Chapter 19 Chapter 18 The Army Goes West

1. After the Fourth Front Army Hui Ning joined forces, the Fourth Front Army had not had time to rest and replenish, and the leaders of both sides had not met. The main force of the Fourth Front Army hurried to the northwest to the bank of the Yellow River, felling trees and building ships, preparing to cross the river westward. The Long March had just ended, so it stands to reason that the main force of the Red Army should act in unison to consolidate the base in northern Shaanxi.Why the rush to separate?It's really hard to understand.In the past, it was said that Zhang Guotao was unwilling to join the Central Committee, insisted on his opportunistic escape route, and decided without authorization that the Four Fronts Army would advance westward.Peng Dehuai recalled: On October 23, 1936, he and Zhang Guotao met in Dalacchi. "Xu (Qianqian) and Chen (Changhao) haven't seen each other on the third day. At dawn, I went to Zhang Guotao and asked: Why haven't Xu and Chen seen yet? Zhang said: Xu Chen has been ordered to lead the main forces of the four fronts and one side The Fifth Corps of the army crossed the north bank of the Yellow River from near Lanzhou and marched towards Wuwei (Liangzhou). He issued this order at the same time as he telegraphed me. I took Chairman Mao's "On Opposing Japanese Imperialism" in December 1935 At that time, the Northeast Army and the Northwest Army discussed with him the relationship between our united front, but he did not listen at all. Wang Hongkun's Chen Xilian, Xie Fuzhi, and Zhang Guotao's headquarters were probably blocked by the Northwest Majia Army and Wang Junjun. There will be time to cross the river in the future." Peng Dehuai said angrily: "If there is no counter-revolutionary disturbance by Zhang Guotao, the main force of the Fourth Front Army will enter the dead end of Liangzhou, and then it will be completely wiped out by the Qinghai Ma Bufang Army, sending more than 20,000 main forces of the Red Fourth Front Army If the first, second, and fourth front armies are lost, 60,000 to 70,000 men will remain, and the Red Army may completely control the northwest region. Then, our leading position in the War of Resistance Against Japan will be much superior. The Northeast Army and the Northwest Army will not be able to To be slaughtered by Chiang Kai-shek will form the anti-Japanese coalition forces to control the Northwest." He believes that the West Route Army's crossing of the river and its final failure are entirely Zhang Guotao's personal responsibility.

Is history so simple?Let's look up what the military history books say. The "Chinese People's Liberation Army" article in the military volume of the "Encyclopedia of China" reads: "On October 25, 1936, according to the deployment of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Military Commission, the 30th Army of the Fourth Red Army crossed the Yellow River. Subsequently, the 9th Army and the The Red Fourth Front Army Headquarters and the Fifth Army also crossed the Yellow River and prepared to implement the Ningxia campaign plan. On November 5, the Red Army Headquarters sent an order to the Hexi Army of the Red Fourth Front Army. The Yongdeng area, and the Liangzhou area should be quickly occupied if necessary." There are more specific and detailed records in the authoritative "War History of the Chinese People's Liberation Army" and "War History of the Fourth Front Army".From this point of view, the action of the Fourth Front Army's westward journey was not Zhang Guotao's personal decision, but was caused by various factors at the time.

As mentioned above, Chiang Kai-shek decided to take advantage of the Red Army's unstable foothold to mobilize heavy troops to encircle and wipe out the Red Army in the Tongwei and Guyuan areas of Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia in order to "resist the outside world first".When the main forces of the three major Red Army join forces, the Kuomintang's encirclement will also be formed.General Zhang Xueliang of the Northeast Army was unwilling to fight the Red Army, and he could not disobey orders, so he was very anxious.He reported the news to Mao Zedong and others, saying that he would try to delay as much as possible, and suggested that the Red Fourth Front Army quickly join the First Army through Xilan Avenue to carry out the Ningxia Campaign. On October 9, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai informed the leaders of the Second and Fourth Front Armies of these situations.

The Kuomintang soldiers pressed the border, and Mao Zedong felt very heavy.The Red Army was facing a life-and-death juncture again. He sent Peng Dehuai to command the Western Expedition. Whether he could occupy Ningxia and open up the Soviet Union was not very sure.It is not Mao Zedong's style to use the existing strength of the Red Army to fight against Chiang Kai-shek.In those days, Mao Zedong was exhausted.One is to find ways to delay the attack of the Kuomintang army, and the other is to consider a new way out for the Red Army. From August 1936 to before the "Xi'an Incident" in December, Mao Zedong kept writing letters to senior members of the KMT and celebrities in society to do united front work. On August 13, Mao Zedong sent Zhang Wenbin to the Northwest Army, carrying with him a letter to Yang Hucheng and General Counselor Du Bincheng.The letter to Yang Hucheng said: "Sir, if you join the united front with sincerity, we are willing to design all your concerns and difficulties on your behalf, so that you and your army can stand in a position of harmlessness and benefit." Letter to Du Bincheng Said: "At the time when the anti-Japanese and national salvation is really responsible, Mr. said to rejuvenate the country, I hope to speed up the promotion, and the Northwest ministries also hope to vigorously mediate." On August 14, Mao Zedong sent Zhang Jingwu to North China to contact Song Zheyuan and Fu Zuoyi. In their letter, the two praised their anti-Japanese actions, expressing that the Red Army is willing to establish contact with them and be their backup.On the same day, Mao Zedong also wrote to Song Ziwen in Nanjing, asking Pastor Dong Jianwu to convey to Song that the Nanjing authorities would change their anti-communist stance and restore the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and the three major policies of Dr. Sun Yat-sen.

On August 25, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China published the "Letter to the Chinese Kuomintang", extending a hand of reconciliation to Chiang Kai-shek.It clearly stated that "send your own plenipotentiary representatives at any place and at any time, together with your party's plenipotentiary representatives, to start specific and practical negotiations, with a view to quickly concluding a specific agreement on resisting Japan and saving the nation." On August 26, Mao Zedong called Pan Hannian, pointing out: "Nanjing has begun to undergo a real change, and the focus of our policy is to unite with Chiang Kai-shek to resist Japan." He asked Pan to act as a secret envoy to Nanjing and Shanghai to contact the upper echelons of the Kuomintang. When Pan Hannian set off on September 8, he carried Mao Zedong's letters to Song Qingling, Zhang Naiqi, Shen Junru and other democrats.In the letter to Soong Ching Ling, she expressed the Chinese Communist Party's willingness to establish a united front, and asked her to introduce Pan to Kong Xiangxi, Sun Ke and other Kuomintang dignitaries to open up the upper-level line.

On September 8, Mao Zedong wrote three more letters.A letter to Shao Lizi, chairman of the Shaanxi Province of the Kuomintang.At that time, Shao published a speech on suppressing the Communists in the newspaper. Mao Zedong accused him of "suppressing the bandits and not saying a word about the imperial bandits. What a wise man has not seen much! To develop the Northwest and build the Northwest, the ambition of the gentleman is great. The method of the gentleman No. Yun: The general trend of the world, the long-term unity must be divided, and the long-term separation must be united. My brother and my husband have been separated for ten years. Now there is a chance to unite, sir, do you intend to "?Another letter was sent to Wang Jun, the Kuomintang general who besieged the Red Army, saying: "We have been fighting with you since Jinggangshan, and we have been fighting for ten years, and we can rest! We wrote a letter to the Kuomintang, in order to jointly resist Japan and implement the unanimous request of the whole country, sir. Patriotic athletes, I agree with you. Comrade Zhu Yujie (Germany) is very willing to cooperate with you. If you can communicate with him, you will spend less energy and save more anti-Japanese forces." The third letter to the Kuomintang Zhu Shaoliang, director of the Gansu Appeasement Office, advised him to "put aside suspicions and release grievances to deal with the common enemy. The suppression of bandits is not a life sentence, but a death sentence. My husband agrees to the united front, and I welcome it wholeheartedly. However, the matter is urgent. Procrastination will benefit the bandits who drive in. I wish to pay my respects to Mr. Jiang, and immediately make a decision, and the state affairs can still be done."

The above are only some of the letters written by Mao Zedong during this period.From the earnest, urgent and euphemistic language in the letter, it is not difficult to appreciate his good intentions.All in all, it's three words: can't fight.Later Mao Zedong also admitted that what he did was "buying short and selling short".In a real fight with the Kuomintang army, the Red Army preserved from the Long March was outnumbered.If northern Shaanxi cannot hold water, where else can the Red Army go?At that time, the Communist Party and the Red Army were really at a critical juncture. Mao Zedong hoped to find an opportunity to seek peace and tide over the difficulties from adversity.

Not only Mao Zedong actively united the front, other leaders of the central government also took action one after another. In early September, Zhou Enlai sent a letter to Chen Guofu and Chen Lifu, hoping that they would persuade Chiang Kai-shek to stop encircling and suppressing the Red Army and fight against Japan together. The Red Army is willing to negotiate at any time.He also sent a letter to Hu Zongnan: "Brother is an advanced man in Huangpu, and he is also the person Mr. Jiang trusts the most. If you can overcome the floating debate and stop the civil war immediately, people will praise you all over the country."

In order to increase the momentum of the united front, Mao Zedong called the leaders of the Second and Fourth Fronts on October 18, asking Zhu De, Xu Xiangqian, and He Long to use their old relationships to work as Kuomintang generals.The telegram said: "Our party's letter to the Kuomintang has had a great influence across the country and among the Kuomintang army, and has won the sympathy of the Kuomintang and all walks of life." We should seize the opportunity and make good use of it to strive for domestic peace and turn to the War of Resistance against Japan. Please follow the instructions of yesterday’s telegram: Commander-in-Chief Zhu wrote to Wang Jun and Mao Bingwen, Comrade Qianqian wrote to Hu Zongnan and other Huangpu students, and Comrade He Long wrote to He Zhuguo’s ministries and Hu Department, to develop our influence. The book is a sincere persuasion, without any boasting, and it will be effective. On the one hand, it will strictly strengthen the barriers, improve morale, and be in an invincible position. The handling situation is expected to recover." Mao Zedong also drafted on behalf of Xu Xiangqian I sent a letter to Hu Zongnan, which said: "Our department has been ordered by the Soviet government and the Red Army Military Committee to stop attacking your army and other Kuomintang troops, and only use self-defense measures when your army attacks. All issues will be negotiated by letter. , and always use peaceful means to achieve the goal of stopping the civil war and unitedly resisting Japan."

Although the painstaking lobbying and efforts won the sympathy and approval of the Kuomintang, especially the generals of the Northeast Army and Northwest Army, they did not relieve the military threat faced by the Northern Shaanxi Soviet Area.Because Chiang Kai-shek will not change his position.Chiang Kai-shek has accumulated ten years of anti-communist experience and knows the power of the Communist Party.Although the Japanese army invaded and the country was in crisis, he still insisted on the policy of "to fight against the outside world, we must first settle down at home", destroying the Red Army first and then dealing with the Japanese.Now that the Red Army has finally been trapped in northern Shaanxi, he will never give up this opportunity.Mao Zedong kept this in mind. Before the Chinese People's Liberation Army was about to cross the Yangtze River in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek asked Mao Zedong for peace.Mao Zedong categorically refused with the spirit of "it is better to chase the poor with the remaining bravery, and not to be famous and learn from the overlord".It is "that is, to use the way of the person to treat the person's body".

Since there is no hope for peace, Mao Zedong must find a way out for the Red Army. On October 7, 1936, after the first and fourth front armies met Ning, Mao Zedong and Zhu De and Zhang Guotao frequently exchanged telegrams and exchanged opinions before taking a rest.After learning that Chiang Kai-shek was about to launch the "Tongwei Battle" to encircle and suppress the Red Army, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to implement the Ningxia campaign plan ahead of schedule. On October 11, the Central Committee and the Military Commission issued the "October Combat Program". The main points are: The Fourth Front Army led the shipbuilding technical department to quickly advance to the Jingyuan and Zhongwei areas, and chose a crossing point that would be convenient for attacking the Zhongwei and Dingyuan camps. With accelerated efforts to build ships, all preparations for crossing the river were completed before November 10.The main forces of the Fourth Front Army rested their food in the Tongma Jinghui area, and sent most detachments to form a fan-shaped defense movement, approaching the enemy forces in Dingxi, Longxi, Wushan, Gangu, Qin'an, Zhuanglang, and Jingning, and keeping in contact with them. We advance and we do not retreat, the enemy advances and resists steadily, delaying its advance time, in order to keep the Westland Road in my hands in October. The army to attack Ning is to be composed of the entire Western Field Army of the First Army, the first part of the Dingyan Army, and three armies of the Fourth Front Army. If necessary, draw one to participate in the attack on Ning. After receiving the instructions from the Central Committee, the Fourth Front Army immediately took action up and down.Zhu, Zhang, Xu, and Chen analyzed the situation and decided to use the main Red 30th Army as the vanguard to cross the river and seize the time to build ships.Xu Xiangqian called Li Xiannian, the political commissar of the 30th Army, to explain the task.Li Xiannian accepted the task, stood up and left, but Xu Xiangqian refused to leave him for dinner. When the Fourth Front Army came out of Sichuan, it brought a shipbuilding team of more than a hundred people.Li Xiannian had worked as a carpenter and was able to direct shipbuilding expertly.They came to a hidden place by the Yellow River in Jingyuan, and started intense work around the clock. Cheng Shicai, the commander of the 30th Army, recalled: "At that time, shipbuilding was a very difficult job. The ship was built secretly in a hidden place 50 miles away from the Yellow River to prevent the enemy from knowing. Each large ship can accommodate a small group (8-9) people. It is planned We need to build 40. All the equipment needed for shipbuilding is found by ourselves temporarily. Arrangement of shipbuilding sites and personnel allocation is a very meticulous work, and at the same time we must strictly keep secrets. If you don’t pay attention, revealing your intentions too early will hinder Actions may even lead to the failure of the plan. The shipbuilding site is tens of miles away from the Yellow River, and every boat has to go up and down the mountain, cross many ravines, and carry it to the river. Being by the river is hard work." During this period, the central government kept calling and urging, and asked Peng Dehuai to send people to deliver wood planks, iron nails and other materials for shipbuilding.At the same time, the 30th Army began to scout the ferry along the Yellow River and prepare for the forced crossing.According to Li Xiannian's estimate, by November 10, 40 ships could be built, and there should be no problem for the army to cross the river. On October 18, Zhu De and Zhang Guotao sent a telegram to Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai: "The 30th Army said: The smuggling can take place on the evening of the 30th." But Mao Zedong couldn't wait, and replied the next day: "It is better for the 30th Army to prepare at least ten boats to start crossing the river. I am afraid that there are too few ships and not many troops, so we cannot succeed in one fell swoop. Whether the crossing of the river will start on the 20th, whether it will be delayed for a few days, please consider according to the specific situation.” The reason why Mao Zedong urged the Fourth Front Army to prepare for crossing the river as soon as possible was because Zhang Xueliang Secret notification: Chiang Kai-shek has ordered all troops to attack the Red Army.Although Zhang Xueliang sympathized with the Communist Party, but the military order was like a mountain, he could not stand still. On October 21, various Kuomintang armies launched an attack on the Red Army.Chiang Kai-shek was in Xi'an to supervise the battle, and Hu Zongnan's 1st Army, Mao Bingwen's 37th Army, and Wang Jun's 3rd Army attacked north from the Jingning and Tongwei lines.He fought fiercely with the 4th Army, 5th Army, and 31st Army, the rearguard troops of the Red Fourth Front Army, in the hilly areas of Jieshipu, Huajialing, Maying and other places.The Kuomintang army dispatched 7 planes to bomb it in turn. The terrain here is open, and there is almost nowhere to hide in the bare yellow land.The Kuomintang army could observe every move of the Red Army, and concentrated artillery fire on the Red Army's positions.After the Long March, the Fourth Red Army lacked ammunition and poor weapons. Although they resolutely resisted, they were still at a disadvantage.In the battle of Huajialing, the 5th Red Army suffered heavy losses, and Luo Nanhui, the deputy commander, was bombed by enemy planes and died.There were more than 800 casualties and those who lost contact with the troops. The 4th Army and the 31st Army were also forced to retreat steadily. On October 23, under the fierce attack of the Kuomintang Army, the Red Army was forced to abandon Huining City. The situation suddenly became tense.If the Kuomintang army does not stop attacking northward, it will soon push the Red Army to the edge of the Yellow River, putting the Red Army in a disadvantageous position of fighting against the water.Fortunately, the Kuomintang army did not dare to rush forward, which gave the Red Army a chance to fill the line of defense.Xu Xiangqian rushed from the Red Army headquarters to the front line to stabilize the defense. Under severe circumstances, crossing the river has become an urgent matter.As long as you cross the Yellow River, you can jump out of the encirclement of the Kuomintang army, implement the Ningxia campaign plan, and open up a new base.If you can't cross it, you may be compressed by the Kuomintang army in the small area of ​​Shaanxi and Gansu, and the consequences will be extremely serious. On the 24th, Zhang Guotao called Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao and ordered the 30th Army to start crossing the river: The Red 30th Army dispatched immediately after receiving the order. In the past 20 days, Li Xiannian led the shipbuilding team to work hard day and night, and built more than a dozen ships.They set off on the evening of the 24th and arrived at the Yellow River Ferry at Hubaokou at 22:00 at night.Cheng Shicai recalled: "When the army dispatched, they carried the boats up and forward to the river. Although the troops carried the boats, the movement was very fast. This section of the road was 50 miles long, and it was a very tense march. We first arrived at the riverside In fact, the enemy’s stronghold is unknown. There are many villages on the south bank of the river, and they are doing political work temporarily to mobilize fellow villagers not to go out. Just as our army was crossing the river, a fellow villager’s dog was barking. In order not to expose my actions, the fellow villagers’ dogs were paid Buy it and plug the dog's mouth." In the middle of the night, the 30th Army began to cross.This section of the Yellow River is about 500 meters wide, and it takes 20 minutes to reach the other side.When approaching the shore, the enemy army realized and fired in a panic.The brave soldiers of the 30th Army rushed ashore, concentrated their firepower to defeat the enemy's river defense, occupied the position on the opposite bank, and successfully crossed the river. When the 30th Red Army forcibly crossed the Yellow River, Zhu De and Zhang Guotao were meeting with Peng Dehuai and Xu Haidong in Dalacchi.Peng Dehuai informed Zhu and Zhang of the situation and the central Ningxia campaign plan, and Zhu and Zhang immediately telegraphed the central government: "We fully agree with the gist of the campaign plan proposed by Comrade Dehuai according to the new mission. We are studying a concrete plan based on today's situation. But Mao Zedong hesitated at this time. He had not received a call from Zhu and Zhang. On the 24th, he sent a telegram to Peng Dehuai asking him to discuss with Zhu and Zhang: "The 30th Army will quickly cross the river to control the west bank. The 9th Army plans to not cross the river temporarily. Afterwards, advance northward to the Haijing Line for defense. Are the main forces of the 4th and 5th armies sufficient? The 2nd Front Army must be prepared to transfer to the Haigu Line for defense if necessary in the future. Are the terrain conditions on the Gulong-Haijing Line and the south of it conducive to the enemy's attack or favorable to the enemy's attack? My defense, the results of the discussion will be announced quickly." Mao Zedong's telegram was later cited by historians as an important basis for his opposition to the Fourth Front Army's westward crossing of the Yellow River.If you read all the telegrams in those days, you can see that this telegram was not Mao Zedong's final decision.At that time, the battle situation was changing day by day, and Mao Zedong worried that if the crossing of the Yellow River to the west was not successful, and the Red Army's southern line could not withstand it, he would be squeezed by the Kuomintang army into a dangerous situation of fighting against the water.So he hoped to consolidate the southern line first, and then try to cross the river.The Red 30th Army successfully crossed the river, which opened the prelude to the Ningxia Campaign. On the morning of the 25th, the news reached the headquarters of the Red Army in Dalachi, which aroused cheers and the whole army was in high spirits.In the afternoon Peng Dehuai called Mao Zedong: On the same day, Zhu De, Zhang Guotao, and Peng Dehuai jointly called the Central Committee. In view of the success of crossing the river, they suggested that the main force of the four fronts quickly cross the river, seize Yishan, Yongdeng, and Gulang areas, and gain a firm foothold on the west bank of the Yellow River.Then "reserve a part of the mobile troops, and the line of a mountain and Wufo Temple, so as to assist the army on the one hand to cross the river from the Zhongwei and Lingwu sections in due course."These telegrams fully demonstrated that Peng Dehuai was in full agreement with Zhu Zhang and was preparing to cross the river with the whole army and occupy Ningxia. However, Mao Zedong had other plans. On the 25th, he and Zhou Enlai called Zhu Zhangpeng, proposing that "the first step should focus on defeating the southern enemy" and "the second step should focus on going north."It is necessary for the Fourth Front Army to cross the river with the 30th Army with one army, and then extend to the Zhongwei direction, and use one army to capture the Dingyuan Camp.The three armies of the Fourth Front Army and the Second Front Army on the east bank of the Yellow River built fortifications in the south of Dalachi to defend against Hu Zongnan's attack.After these two steps are completed, "the main force of the First Front Army and the Fourth Front Army will take control of the Hexi hub area and start to move, occupying the Jinji and Lingwu areas by sudden means. Make more attachments, quickly build a boat and prepare to cross the river." At this moment, the 9th Red Army has followed the 30th Red Army to the edge of the Yellow River, ready to cross the river.After receiving the order from the central government, the 9th Army had to stand by the river.Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao didn't know what the central government was going to do, so they had to arrange for the front army headquarters and directly subordinate teams to cross the river first.In this way, Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao crossed the Yellow River on October 27 and separated from the Red Army headquarters of Zhu De and Zhang Guotao. On October 26, there was a new change in the battle situation. The southern part of Hu Zong attacked the Red Army fiercely. The defensive 4th Army, 5th Army, and 31st Army could not resist and retreated steadily.Late that night, the Central Committee sent a telegram instructing the 9th Army to cross the river: Based on this order, Zhu De and Zhang Guotao instructed Xu Chen: "Mao and Zhou ordered the current focus of operations to focus on defeating the southern enemy and stop pursuing them. All our ministries should follow this instruction." The headquarters has already crossed the river, and the rest of the ministries should stop crossing the river." At this time, the 9th Army began to cross the river.Don't look at the delay of less than two days, the situation is much worse.Xu Xiangqian witnessed the situation of the Ninth Army crossing the river on the opposite bank: "The enemy planes came to bomb and straf in turn during the day, blocking the river, which caused great difficulties for our army. The troops crossed the river mainly after dusk to before sunrise. The crossing was bumpy and precarious. It takes at least an hour to go back and forth. By dawn on the 28th, our 30th Army, 9th Army and Front Army Command had completed crossing the river." After the 9th Army crossed the river, the 4th Army, 5th Army, and 31st Army also moved to the Yellow River under the oppression of Hu Zong's south.The situation was urgent, and Zhu Zhang called Mao and Zhou on the 28th, suggesting that the 31st Army cross the river. On the 29th, Mao and Zhou replied: "For the sake of quickly taking Ningxia, the 31st Army can cross the river immediately and follow up after the 9th Army and the 30th Army." We started crossing the river that day.The next day, the central government changed the order again: "In order to defeat the Hu enemy, the 31st Army will deploy and perform tasks according to the telegram of Dehuai at 20:00 on the 29th. After victory, the Zhongwei will cross the river." Return to the east coast.At this time, the Kuomintang army had already caught up, and Guan Linzheng marched towards Jingyuan.The 5th Army guarding the ferry couldn't resist it, and was unable to move closer to the Red Army headquarters in Dalaci, so they had to cross the river hastily in the Triangle City area.The Kuomintang planes bombed the Jingyuan Ferry and broke the pontoon bridge built by the Red Army.Zhu De and Zhang Guotao saw that Jingyuan had fallen and it was impossible to cross the river. If the 4th Army and the 31st Army were still wandering by the river, it must be a disaster.So Zhu Zhang ordered the 4th Army and the 31st Army to move closer to Dalachi and Tongxin City, and to join Peng Dehuai's troops to contain the enemy.At the same time, Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao in Hexi were notified, asking them to act independently to open up the situation in Hexi. During the implementation of the Ningxia campaign, the central government's instructions were repeated several times, which made frontline commanders such as Xu Xiangqian and Chen Changhao confused.After the failure of the West Route Army, Chen Changhao returned to Yan'an and wrote a long report as an explanation to the central government.Talking about the issue of crossing the river, he said: After the 30th Army successfully crossed the river, "The 9th Army and the 5th Army rushed northward, and the 4th Army and the 31st Army blocked the main road. Under the rapid advance of the enemy, the headquarters ordered to follow the 9th Army, The 5th Army crossed the river, and the 31st Army was also preparing to cross the river (most of the directly subordinate troops had already crossed the river, and then returned to Hedong). After we crossed the river, we stopped in Zhonghe Baoyue for a day and a night. In the middle, we received a telegram from Chairman Mao: "On the west of Hexi, there is only one Army, the headquarters led two armies still across the river to prepare to pinch the enemy. At this time, the 4th Army and the 31st Army were advancing towards Dalachi. In addition, the headquarters called at the same time, saying that the 4th Army and the 31st Army were planning to cross the river below Jingyuan. When we arrived at Sanjiao City, we returned the telegram from the headquarters: "With the approval of Chairman Mao, the 4th Army and the 31st Army will cross the river in Sanjiao City." Get ready to meet us." We waited until after 5 p.m. when we received a telegram from the headquarters saying: 'The two armies will not cross the river' before heading north. At this time, the 30th Army was taking the lead in repelling the Malu Cavalry Brigade and the Qimingshan Brigade. After the first brigade (Mabuqing Division), they took advantage of the victory and marched towards a mountain. The 9th Army and the headquarters assembled near Zhaojiashan and Suohanbao. After the loss of Huining, the 5th Army immediately guarded and rested in the Jingyuan Hexi area .” On the issue of not being able to cross the Yellow River, there are complicated factors for these twists and turns.Originally, it was decided at the Shawo meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee to seize Ningxia and Gansu and open up the Northwest base area.Mao Zedong disagreed with Zhang Guotao's hiding in the desolate minority areas, and insisted on establishing a base in Shaanxi and Gansu. He mainly considered that he was close to the Soviet Union and could get help from the Communist International. On November 3, Wang Ming and Chen Yun, who were in the Communist International, sent a telegram to the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, expressing that they would send supplies from Xinjiang to the Red Army.The telegram said: "It has been decided not to use the method of helping from Outer Mongolia. At the same time, we are studying the method of getting help from Xinjiang. If we transport about 1,000 tons of goods to Kazakhstan (Mi), is it possible for you to occupy western Gansu? Come to receive it? And please tell me how to receive it and what kind of specific transportation you will use." This telegram is exactly in line with the central government's intention to launch the Ningxia Campaign. In the general direction of carrying out the Ningxia campaign and opening up the international, the central government is consistent with Zhang Guotao.But who is going to perform this task, the question arises.Zhang Guotao was unwilling to go to northern Shaanxi to meet with the Central Committee. When he went north for the second time, he warned Chen Changhao: After the meeting, not only will I not be able to be the general political commissar, but you will also be unable to be the political commissar of the front army.Chen Changhao didn't believe it, and had a big fight with Zhang Guotao.Taking into account the situation in northern Shaanxi, Xu Xiangqian and other military commanders also hope to establish another base in Gansu, which echoes the situation in northern Shaanxi.Therefore, the Ningxia campaign is planned, and the four fronts agree with it.Zhang Guotao was even more eager to make meritorious service and atone for his crimes, and he was active in implementing the instructions of the central government.It is a clear proof that the Fourth Front Army overcame all kinds of difficulties and completed the task of crossing the river in such a short period of time. Does Zhang Guotao have any personal plans?Of course there is.At the Four Front Army Cadres Meeting held in Tongwei, he said: "If we stay in Gannan, under unfavorable circumstances, we will be forced to retreat to the Maoergai area. And the anti-Japanese slogan has been shouted, and we will go further south. Retreat will affect morale. If we break through the enemy's encirclement and advance towards northern Shaanxi, we will be intercepted by the enemy along the way. Moreover, all the Red Army will crowd into northern Shaanxi where there is a shortage of food, which will instead induce the enemy to concentrate and encircle one place, which is naturally more Unfavorable." So Zhang Guotao strongly advocated the westward advance. He said: "Our army's westward advance plan is correct and timely. In a political sense, if we hold the Hexi Corridor and the Xinjiang area, we can guarantee the future of the Northwest United Anti-Japanese Government. From a military point of view, it can disperse Chiang’s forces. The three points of the Hexi Corridor, northern Shaanxi and Yan’an will put Chiang’s army in Gansu in a situation where it will face enemies from many sides.” Chen Changhao could see Zhang Guotao's intentions very clearly.He later recalled: "He (Zhang Guotao) opposed the reunion, and his kingdom collapsed after a reunion. After arriving in Minzhou, he wanted to go west again, and after arriving in Huining, he asked our entire army to cross the river. Why did the entire army cross the river? Is he left alone? There is his reason: if the international route is opened up, aid is obtained, and the army is mechanized, it is his, and the central government has nothing to do with him.” Therefore, the Four Fronts Army crossed the river not only to fight, but also to find a place to live in Hexi.Not only did the troops cross the river, women, children, and the wounded and sick also followed.Chen Changhao said: "When Huining was organized, all the troops directly under the general headquarters, except for a few combat troops, the Red School, the Party School, and the small Ministry of Health, followed the headquarters, and the rest of the extremely large and heavy personnel were directed directly to the Quartet (that is, the front army directly under It refers to 1,500 sick patients, 1,500 children, and more than 400 disabled. In addition to the large direct troops of the armies themselves and expanded in Gannan (including women, children, and sick patients, each There are also a lot of military leaders). Therefore, the combatants account for at most 40% or even 38% of the total number of combat troops, and there are some people in the combat troops who do not have guns (such as recruits, returnees, and children who can carry guns). Therefore, there are Gunners can only account for 32% of the total population. This is the biggest weakness in the combat effectiveness and organization of the West Route Army.” Zhang Guotao's thoughts could not be hidden from Mao Zedong. On October 26, he sent a top-secret telegram to Peng Dehuai: On October 30, the Kuomintang army on the southern front was advancing step by step, and the main force of the Fourth Front Army had already crossed the river.Mao Zedong was very anxious, and telegraphed Zhu De and Zhang Guotao: "The policy is to attack the enemy first, and then attack Ningxia, otherwise it will be impossible to attack Ningxia. Please hold the key to this center and lead it. Except for the 9th and 30th armies that have crossed the river, the rest All of the first and second front armies, and the three armies of the fourth front army will all be deployed according to the Dehuai 29th, and if we win the first battle, the overall situation will be better." Another intention of the central organization for the Ningxia campaign was to allow Peng Dehuai to take over the command of the Fourth Front Army's Hedong troops during the unified command. Mao Zedong emphasized in a telegram to Peng on the 29th: "The whole battle must be in your hands alone." But Peng Dehuai couldn't do it, and he couldn't command Zhang Guotao.The central government asked Zhang Guotao to block the enemy forces on the southern front, but Zhang Guotao was eager to lead the Fourth Front Army across the river to the west to obtain supplies aided by the Soviet Union. On the 28th, Zhang Guotao stated his deployment in a telegram to the Central Committee and Xu Chen: "It is estimated that the enemy will advance at the same time, and our army must quickly capture the Dingyuan Camp and the Ningxia area. , Lingwu Jin. The Second Front Army must have a chance to rest at this time, and the main force of the Fourth Front Army must quickly obtain the Dingyuan Camp in Ningxia." Guaranteed to complete the task, fearing that the anti-counterfeiting will consume more. It is better to use natural obstacles to fortify the wall and clear the field, and use the fourth army to contain the enemy, and you can also gain the advantage of gaining time." "After obtaining the supplies, and then using the main force to fight back against the enemy who penetrated deep, it will be more sure .” Zhang Guotao naively thought that the Soviet Union had prepared a large number of weapons and equipment for him to get, so he pinned his hopes on Xu Chen and hoped that they would fight back soon.In addition, he refused to let the 4th Army and the 31st Army fight recklessly with the Kuomintang Army.Peng Dehuai couldn't mobilize the Fourth Front Army, so he could only report to Mao Zedong: "Zhang is always vacillating in attacking Hu enemies. Strength, easy to talk about." Combat requires the most concerted efforts, and the commanders of the two armies seem to be at odds with each other, so this battle will definitely not be fought well.Due to the disunity of the command of the Red Army, the Kuomintang army successively occupied Jingyuan, Dalachi and Zhongwei, cutting off the Ningxia passage.The main force of the Fourth Front Army crossing the river was cut off from the Red Army in Hedong, and they couldn't come back even if they wanted to. When Peng Dehuai later talked about the Ningxia campaign, he said: "After Zhang Guotao arrived at Dalachi, two divisions of the enemy Wang Jun followed the cut-off part of the Fourth Front Army. You can attack from the side after chasing the enemy, and set up an ambush position in Dalachi. In this way, it is completely possible to eliminate Wang Jun's troops, and in this way, you can also get in touch with the main force of the North Crossing of the Fourth Front Army. Zhang agreed verbally, but secretly ordered Wang Hongkun's troops (4 Army ) withdrew in the direction of Tongxin City, which destroyed the combat deployment at that time. Zhang Shang and I set up an ambush position between Haiyuan and Tongxin City to annihilate Wang Jun's troops. He agreed verbally, but in fact he ordered the 4th Army to withdraw eastward , The ambush plan was destroyed again. Zhang Guotao repeatedly disrupted the combat deployment, so we had to give up a large piece of land west of Yuwang.” However, Wang Hongkun, who commanded the 4th Army and the 31st Army’s blocking operations, recalled that because the Kuomintang army cooperated with the aircraft to send us The 4th Army and the 31st Army were in danger of being divided and surrounded. The Red Army was forced to fight and retreat to the areas of Dalachi, Yanchi, and Dingbian, and suffered considerable losses.He said: "Some people say that this battle was not fought because Zhang Guotao sent a telegram secretly ordering Wang Hongkun to retreat, which destroyed the battle plan. But in fact I did not receive such an order. Since the telegram, I have not received a separate letter from Zhang Guotao." My telegram order." Seeing that the Ningxia campaign could not be carried out, the central government issued a new operational plan on November 8, changing it to develop in the southeast direction and expand the Soviet area to southern Shaanxi as much as possible.Prepare for a new strategic shift if the situation deteriorates.At this time, Hu Zongnan occupied Haiyuan in the south, Zhu De and Zhang Guotao led the 4th Army and 31st Army to retreat to Tongxin City, and joined Peng Dehuai again.Mao Zedong called to tell Zhu Zhang: Hu Zongnan's main force was moving towards Yuwangbao in an attempt to cut off the Red Army's retreat to northern Shaanxi.It is suggested that the Red Army retreat to Shanbao, Hongdecheng, and Helianwan to gather in the area to block the attack of the Kuomintang army.Mao Zedong also said that Zhou Enlai had been sent to Helianwan to meet Zhu De and Zhang Guotao. Facing the unfavorable situation, Peng Dehuai was also very anxious.He knew that "there was no food in the base area in northern Shaanxi. At that time, Bao'an County had only a population of more than 10,000. If it could not hold water, it would be forced to abandon northern Shaanxi and cross the Yellow River east. This situation is very unfavorable. In any case, we must save this situation".He called Mao Zedong and insisted on a war.Mao Zedong called back: "After Zhu Zhang comes to security, the frontline troops will be under your command, so you can do it freely." After Peng Dehuai got the command, he transferred the First Army Corps of the First Front Army and Xu Haidong's Fifteenth Army Corps to the mountain castle in Huanxian County to hide, preparing to ambush Hu Zongnan.When retreating, strengthen the walls and clear the fields along the road.Northern Shaanxi is arid, especially water-scarce.The river water was bitter and undrinkable, and the common people dug water cellars to store snow water.Wherever the Red Army passed, all the water in the water cellars was consumed, leaving the Kuomintang army in a predicament of water shortage and unable to go deep.Sure enough, Wang Jun's troops stopped the pursuit, and only Hu Zong's southern lone army went deep into the east of Yuwang Fort.Peng Dehuai estimated that the enemy must find a place with a water source to camp, and only the mountain castle nearby has a water source.There are only a few families here, and there is a thin spring water.The vanguard of the enemy army has arrived at Sweetwater Fort, and the next stop must be Mountain Castle.Sure enough, on November 21, under the command of brigade commander Liao Ang, the 232nd Brigade of the 78th Division in the south of Hu Zong came to the mountain castle to camp at dusk.At Peng Dehuai's order, the First Army and the Fifteenth Army of the First Front Army, and the Fourth Army and the 31st Army of the Fourth Front Army launched attacks from all directions.The enemy rushed to the battle, wanting to stand against the Red Army overnight, and fight again at dawn to find out the situation.Unexpectedly, the Red Army attacked fiercely at night, so that Liao Ang did not know how many Red Army troops came. The troops were in chaos, and most of them were wiped out by the Red Army.After dawn the next day, the division commander Ding Delong sent troops to reinforce, but the Red Army had long disappeared. The victory in the Battle of the Mountain Castle boosted the morale of the Red Army, and it turned out that Hu Zongnan was not invincible.Hu Zongnan received a blow to the head and tasted the strength of the Red Army.Afterwards, Hu Zongnan became more cautious and did not dare to act rashly.Until the "Xi'an Incident", the Kuomintang army did not dare to attack the Red Army in northern Shaanxi again.This gave the Central Committee and the Red Army a chance to rest. Besides, Zhu De and Zhang Guotao, accompanied by Zhou Enlai, set off from Helianwan for security.Zhang Guotao didn't know how the central government would treat him, so he felt uneasy, and asked about the situation when he saw acquaintances.In Huining, he talked with Xu Haidong for several days to learn more about the situation after the central government arrived in northern Shaanxi.Xu Haidong talked about the misunderstanding with the Red Army in northern Shaanxi when he first arrived in northern Shaanxi, and he admired Mao Zedong's decisive measures to deal with the expansion of counter-revolutionaries and consolidate the base areas in northern Shaanxi.Xu Haidong is a worker and peasant cadre with a straightforward personality. Zhang Guotao believes that he is telling the truth.见到周恩来后，张国焘又听他介绍国内外形势，感叹世事变化之快，自己真是孤陋寡闻。谈话之后，张国焘为周恩来的水平和魅力折服，认识到“我须急起学习，赶紧拍去满身游击的征尘，换上知识分子的道袍，以适应城市生活”。 11月30日，朱德、张国焘率红军总部机关到达保安，受到毛泽东等中共中央负责人和红一方面军指战员的热烈欢迎。中直机关的童小鹏在日记中写道：“朱、张两总今日即入京，每一个人都带着很热烈的希望，望他们早些到来。看见过的，是想早点看看在藏民区艰苦奋斗一年多的他们的面容是消瘦几多？未见过的同志，是想早点看到中国革命的领袖们的姿态是肥是瘦，是高是矮？尤其希望他们早点到来，使党与红军的指挥更求得统一与团结。”大家从早晨7时就在保安街道两边列队等候，直到下午3时，“看见远处泥尘起处，十数匹马跑来，大家都知道来了。一会儿，在欢迎队伍的口号声中，在歌声中，两总，久望到来的领袖，在数千人的先头，随同去迎接的三领袖们并列到来了。他们虽然是在艰苦斗争中身体瘦衰了许多，衣服是穿得单旧，但精神上仍表现出无比的英勇、坚决、喜悦、快乐。从此党更能进一步的团结指挥，更能集中了。争取更大的胜利，开展新的局面，是更加有保证了！这样就达到了大家许久的热望！”这段描写，是当时在场的每个红军战士的真实感受。 德国人李德也站在欢迎队伍中间。他回忆说：“我是他们到达保安的见证人。看上去他们的情绪相当低落，大多数人的衣服破烂不堪，各种各样的颜色混杂在一起，甚至还能看到穿着喇嘛服和藏族服的人。但是从表面的印象来判断，纪律显得并不涣散。参谋部和警卫部队的武器，简直让人不能再有过多的奢望了。”与一年多以前的两河口会师相比，双方正好换了个位置。 毛泽东、张闻天等中共中央负责人和红军学校校长林彪站在欢迎队伍的前列，笑容满面地与张国焘握手致意，亲切的情景与两河口会师没什么两样。毛泽东站在一张桌子上向红军讲话，热烈欢迎朱德、张国焘的到来。张国焘也讲了话，他特别强调了党内的团结。 此时此刻，朱德的心情是最激动的。当时在场的王平回忆：“朱总司令在队前讲话。他说：'我回到中央，看到你们很高兴……'说着，他掉下了眼泪。队列里很安静。停了一下，他接着说：'我这是激动的热泪，人伤心时掉泪，高兴时也掉泪，我这是高兴。是无产阶级的感情。我现在的心情无法用语言来形容，眼泪才是真挚感情的流露。'队伍里爆发出雷鸣般的掌声。”从井冈山就跟随朱德的人，都很少见到朱德如此动情的场面。只有在这一年间跟随朱德的同志，才明白朱德为了维护红军的团结，避免分裂，受了多少委屈，付出了多少心血。现在朱、毛又站在一起了，酸甜苦辣涌上心头。朱德这样刚强的人，也不免老泪纵横。 朱德、张国焘到保安与中央会合时，彭德怀率领三个方面军在河东的部队转移到庆阳地区，保卫陕北根据地。徐向前、陈昌浩率领红四方面军的三个军向河西走廊行军，他们根本没有想到，等待西路军的会是什么命运。