist victory. The campaign was later used by the communists as a specific battle example in their military science and history,...
. In this campaign, the elite Nationalist Seventy-Fourth division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
was completely destroyed after Su Yu succeeded in encircling the unit.
He was the major commander during 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...
(淮海战役, November, 1948 to January, 1949). It was at his suggestion on January 22, 1948 that the two armies of Liu and Su followed a sudden-concentrate, sudden-disperse strategy that led to this decisive victory in late 1948, with the destruction of five Nationalist armies and the killing or capture of 550,000 Nationalist soldiers. Su's army alone destroyed 4 nationalist armies, and was the decisive force in destroying the fifth.
After the Establishment of the PRC
When the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
broke out in 1950, it was rumored that Su Yu was the commander that Mao wanted to lead the Chinese Volunteer Army into Korea, because of his experience of commanding a large number of troops. However, because of his illness (caused by shell fragments in the 1930s), neither Su nor Lin Biao
Lin Biao
Lin Biao was a major Chinese Communist military leader who was pivotal in the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, especially in Northeastern China...
(also rumored to be sick) was able to command the CVA. In the end, Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai was a prominent military leader of the Communist Party of China, and China's Defence Minister from 1954 to 1959. Peng was an important commander during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese civil war and was also the commander-in-chief of People's Volunteer Army in the Korean War...
was selected, after Lin refused to lead the army.
He was made a Senior General (General of the Army
General of the Army
General of the Army is a military rank used in some countries to denote a senior military leader, usually a General in command of a nation's Army. It may also be the title given to a General who commands an Army in the field....
) in 1955. He served in numerous positions, including the Chief of the General Staff of the PLA in the 50s. When he was old, he wrote a book called 《The Memoirs of Su Yu》(《粟裕回忆录》). He died in Beijing on February 5, 1984 at the age of 77.
Family
Su Yu married Chu QingChu Qing
Chu Qing , born as Zhan Yongzhu , is a politician of the People's Republic of China, the wife of General Su Yu.-Biography:She began to participate in the revolution in November 1938, and joined the Communist Party of China in March 1939....
(楚青) on February 1941. They had three children, all of whom were sent to join the PLA
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...
by Su Yu. The eldest son Su Rongsheng (粟戎生) was born in 1942, followed by the second son Su Hansheng (粟寒生), and the youngest, a daughter Su Huining (粟惠宁), who married Chen Xiaolu (陈小鲁) in August, 1975. Chen Xiaolu (陈小鲁) was the youngest son of Chen Yi
Chen Yi (communist)
Chen Yi was a Chinese communist military commander and politician. He served as the 2nd Mayor of Shanghai and the 2nd Foreign Minister of China.-Biography:Chen was born in Lezhi, near Chengdu, Sichuan, into a moderately wealthy magistrate's family....
who was Su Yu's direct superior during war time. According to Su Rongsheng, Su Yu was an extremely strict father. When Su Rongsheng was only three years old, Su Yu forced him to learn how to swim by giving him only a piece of bamboo as a float, and pushed him into the water in front of his mother, and prohibited anyone from attempting to save Su Rongsheng. Su Yu's wife, Chu Qing was outraged and asked Su Yu angrily whether he was not worried about Su Rongsheng being drowned. But Su Yu answered that Su Rongsheng would have never learned how to swim any other way and besides, he was not being drowned. At age of 20, Su Rongsheng joined the PLA and remained in service for 45 years, rising from an ordinary soldier to a lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
when he retired as the deputy commander-in-chief of Beijing Military District at age 65.
External links
Category:1907 birthsCategory:1984 deathsCategory:Chinese military personnel of World War IICategory:People's Liberation Army generalsCategory:People from Huaihuaja:粟裕zh:粟裕