Against the backdrop of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party's anti-Japanese united front, the New Fourth Army came into being and became one of the two main forces of the Communist Party's anti-Japanese armed forces. In the flames of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the New Fourth Army fought bravely and wrote a glorious chapter.
Today, what we want to do is why the New Fourth Army was retained for a year and a half after the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and what is the significance of this special existence. In the arduous years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the New Fourth Army split from more than 10,000 to 300,000, and even established a number of field armies.
Initially, although the New Fourth Army received a name from the Kuomintang Army, it was actually not worthy of the name, and the entire New Fourth Army only had more than 10,000 people. However, after eight years of anti-Japanese war, by the end of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 1945, the main force of the New Fourth Army had grown to as many as 210,000, with nearly 100,000 local armed forces, totaling more than 300,000 people, and became the backbone of the War of Resistance against Japan.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the New Fourth Army grew from more than 10,000 to more than 300,000, successfully defeated the Japanese army and the Kuomintang recalcitrant army, and fully demonstrated the strength of the Communist Party's army.
After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the New Fourth Army made adjustments in accordance with the domestic strategic situation, and the chairman asked the major strategic regions to change their strategies as soon as possible and build a powerful field army.
Among them, the New Fourth Army occupies the main role, and its three field armies** and Su Yu are important components of the six field armies in Guannai. The revocation of the name of the New Fourth Army lasted for a year and a half, until the unification and reorganization of the East China Field Army in late January 1947, which was a special existence in a special period.
The New Fourth Army played an important role in the final battle of the War of Resistance Against Japan, striking a blow at the recalcitrant Japanese army. This includes the Lianghuai Campaign and the Yancheng Campaign in northern Jiangsu, the Battle of the Xuji Section of the Jinpu Road in southern Lunan, the battles of the eastern section of the Gaoyou and Longhai Roads, and the Xinghua and Taixing battles in Central Jiangsu.
The special existence of the New Fourth Army after the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression has special significance, influence and contribution. They fought the early battles of the Liberation War in the name of the New Fourth Army, and established the prestige of the heroic army.
In October 1945, the military headquarters of the New Fourth Army moved from Huaiyin in northern Jiangsu to Linyi in southern Lunan, and in the nearly half a year of peacetime after the Kuomintang and the Communist Party reached an armistice agreement in January 1946, they carried out a series of final battles, eliminated the stubborn Japanese army, opened up strategic ties, and created a good battlefield environment and conditions for the War of Liberation.
Although the name of the New Fourth Army was somewhat vague when the war of liberation began on June 26, 1946, its extended influence and role should not be underestimated. In the following series of operations, the East China Strategic Region fought beautiful battles one after another against the Kuomintang army, including the famous Soviet-Chinese Seven Battles and Seven Victories, the Lianghuai Defense Battle, the Lianshui Defense Battle, the Subei Campaign, and the Lunan Campaign.
Although the New Fourth Army officially revoked its number with the approval of the Communist Party of China on January 21, 1947, the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 7th units of the East China Field Army derived from it continued the unfinished business of the New Fourth Army, continued to move forward bravely, and played one brilliant victory after another on the land of East China.
In order to gain an in-depth understanding of the history of the New Fourth Army, it is indispensable to read two important reference works, "The War History of the New Fourth Army" and "Tieliu."