Chapter 65 In another year or so, the KMT will be fundamentally defeated

(November 11, 1948) Lin Luo, Liu Tan[1], and told the comrades in charge of the Northeast Bureau, all bureaus, and front committees: (1) I am very pleased to receive and read the report on the progress of the Xuqi battle[2].That is to say, forward it to the front committees of the field armies for reference.The Central Committee's congratulatory message to you on your victory is expected to be printed and distributed to the entire army to boost morale. (2) You still have many new experiences and lessons, and I hope you will write a telegram to promote them. (3) In addition to the rear troops, the entire Kuomintang army is divided into six groups: Xuzhou, Shenyang, Peiping, Hankow, Xi'an, and Taiyuan, with the two largest groups in Xuzhou and Shenyang as the backbone. The Shenyang group has already been dealt with by me. If most of it can be solved by me, the Kuomintang has lost its main force.The victories of our entire army in September and December, especially the victories in the Northeast and Jinan, have fundamentally changed the situation between the enemy and ourselves.In the more than four months of fighting from July to the present, a total of nearly one million enemy troops have been wiped out.The entire Kuomintang army (including those recruited in recent months) is now less than 3 million strong, while our army has grown to over 3 million strong.In the first ten days of September (before the Battle of Jinan), at the meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee[3], it was proposed to build an army of 5 million and wipe out 500 regular divisions in about five years. The great victory of the Communist Party of China already appears to be lagging behind.The completion of this task will probably only take another year or so.In other words, it is no longer possible for the Kuomintang to mobilize another 3 million people, and our army no longer needs to spend another three years (counting from July this year) annihilating 300 regular divisions of the enemy in order to achieve the goal of fundamentally defeating the Kuomintang.Our army will be able to achieve this goal in about another year or so by annihilating about one hundred of its divisions.However, it will take more time to completely eliminate the Kuomintang and occupy the whole country.Our party and our army must still advance steadily, without arrogance or impetuosity, in order to achieve complete victory.Our slogan is: "Army marches forward, production increases by an inch, discipline is strengthened, and the revolution is invincible." Please announce the above to the cadre meeting.

Mao Zedong Xu Zhen Printed from manuscript. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] Lin Luoliu refers to Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, and Liu Yalou, who were respectively the commander, political commissar, and chief of staff of the Northeast Field Army at that time.Tan, refers to Tan Zheng (1907-1988), a native of Xiangxiang, Hunan, who was then the director of the Political Department of the Northeast Field Army. [2] Refers to the telegram sent by Lin Biao, Luo Ronghuan, Liu Yalou, and Tan Zheng to Mao Zedong and the Northeast Bureau on November 8, 1948, summarizing the general situation of the September and December operations.

[3] Refers to the enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held in Xibaipo, Jianping County (now Pingshan County), Hebei, from September 8 to 13, 1948.