Chapter 167 Chapter 19 The Shandong Military Region Counterattack: Winning the Final Victory

On July 26, 1945, the governments of China, the United States, and the United Kingdom issued the "Potsdam Proclamation", ordering the Japanese government to immediately announce the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces.However, the Japanese government rejected the announcement. On August 8, the Soviet Union officially declared war on Japan and dispatched troops to Northeast China ahead of schedule.Subsequently, the Soviet Union sent the Post-Baikal Front Army, the 1st and 2nd Far East Front Army, led by Marshal Malinovsky, Marshal Meletskov and General Pulkayev respectively, and divided their forces into 3 routes from the west, east and north. A centripetal assault was carried out in depth in northeast China.

On August 9, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China urgently convened the second meeting of the First Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee to discuss the situation after the Soviet Union entered the war and the party's tasks.Mao Zedong first said: "The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China is preparing to issue a statement on the issue of the Soviet Union declaring war on Japan." He went on to say: "The Soviet Union's entry into the war brought the War of Resistance Against Japan into its final stage. We have four tasks: Cooperative Operations, Stopping the Civil War, Centralization and Unification, and Negotiations between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. Cooperative Operations is to cooperate with the Soviet Red Army, and the specific cooperation has to wait for the war to unfold. Yes We should extensively develop the Japanese army's offensive, which is related to the prevention of civil war. Letting go of the Japanese army's offensive will not commit adventurism, and we must learn from larger-scale operations. If we don't let go of the strategy today, we will make mistakes. Of course, the campaign We must be cautious, and attack if possible. Japan handed over the defense to Chiang Kai-shek, and this kind of defense is generally difficult to stop. Chiang’s is in the middle, and our articles will be written on the left and right wings.” He paused thoughtfully. After a while, I pointed out: "The United States is bound to rely on Chiang Kai-shek, so I, the United States, and Chiang will be in trouble for a long time. The danger of civil war will increase with the collapse of Japan." Minutes of speeches at the meeting, August 9, 1945.)

On the same day, Mao Zedong issued an important statement to the whole country - "The Last Battle Against the Japanese Invaders".The statement said: On August 8, the Soviet government declared that it would be time to fight, and the Chinese people warmly welcomed it.Due to this action by the Soviet Union, the duration of the war against Japan will be greatly shortened.The war against Japan is at its final stage, and the time has come for the final victory over the Japanese aggressors and all their lackeys.Under such circumstances, all anti-Japanese forces of the Chinese people should carry out a nationwide counter-offensive and closely and effectively cooperate with the Soviet Union and other allied countries in fighting.The Eighth Route Army, the New Fourth Army and other people's armies should, under all possible conditions, carry out extensive attacks against all aggressors and their lackeys who are unwilling to surrender, annihilate the strength of these enemies, seize their weapons and assets, violently expand the liberated areas and shrink the occupied areas. Area.It is necessary to freely organize armed work teams, hundreds and thousands of teams go deep behind the enemy's rear, organize the people, smash the enemy's communication lines, and cooperate with the regular army in fighting.It is necessary to mobilize the millions of people in the enemy-occupied areas, immediately organize an underground army, prepare for an armed uprising, cooperate with the army attacking from outside, and destroy the enemy.Attention should still be paid to the consolidation of the liberated areas.This winter and next spring, among the existing 100 million people and the people in all the newly liberated areas, we should generally implement rent and interest reductions, develop production, organize the people's political power and the people's armed forces, strengthen the work of the militia, strengthen the discipline of the army, and uphold the principles of the people of all walks of life. united front to prevent waste of manpower and material resources.All of this is to strengthen our army's attack on the enemy.The people of the whole country must pay attention to stop the danger of civil war and strive to promote the establishment of a democratic coalition government.A new stage of China's national liberation war has arrived, and the people of the whole country should strengthen their unity and fight for the final victory.

According to this statement by Mao Zedong, Commander-in-Chief Zhu De issued the No. 1 Order of the Anti-Japanese Counterattack on August 10: On the 11th, the Yan'an headquarters issued orders No. 2 to No. 7 in succession, ordering all counter-offensive forces to advance to the predetermined combat area.