Chapter 10 09. Discussion on the reasons for the development of the Shaanxi-Gansu Revolutionary Base Areas and the Red Army

The Shaanxi-Gansu Revolutionary Base was formed by merging the Shaanxi-Gansu Frontier Revolutionary Base and the Northern Shaanxi Base.The Shaanxi-Gansu Revolutionary Base was established by Liu Zhidan, Xie Zichang and other Red 26th Army and Red 27th Army after years of hard fighting. During the period of Wang Ming's "Left" erroneous rule, the revolutionary bases in the south were lost one after another, and the Red Army was forced to leave the bases and implement strategic transfers.At the same time, the Shaanxi-Gansu base was not only consolidated, but also developed, becoming the only base that was not lost during the Agrarian Revolutionary War.Why did the Shaanxi-Gansu base areas and the Red Army not only survive but also develop?This article mainly discusses the reasons for the development of the Shaanxi-Gansu base areas and the Red Army.

Objectively speaking, the Shaanxi-Gansu region is located in the northwest border of the motherland, far away from the center of Kuomintang rule.The territory is vast and sparsely populated, the land is barren and the people are poor, ten years of famine, the people are in dire straits, and the class struggle is sharp.From the Sui Dynasty when Liu Jialun mobilized 100,000 people to riot in Yan'an Mansion to Li Baicheng's Uprising in northern Shaanxi, from the Qing Dynasty Hui riots to the Republic of China Zhang Jiucai's rebellion, the rebellious spirit of farmers in Shaanxi and Gansu throughout the ages encouraged poor farmers to fight.At the same time, there are many mountains and ravines in the territory of Shaanxi and Gansu, which are conducive to guerrilla warfare.

The enemy forces in the Shaanxi-Gansu region are weak, and the warlords of various factions form their own systems without a unified organization and command, such as Yang Hucheng, Jing Yuexiu, and Wu Xintian in Shaanxi, Ma Hongbin and Chen Guozhang in Gansu, Su Yusheng in Ningxia, and Ma Bufang in Qinghai. . Snow has a wonderful description of the rise of the Shaanxi-Gansu Soviet Area and the Red Army in "A Journey to the West".Familiar with the conditions for the implementation of change.Here, surely, there is something for people to rise up against, even if they have no object to fight for!Therefore, when the Red Star appeared in the Northwest, it was no wonder that thousands of people rose up to welcome it as a symbol of hope and freedom.

Objective reasons are an important aspect of the development of the Shaanxi-Gansu base areas and the Red Army, but the main and fundamental reason is subjective. That is, the leaders of the Shaanxi-Gansu base areas, represented by Liu Zhidan and Xie Zichang, proceeded from reality and formulated A set of correct policies and strategies, and firmly implemented these policies and strategies in the practice of revolution and war.Therefore, yes!In the intricate environment and under extremely difficult circumstances, the Red Army and its bases were preserved. Regarding the issue of where to establish a base, the provisional central government advocated building in the plain area "between the Jing and Wei rivers", while the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee advocated the establishment of Soviets in Sanyuan, the political and economic center near Xi'an, and central cities such as Jingyang, Gaoling, and Xianyang. area, and proposed to "cut off the Weihe River traffic along the Weihe River Basin".The leaders of the Party organizations and the Red Army in the Shaanxi-Gansu area, represented by Liu Zhidan and Xie Zichang, based on the successful experience of making full use of the dangerous mountains and borders in the Jinggangshan base area, proceeded from the reality of Shaanxi-Gansu, and rejected the provisional Central and Provincial Committee’s proposals in the plains and near big cities. The false idea of ​​establishing base areas, and choosing base areas in mountainous areas or provincial and county border areas far away from central cities, where the enemy's ruling power is relatively weak, the conditions of the masses are better, and the party's work is relatively solid.For example, the Shaanxi-Gansu Border Base was selected at the southern end of the Qiaoshan Mountains at the junction of Xunyi, Chunhua, Sanyuan, Yaoxian, Yijun, Zhengning and other counties, with Zhaojin as the center and Huachi, Heshui, Longdong It is a mountainous area centered on Nanliang in the middle section of Qiaoshan mountain range where Qingyang is adjacent to Baoan and Ganquan in northern Shaanxi.The base areas in northern Shaanxi were all selected at the borders of counties, such as Shen (Mu) Fu (Valley) side, Jia (County) Wu (Fort) side, Sui (De) Qing (Jian) ​​side, etc.

Regarding tactics, the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee and the central representative in the north emphasized "plain warfare" and "positional warfare" and underestimated guerrilla warfare.However, Liu Zhidan, Xie Zichang and others insisted on guerrilla warfare based on the characteristics of the Chinese Revolutionary War, where the enemy was strong and we were weak. After the Zunyi meeting, due to communication problems, the representatives of the central government in the north did not get the news of the meeting, and continued to implement Wang Ming's "Left" error, sending instructions letters with many "left" propositions to the Shaanxi-Gansu base areas. In the autumn of 1935, he sent a delegation to the Shaanxi-Gansu Soviet Area to further promote the "Left" errors in the base areas, advocating the development of the Soviet movement in the vast new areas of Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Qinghai.In the military, he proposed "attack across the board" and ordered the Red Army to attack the enemy's heavily fortified Wayaobao and Qingjian City.Proceeding from reality, Liu Zhidan and others did not implement these erroneous instructions.

While opposing "Left" errors, Liu Zhidan and Xie Zichang also paid attention to fighting against Right errors. In the spring of 1933, he resisted the instructions of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China to organize the Red Army into guerrillas and disperse the guerrillas. After the Qingjian, Weihua, and Xunyi uprisings failed, the party organizations in the Shaanxi-Gansu region made new attempts around the central task of building an army and carrying out armed struggle.According to the actual situation of numerous warlords in the Shaanxi-Gansu region, numerous hills, and silos, the party organization in the Shaanxi-Gansu region decided to adopt the strategy of "fighting in and pulling out", that is, sending party members and revolutionaries to fight in the warlords' troops for military operations. , That is to pull out the troops and change the warlords' armed forces into the people's armed forces.For example, Liu Zhidan and Xie Zichang once attacked Su Yusheng's 4th Cavalry Division, Chen Guozhang's Longdong Temporary 14th Division and other troops to engage in troop transportation.In addition, Yan Hongyan, He Jinnian, Wu Daifeng, Xi Zhongxun, Zhang Xiushan, Wang Shitai and other comrades also beat up the warlord troops and carried out military operations.Since there was no strong revolutionary armed force to back it up, not many teams were pulled out.The Party organizations in the Shaanxi-Gansu area then changed their strategy, calling on peasants to join the army and build up their own armed forces. After mastering a certain amount of armed forces, the strategy of "fighting in and pulling out" was changed to "fighting and pulling" and "fighting to promote pulling." ", forcing the enemy to divide, this strategy has achieved greater success. On July 8, 1932, Gao Pengfei led the 11th Brigade, Regiment, and Battalion of the Gansu Garrison to revolt in Xihuachi, and was later reorganized into the third brigade of the Shaanxi-Gansu Guerrilla Army. On July 21, 1933, Wang Taiji led the Yang Hucheng cavalry regiment to revolt in Yaoxian County and organized the Northwest People's Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army. On October 20, 1934, Guo Baoshan, battalion commander of the Jia Degong Department of Huanglong Mountain Aboriginal Armed Forces, led an uprising in Qingyang, which was later reorganized into the Northwest Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army.

Another characteristic of the struggle strategy of the party organizations in the Shaanxi-Gansu region is that, based on the actual situation of the numerous and contradictory warlords in the region, they adopt the strategy of taking advantage of the contradictions and defeating them one by one militarily.For example, when the Shaanxi-Gansu Frontier Red Army opposed the "encirclement and suppression" of the hostile Nanliang base area, it first attacked the enemy's Shaanxi Garrison Cavalry Brigade, followed by the Gansu Longdong Garrison Brigade, and then the Jingyuexiu 86th Division.During the first counter-campaign against "encirclement and suppression" in northern Shaanxi, the Red Army concentrated its forces on the 86th Division of Yuexiu.During the second counter-campaign against "encirclement and suppression", the 84th Division of Gao Guizi was concentrated.

The third characteristic of the Shaanxi-Gansu party organization's struggle strategy against the enemy is that the regiment reforms the intermediate forces, such as the Baoyun Armed Forces and the Gelaohui Armed Forces.Most of the gang members in Shaanxi-Gansu-Hu District are farmers who have lost their land and small handicraftsmen who have gone bankrupt. There are a large number of them and they have a great influence among the masses.Its famous leaders include Zheng Deming and Zhu Ziqing of Nanliangbao, Tian Laowu of Qiaohe, etc.For a long time, they organized the Gelaohui, the Red Gun Association, and the Fan Association to fight against the anti-profit government, local tyrants and evil gentry.These armed forces, if properly directed, can become a revolutionary force.Liu Zhidan, Xie Zichang, etc. attached great importance to the education of the unity of these armed forces. With their unremitting efforts, many gang members covered the wounded of the Red Army, and some even participated in the revolution. Commander-in-Chief of the Red Guards.

The basic policy of the Red Army's anti-encirclement and suppression operations is to lure the enemy to go deep. When the enemy's "encirclement and suppression" begins, implement a strategic retreat, take advantage of the favorable conditions in the base area, change the balance of forces between the enemy and ourselves, and then turn to the counter-offensive to break the enemy's "encirclement and suppression".However, the base areas in the Shaanxi-Gansu region are relatively small, and the Red Army is weak. On the other hand, the command of the enemy's "encirclement and suppression" forces is not unified.Based on this situation, Liu Zhidan, Xie Zichang and others did not blindly copy the tactics of "inducing to go deep" in the Central Soviet Area, nor did they imitate the tactics of "tightening the position" in the Sichuan-Shaanxi Soviet Area by using the special terrain conditions. The actual departure of the region.Adopt "the enemy enters and we advance", that is, "encircle and suppress" the enemy, use local armed forces to carry out guerrilla activities in the base area, carry out fortified walls to clear the field, harass, encircle and attack the enemy, and the main Red Army moves to the outside line, looking for opportunities to wipe out the enemy, and finally break through. The enemy's "encirclement and suppression".

Concentrating forces and annihilating the enemy one by one through mobile warfare and quick-decision warfare are the basic policies and principles of the Red Army's operations.The Shaanxi-Gansu Red Army gave full play to this advantage of our army. In February 1934, the enemy gathered more than 10,000 people from eight regiments and divided them into eight routes to launch an "encirclement and suppression" campaign against the Nanliang base area on the Shaanxi-Gansu border.The 42nd Division of the Red Twenty-Sixth Army adopted the tactics of "the enemy advances and we advance", moving from the south beam to the north, and transferred to the outer line to seek favorable opportunities. At the beginning of March, the Red Army claimed to attack Baoan, and the main force detoured to the rear of the Shaanxi Garrison Cavalry Brigade in Sandaochuan, south of Wuqi Town. Annihilated more than four companies.Then, waved southward. On April 11, after more than an hour of fierce fighting, the headquarters of the Fifth Regiment of the Second Brigade and seven companies of the Longdong Police Brigade, the enemy of the movement, were wiped out in Xihuachi.After the war, continue south. On May 10, in the Sanliyuan encounter in Chunhua, the two companies of the He Quansheng Department of the Shaanxi Guerrilla Detachment were quickly wiped out.At this time, our Red 42nd Division found that the enemy concentrated eight regiments with tens of thousands of people to launch a new attack.In view of the excessive strength of the enemy and the unfavorable terrain on the southern front, the troops stopped immediately and returned to the north to look for an opportunity to wipe out the enemy.Similarly, during the first anti-"suppression" campaign in northern Shaanxi, Xie Zichang unified the command of the Shaanxi-Gansu border and the Northern Shaanxi Red Army. The three victories in the battle completely smashed the enemy's "encirclement and suppression".

Attacking from the east to the west, mobilizing the enemy, running long distances, and attacking the enemy unprepared, this is a combat method often used by the Shaanxi-Gansu Red Army, and has achieved important results. The battle of Yanchang City. In May 1935, Liu Zhidan, chief commander of the Northwest Military Commission and former commander-in-chief of the enemy, led the main force after winning the battles of Wujiazhai and Majiaping in order to realize the general task of "connecting the Shanxi-Gansu border and Kuaibei base areas in Red May". On May 20, it entered the northeast of Qingjian and the area of ​​Yuanding River in the south of Suide, and decided to adopt the tactics of attacking the east and attacking the west. In order to realize the combat plan, our army threatened to attack Qingjian and Suide, and showed the enemy , the main force secretly went south in the starry night, hiding and waiting.Shi Yanchang stationed more than 400 enemy regular troops and militias.In order to further mobilize and disperse the enemy, the former enemy commander-in-chief used a local armed force to bluff in the east of Yanchang City and divert the tiger away from the mountain.The main force is waiting to attack the city.The enemy was confused by our feint, and more than 200 people from the militia went out of the city to find a battle.Our local armed forces dragged the enemy 50 miles away from the city with the tactics of pulling the bulls. Siege and aid is an important embodiment of the strategic thinking with the main goal of annihilating the enemy's vital forces.The Shaanxi-Gansu Red Army also used it relatively successfully.The early stage of the Shaanxi-Gansu Red Army's third counter-campaign against "encirclement and suppression".Before the enemy's deployment is completed, take advantage of the contradictions, break through one by one, take the initiative to attack the eastern front, and concentrate on attacking the vanguard of the Jin army crossing the Yellow River westward. At the beginning of August, the former enemy commander-in-chief decided to encircle Dingxianqiang with part of the local armed forces. The main force first annihilated the enemies in Mujiayuan in the northeast of Dingxianqu, and then continued to besiege Dingxianyan in order to annihilate the enemy and reinforce the army. From the 10th to the 12th, the main force of the Shaanxi-Gansu Red Army wiped out the four companies of Mujiayuan defending and aiding the enemy, and then turned around and went south.At this time, a regiment of the Jin army was sent by Zaolin to help Ding Xianyan.Our army set up an ambush in the northeast area of ​​Dingxianyong. August 20.After the enemy entered our ambush circle, our army split up and surrounded, fought and rushed. After half a day of fierce fighting, we wiped out and helped the enemy. We killed more than 200 enemies, captured more than 1,800 enemies, and surrendered more than 1,900 guns. An important battle case in which the Red Army wiped out a regiment of the enemy's regular army for the first time.After the war, the main force of the Jin army withdrew to the east bank of the Yellow River. In late September, the Red Fifteenth Army surrounded Ganquan with a part, and the main force went to the Xiaolao Mountain area north of Ganquan to hide and wait, seeking to annihilate the enemy who came to aid from Yan'an. On October 1, our army annihilated and aided the enemy's Northeast Army No. 1 in the Laoshan area.Most of the division captured more than 2,000 enemies.After the war, the main force of our army went south immediately, and on October 25, it wiped out another regiment defending the Yulin Bridge and captured more than 1,800 enemies.The battles at Laoshan and Yulinqiao dealt a heavy blow to the arrogance of the Northeast Army of the Kuomintang Army. Although Liu Zhidan, Xie Zichang, etc. were far away from the central government, they were able to combine the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism with the specific practice of the Northwest region. In building the party, army, government, and leading the revolutionary war, they insisted on the correct line of the party in a pragmatic manner, and constantly fought against the "left" and right-wing mistakes. Struggling, so that the Shaanxi-Gansu base area and the Red Army were consolidated and developed under extremely difficult circumstances.At the same time, the Central Committee and the Central Red Army arrived in Shaanxi-Gansu in time and quickly corrected the "Left" errors, which is a fundamental reason for the preservation of the Shaanxi-Gansu base areas and the Red Army.