Strive to Capture Taiyuan Within About Ten Days[1]

(July 16, 1948)

Xu and Zhou, and inform the North China Bureau:

Your telegram of shanyou[2] has been received. Taiyuan is weakly defended, and there is a possibility of capturing it by exploiting the victory. Your determination is very good. It is hoped that you will first control the airfield, complete preparations for attacking the city in the shortest possible time, and then proceed to storm the city. For the method of attacking the city, it is hoped that you will adopt the method used by the Shandong troops, which is swift, causes few casualties, and saves artillery shells and explosives. That is, under covering fire, use a small number of men (even a single man) to carry a small amount of explosives to the base of the city wall and blast open a hole; then use the same method to place explosives inside the hole already blasted open, blasting it into a larger hole; the third time, place a large amount of explosives in that hole, and success may then be possible. According to Wang Jian’an,[3] this method has already been communicated to your chief of staff, and you may try it out. Wang Jian’an believes that the method used for attacking Linfen is not as good as their method, and you may pay attention to adopting it, striving to capture Taiyuan within a short time. At the same time, after you have completed the encirclement of Taiyuan, you may send captured officers into the city, carrying a letter to Yan Xishan,[4] demanding that he promptly surrender and take responsibility for protecting all public and private property and military supplies within the city, and our army can guarantee that he will not be killed. For all Yan army officers and their families, it can also be guaranteed

[1] This was a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee to Xu Xiangqian, First Deputy Commander of the North China Military Region and Commander and Political Commissar of the First Army Corps, and Zhou Shidi, Deputy Commander and Deputy Political Commissar of the First Army Corps.

[2] This refers to the telegram sent by Xu Xiangqian and Zhou Shidi at you hour on July 15, 1948, to the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee regarding the deployment for attacking Jinyuan and encircling Taiyuan.

[3] Wang Jian’an, then serving as Deputy Commander of the Shandong Army Corps of the East China Field Army.

[4] Yan Xishan, then serving as Director of the Taiyuan Pacification Headquarters of the Kuomintang.

that they will not be killed. If possible, you should strive to capture Taiyuan within about ten days.

Military Commission

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