Chapter 17 Chapter 16 Stalin changed his mind, Mao Zedong finally decided that China must enter the war

When Stalin changed his mind, Mao Zedong finally decided that China should participate in the war and must participate in the war. The benefits of participating in the war are great, and the damage of not participating in the war is great. (Beijing-Anton, early to mid-October 1950) On the evening of October 19, 1950, the cold rain continued in the late autumn in the north, and the dark clouds hung over both sides of the Yalu River. The Yalu River enters North Korea.The 40th Army, which created the miracle of crossing the sea and occupying Hainan Island with a wooden boat half a year ago, as the vanguard of the Volunteer Army, fought against the South Korean Army for the first time. New China faced the world's number one military power, the United States, and sent troops into North Korea to fight.

According to records and eyewitnesses, Volunteer Army Commander Peng Dehuai took the lead in crossing the Yalu River Bridge in a jeep with only one staff officer, two guards and a radio station.Many books published in recent years on the battle of volunteer soldiers in the DPRK put the time when Peng Dehuai took the lead in the jeep to the DPRK as the evening of October 18, that is, a day earlier than the large troops entered the DPRK.Peng Dehuai himself recorded in the book "Peng Dehuai's Self-Report": "At dusk on October 18, 1950, I crossed the Yalu River with the first batch of vanguard troops of the Volunteer Army." On the 18th, Gao Gang was recalled to Beijing by Mao Zedong to report face-to-face. He also participated in the central meeting attended by Zhou Enlai, who had just returned from Moscow. It cannot be postponed any longer, and the crossing of the river will begin tomorrow night (19th).It can be seen that Peng Dehuai entered North Korea on the evening of the 19th in a jeep ahead of the troops crossing the river.

Leading troops to fight outside the country, and the main opponent is the United States, plus some "United Nations troops" composed of the South Korean army and Britain, France, Canada, India and other countries. That said, it's a brand new topic.Mao Zedong and the members of the Politburo Standing Committee around him carefully and repeatedly considered who would be the commander of the Volunteer Army.The first person to consider was Su Yu, a famous general from Sanye, but Su Yu was in poor health. He suffered from high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, and severe stomach problems leading to stomach cancer and other serious illnesses during his long-term military career. He was recuperating in Qingdao; I had no choice but to write to persuade him to rest in peace.Then he considered choosing Lin Biao as the commander.

But Lin Biao was very hesitant about going out to fight the Americans.Lin Biao believed that the civil war had just ended, a lot of waste was waiting to be done, and all aspects were not on the right track; while the United States was the world's largest industrial power, and its military equipment was highly modernized.An army has 1,500 artillery pieces of various kinds, while our army has only 36 pieces.The United States has a powerful air force and navy, while the new Chinese navy and air force have just begun to be formed.Lin Biao was worried that there would be no air force cover or naval support for the battle in North Korea. He believed that in the case of the huge disparity in equipment between the enemy and our own, sending troops would inevitably be "burning himself", and the serious consequences would be unimaginable.Mao Zedong asked Lin Biao for a job, but Lin Biao still couldn't understand, so he could only excuse himself by saying that he suffered from insomnia every night, was weak and sick, and was afraid of wind, light, and sound.Just when Lin Biao shied away, on October 1, 1950, during the National Day of New China, the troops under the command of MacArthur crossed the 38th parallel by land and sea.Kim Il Sung has sent an urgent call for help.Mao Zedong was already very anxious.He thought of Peng Dehuai.Zhu De took the lead in agreeing, and several members of the Standing Committee unanimously agreed: "Yes! Lao Peng is still reliable."

Who can rein in a horse, only General Peng! "Peng Dehuai's Self-Report" describes the scene where he was ordered in danger—— After the National Day on October 1, 1950, at noon on the 4th, Beijing sent a plane suddenly, and I was ordered to board the plane immediately and go to Beijing for a meeting, and I was not allowed to stop for a minute.I arrived at Zhongnanhai, Beijing at around 4:00 p.m. on that day. The Central Committee was having a meeting to discuss the issue of sending troops to aid North Korea. I heard other comrades tell me that when Chairman Mao asked everyone to focus on the disadvantages of sending troops, the chairman said something like this: "You There are reasons for what they say, but when others are in a critical moment for the country, we stand aside and watch, no matter what we say, we feel sad." I just arrived and didn't speak, thinking in my heart that we should send troops to rescue North Korea.After the meeting, comrades from the Central Management Section sent me to the Beijing Hotel.I couldn't sleep that night, I thought it was a sofa bed, I couldn't bear it, and I couldn't sleep even if I moved it on the carpet.Thinking of the United States occupying North Korea and facing me across the river, threatening me in the Northeast; and controlling me in Taiwan, threatening me in Shanghai and East China.If it wants to launch a war of aggression against China, it can find excuses at any time.A tiger wants to eat people, and when to eat depends on its stomach, and it is impossible to give in to it.Since it wants to invade, I will oppose the aggression.Unlike U.S. imperialism, which has seen highs and lows, it is difficult for us to build socialism.If the United States is determined to fight against us, it is good for a quick solution, and we are good for the long term; it is good for regular warfare, and I am good for dealing with Japan.

That night, Peng Dehuai tossed and turned. "You all have reasons for what you say, but when others are in danger, we stand aside and watch, no matter how we say it, we feel sad." He repeated Mao Zedong's four sentences dozens of times.He believed that it was correct, necessary, wise, and urgent to send troops to aid North Korea.He figured it out. The next day, October 5th.In the afternoon, the Politburo held another meeting at the Yi Nian Hall in Zhongnanhai. Peng Dehuai made it clear: "It is necessary to send troops to aid North Korea. If it is broken, it will mean that the victory of the Liberation War will be delayed by a few years. If the US military is placed on the banks of the Yalu River and Taiwan, it will launch In the war of aggression, excuses can be found at any time."

Mao Zedong said: "We must make a decisive decision and send troops immediately. Since Lin Biao said that he could not go because of illness, several comrades in the Standing Committee discussed the opinions. This is important, but I invite you, Boss Peng, to choose. You may not be mentally prepared for this. , what difficulties do you consider?" The room was silent, and the Standing Committee members present, like Mao Zedong, were all watching Peng Dehuai.Peng Dehuai's reply was very straightforward: "Chairman, you know my temper very well. I obey the central government's decision."

At this Politburo meeting, it was unanimously agreed that Peng Dehuai would be in command to send troops to aid North Korea.On the same day, it was also confirmed that Mr. Peng would bring a Russian translator with him so that he could contact the Soviet adviser stationed in North Korea. The operations in North Korea were very confidential, and a translator who had passed political tests and was very reliable had to be selected.The then acting chief of staff asked Mao Zedong what to do.Mao Zedong immediately said: Then let Anying go, and I will inform him. After two days of intense preparations, on October 8, Peng Dehuai, commander of the Northeast Military Region Gao Gang and his entourage, flew to Shenyang under the condition of high secrecy for deployment into the DPRK.On the same day, Zhou Enlai flew to Moscow by special plane to meet with Stalin to discuss the purchase of Soviet weapons and equipment and the support of the Soviet Air Force for Chinese volunteers to fight in North Korea.

On October 9, Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang convened a meeting of cadres of the Volunteer Army and above in Shenyang, asking each army to overcome difficulties, make an overnight assault, and complete preparations for going abroad within ten days.That night, Peng Dehuai took the train to Andong and went to survey the terrain along the Yalu River in person to understand the situation of the enemy and ourselves. On October 10, Peng Dehuai inspected the crossing point by the Yalu River.At this time, the total strength of the U.S. Army, the South Korean Army, and the United Nations reached more than 400,000, of which the four front-line armies numbered more than 100,000.Peng Dehuai sent an urgent telegram to Mao Zedong, planning to go to Dechuan via Anton to meet with Kim Il Sung to discuss specific issues.At this time, the situation changed suddenly.Zhou Enlai sent an urgent telegram to Mao Zedong from Moscow:

Stalin replied that the Soviet Air Force was not yet ready and could not support the Chinese Volunteers in combat for the time being, and asked the central government to reconsider the issue of sending troops. After Zhou Enlai arrived in Moscow, he was informed that Stalin was on vacation at the Abkhadiya villa near Crimea by the Black Sea.Zhou Enlai rushed there by special plane and had talks with Stalin on the evening of the 9th.Unexpectedly, based on the development of the situation, Stalin judged that the United States had decided to attack the Yalu River at any cost and risk.He worried that the Soviet Air Force would fight against American planes and ground forces on the borders of China, the Soviet Union, and North Korea, which might lead to direct military confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States, threatening to trigger World War III.Therefore, Stalin hesitated and retreated from his original promise to dispatch the air force to support the Chinese Volunteers in combat.

During the negotiations with Zhou Enlai, Stalin made it clear that the Soviet Union could first give China 20 divisions of weapons and equipment and transport them to Manchuria as soon as possible, but the Soviet Air Force is not yet ready and cannot be dispatched temporarily. This is already an obvious prevarication. The banquet between Stalin and Zhou Enlai was held in the villa until 5:00 am on the 10th.Zhou Enlai was very surprised by Stalin's retreat and felt that the situation was urgent, so he flew back to Moscow immediately.Go to the Chinese embassy to telegraph Mao Zedong that the Soviet Air Force is temporarily unable to maneuver. Mao Zedong received an urgent call from Zhou Enlai on the afternoon of October 10, and he fell into anxiety and felt very heavy.He has already received reports that at the Volunteer Army cadre meeting convened by Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang in Shenyang on the 9th, the cadres of the various armies were most worried about going abroad to fight without air support. There is the Fifth Air Force of the U.S. Air Force, which has more than 700 fighters of various types, and the 20th Strategic Bomber Air Force has more than 300 bombers of various types; in addition, each division of the U.S. Army also has ten reconnaissance aircraft to support the ground forces in operations .Both air and sea control are in the hands of others! On the night of the 10th, Mao Zedong suddenly received a telegram from Anton from Peng Dehuai, planning to go to North Korea on the morning of the 11th to meet with Kim Il Sung. These two telegrams made Mao Zedong hesitant, tossing and turning, making a difficult decision: Should we send troops immediately or postpone it?After negotiating with Acting Chief Nie Rongzhen, Mao Zedong decided to send Peng Dehuai a power call immediately, informing Peng not to enter the DPRK tomorrow, but to hurry back to Beijing for a meeting with Gao Gang. Before Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang were ordered to return to Beijing, MacArthur's troops had already advanced into Pyongyang. On October 9, MacArthur issued an ultimatum to Kim Il Sung: one last time to ask you and the troops under your command to lay down your arms immediately and stop fighting. Kim Il Sung made it clear on October 10: "We will never lay down our arms, we will never surrender, we will resist to the end." On October 11, Kim Il Sung made a radio speech to the whole of North Korea: "Today we The most important task is to defend every inch of the motherland with blood." After breakfast on the 13th, Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang flew back to Beijing from Shenyang by special plane.In the afternoon of that day, Mao Zedong once again presided over an emergency meeting of the Politburo at the Yi Nian Tang in Zhongnanhai.Nie Rongzhen once recalled this meeting of the Politburo in his memoirs: "Comrade Mao Zedong also thought about the issue of whether to fight or not for a long time. Comrade Mao Zedong really thought about this matter again and again, painstakingly, and finally That's when I made up my mind." The decision-making meeting lasted from the afternoon until late at night.The Politburo finally decided that even without the support of the Soviet Air Force, we must immediately send troops to aid North Korea; we must rely on ourselves, carry forward the rich experience of our army in the history of defeating enemies with superior equipment with inferior equipment, overcome various difficulties, and immediately enter North Korea to fight back against the invading enemy . It was late at night after the meeting, and Peng Dehuai immediately called Zhongnanhai to make arrangements.Mao Zedong immediately sent an urgent telegram to Zhou Enlai who was still in Moscow: After discussing with the comrades of the Politburo, it was agreed that it would be beneficial for our troops to dispatch to North Korea... We adopt the above-mentioned positive policies, which are extremely beneficial to China, North Korea, the East, and the world; Along the Yalu River, domestic and international reactionary arrogance is increasing, which is not good for all parties. First of all, it is even more bad for the Northeast. The entire Northeast Frontier Defense Force will be sucked in, and Nanman Power will be controlled.In short, we believe that we should participate in the war, we must participate in the war, the benefits of participating in the war are great, and the damage of not participating in the war is great. After the emergency meeting ended, Gao Gang and Peng Dehuai were also left behind to further study with Mao Zedong the time when the volunteers would go abroad, the plan for crossing the river, and the Northeast's supply guarantee for the volunteers' rear. In the early morning of the 14th, the weather was bad and it was difficult for the plane to take off.Gao Gang first took the train back to Shenyang, and the heads of the Northeast Military Region and the Northeast Bureau conveyed the final decision of the Politburo to send troops into the DPRK.And announced the immediate mobilization and preparation for entering the DPRK.Throughout the day on the 14th, Mao Zedong and Gu Dehuai studied in detail the volunteer army's dispatch and combat plans.It is determined that the various units of the Volunteer Army will cross the river in batches on the 10th or 19th of October. In the early morning of the 15th, Peng Dehuai took the opportunity to fly back to Shenyang, where he deployed various preparations for sending troops into the DPRK.Pyongyang was besieged that day and was in danger. On this day, President Truman flew more than 30 hours from Washington on the "Independence" plane to Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean, and had a face-to-face meeting with MacArthur.MacArthur did not salute Truman, just shook hands. Truman asked, "What is the probability of Chinese and Soviet interference?" MacArthur replied confidently: "The possibility is very small. If they intervene in the first month or two, it will be decisive. We are no longer worried about their participation in the war. We are no longer servile. The Chinese are in the There are 300,000 troops in Manchuria. Probably no more than 10 to 125,000 are deployed along the Yalu River. Only 50,000 to 60,000 can cross the Yalu River. They have no air force. Now our air force has bases in Korea. If If the Chinese go south to Pyongyang, they will definitely suffer extremely heavy casualties." Truman happily awarded MacArthur an Oak Leaf Medal.The U.S. government believes that the Korean War is nearing a victorious end. On the 16th, Peng Dehuai held a meeting of cadres above the volunteer military division in Andong to analyze the situation on the Korean battlefield, explain the important strategic significance of sending troops to aid North Korea, and carry out ideological mobilization.When deploying the river crossing plan, Peng Dehuai said: "The more rampant MacArthur is, the better it is for us. We can take advantage of the enemy's misjudgment, cross the river covertly, and launch a sudden counterattack against the enemy." Mao Zedong also sent a telegram in time to instruct: "All the reconnaissance teams dispatched by our ministries should pretend to be the Korean People's Army instead of the Chinese People's Volunteers, so as to confuse the enemy." He also instructed: "The key to stabilizing and changing the situation of the war is to be able to Sudden attacks cannot be exploited." On the 17th, after deploying the specific arrangements for crossing the river, Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang returned to Shenyang by plane to study equipment and logistics support and other issues.At this time, Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang suddenly received a call from Deng Hua and Hong Xuezhi, the deputy commanders of the Volunteer Army: After the cross-river deployment meeting yesterday, after discussion, many comrades said that the army has too few anti-aircraft guns and no air force support. The enemy can concentrate a large number of aircraft, artillery, and tanks to launch large-scale attacks on our positions without hesitation.On the other hand, North Korea is mostly mountainous paddy fields, and the weather is freezing, so it is even more difficult to dig fortifications. If the enemy aggressively attacks, it will be difficult to maintain the position.Everyone believes that various preparations are not sufficient, and political ideology has not been mobilized in depth. It is suggested that it is better to go out after winter and next spring... This telegram made Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang feel tricky, and felt that it was related to the overall strategy and the problem was serious.Just at this time, I received an urgent telegram from Mao Zedong at 5 p.m., because Zhou Enlai returned to Beijing from Moscow on the 18th, so Mao Zedong asked Peng and Gao to return to Beijing urgently to participate in the central conference. It is appropriate to report to the central government after returning to Beijing." On the 18th, Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang flew back to Beijing early in the morning and reported to Mao Zedong the situation of the troops crossing the river and the contents of Deng and Hong's telegram on the 17th.At this time, Pyongyang was in a hurry.At the central meeting held that night, after Zhou Enlai and Peng Dehuai respectively reported the situation, Mao Zedong finally made a decisive decision: "Now the enemy has besieged Pyongyang, and in a few days the enemy will enter the Yalu River. No matter what difficulties we have, The Volunteer Army's crossing of the river to aid Korea cannot be changed, and the time cannot be postponed any longer, and the crossing of the river will still be carried out according to the original plan." Later, Mao Zedong instructed Peng Dehuai to notify Deng Hua, Hong Xuezhi, etc. by phone first, requiring all units of the Volunteer Army to keep strict secrecy and camouflage, immediately carry out political mobilization, supplement food and ammunition, hold an oath meeting, and immediately prepare to go abroad to fight. Peng Dehuai also followed Mao Zedong's instructions and in the name of Mao Zedong, sent urgent and top-secret telegrams to the Deputy Commanders of the Volunteer Army Deng Hua, Hong Xuezhi, Han Xianchu, Chief of Staff Jie Fang, and Deputy Commander of the Northeast Military Region He Jinnian.The telegram is as follows: Deng Honghan explained and congratulated the deputy commander: the four armies and three artillery divisions decided to enter the north to fight as planned.Since the 19th night of the Ming Dynasty, the Yalu River crossing started from the Andong and Ji'an lines. In order to strictly keep secrets, the troops crossing the river started at dusk and stopped at 4:00 the next morning.In order to gain experience, the first night (nineteen nights) prepared to cross two to three divisions, and increase or decrease the second night, and then consider the situation. I will be informed by Gao Gang Dehuai.Mao Zedong at 21:00 on October 18. October nineteenth.Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang took off in the early morning and rushed back to Anton.At dusk, Peng Dehuai took the lead across the Yalu River in a jeep. On the Korean battlefield outside the country, the new People's China and the number one economic and military power, the United States, had the most spectacular and fierce contest since World War II.