Chapter 3 Chapter 03 Focusing on the Southwest, advancing towards Lhasa in multiple ways

To enter Tibet, we can only take two routes, the southwest or the northwest. Before and after the founding of the Republic, there were many generals under Mao Zedong's command.There is Peng Dehuai in the northwest, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping in the southwest, and Chen Yi in the southeast. The generals guard each side. Mao Zedong decided to march into Tibet from the southwest and manage Tibet.There are historical, geographical factors, and more strategic thinking.Marching from the southwest can quickly and effectively consolidate the southwest frontier defense, and can first eliminate the military forces of the Tibetan local army in eastern and southeastern Tibet.This is the area with the most complex terrain in Tibet.If we march from the northwest and fail to gather and annihilate the main force of the Tibetan local army in northern Tibet or the former Tibet, they will collapse into the mountains in southeastern Tibet, using the terrain to preserve their living military forces, and contend with us to quickly resolve the Tibet issue. The outlook becomes blurred.What's more, there are international factors full of variables?

With the changes in the civil war situation, Mao Zedong, who was eager to liberate Tibet, decided to let the Northwest be responsible for the liberation of Tibet, and then the Southwest would be responsible for managing Tibet.In the northwest, the fierce Ma Bufang troops were wiped out in less than a day and night in the Battle of Lanzhou.The liberation of Qinghai and Xinjiang almost did not lose a single soldier.And I heard that the road from the northwest to Tibet is flat and easy to travel, and with the cooperation of the Panchen Lama Group, it can be said that it takes advantage of the right time, place and people.However, the war in the Southwest has not been extinguished, and the remnants of the Kuomintang are still stubbornly resisting.The remnants of the Kuomintang in western Sichuan are quite rampant.Whether it is a large-scale battle or annihilation of a small group of bandits, the Second Field has to use a considerable amount of troops.

On the night of November 23, the eve of his visit to the Soviet Union, Mao Zedong sent an urgent telegram to Peng Dehuai in his study in Fengzeyuan, Zhongnanhai, asking the Northwest to undertake the task of entering Tibet. After receiving Mao Zedong's telegram, Peng Dehuai was extremely excited. But there is one thing that he feels uncertain: what is the condition of the road from the northwest to Tibet? He ordered Fan Ming, the head of the Liaison Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to investigate this, and ordered the intelligence and investigation departments to conduct a full understanding of the terrain, products, economy, transportation, etc. of Tibet and the bordering areas of Tibet within a period of one month.The result of the investigation is that it is too difficult for the Northwest to enter Tibet, and it will take two years just to prepare...

The beautiful Sister River flows quietly. By the river, there is a Kuntsevo villa, which is one of the attractions of Moscow.During the Great Patriotic War, Stalin lived here, so it is fully equipped, the interior is very comfortable, and the environment is extremely beautiful. Mao Zedong, who visited the Soviet Union for the first time, was arranged to live here. Leaning on the sofa, Mao Zedong smoked one cigarette after another.He was in a bad mood. No braised pork and red peppers here, just undercooked beef.What is even more disturbing is that New China has just been established and is in urgent need of spiritual and material assistance from "Big Brother".But in the past few days, Stalin's relationship with China and the negotiations on the relevant treaties have been hot and cold, and he has been on the verge of leaving.Mao Zedong's national pride was strongly stimulated.

He fell ill and yelled at the Soviet liaison officer: You called me Mao Zedong to the Soviet Union and did nothing. What did I come for?Am I here just to eat, shit, and sleep here every day? Just at this time, Peng Dehuai's telegram arrived. According to the telegram, according to investigations, the line from Halamulun Mountain Pass to Shigatse via Qili Lake Tamsaki, to the west belongs to Houzang, and to the east belongs to Qianzang. The population of the whole of Tibet is less than 2 million.The areas around Lhasa in former Tibet and the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin are densely populated, with agriculture as the mainstay, followed by animal husbandry.Houzang is mostly a nomadic area, and the residence is not fixed.It takes 17 days to cross the Kunlun Mountains from Yutian and Hotan to Heihe on the Tibetan border and from the salt lake.It is said that it takes 40 days to cycle from Heihe from Salt Lake to Lhasa, and it is said that it takes 2 months.It is extremely difficult to enter Tibet from southern Xinjiang, and special equipment is required to fly over the Kunlun Mountains.In addition, it is feasible for Hashgar to go through Pubian and the east abdomen of the Pamirs, but it has to go through India, and it is easy to travel eastward into North Tibet, but due to political restrictions, it is impossible.

It takes 5 days to pass through the snow-covered area from Qinghai Daheba via Bossekutel Beributu to Tanggula Mountain Pass (that is, the snow mountain at the junction of the three provinces of Qingkang and Tibet). It takes 2 and a half days to walk from Heihe to Lhasa. Outside the agricultural area, the whole is a nomadic area. From Yushu in Qinghai to Lhasa via Xikang, Enda, Jiali, and Taizhao, this road is easier than the Dalu mentioned above, but Daheba, Yushu to the nomadic areas in the northern part of Qamdo, and the agricultural areas in Qamdo, Jiali, and Taizhao. Take some food here.In short, entering Tibet from Qinghai and Xinjiang is the most difficult and difficult to overcome.It is divided into two roads from Dajianlu, one road is Jingtang and Keqing, the other road passes through Ganzi and Qamdo, and the two roads enter Tibet, which are both easier than Qing and Xin roads.If the task of entering Tibet is assigned to the northwest, troops must be stationed in Hotan, Yutian, and Yushu to store food, build roads, and complete preparations for entering Tibet. It will take 2 years.Moreover, the two roads from southern Xinjiang to Tibet and from Daheba to Qianzang are only accessible for 4 months a year (that is, from mid-May to September), and the remaining 8 months are closed due to heavy snow.

In Lanzhou and Xining, there are currently about 300 Tibetan training classes (Tibetans from Gansu and Qinghai provinces). Songpan and Maogong also sent dozens of representatives to Lanzhou to pay their respects.The Panchen Lama has returned to Kumbum Monastery in Xining.If entering Tibet is assigned to the Southwest Military Region, the above-mentioned Tibetan mass training class may strive to send some of them to Tibet with the army in the future. Mao Zedong read the telegram several times in succession, and then put it in a book.Today is December 30th. The calendar quietly opened the first page of 1950.

Throughout the day on January 1, Mao Zedong visited and worshiped in Moscow.He had a habit of taking a break after supper and working until late at night. The first thing after the meal he thought of Peng Dehuai's telegram, and thought of distant Tibet. In other words, Mao Zedong's first major event in the second half of the 20th century was to deploy the liberation and management of Tibet. The soldiers of Erye and the 18th Corps had just liberated Chengdu with their lives and blood. The whole army was immersed in the joy of victory. They needed a sufficient time to rest.From the War of Resistance Against Japan to the War of Liberation, the Second Army was the unit that suffered the most.The strings of war are tense on everyone's nerves, and they should also enjoy the family happiness.Moreover, the Sichuan-Tibet line is full of difficulties and obstacles. Crossing the Hengduan Mountains, there are more than a dozen snow-capped mountains in the middle.

Then slow down the pace of liberating Tibet?No, on the contrary, the encounter in Moscow made Mao Zedong more strongly aware that mainland China must be unified as soon as possible, and the Chinese nation must rise as soon as possible. Ten thousand years is too long to seize the day. Mao Zedong's thoughts were like a torrent, rushing down from left to right. In the early morning, Mao Zedong picked up the brush.He is a great calligrapher and likes to use a brush instead of a pen on weekdays.This visit to the Soviet Union also brought the "Four Treasures of the Study".He worked hard at his desk and wrote a top-secret telegram to the Central Committee, Peng Dehuai, Deng Xiaoping, Liu Bocheng, and He Long.

The telegram stated that Comrade Dehuai's telegram on December 30 about the situation in Tibet and the route to Tibet had been received and read.Please forward this telegram to the Central Committee for research by Comrades Liu, Deng, and He. Although Tibet has a small population, its international status is extremely important. We must liberate it and transform it into a people's democratic Tibet.Since it is very difficult to march to Tibet from Qinghai and Xinjiang, the task of marching to Tibet and managing Tibet should be determined by the Southwest Bureau. Since entering Tibet from the northwest is only possible for four months from mid-May to mid-September each year, and the roads are blocked by heavy snow for the remaining eight months, the time for entering Tibet from Xikang may be the same.And if the march to Tibet is not made in mid-April this year, the march will have to be postponed until 1951.I believe that if there are no insurmountable difficulties, we should strive to start marching into Tibet in mid-April this year, and liberate all of Tibet before October.

Mao Zedong put forward six specific instructions on the preparations for entering Tibet: A. Comrades Liu, Deng, and He San are invited to have a meeting in the near future (for example, mid-January) to decide on issues such as the troops entering Tibet and the responsible cadres who will lead and manage Tibet, and start to arrange everything immediately; B. Immediately occupy Dajianlu, and use it as a base to plan for entering Tibet; C. Within three and a half months from now (early January) to mid-April, The troops designated to enter Tibet should strive to divide into two routes from Dajianlu, advance to the border area of ​​Xikang and Tibet, repair the vehicle road or cart road, and prepare to enter Tibet in mid-April; D. Collect Tibetans and train cadres; E. I heard that there are only 6,000 troops in Tibet, and they are scattered. It seems that there is no need for the three armies I proposed in the last telegram, but only one sufficient army or four divisions with a total of about 40,000 troops. Sufficient, but requires special political training and equipped with sophisticated weapons; , The troops entering Tibet can be changed every 3 years to boost morale. At the end of the telegram, Mao Zedong said: "It is a glorious and arduous task for our party to enter and manage Tibet. The Southwest has just been occupied, and the comrades in the Southwest Bureau are very busy with work, and now they are given the task of entering Tibet. However, because the task is important and time-sensitive, Pretending to be the above suggestions. Whether these suggestions are feasible, please plan to reply to the Southwest Bureau." The last signature on the telegram was: "Mao Zedong, far away on the morning of January 2." Indeed, it was already past 4 o'clock in the morning after writing this telegram.Pushing open the door of the room, Mao Zedong saw a Moscow covered in silver. The telegram was completed in one go, and only a few words were changed, which shows that Mao Zedong had been thinking about the Tibet issue for a long time, and he had a plan in mind.On a piece of white paper, cursive and cursive interspersed, and several characters were almost connected together, making it difficult to read, indicating that Mao Zedong's pen could no longer keep up with his thinking speed. From the beginning to the end of a word, and to the end of this telegram, we seem to be watching a magnificent dance on paper. On the same day, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Military Commission officially issued an order, giving specific instructions on marching into Tibet: Based on the Southwest Bureau and the Second Field Army, with the cooperation of the Northwest Bureau and the First Field Army, it began to organize the march to Tibet in April, and liberate all of Tibet before October.After the Tibet troops arrive in Tibet, they must conscientiously implement the party's ethnic policy and religious policy and do a good job in united front work. They must win over the upper echelons, influence and unite the masses, protect patriotic and law-abiding lama temples, respect the freedom of religious belief and customs, and unite closely This nation strives to unite all patriotic forces that can be united, and concentrates on attacking imperialism and its loyal lackeys—pro-imperialist separatists. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Mao Zedong felt very urgent to liberate Tibet. In Chongqing, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping received a telegram with four thick and black A letters from Mao Zedong. After negotiation and Zhang Guohua's consent, it was determined that Zhang Guohua would lead the 18th Army of the Second Field into Tibet. On January 7, Liu Deng called Mao Zedong and reported this idea. On January 10, Mao Zedong replied to Liu Denghe, expressing his full agreement. Also on January 10, He Long in Chengdu wrote a "Report on the Situation of Tibet" to Mao Zedong, Peng Dehuai, and Liu Deng on the issue of marching into Tibet after full research, and put forward specific opinions on the route to Tibet. He said that there are usually three routes to go to Tibet via Kham: one is from Dajianlu to Lhasa via Ganzi, Dege, Qamdo, and Jiali.This is the old road for Zhao Erfeng to enter Tibet at the end of the Qing Dynasty, and there is a post station.However, there are many and steep mountains. Between Qamdo and Jiali, there are two snow-capped mountains in the east and west, both at an altitude of 5,000 to 6,000 meters. For every 1,000 meters in height, the temperature (Celsius) drops by 4 degrees, and it is snow-covered all the year round, making it the most difficult to walk.The second is from Qamdo to Enda, going northwest, passing through Leiwuqi, Deqing, Sarsondo, Suokezong to Heihe, and then turning to Lhasa.The third is to go westward from Ganzi to Yushu, pass through Bumula, and go up the Geerji River to Tanggula and Heihe. This road is the back of the plateau.He Long emphasized that the selection of the route still needs further study.But no matter which way you go, you need to use Ganzi as a supply station.There is an old road foundation from Ganzi to Dajianlu, which can be repaired and opened to traffic.We have started to form three regiments, and after a little training and preparation, we can start to build roads. He Long also made a detailed report on Tibet's climate and religious sects.He especially emphasized: "Whether religious issues are properly handled is a key to decision-making." At the same time, He Long also sent surveyors to assist Tibetan geographer Professor Ren Naiqiang to quickly draw China's first 1/200,000 map of Tibet, which was printed and distributed to the troops. In order to disperse the resistance forces of the old Tibetan local government and solve the problem of food supply, so as to ensure the smooth progress of the southwest march.Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping suggested to the Central Committee that the four provinces of Xikang, Yunnan, Qinghai, and Xinjiang should march towards Tibet in multiple directions. After receiving Liu Deng’s report, the Central Committee issued a statement to the Southwest Bureau and the Northwest Bureau on January 24. Instructions, the first of which is to deploy a "multi-pronged centripetal march": "Liu and Deng have decided that the 18th Army will be the main force to attack Tibet, and propose that Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Yunnan each send troops to Tibet in a multi-pronged centripetal march. In order to solve the difficulties in food and terrain, Liu Deng suggested that the Northwest Bureau should send engineers to quickly repair the road from Xining via Yushu to Ganzi, and investigate the situation of Yushu Airport and send a telegram. I hope that the Northwest Bureau will immediately discuss and put forward opinions to the Central Committee and the telegram Liu Deng. On the issue of marching troops from Xinjiang to western Tibet, I hope Wang Zhen will investigate and give his opinion immediately. According to Long Yun, there is a road from Lijiang, Yunnan to Tibet, and mules and horses can barely walk. In Yunnan, most of them are Han people. The climate in Zayu area is warm, the grain is abundant, and there is a road leading to India. It has a close commercial relationship with India. There should be an army from Yunnan to Zayu. For this point, Liu Deng asked Chen Geng to plan and arrange it after Chen Geng occupied Yunnan. After receiving this instruction, Wang Zhen, the acting commander of the Xinjiang Military Region, ordered the Second Army to form troops. On April 18, Wang Zhen sent power to the Northwest Military Region and the Central Military Commission, reporting the preliminary march route of Xinjiang troops entering Tibet. On June 13, the Second Army transferred more than 30 cadres from the Fourth Division, the Fifth Division and the military headquarters, and established the Cavalry Division Division in Khotan. , there is also a camel transport group. On July 27, the Independent Cavalry Division of the Xinjiang Military Region sent a regiment and a company as an advance company to cross the Kunlun Mountains from southern Xinjiang in order to scout the road, understand the situation, publicize the party's ethnic and religious policies, win over the upper class, establish a stronghold, and advance for the large troops. Tibet creates conditions.The advance company included fighters from seven ethnic groups: Han, Hui, Tibetan, Mongolian, Xibe, Uyghur, and Kazak.Among them, Tibetan translators such as Gong Bao were transferred by Peng Dehuai from the Lanzhou Tibetan Cadre School. They flew from Lanzhou to Xinjiang on a military plane, and then drove to Khotan by car.The division headquarters transferred more than 20 combat backbones from the whole division to enrich the company, and also equipped staff, officers, translators, confidentiality, communications and other professionals, foremen, and health workers.The whole company is equipped with 170 horses and enriched with weapons and equipment.Soldiers in the first, second, and third platoons each have a rifle and each squad has a machine gun.The fourth row is a machine gun company, equipped with two Maxim heavy machine guns, two "August 1" guns, and four "60" guns.In order to enrich the leadership of the army, Li Disan, the security chief of the first regiment who is good at ideological work, was ordered to take the lead in sending the company to perform the task.The Xinjiang Military Region selected combat hero Peng Qingyun as the deputy company commander. On August 1, the 23rd anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the advance company held an oath meeting for marching into Tibet in Pulu Village, southern Xinjiang.The bearded Wang Zhen came to see him off in person, and he said firmly: I hope everyone will carry forward the spirit of revolutionary heroism and plant the red flag of victory on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.One-armed general Zuo Qi, director of the Political Department of the Second Army, handed over a red flag with the words "March to Ali" printed on it to Li Disan. The Ngari Plateau, which is always covered with white ice and snow, has a bright red color since then.Even foreigners at the time noticed this color, and they guessed it was another brilliant move of Mao Zedong.In order to cooperate with the Qamdo campaign, this small army blocked the possibility of collusion between the Kashag government and foreign countries from the northwest, and completed the large encirclement formed by the multi-pronged centripetal march. The advance company entered the mountain along an ancient road from Khotan to the Karakoram Mountains and Tibet.Kunlun Mountain pierces the blue sky like a sword. They were the first to encounter the snowstorm. In a place called Luanhaizi, it snowed heavily for three days and three nights. The tents and people were all buried in the snow, and it was difficult to climb out. From then on, they were buried by the snow sea.Li Disan led a gray Yili horse and ran hard in the deep snow.Snow had already supported the horse's belly.The strong snow light is like ten thousand silver needles piercing, and the closed eyelids are like a layer of transparent thin paper, which can be broken with one poke.Li Disan's eyes were as red and swollen as two overripe peaches, and thick juice kept dripping from the eye sockets. It was not known whether it was blood or tears. He suffered from severe alpine snow blindness.More than 70% of the soldiers in the entire company have suffered from snow blindness. In order to cure snow blindness, someone rubbed their eyes with snowballs, and the fleshy skin around the eye sockets was broken, and the blood was like a piece of blood, as if it had been bitten by a beast. It was unbearable to see, but the effect seemed to be insignificant.Some people set up Hanyang pots to steam snow water, buried their heads in the steaming mist, and their eyeballs felt as if they had fallen into chili powder, which was so hot that the pain was unbearable.After smoking, I still can't see anything. Finally, A Tingfang, a Mongolian warrior, came up with an idea.As a child, he grew up on the grasslands.People on the prairie use ponytails to make blindfolds to block the light of snow.A bundle of ponytails was cut, and A Tingfang made some for everyone to demonstrate.As a result, a batch of soil glasses were successfully manufactured.Wearing blindfolds made of horse tails, the warriors who could still see the road led the horses and strenuously walked ahead, while the completely blind warriors pulled the horse tails, followed behind, and walked forward. After walking through a basin, a sharp ice peak stood in front of my eyes, with only a narrow rock gap in the middle.The crevices of the stone are covered with solid ice.In the morning, just as the east was turning pale, Li Disan organized all the officers and soldiers to split the ice to open the way.The altitude here is more than 6,000 meters, and I have a splitting headache lying on the ground, not to mention doing heavy physical labor.Everyone's temples seemed to burst with gas.So everyone wrapped their heads tightly with handkerchiefs. The ice passage slowly opened up. But the stone gap is narrow, allowing only one person to pass sideways.The leather clothing and flesh of the soldiers were cut by the blade-like stone front.The wind poured in from the only channel, and it was so strong and urgent that it made people breathless; moreover, there was ice under the feet, and if you were not careful, you would slide to the top of the stone. Li Disan was wounded several times during the Anti-Japanese War, and his body was weak. He vomited continuously while walking, and fell to the ground suddenly.Young fighters Qiao Bake and Zhou Kuiqi took turns carrying him through the cracks in the rocks. As soon as he walked out of the cracks in the rocks, a sudden storm came, wrapped in fist-sized hailstones and stones, and it was too late for people to hug their heads.The few who went out first floated down the cliff like goose feathers, and the rest were all bruised and swollen. From August 1st to 15th, Li Disan took the lead in sending his company across the Kunlun Mountains and into Ali. The advance company entered Ngari for nearly two months, and went straight to a place called Liangshuiquan, but still did not see a single Tibetan.Li Disan's snow blindness has been cured, but he still feels like a blind man, unable to see the true face of Ali in Tibet.When the First Corps of the First Field Army marched into Xinjiang, Mao Zedong instructed the First Corps: "Your marching missions include sending troops to Tibet and liberating northern Tibet." The Xinjiang Military Region established an independent cavalry division to liberate Ali, and the advance company was an independent cavalry The teacher's "eyes" and "eyes and ears".Not seeing a single Tibetan so far, Li Disan became very anxious and sent two scouting teams to look for them. One day in early October, Li Disan was keeping a diary in his tent at the Liangshuiquan station, when Yang Fucheng, the second platoon leader, galloped to report the situation.Deputy company commander Peng Qingyun found several Tibetans with guns, whose identities were unknown, and are now being closely monitored. Li Disan threw down the diary, got out of the dilapidated tent, and rushed with a Tibetan translator. On a withered grassy slope, Peng Qingyun and others had been confronting several black-faced men with "spear guns" on their backs for a long time.He told Li Disan that yesterday, they found rows of footprints, which seemed to be left by people, dogs and sheep.They followed the footprints for a long time.In the evening, I found a fire in front of me.He led the reconnaissance team forward and saw two herdsmen and four children sitting beside a campfire from a distance.Next to it, there is a black yak tent, where groups of cattle and sheep are wandering and grazing.How to contact them?Peng Qingyun felt that he had no idea, so he sent someone to report to Li Disan, while he led someone to hide under a ridge, and waited all night without daring to close his eyes.Unexpectedly, after dawn, the herdsmen ran up the mountain as soon as they saw the Han people with guns throwing down their tents, cattle and sheep.Peng Qingyun was afraid of being misunderstood by the crowd, so he didn't dare to chase after him. He was also afraid that the few people he had found after searching for two months would run away, so he just followed closely until Li Disan arrived. Li Disan analyzed that these people were so afraid of us, but they didn't run away, they must be reluctant to part with the cattle, sheep and tents.Thinking of this, he asked his interpreter to hold a white khata in his hand, and yelled at a group of sheep to give to the herdsmen on the mountain.Then, he stepped forward, took out a bag of sugar cubes, a bag of tea leaves, and a piece of beautiful floral cloth, and presented them to a little headman on the other side. The little head told Li Disan that just before the arrival of the People's Liberation Army, he heard rumors that a group of poor men were coming to northern Tibet to rob things, kill people and exterminate religions, and so on.At the same time, he also received three prohibitions from Ali Gaben: no contact with the People's Liberation Army, and no sales to the People's Liberation Army.Just now they mistakenly believed that the People's Liberation Army was here to rob sheep. He told Li Disan that this place was called Duomeng, and it was under the jurisdiction of the head of the Ali Gaize sect.Li Disan issued an order to move the troops from Liangshuiquan to Domeng.Soldiers help the herdsmen to graze, collect firewood, carry water, pick up cow dung, treat diseases, save money on food and clothing, and take out their own cloth, clothes, grain, tea and other items to help poor herdsmen. All rumors are self-defeating. In disregard of Ali Kaben's ban, the herdsmen moved tents for the company, searched for horses, sent information, and acted as guides; they also sent treasured salt and hunted wild yaks to the army tents. The milk and water have blended. The good reputation of the People's Liberation Army spread like wildfire among the herdsmen, and also spread to Gadak, the capital of Ngari.