Chapter 155 6. Carry out the policy of developing northward

As soon as Geng Biao took office, he assisted Cheng Zihua in commanding the autumn and winter offensives in 1944. The focus of this offensive is still to destroy the enemy's railway lines and highways as the main goal. Among them, the main task of the eastern Jidong District is to fight against "mopping up", and the task of other districts is to actively cooperate with the eastern Jidong District to counter "mopping up". Advance in areas where the enemy is weak.By the end of the year, the army and civilians in the whole region fought bravely, conquered and forced back more than 1,000 enemy strongholds and bunkers, recovered a vast area, and created conditions for the subsequent counter-offensive.

At the beginning of December 1944, Mao Zedong, on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, issued a call to "expand the liberated areas and shrink the enemy-occupied areas" to all liberated areas across the country. In order to guide operations in various strategic areas, before that, Mao Zedong called the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Sub-bureau on November 24: On December 18, Mao Zedong called Cheng Zihua, acting commander of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region, asking them to further implement the strategic policy of developing northward.The telegram pointed out: "1. The hostile Chiang is still fighting and pulling. Now it is time to pull, but it may be fought in the future. 2. Chiang is unwilling to make any concessions in principle to our party. Our party should insist on a coalition government. This position does not close the door of negotiation, and the other should not be discussed again, and the result is still procrastination. 3. The expansion of occupied areas, if our party can implement the correct policy, the existing army can be consolidated, and it can be expanded in new areas. Expand the army. 4. The four provinces of Henan, Hunan, Guangdong, and Zhejiang are likely to develop greatly next year. The Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region has drawn 6,000 troops and cadres to Henan and Hunan. 5. Henan is developing. You no longer dare to threaten, and there is no need to increase your troops. 6. I hope you will work hard to develop the enemy-occupied areas in Yanbei, Suidong, Chahar, Rehe, and eastern Hebei, and expand the liberated areas. At the same time, work hard in urban work.”

According to the instructions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, on December 20, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Branch of the Communist Party of China made a "decision on the development of Pingsui Road work across the country".In order to implement the instructions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, in mid-February 1945, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Branch of the Communist Party of China and the military region held a meeting of party committees and cadres of the second-level military region.The meeting was presided over by Cheng Zihua, acting secretary of the branch.The meeting discussed and formulated the "Program for Expanding the Liberated Areas in 1945".

At the meeting, Cheng Zihua said: "The expansion of the liberated areas in 1945 must adhere to the principle of developing northward, with the main goal of liberating the areas on both sides of the Ping-Sui Railway and the area south of the Jin (zhou) Cheng (De) Highway, and open up Yanbei, Chanan, Suidong, Rehe, Ziyahedong, Daqinghe, Jinpu Road East and other areas. In addition to the main development direction, try to force back the strongholds and bunkers of the enemy and puppet troops that have penetrated into the interior and peripheral areas, reduce the enemy-occupied area, expand In the liberated areas, turn the work of squeezing the enemy into a mass movement."

"For this reason, each region must organize armed labor teams to extend to the enemy-occupied areas on the one hand, and on the other hand, use the favorable opportunity to cooperate with the armed labor teams with the main force to organize large-scale guerrilla warfare and carry out the work of opening up new liberated areas. Expand the offensive in the liberated areas , is scheduled to start operations in May.” "One of the main tasks of the Hebei-Shandong Military Region is to recover the vast enemy-occupied areas south of Pingsui Road (Yanbei) and north (Suidong). This area includes Yanggao in the east and Datong, Jining, and Hongge in the west. Ertu."

In addition, the meeting also emphasized the need to expand the army, strengthen command organs at all levels, improve military technology, strengthen internal and external unity of the army, strengthen political work and logistics work, prepare cadres, mobilize the masses, organize armed forces, etc., and actively do everything to expand the liberated areas Preparations to carry out offensive operations as planned. According to this plan, the soldiers and civilians of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region launched a large-scale spring and summer offensive against the Japanese and puppet troops from January to July 1945 under the unified command of the sub-bureau and the military region.

On April 18, 1945, Mao Zedong sent another telegram to the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Branch Bureau of the Communist Party of China, clearly stating that the main development direction of the expansion of the liberated areas in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region should be in the Re, Liao, and Yanbei areas in order to open up Chabei and Northeast China.