The Chen-Xie Group Is to Be Placed Under the Command of Liu and Deng and to Form a Front Committee[1]

(July 27, 1947)

Liu, Deng; Xu, Teng, Bo, Wang; Chen, Xie, Han; Zheng, Li[2]:

(1) In order to gain time to establish a firm foothold in western Henan and victoriously engage Hu’s[3] forces, the columns under Chen, Qin, and Zhao[4] and the 38th Army shall complete all preparatory work ahead of schedule before weishan, and cross the river and advance south between weishan and weijia. (2) From now on, the Chen-Xie Group[5] is placed under the direct command of Liu and Deng. (3) The Chen-Xie Group shall organize a front committee, with the leading cadres of each unit as members, and Chen, Xie, and Han as the three members of the standing committee, with Chen Geng as secretary and Xie Fuzhi as deputy secretary.

The Military Commission

wugan

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[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee, addressed to Liu Bocheng, commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, Political Commissar Deng Xiaoping, and others.

[2] Xu, Teng, Bo, and Wang refer to Xu Xiangqian, Teng Daiyuan, Bo Yibo, and Wang Hongkun, who at the time were serving respectively as First Deputy Commander, Second Deputy Commander, First Deputy Political Commissar, and Third Deputy Commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region. Chen, Xie, and Han refer to Chen Geng, Xie Fuzhi, and Han Jun, who at the time were serving respectively as Commander, Political Commissar, and Deputy Commander of the Fourth Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army. Zheng refers to Zheng Weisan, who at the time was serving as First Deputy Secretary of the Central Plains Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Li refers to Li Xiannian, who at the time was serving as Second Deputy Secretary of the Central Plains Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Deputy Commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army.

[3] Hu refers to Hu Zongnan, who at the time was serving as Director of the Xi’an Pacification Headquarters of the Kuomintang Army.

[4] The columns under Chen, Qin, and Zhao refer to the Fourth Column, Ninth Column, and Twelfth Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, whose commanders were respectively Chen Geng, Qin Jiwei, and Zhao Jimei.

[5] The Chen-Xie Group refers to the operational group composed of the Fourth Column and Ninth Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, the 38th Army of the Northwest Democratic United Army, and the 22nd Brigade of the Taiyue Military District.