November Operational Preparations1
(November 1, 1945)
To Lin [Biao] and Peng Zhen; Nie [Rongzhen], Xiao [Ke], and Luo [Ruiqing];
Chen [Yi] and Li [Yu]; Luo [Ronghuan] and Li [Zuopeng]; Liu [Bocheng] and
Deng [Xiaoping]; Zhang [Yunyi], Rao [Shushi], and Lai [Chuanzhu]:2
November operational preparations.
	 1.	 Situation: In the Northeast, we have taken the 5,000 troops deployed by
Li Yunchang as a foundation and we have enlarged them to 100,000, but
their fighting power is weak. Up to now, the only units of our forces that
have moved into the Northeast from various places are those of Wan Yi,
Sha Ke, Yang Guofu, Liu Zhuanlian, Zao Lihuai, Xiao Hua, Wu Kehua,3
and others, a total of somewhat over 30,000. Those in advanced positions in the field include the Shandong Division of Liu Qiren [1916–1974, native
of Shandong], Shandong’s First, Second, Third, and Seventh divisions, and
so forth, the New Fourth Army Division of Huang Kecheng [1902–1986,
born in Yongxing county, Chenzhou], and others, approximately 80,000
troops. Chiang’s army, in contrast, has already decided to land at Huludao
and Yingkou. Its numbers amount to approximately two armies, or 60,000
men, and its plan is to advance to the Jinzhou-Haicheng front by November
12 and reach Shenyang by the end of November. The Soviet army will complete its withdrawal from the Northeast by the end of November. In North
China, we have already basically smashed the plan of the Guomindang main
force to move from the [Bei]ping-Sui[yuan], [Da]tong-Fenglingtu, [Bei]
Ping-Han[kou], and [Tian]jin-Pu[kou] railways, concentrate their forces in
[Bei]ping and [Tian]jin, and enter the Northeast on the Rehe and BeipingShenyang lines. Our armies commanded by Nie [Rongzhen] and He [Long]
have already routed more than 50,000 of Chiang’s troops on the [Bei]pingSui[yuan] line and have encircled Guisui.4 The armies of Liu [Bocheng] and
Deng [Xiaoping] have begun to destroy 60,000 of Chiang’s troops on the
[Bei]ping-[Han]kou line (Gao Shuxun’s two divisions revolted and surrendered to us), drawing in the 35,000 Guomindang troops that fled from the
Zheng[ding]-Tai[yuan] line to Shijiazhuang, and they will not find it easy
to move north. The armies of our commanders Chen Yi and Li Yu and our
armies in Central China have already cut the [Tian]jin-Pu[kou] line into three
sections, south, north, and central, obstructing Chiang’s army. Because of
this, we have succeeded in isolating Chiang’s two armies providing air transport to [Bei]ping and [Tian]jin and we will isolate the two armies providing
sea transport to the Northeast and hem them in between north and south.
	 2.	 Our Party’s task is to fight for the Northeast, consolidate North China and
Central China, and, beginning in November, to turn the main direction of the
war toward the Northeast, with the second direction of the war being North
and Central China. Deployments for this objective are as follows:
	a.
In the Northeast, Lin Biao and Peng Zhen are immediately assigned
to the war on the inner front; first do everything possible to block the
landing of Chiang’s army along the Huludao-Jinzhou and YingkouHaicheng lines, await the formation of those troops already there and
the arrival of the troops en route, and at an opportune time resolutely
annihilate Chiang’s army and keep it from advancing to Shenyang.
	b.
Chen [Yi] and Li [Yu], Luo [Ronghuan], and Li [Zuopeng] will immediately order the first group of Shandong troops heading northeast (the
First, Second, Third, Seventh and other divisions) to speedily advance north. The second group and a portion of the Fourth Route Army should
also speedily head north.
	c.
Huang Kecheng’s division should rapidly head north via the [Bei]ping-
[Tian]jin line.
	d.
The field army of Xiao [Ke] and Luo [Ruiqing] should, within the first
half of the month, finish amassing and organizing north of Beiping and
should await orders to move east and attack the Guomindang armies
above the Shanhai Pass-Jinzhou-Shenyang line.
	e.
The armies of Liu [Bocheng] and Deng [Xiaoping] should wait for completion of the campaign at hand and prepare to release the column of
Yang [Dezhi] [1911–1994, born in Zhuzhou] and Su [Zhenhua] [1912–
1979, born in Pingjiang county, Yueyang] to support the ten regiments
awaiting orders to advance north.
	f.
In Central China, Ye Fei’s column will await the provision of cotton
clothing and then will set off for the North.
	g.
The armies of Nie [Rongzhen] and He [Long] will wait until completion of the Suiyuan Campaign and then immediately shift their main
forces toward [Bei]ping and [Tian]jin, and with coordinated action support the war in the Northeast.
	h.
Of the three sectors commanded by Liu [Bocheng] and Deng [Xiaoping],
Chen [Yi], and Li [Yu], and Central China, except for those forces that
are advancing toward the Northeast, the others must fulfill their original
tasks and prepare to annihilate the main forces of Chiang’s army, which
will inevitably continue to attack northwards.
	 3.	 Please keep us updated by telegram regarding each unit’s execution [of the
above orders].
The Central Military Commission

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Notes

Our source for this text is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 3, pp. 107–10, where it is
reproduced from Mao’s handwritten manuscript preserved in the Central Archives.

--- Notes

1.  Mao Zedong drafted this telegram on behalf of the Central Military Commission.

2.  Lin Biao (1907–1971, born in Huanggang, Hubei) and Peng Zhen were the commander-in-chief and first political commissar, respectively, of the Northeast People’s
Autonomous Army. Nie Rongzhen was commander and political commissar; Xiao Ke was
the deputy commander; and Luo Ruiqing (1906–1978, native of Sichuan) was the deputy
political commissar and chairman of the Political Section of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei
(Jin-Cha-Ji) Military Region; Chen Yi was commander of the New Fourth Army and of
the Shandong Military Region, and Li Yu was deputy political commissar of the Shandong Military Region. Luo Ronghuan was second political commissar of the Northeastern People’s Autonomous Army. Li Zuopeng was originally chief-of-staff of the Shandong
Military Region, but by this time he had accompanied Luo Ronghuan to the Northeast.
Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping were commander and political commissar, respectively,
of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan (Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu) Military Region. Zhang Yunyi, Rao
Shushi, and Lai Chuanzhu were deputy commander, political commissar, and chief-of-staff, respectively, of the New Fourth Army.

3.  Li Yunchang at that time was deputy commander of the Northeast People’s Autonomous Army; Wan Yi (1907–1997, native of Liaoning) was deputy commander of the Binhai
Military Region; Sha Ke (1907–1993, native of Liaoning) was chief-of-staff of the Central Hebei Military Region; Yang Guofu (1905–1982, native of Anhui) was commander
of the Seventh Division of the Shandong Military Region; Liu Zhuanlian (1912–1992,
native of Hunan) was a guerrilla in the Eighth Route Army; Zao Lihuai (1909–1998, native
of Hunan) was chief-of-staff of the Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region; Xiao Hua
(1916–1985, born in Xingguo county, Jiangxi); Wu Kehua (1913–1987, native of Jiangxi)
was commander of the Fifth Division of the Shandong Military Region.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719511-65

4.  Guisui is the old name for Hohhot in Inner Mongolia.