By December 1978, the Vietnam issue had escalated to the point where tough measures were needed. After World War II and the Civil War, the former generals were old, and this battle was the first battle since the end of the Cultural Revolution, which was of great significance. The selection of commanders became a key task. At that time, as the vice chairman of the Military Commission and the chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, Xu Shiyou was personally selected to take on this important task.
Although Xu Shiyou was 74 years old at that time, and the top ten marshals *** and *** were still alive, the top ten generals Su Yu, Huang Kecheng, Xiao Jinguang, etc. were also alive, and there were many generals who surpassed Xu Shiyou in ability. Judging by the qualifications and experience, it seems that there is always a more suitable candidate. However, there must be a reason why Xu Shiyou stands out. So, what are these reasons?There are multiple perspectives that need to be considered. First of all, as the commander of the Guangzhou Military Region, Xu Shiyou had great convenience in attacking Vietnam.
After all, the areas bordering Vietnam and China are precisely Guangxi and Yunnan, so in addition to the Kunming Military Region, the Guangzhou Military Region is also the main troop contributing force. In this case, Xu Shiyou, as the commander, is the most suitable candidate. Secondly, Xu Shiyou's style of acting is also very important. He is known for his unconventional tactics, and he never plays his cards according to the rules in battle, but the results are very remarkable. During the 10-year Cultural Revolution, China was greatly affected, and its military strength and combat effectiveness were greatly affected. If you want to win, you can't follow the rules, and Xu Shiyou's style of doing things is very beneficial to this.
Near Zhu is red, close to ink is black, it is obvious that after Xu Shiyou, who was on the expedition at that time, received the order, the first thing he thought of was his old partner Liu Changyi. This general, known as "Fierce Zhang Fei", has experienced countless fierce battles, has rich experience on the battlefield, and the scars on his body are the best proof of his perseverance. At that time, Liu Changyi was over sixty years old, but he was still in high spirits.
On the international stage, most countries were skeptical of China at the time, with the exception of North Korea and Cambodia, with the rare support of even neutral countries, and the United States made it clear that it demanded that China withdraw its troops from Vietnam. In the face of such a grim situation, only the momentum of thunder can turn the situation around. Just like the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea that year, General Peng's fiery battle made the volunteers show incomparable momentum, and similarly, Xu Shiyou is also such a resolute general. As it turned out, such a judgment was not wrong.