Chapter 14 1. Mao Zedong decided to "strike while the iron is hot" and fight another battle

The "United Nations Army" was suddenly hit by the Chinese People's Volunteers in the second battle, which caused panic in MacArthur and great anxiety in Washington. On November 28, MacArthur reported to the Pentagon, "China has invested a large amount of military power in North Korea, and its strength is still increasing. What we are facing is a brand new war."The ultimate goal of the Chinese is undoubtedly to "completely destroy the United Nations forces in North Korea."In his report, he defended his defeat in North Korea, saying: "Obviously, our current strength is not enough to counteract this undeclared war waged by the Chinese, who objectively possess many advantages that prompt The situation has undergone new changes. The command has done everything within its power, but the situation it is currently facing is beyond its control and beyond its capabilities."

American newspapers have reported that the United States is facing a catastrophe. Although the Pentagon expressed doubts about the reports of the news media, it also feels that the situation in North Korea is serious.Official news from North Korea is also exacerbating the anxiety and pessimism of the US authorities.Under such circumstances, on the afternoon of the 28th, Truman chaired a special meeting of the US National Security Council.However, including Truman, the giants of the American authorities did not know what to do in North Korea."The meeting ended without any recommendation for a decision by the President," Acheson said. On December 1 and 3, the State Department and the Department of Defense held joint meetings in the Pentagon. On December 2, Truman, Marshall, Acheson, and Bradley held another meeting at the White House.These frequent meetings, "the result of exhaustive and frank discussions," still do not determine what the United States should do in North Korea.And MacArthur also repeatedly asked for an increase in troop strength, and even asked the Taiwan Kuomintang to prepare 33,000 troops to go to North Korea to participate in the "United Nations Army" operations.He said, "Without the reinforcement of the largest number of ground troops, our army will either be forced to retreat steadily, and the resistance force will continue to weaken, or it will be forced to stay on the beachhead, with no hope other than defense. And the strength will continue to be consumed. , so that the entire army is wiped out in the end, that is predictable."

Truman and the Pentagon no longer believed in MacArthur's judgment.In order to understand the real situation on the Korean battlefield in order to make a decision, the Army Chief of Staff Collins was sent to Tokyo. On December 4, Collins arrived in Tokyo. After a brief meeting with MacArthur, he flew to North Korea and directly listened to the judgments of the US 8th Army Walker and 10th Army Almond on the military situation.Although Walker and Almond did not judge the situation as seriously as MacArthur did, they only believed that they could stick to Busan for a long time.After returning to Tokyo, on December 6, Collins discussed the US countermeasures in North Korea with MacArthur and the commanders of the land, sea and air forces in the Far East.MacArthur advocated that if the Chinese agreed to a ceasefire, the United Nations should accept the ceasefire, but the CCP and North Korean troops must stop their actions near the 38th parallel. This is the best arrangement.Otherwise, either increase the strength of the "United Nations Army" as soon as possible to resume the offensive, or even blockade China's coast, bombing air bases and cities in mainland China, or withdraw from North Korea.

The U.S. authorities consider that if the Chinese continue to invest in military forces, they may drive the U.S. troops out of North Korea. The United States cannot achieve its military goal of occupying North Korea without investing a large amount of military power, but it is impossible to increase its forces immediately.Therefore, it is imperative to take "rescue action" in North Korea.Truman decided not to take the initiative to withdraw from North Korea, but if he was forced to withdraw, he would take the South Korean army with him.The bigwigs in Washington are considering that in order to "delay for action" in North Korea, if the cost is not too high, the UN Security Council can take action to propose a ceasefire to China on the 38th parallel.But for the sake of face, this suggestion was not made by the United States, but by the United Kingdom.

At this time, it happened that British Prime Minister Clement Attlee led a government delegation to Washington to discuss the situation of the Korean War with the United States.Originally, the disastrous defeat of the "United Nations Army" made all the allies of the United States participating in the "United Nations Army" operation, including the United Kingdom, panic and uneasy.And on November 30, when Truman answered questions from reporters at a press conference, he threatened that the United States had been "actively considering" using an atomic bomb in North Korea.This caused panic among the United States and other allies of the United States.So Attlee flew to Washington on December 4, asking the United States to clarify the matter and promising not to use atomic bombs in North Korea.The British are worried that the use of the atomic bomb in North Korea by the United States will cause a world war. The United States will invest its main military force in the Korean battlefield and reduce its investment in Europe. As a result, the interests and security of the United Kingdom and Europe as a whole may not be guaranteed.Attlee emphasized that the West is the main stronghold of the anti-communist front. He hoped to avoid a major war in North Korea and negotiate to stop Communist China north of the 38th parallel. He also advocated the formal recognition of the Chinese government in Beijing and the acceptance of Communist China as the United Nations Member States, hand over Taiwan to the CCP.Later, it put pressure on China through the United Nations and negotiated with the CCP to resolve the North Korean issue.

The United States firmly opposes the recognition of the Chinese government in Beijing, the acceptance of Communist China as a member of the United Nations, and the surrender of Taiwan to the Communist Party.Truman, Acheson, Marshall, and Bradley repeatedly explained to the British that although it would be difficult to balance all obligations, the United States did not intend to favor either of the East and the West.The United States has no intention of using atomic bombs in North Korea and has agreed to avoid a major war in North Korea. The "United Nations Army" will not automatically withdraw from North Korea. The United States is only trying to arrange a ceasefire in North Korea for the sake of military advantage. However, negotiations should not be held because the situation is not favorable to the United States at this time.Although there were big differences between China, the United States and Britain during the talks, Attlee agreed to help the United States seek a ceasefire through the United Nations and other channels on the terms of the United States.The two sides issued a communiqué of the talks on December 8.At the same time, Warren Austin, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, was active at the United Nations to enforce a ceasefire in North Korea.

In addition, the U.S. authorities are most worried not only about whether they can persist in North Korea, but also about whether North Korea will lead to a full-scale war with China or even with the Soviet Union. stage.On December 6, the Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a "war alert" to US commanders in various theaters of the world, arguing that the current situation in North Korea has greatly increased the possibility of an all-out war.It is required that "after receiving this telegram, the commanders should take practical measures to strengthen their combat readiness."At the Dec. 11 meeting of the National Security Council, the Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended expanding the size of the military to create an army of 18 divisions, a navy with 397 major warships and an air force with 95 wings.The same meeting decided to declare a "state of national emergency" by the President. On the 15th, Truman declared a national "state of emergency," saying that the communists "are planning to push the world to the brink of total war in order to seize what they covet."Therefore, the number of U.S. armed forces will be expanded to 3.5 million as soon as possible. Before June 1952, the production of military aircraft, vehicles, and electronic equipment will increase by 4 to 5 times compared to the original plan, and wages and prices will be controlled. measure.To appease the British, on the 19th, the five-star general Dwight Eisenhower of the United States was appointed as the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.

On December 5, 1950, representatives of 13 Asian and African countries, including India, attending the Fifth General Assembly of the United Nations, "called upon the North Korean authorities and the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China to declare immediately that they had no intention of sending any troops under their control to south of the 38th Parallel".This is exactly what the United States intends.Then the 13 countries proposed to form a "three-person ceasefire group" consisting of representatives from Iran, India and Canada, the chairman of the current UN General Assembly, in order to seek a ceasefire.However, the United States only agreed to seek a ceasefire at the 38th parallel in order to maintain a favorable military position and gain breathing time, and opposed holding a negotiation meeting or forming a negotiation committee to solve other problems in the Far East.Even if a ceasefire is achieved, they are not prepared to discuss other issues other than the ceasefire. On December 11, the US National Security Council made a decision agreeing to seek a ceasefire. On December 14, the United Nations General Assembly only adopted a resolution to form the "Three-member Korean Ceasefire Group" with the United States voting in favor, that is, to achieve a ceasefire first, and then to consider other issues.

On December 8, the director of the Asian Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the counselor of the Indian embassy in China. On the 11th, Zhou Enlai summoned the Indian ambassador to China. Regarding the appeal of the 13 countries, he pointed out: The appeal of the 13 countries is unfair. Why did the 13 countries not object? American aggression?Why did the 13 countries not call on the United States to withdraw its troops?Why did the 13 countries not speak when the US army crossed the 38th parallel and marched northward?Why is the Philippines participating in the "United Nations Army" operation included among the 13 countries?

On December 22, Foreign Minister Zhou Enlai issued a statement on behalf of the Chinese government in response to the resolution passed by the UN General Assembly on the 14th, exposing the true intentions of the United States.The statement pointed out: Since the US invaded North Korea, the US authorities have always refused to withdraw its invading troops, and have never had the sincerity to end the Korean War.That being the case, why did the U.S. authorities support an immediate ceasefire in North Korea and express their willingness to hold negotiations to resolve the Korean War? "It is not difficult to understand that when the U.S. aggressors land at the port of Incheon, cross the 38th parallel, or approach the Yalu River, they will not agree to an immediate truce, nor will they be willing to hold negotiations; only today, when the U.S. aggressors have failed They will be in favor of an immediate truce and negotiations after the truce. Obviously, the objection to peace yesterday was because the United States could continue to expand its aggression; the reason for the truce today is also so that the United States can gain breathing time and prepare for another war, at least to maintain the current situation. There are aggressive positions, and they are ready to advance again. What they are concerned about... is how the US imperialists can retain their aggressive troops and aggressive actions in North Korea, and how they can continue to occupy China's Taiwan. , and also used this to declare the existence of a state of emergency first. The so-called truce first and then negotiations, the agenda and content of the negotiations can also be discussed endlessly after the truce... The three-member team-place truce-peace negotiation-massive attack This Marshall formula is very familiar to the Chinese people.” The Chinese government cannot accept this resolution of the UN General Assembly.

In fact, Chinese leaders have also considered the possibility that the United States may propose an armistice.The Volunteer Army’s second campaign on the western front ended and the “United Nations Army” was retreating to Pyongyang. On December 3, Kim Il Sung came to Beijing and discussed with Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Liu Shaoqi on the situation of the Korean War and other issues.Mao Zedong believed: "The war may be resolved quickly, but it may also be protracted. We are prepared to fight for at least a year. The enemy may demand an armistice. We believe that we must admit the withdrawal from North Korea, and first withdraw to the south of the 38th parallel before we can negotiate an armistice." , it is best that we not only capture Pyongyang, but also capture Seoul and eliminate the main enemy. First of all, we should wipe out the puppet troops, which will be more powerful in promoting the withdrawal of US troops. Under the conditions, it is advocated that the entire Korean people should elect their own government under the supervision of the United Nations. But the US imperialists, like Chiang Kai-shek, have unreliable promises and agreements, so they should think about the worst.” At this time, the Chinese delegation headed by Wu Xiuquan is accusing the United States of aggression against Taiwan in the UN Security Council. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Trigev?Lie and the representatives of the United Kingdom, India, and Sweden to the United Nations, as the pathfinders of the United States, have tested the Chinese delegation more than once under what circumstances a truce can be concluded.Wu Xiuquan reported the situation to Beijing.Chinese leaders have seriously considered this issue and formulated the following five conditions: 1. All foreign troops withdraw from North Korea; 2. American troops withdraw from the Taiwan Strait and Taiwan Island; 3. The North Korean issue should be resolved by the Korean people themselves; 4. Representatives of the People's Republic of China joined the United Nations and expelled Chiang Kai-shek's representatives from the United Nations; 5. Convened a meeting of the five major foreign ministers to prepare for a peace treaty with Japan.If the above five conditions are adopted, a meeting of representatives of the five major powers can be held and the terms of the armistice can be signed. On December 7, the Soviet government was consulted through the Soviet ambassador to China.The Soviet government fully agrees with the five conditions of the Chinese government, but believes that it is not appropriate to show these cards before the United Nations has come up with an opinion on the issue of stopping military operations in North Korea. On December 14, the United Nations passed a ceasefire resolution, and the Chinese government had to express its position on the ceasefire issue.In the same statement on December 22, Zhou Enlai expressed the Chinese people's desire for a peaceful solution to the Korean issue, pointing out: "We insist on the peaceful settlement of the Korean issue by withdrawing all foreign troops from North Korea and letting the Korean people resolve their own affairs. The basis for the negotiation of the issue is that the US aggressor army must withdraw from Taiwan, and the representatives of the People's Republic of China must obtain the legal status of the United Nations." "The peaceful settlement of the Korean issue and important Asian issues is impossible without these points." Zhou Enlai on behalf of the Chinese government These proposals are in line with the reality of solving the North Korean issue and ensuring peace and security in Asia. It is not that China insists on linking the Taiwan issue and China's legal seat in the United Nations with the North Korean issue, but that the United States is invading North Korea. At the same time, it invaded China's Taiwan, excluded the People's Republic of China from the United Nations, and invaded North Korea under the banner of the United Nations. Therefore, the settlement of the North Korean issue must be linked with the Taiwan issue and China's representation in the United Nations. Let's think about it together.But for the United States, these conditions mentioned by Zhou Enlai are undoubtedly too high, and the United States cannot accept them anyway. Judging from the situation on the battlefield at that time, although the Chinese People's Volunteers faced many practical difficulties in combat due to backward weapons and equipment, they fought a favorable situation in the war after only two months of participating in the war.This boosted the morale of the Chinese and North Korean people, and also boosted the morale of the democratic camp.At this time, the operations of the Chinese People's Volunteers are in a situation of smooth development. If they stop resting north of the 38th parallel, it will be in the arms of the United States.At this time, within the democratic camp, neither Stalin nor Kim Il Sung wanted to see the Chinese People's Volunteers stop. On December 4, Wang Jiaxiang, the Chinese ambassador to the Soviet Union, was preparing to return to China due to something, and asked the Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister An?Gromyko bid farewell.Wang Jiaxiang asked about the situation on the Korean battlefield: "From a political point of view, should the Chinese army cross the 38th parallel if it successfully continues its offensive?" Gromyko informally expressed the opinion of the Soviet Union: "Given the current In view of the situation in North Korea, it is very appropriate to put forward the old proverb of 'strike while the iron is hot'." On December 7, when the Soviet government responded to China's consultation on the conditions of the ceasefire, it also stated that it would consider a ceasefire after the liberation of Seoul. question. In mid-December, when Peng Dehuai met with Kim Il Sung and Soviet Ambassador to North Korea Stekov, Stekov accused Peng Dehuai of not launching a new offensive immediately after the end of the Western Front. As the commander-in-chief of the battlefield, Peng Dehuai also considered the battle on the battlefield. After occupying Pyongyang, he called Mao Zedong on December 8, expecting to attack the 38th parallel on the 18th and 19th. Or when a devastating blow is given, it will enter and cross the 38th parallel and seize Seoul at will.If the enemy cannot be annihilated or given an annihilating blow, it is not advisable to cross the 38th parallel or seize Seoul, because going too far south will cause difficulties in future operations. Moreover, the troops have fought two battles in a row and need to rest and replenish, so it is planned to stop. Rest and reorganize in the area tens of miles north of the 38th parallel, and let the enemy occupy the 38th parallel. When I am fully prepared, I will launch the next battle next spring to wipe out the main force of the enemy. However, according to the attempts of the United States and the mood of the democratic camp at the time, the Volunteers were not allowed to stop north of the 38th parallel. They had to cross the 38th parallel and fight another battle before they could rest.After Mao Zedong received Peng Dehuai's telegram on December 8, he replied to Peng Dehuai on December 13, pointing out: "(1) At present, the United States and the United Kingdom are asking our army to stop north of the 38th parallel, so as to facilitate the whole army to fight again. Therefore , our army must cross the 38th parallel. If we stop at the north of the 38th parallel, it will be very disadvantageous politically. (2) For this southward advance, we hope to be in the north and south areas of Kaesong, that is, not far from Seoul. Find and annihilate some of the enemy in the area around the area. Then, depending on the situation, if the enemy sticks to Seoul with great strength, the main force of our army can retreat to the Kaesong line and the area north of it to rest and prepare to attack Seoul. The division approached the north bank of the middle stream of the Han River, and supported the People's Army to cross the Han River to wipe out the puppet army. If the enemy abandons Seoul, our six armies on the western front will rest between Pyongyang and Seoul for a period of time." After receiving Mao Zedong’s telegram on the 13th, Peng Dehuai made deployments for operations across the 38th parallel, and called the Central Military Commission on the 19th, pointing out: Due to “various reasons, my report on the 8th mentioned that we will not cross the 38th parallel for the time being.” The telegram was restored on the thirteenth, and we have now followed the instructions to fight across the 38th parallel.” On the 21st and 29th, in two telegrams to Peng Dehuai and sue Gao Gang, Mao Zedong once again pointed out that "the United States and Britain are using the old impression of the 38th parallel among people to carry out their political propaganda and attempt to lure us into a truce, so our army At this time, it is necessary to fight another battle after crossing the 38th parallel, and then to rest and reorganize." "The old impression of the so-called 38th Parallel in people's minds will disappear after this battle. It doesn't matter if our army rests south or north of the 38th Parallel. But if we don't fight this battle, Since the beginning of December, our army has been resting and reorganizing throughout the winter. If there is no action, it will definitely arouse a lot of speculation in the capitalist countries, and some people in the democratic front countries will also disagree, and there will be a lot of discussions. If our army can follow your current deployment, in one day Fighting a victory in the first half of the month, striving to wipe out several divisions of the puppet army and a part of the U.S. Army, and then resting for two months to prepare for the spring offensive, will have a very good impact on the democratic front and the people of capitalist countries, and will give a new boost to the imperialists. A single blow, aggravating their pessimistic failure." After the Volunteer Army entered the DPRK, there was a problem of unified command between the Volunteer Army and the Korean People’s Army. At that time, the Korean People’s Army suffered heavy losses, and the main force was retreating from the south to the north of the 38th parallel. The newly organized troops were in China During the training, in the first and second battles, the People's Army also had sporadic small units participating in the battle, but due to the lack of unified coordination, there were many incidents where the People's Army mistakenly attacked the Volunteers. At the beginning of November, the air force unit of the Soviet Union assisting China in undertaking national air defense missions began to fight over the Yalu River. The People’s Army units trained in China will also complete combat preparations and go into battle. There are still some air forces of the People’s Army that can participate in operations, and the Volunteer Air Force will also begin to participate As a result, the coordination and command of the Chinese, Korean, and Soviet forces in combat became a problem that must be solved. On November 13, Zhou Enlai drafted a telegram from Mao Zedong to Stalin, suggesting that Kim Il-sung, Peng Dehuai, and the Soviet ambassador to North Korea Stekov form a three-member team to command the Chinese, North Korean, and Soviet troops in North Korea.After Stalin received the telegram, he telegraphed back on the 16th of the same month, proposing that he "approved that the Chinese comrades should unify the command", and telegraphed this idea to Kim Il-sung and Stekov at the same time. The Soviet military general adviser to China also agreed with Stalin's opinion. At this time, five corps of the Korean People's Army had completed training or rest one after another, and began to fight side by side with the volunteers.In order to facilitate the coordination and command of operations, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai negotiated with Kim Il Sung in Beijing on the issue of the unified command of the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Korean People's Army on December 3, and decided to establish a joint command of the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Korean People's Army (Also known as "Joint Command", referred to as "Joint Division").Accordingly, in early December, the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Chinese People's Volunteers were formed with Peng Dehuai as the commander and political commissar, Jin Xiong, the front-line commander of the Korean People's Army, as the deputy commander, and Park Il-woo, the Minister of the Interior of the Korean People's Army, as the deputy political commissar. The Joint Command of the Korean People's Army (Deng Hua was also the deputy commander of the Joint Command of China and North Korea soon).Unify the command of all operations and related matters in North Korea. The Joint Division is still divided into two organizations, one is the Chinese People's Volunteer Army Command, and the other is the Korean People's Army General Command. The Korean People's Army and all guerrilla forces and the Chinese People's Volunteers are under joint command. Ministry unified command.The Joint Command Command has the authority to command all operations-related transportation (roads, railways, ports, airports, wired and wireless telephones and telegraphs, etc.), food and fodder collection, and mobilization of manpower and material resources.Since then, the Volunteer Army and the People's Army have unified combat command. After the "United Nations Army" was hit by the Volunteer Army's second battle, it withdrew to the 38th parallel and deployed defenses according to MacArthur's order. The first line deployed 8 divisions of the South Korean Army and the Turkish brigade.Except for the crippled U.S. 10th Army and U.S. 2nd Division resting in the rear, the main forces of the U.S. and British troops are all located around Seoul and in the north and south of the Han River, serving as the second echelon. The "United Nations Army" was still in shock, full of emotions of failure, and morale was low.Is it Matthew who replaced the dead Walker as the commander of the US Eighth Army?Lieutenant General Li Qiwei took office on December 26.Ridgway was an outstanding student at West Point Military Academy in the United States. He commanded an airborne division and an army during World War II. This time he served as the assistant chief of staff for the U.S. Army.As soon as he took office, MacArthur handed over all the ground forces of the "United Nations Army" to him.He found that the troops he commanded were "a panic-stricken army that had lost confidence in itself and its superiors. It didn't know what they were doing there, and they were always looking forward to returning home by boat as soon as possible." "Completely lost confidence and fighting spirit."So he had to do everything in his power to stabilize the mood of his troops.But Peng Dehuai didn't give him time. The Volunteer Army, with the 38th, 39th, 40th, 42nd, 50th, 66th Army and the People's Army, carried out the third battle from December 31, 1950 to January 8, 1951. More than 19,000 enemies fought back the "United Nations Army" led by the United States to the area near the 37th parallel.It broke the United States' attempt to play with the "ceasefire" along the 38th parallel, aggravated the failure sentiment of the US authorities and the "United Nations Army", and further expanded the international influence of the Chinese People's Volunteers and the Korean People's Army.