Encirclement Campaign against Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet
Encyclopedia
The Encirclement Campaign against the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet
was a series of battles in the border region of Hunan
and Jiangxi
provinces initiated by the Chinese Kuomintang
(Nationalist) Party / Government. The Encirclement Campaign was met by the Communists' Counter-Encirclement Campaign at Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet , also called Counter-Encirclement Campaign at Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base (湘赣革命根据地反围剿). The Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet successfully defended itself against the Nationalist attacks from January 29 to March 24, 1931.
. The Nationalists had to withdraw temporarily to regroup. Reinforcement troops from other regions came to the Soviet area to avenge the defeat at Tongcheng, leaving these other regions vulnerable to Communist attacks. The Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet decided to aid the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Soviet by striking the government in two fronts, in the west and in the southeast of Hunan.
From January 29 through February 9, 1931, the Eastern Hunan Chinese Red Army Independent Division succeeded in taking regions including Ling (酃) County, the town of Zixing
and the town of Yongxing (永兴), and three Nationalist local security regiments guarding these towns and completely destroyed along with a regiment of the Nationalist 57th Brigade sent to reinforce these regions.
In early February, 1931, the Red 7th Army was forced to abandon its bases in Guangxi
and traveled northward. The Independent Division of the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet was tasked to link up with the 7th Army. So united, the force returned to Lotus Flower (Lianhua, 莲花) county. Capitalizing on their victory, the communists expanded their force and the Independent Division was renamed as the Southeastern Hunan Independent Division. With a new 2nd Regiment established, the division comprised three regiments, totaling more than 1500 troops.
Both Communist offensives in Hunan were successful. In addition to obtaining more land, weaponry, money and supplies, the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet force also linked up with the Red 7th Army at the province's border with Guangdong
. The Nationalists were forced to redeploy their troops to face these new, more urgent threats; as a result the planned offensives against the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Soviet went awry.
: (35,000 total):
First stage:
Second stage:
Communist order of battle (1,500 total):
First stage:
Second stage:
. The nationalist 5th Route Army deployed was en route to Jiangxi Soviet
, and was tasked to first destroy the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet on its way when the situation permitted. The nationalist 5th Route Army begun their push toward Ji'an
, Jishui (吉水), and Eternal Abundance (永丰) from Pingxiang, Jiangxi
and Yichun, Jiangxi
. The communist high command of the 1st Front Army of the Chinese Red Army of the Jiangxi Soviet ordered the local communist force of the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet to launch a preemptive strike against the nationalist 5th Route Army in order to delay its deployment against the Jiangxi Soviet.
The communist Southeastern Huan
Independent Division guarding the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet deployed its 1st Regiment and the 2nd Regiment to strike Pingxiang, Jiangxi
and Yichun, Jiangxi, and its 3rd Regiment was ordered to southeastern Hunan to join up with the Chinese Red Army 7th Army from Guangxi, which by then had reached the border region of Guangdong
and Hunan provinces. The communist preemptive surprise attack had successfully disrupted and halted the nationalist encirclement campaign against the Hunan-Jiangxi, and also slowed the nationalist 5th Route Army in its deployment against the Jiangxi Soviet.
On March 14, 1931, the 3rd Regiment of the communist Southeastern Huan Independent Division successfully linked up with the vanguard of the Chinese Red Army 7th Army in the region of Shiduwei (十都圩) in Bi (鄙) County and begun their return journey. On March 24, 1931, the communists ambushed and destroyed an entire regiment of the nationalist 19th Division, and this last battle of the encirclement campaign forced the nationalists to stop their offensives completely to withdraw and regroup. Meantime, the communists did the same by returning to Lotus Flower (Lianhua, 莲花) county. The communist Southeastern Hunan Independent Division and the 58th Regiment of the Chinese Red Army 7th Army subsequently moved eastward to the region to the east of Eternal Sun (Yongyang, 永阳), and joined the 175th Regiment of the Chinese Red Army 20th Army in the local region.
instead of further encirclement of the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet. This was because if the central leadership in the Jiangxi-Fujian Soviet
was destroyed, the smaller Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet was estimated as not being able to last for long; thus, it was not worth wasting the valuable troops to be tied down on smaller local communist bases. Accordingly, the Nationalist 5th Route Army was ordered away to complete its deployment for its original purpose against their main target, and the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet was left alone for the time being.
recently established by He Long
's Second Army Group. They reached the refuge in October and united there to form the Second Red Front Army. Thus the Encirclement Campaign against Hunan–Jiangxi Soviet is linked to the Encirclement Campaign against Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Soviet
.
Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet
The Hunan–Jiangxi Soviet was a constituent part of the Chinese Soviet Republic, an unrecognised sovereign state that existed from November 1931 to 1935...
was a series of battles in the border region of Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
and Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
provinces initiated by the Chinese Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
(Nationalist) Party / Government. The Encirclement Campaign was met by the Communists' Counter-Encirclement Campaign at Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet , also called Counter-Encirclement Campaign at Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base (湘赣革命根据地反围剿). The Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet successfully defended itself against the Nationalist attacks from January 29 to March 24, 1931.
First stage
In December 1930 the communist 16th Army stationed at the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Soviet launched a preemptive strike against the Nationalist forces and annihilated an entire Nationalist regiment in Tongcheng (通城), Hubei - just before the Nationalists could begin the first attack of their Encirclement Campaign against Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi SovietEncirclement Campaign against Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Soviet
The Encirclement Campaign against the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Soviet was a campaign launched by the Right-Guomindang Nationalist Government that was intended to destroy the communist Soviet in the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border region and its army...
. The Nationalists had to withdraw temporarily to regroup. Reinforcement troops from other regions came to the Soviet area to avenge the defeat at Tongcheng, leaving these other regions vulnerable to Communist attacks. The Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet decided to aid the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Soviet by striking the government in two fronts, in the west and in the southeast of Hunan.
From January 29 through February 9, 1931, the Eastern Hunan Chinese Red Army Independent Division succeeded in taking regions including Ling (酃) County, the town of Zixing
Zixing
Zixing is a city with more than 100,000 inhabitants in Chenzhou, Hunan, China. It is twinned with Laredo, Texas U.S....
and the town of Yongxing (永兴), and three Nationalist local security regiments guarding these towns and completely destroyed along with a regiment of the Nationalist 57th Brigade sent to reinforce these regions.
In early February, 1931, the Red 7th Army was forced to abandon its bases in Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
and traveled northward. The Independent Division of the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet was tasked to link up with the 7th Army. So united, the force returned to Lotus Flower (Lianhua, 莲花) county. Capitalizing on their victory, the communists expanded their force and the Independent Division was renamed as the Southeastern Hunan Independent Division. With a new 2nd Regiment established, the division comprised three regiments, totaling more than 1500 troops.
Both Communist offensives in Hunan were successful. In addition to obtaining more land, weaponry, money and supplies, the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet force also linked up with the Red 7th Army at the province's border with Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. The Nationalists were forced to redeploy their troops to face these new, more urgent threats; as a result the planned offensives against the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Soviet went awry.
Order of battle
Kuomintang order of battleOrder of battle
In modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...
: (35,000 total):
First stage:
- Ling (酃) County Security Regiment
- Zixing Security Regiment
- Yongxing (永兴) Security Regiment
- A regiment of the nationalist 57th Brigade
Second stage:
- 5th Route Army commanded by Wang Jingyu (王金钰)
- 28th Division commanded by Gong Bingpan (公秉藩)
- 43rd Division commanded by Guo Huazong (郭华宗)
- 47th Division commanded by Shangguan Yunxiang (上官云相)
- 54th Division commanded by Hao MenglingHao MenglingHao Mengling was a Chinese general who distinguished himself first in the Northern Expedition and then in the Battle of Xinkou. Born on 18 February 1892 into a family of poor farmers, Hao ran away from his apprenticeship at a grocery shop to join the army when he was just a child...
- 77th Division commanded by Luo Lin (罗霖)
Communist order of battle (1,500 total):
First stage:
- Eastern Hunan Chinese Red Army Independent Division
- 1st Regiment
- 2nd Regiment
Second stage:
- Southeastern Hunan Independent Division
- 1st Regiment
- 2nd Regiment
- 3rd Regiment
Second stage
In March, 1931, nationalists were mobilized for the planned Second Encirclement Campaign against Jiangxi SovietSecond Encirclement Campaign against Jiangxi Soviet
The Second Encirclement Campaign against Jiangxi Soviet was a series of battles launched by the Chinese Nationalist Government in the hope of encircling and destroying the Jiangxi Soviet after the previous campaign had failed...
. The nationalist 5th Route Army deployed was en route to Jiangxi Soviet
Jiangxi Soviet
The Chinese Soviet Republic , also translated as the Soviet Republic of China or the China Soviet Republic, and often referred to in historical literature as the Jiangxi Soviet , was a state established in November 1931 by the future Communist Party of China leader Mao...
, and was tasked to first destroy the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet on its way when the situation permitted. The nationalist 5th Route Army begun their push toward Ji'an
Ji'an
- External links :* *...
, Jishui (吉水), and Eternal Abundance (永丰) from Pingxiang, Jiangxi
Pingxiang, Jiangxi
Pingxiang is a medium-sized prefecture-level city located in western Jiangxi province, China.-Geography and climate:Pingxiang is located in the remote mountainous region of the border between Jiangxi and Hunan. It is approximately 100 miles from Changsha, the capital of Hunan, and about 200 from...
and Yichun, Jiangxi
Yichun, Jiangxi
Yichun is a mountainous prefecture-level city in the Chinese province of Jiangxi. Yichun literally means "pleasant spring". It is located in the northwest of the province along a river surrouneded by mountains. Its area is 18,669 km²; 50% forested, 35% mountainous. It has a total population...
. The communist high command of the 1st Front Army of the Chinese Red Army of the Jiangxi Soviet ordered the local communist force of the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet to launch a preemptive strike against the nationalist 5th Route Army in order to delay its deployment against the Jiangxi Soviet.
The communist Southeastern Huan
Huan
Huan may refer to:* a prominent Chinese surname in Chinese history* a Chinese given name* Duke Huan of Qi, a Chinese duke* Huan , a fictional hound from J. R. R...
Independent Division guarding the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet deployed its 1st Regiment and the 2nd Regiment to strike Pingxiang, Jiangxi
Pingxiang, Jiangxi
Pingxiang is a medium-sized prefecture-level city located in western Jiangxi province, China.-Geography and climate:Pingxiang is located in the remote mountainous region of the border between Jiangxi and Hunan. It is approximately 100 miles from Changsha, the capital of Hunan, and about 200 from...
and Yichun, Jiangxi, and its 3rd Regiment was ordered to southeastern Hunan to join up with the Chinese Red Army 7th Army from Guangxi, which by then had reached the border region of Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
and Hunan provinces. The communist preemptive surprise attack had successfully disrupted and halted the nationalist encirclement campaign against the Hunan-Jiangxi, and also slowed the nationalist 5th Route Army in its deployment against the Jiangxi Soviet.
On March 14, 1931, the 3rd Regiment of the communist Southeastern Huan Independent Division successfully linked up with the vanguard of the Chinese Red Army 7th Army in the region of Shiduwei (十都圩) in Bi (鄙) County and begun their return journey. On March 24, 1931, the communists ambushed and destroyed an entire regiment of the nationalist 19th Division, and this last battle of the encirclement campaign forced the nationalists to stop their offensives completely to withdraw and regroup. Meantime, the communists did the same by returning to Lotus Flower (Lianhua, 莲花) county. The communist Southeastern Hunan Independent Division and the 58th Regiment of the Chinese Red Army 7th Army subsequently moved eastward to the region to the east of Eternal Sun (Yongyang, 永阳), and joined the 175th Regiment of the Chinese Red Army 20th Army in the local region.
Reprieve
Although the Nationalist 5th Route Army was ready later for another round of offensives after resting and regrouping, the nationalist high command had a different idea. The nationalist high command reasoned that its 5th Route Army was better deployed for another siege of the central communist base areaSecond Encirclement Campaign against Jiangxi Soviet
The Second Encirclement Campaign against Jiangxi Soviet was a series of battles launched by the Chinese Nationalist Government in the hope of encircling and destroying the Jiangxi Soviet after the previous campaign had failed...
instead of further encirclement of the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet. This was because if the central leadership in the Jiangxi-Fujian Soviet
Jiangxi-Fujian Soviet
The Jiangxi–Fujian Soviet was the largest component territory of the Chinese Soviet Republic , an unrecognized state established in November 1931 by Mao Zedong and Zhu De during the Chinese civil war...
was destroyed, the smaller Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet was estimated as not being able to last for long; thus, it was not worth wasting the valuable troops to be tied down on smaller local communist bases. Accordingly, the Nationalist 5th Route Army was ordered away to complete its deployment for its original purpose against their main target, and the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet was left alone for the time being.
Evacuation
The Southeastern Hunan Independent Division, by 1934 renamed the Sixth Army Group, were ordered to evacuate the Soviet in August of that year and to march to the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou SovietHunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Soviet
The Hunan–Hubei–Sichuan–Guizhou Soviet , was a revolutionary base area and constituent part of the Chinese Soviet Republic ....
recently established by He Long
He Long
He Long was a Chinese military leader. He rose to the rank of Marshal and Vice Premier after the founding of the People's Republic of China.-Early life:He Long was a member of the Tujia ethnic group...
's Second Army Group. They reached the refuge in October and united there to form the Second Red Front Army. Thus the Encirclement Campaign against Hunan–Jiangxi Soviet is linked to the Encirclement Campaign against Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Soviet
Encirclement Campaign against Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Soviet
The Encirclement Campaign against Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Soviet was a series of battles launched by the Chinese Nationalist Government that was intended to destroy communist Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Soviet and its Chinese Red Army in the local region...
.
See also
- List of battles of the Chinese Civil War
- National Revolutionary ArmyNational Revolutionary ArmyThe National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
- History of the People's Liberation ArmyHistory of the People's Liberation ArmyThe history of the People's Liberation Army began in 1927 with the start of the Chinese Civil War and spans to the present, having developed from a peasant guerrilla force into the largest armed force in the world.-Historical background:...