In September 1950, MacArthur commanded the US army to land on Incheon , which suddenly aggravated the situation in North Korea. The Korean People's Army could not resist the invasion of the US army and began to retreat to the north. Facing the severe situation, Kim Il Sung wrote to Stalin requesting assistance, and expressed his determination to overcome difficulties and never let North Korea become a colony of US imperialism. Stalin had to take action after getting help from Kim Il Sung. But he believes that on the one hand, North Korea should seek contact with the United States and strive for peace talks; on the other hand, it should also seek help from China. Especially the last point. In a telegram to Matveyev, the Soviet representative in North Korea, he said: " On this issue, I think we should still consult with Chinese comrades. "
Stalin On the one hand, this statement shows that he is very cautious in assisting North Korea. After all, the United States has a strong military strength and Stalin does not want to have a direct military conflict with the United States. On the other hand, as the same socialist country, Stalin is not willing to look at it. When North Korea faces US aggression, it is very important to seek China’s assistance to North Korea. Therefore, Stalin immediately sent a telegram to Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou after receiving Kim Il Sung's request for help. At the same time, Kim Il Sung also delivered a letter of assistance to Chairman Mao through the Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Ni Zhiliang:
Dear Comrade Mao Zedong:
We must be determined to overcome all difficulties and prevent the enemy from colonizing North Korea. !
We must be determined to shed the last drop of blood and fight to the end for the independence, liberation and democracy of the Korean people!
We are concentrating on training new divisions,The more than 100,000 troops gathered in the southern regions where it is advantageous in combat have mobilized all the people to prepare for long-term combat.
At present, the enemy is taking advantage of our serious crisis and will not give us time. If we continue to attack the area north of the 38th parallel, it will be difficult to overcome this crisis with our own strength. Therefore, we have to ask you to give us special help, that is, when the enemy is attacking the area north of the 38th parallel, we very much hope that the Chinese People's Liberation Army will directly dispatch to assist our army in combat!
Faced with the critical situation in North Korea, does China send troops to assist North Korea?
Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou and other leading comrades have entered into a tense decision-making process.
The decision-making process is not easy. The situation is obvious. New China has just been established for a year, and there are still many places in the country where wars have not ended. The United States is a veteran imperialist country, and its industrial strength and military strength are much stronger than China at that time.
Therefore, when Chairman Mao received a telegram from Stalin on reporting North Korea on October 1, 1950, he convened a meeting the next day in the Yi Nian Hall in Zhongnanhai to discuss whether to send troops to aid North Korea. The problem. Two opinions were formed at the meeting. One was that troops should be dispatched, and the other was that troops should not be dispatched. However, most people believed that it was less than inevitable and it was best not to fight this battle.
Gao Gang and Lin Biao are opposed. Gao Gang believes that the war is based on strength. It is morally correct to send troops to aid Korea, defend the new republic, and oppose imperialist hegemony. However, the Soviet Union is stronger than us, and the Soviet Union does not send troops. Why do we send troops? Even if you win,There is a great price to pay too! Lin Biao’s opinion is similar to that of Gao Gang. He said: An American division has hundreds of artillery pieces, but our army has only 30 pieces. They have an air force, we don't. They have a navy, and neither do we. How will this battle be fought? Look at our country. From the time of the Red Army to the present, the People's Liberation Army has been fighting for more than two decades. Now there are many bandits everywhere, and the soldiers all hope for peace. It should be said that Gao Gang and Lin Biao oppose sending troops to North Korea, and the reasons given have their objectivity. After all, sending troops is a major issue, just as Chairman Mao said: This is a Zhuge Liang meeting, and it is necessary to present the disadvantages and difficulties of sending troops. There is no doubt that only by fully demonstrating and brainstorming can the final decision be made.
Premier Zhou did not agree with Gao Gang and Lin Biao’s opinion. His reason was that " resisted the US and aid Korea , defending the country. " did not say anything else to Premier Zhou.
did not make a decision at the October 2 meeting and decided to meet again tomorrow to study. Premier Zhou reminded Chairman Mao that Stalin was still waiting for his reply.
Decision making is an extremely difficult and painful process. For Chairman Mao, the pressure and burden on him can be imagined. Can we send troops to aid North Korea? China has fought battles for more than 100 years. New China is facing an extremely difficult economic situation: enterprises are under-operated, and the transportation system is destroyed by war and urgently needs repair. At the same time, the spies of Chiang Kai-shek are still engaged. Destruction... At this time, the difficulty of fighting against the United States, which is known as the world's largest power, is obvious. The most important thing is that as a member of the socialist camp , the Soviet Union, which is called the "big brother" by brother countries,At this time, he kicked the ball to aid North Korea to China. In the telegram to Chairman Mao on October 1, Stalin clearly stated:
I am on vacation away from Moscow and I don’t know much about the situation in North Korea. However, from the report given to me by Moscow today, I learned that the North Korean comrades are in trouble... According to the current situation, if you think that you can provide reinforcements for Koreans, even five or six divisions...waiting for you Replies. Yours sincerely, Filipov.
It can be imagined that Stalin is waiting for Chairman Mao to make a decision. His pressure is too great!
The staff next to Chairman Mao many years later recalled: During the time when the decision was made to send troops to aid Korea, Chairman Mao fell into the most painful state after the founding of New China. He could not sleep all night, smoking and thinking about problems, two or three hours. He had to fill him with a cigarette butt. The amiable Chairman Mao in the past is gone. He often loses his temper and the staff try to stay away from him as much as possible, so as not to disturb him thinking about problems!
According to Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou, they agreed to send troops to North Korea. After all, "the lips are dead, the teeth are cold, and the households are in danger." What's more, Kim Il Sung has sent a letter of assistance, and the reason for sending troops is fair. However, the objections of Gao Gang, Lin Biao and others cannot be ignored. China is facing huge difficulties: Weapons and equipment are very backward, there is no navy, no air force, lack of transportation capabilities, poor maneuverability of troops, difficulties in supply... These are all objective facts. , Cannot but arouse the attention of Chairman Mao. Therefore, after several meetings, Chairman Mao decided to take the opinions of the Chinese Communists in a pragmatic manner, and telegraph Stalin through the consultants in China, Luo Shen and others.
The Chinese telegram was sent to Stalin on October 3. The main content is:
First: Sending a few divisions might not be able to solve the North Korean issue.
Second: It is necessary to actively prepare forces and grasp the opportunity to fight against the enemy, so that it will be more beneficial to us.
Third: We have not made a final decision on this issue.
Obviously, deciding whether to send troops to North Korea by telegram cannot fully explain the problem. Therefore, at the same time as the telegram was sent, China decided to send Zhou Enlai and Lin Biao to the Soviet Union to personally negotiate with Stalin’s sanatorium. The key to the negotiation is that China needs the necessary assistance from the Soviet Union to resist the US and aid North Korea, especially the coordination and cooperation of the Air Force and the support of weapons and ammunition.
At the same time, Chairman Mao is also actively seeking a unified opinion within the Chinese leadership. He held meetings and consultations repeatedly, and in order to persuade everyone, he also worked hard. Here, the appearance of Peng Dehuai played an important role. In the beginning, Chairman Mao was preparing Su Yu to go to the front line in North Korea, but because Su Yu was ill, not to mention that he had been preparing to liberate Taiwan, so he had to put Su Yu on hold. Later, Lin Biao was elected, but Lin Biao strongly opposed sending troops to North Korea, asking Chairman Mao to act cautiously, and shitting his illness as an excuse. Lin Biao could not count on it. After the meeting on October 2, Chairman Mao asked Zhou Enlai to bring Peng Dehuai to Beijing for the meeting. At that time, Peng Dehuai thought it was an economic meeting. Later, he discovered that "the atmosphere of the meeting was very unusual." It was a matter of negotiating to send troops to North Korea. There were big differences. Peng Dehuai understood the purpose of Chairman Mao's invitation to Beijing, so he thought about it all night without sleep.
Early the next morning, Deng Xiaoping brought Peng Dehuai to Zhongnanhai.
Chairman Mao solicited Peng Dehuai's opinions on the dispatch of troops, and Peng Dehuai expressed his support for Chairman Mao's decision.
Chairman Mao asked again: Who is the right person to send troops to aid Korea?
Peng Dehuai Answer: Isn’t Lin Biao already confirmed?
Chairman Mao talked about Lin Biao’s situation,Finally, I said: Our opinion, this burden is still up to you. You are not mentally prepared for this, right?
Peng Dehuai thought for a while and said: I obey the decision of the central government.
Chairman Mao immediately said: I’m relieved, now that the U.S. forces are splitting up and advancing towards the 38th parallel, we must dispatch troops as soon as possible and strive for the initiative. A meeting will be held this afternoon. Please give your opinion.
At the meeting, Peng Dehuai talked about the view that "fighting late is not as good as fighting early", and "If you break it, you will be liberated a few years later." Chairman Mao said to Peng Dehuai that he will give you 10 days of preparation time and the time for sending troops is tentatively determined. On October 15th. In other words, on the afternoon of October 5th, China officially made the decision to resist US aggression and aid Korea.
The decision to send troops to North Korea was difficult. Chairman Mao is facing pressure from inside and outside. On October 3, China was very cautious about whether to send troops. After Kim Il-sung learned of the Chinese news, he had already prepared for the worst: Without foreign aid, North Korea would lose the entire country and would have to go to the mountainous area to fight guerrillas. Stalin was also uncomfortable. He had already decided to withdraw Soviet advisers and expatriates in North Korea. However, when China finally made the decision to resist US aggression and aid Korea on October 5, it was tantamount to ushering in light for both Kim Il Sung and Stalin. Kim Il Sung said excitedly: " now we have A bright future. ”
On October 8, Chairman Mao officially issued the order to form the Chinese People’s Volunteers.
At this time Zhou Enlai and Lin Biao have also flown to the Soviet Union,The purpose is to specifically request Stalin to fulfill his promise to provide weapons and air support for the Chinese army!
This is the only condition for the Chinese army to send troops to North Korea to fight the United States!
However, Zhou Enlai negotiated with Stalin about China’s dispatch of troops to North Korea, and the Soviet Union’s weapons and air force assistance, but encountered obstacles. Stalin made it clear: has difficulty in fighting with the Soviet Union. , So the Soviet Air Force could not dispatch ! For Zhou En, who kept his promise, he hardly believed his ears. When Kim Il Sung asked Stalin for help, Stalin agreed that China would dispatch ground troops, and the Soviet Union would dispatch arms and air force to cooperate, and China finally made the difficult decision to dispatch troops. But at this time Stalin turned his back.
To tell the truth, Stalin had concerns about direct military conflicts with the United States. In this regard, China has concerns, and the Soviet Union also has concerns. Therefore, Stalin is always waiting for Chairman Mao to make a decision that he hopes that China will help North Korea by itself, while keeping the Soviet Union out of the matter. On October 8, the day after the U.S. military crossed the 38th line, two American jets attacked an airport in the coastal area of the Soviet Union. Stalin believed that this was a warning issued by the United States to him, so he sent troops to aid. North Korea has become extremely cautious. This is an objective situation, because no one is willing to rush into war with other countries. However, the North Korean side's request for assistance was first sent to Stalin. Stalin also promised to assist North Korea at the beginning. At this time, he changed his mind. This is indeed unacceptable!
Zhou Enlai, who had been dealing with the Soviet Union for a long time, couldn’t help being shocked.But he quickly reacted and said:
Our Central Committee originally had two opinions, one is to send troops and the other is not to send troops. There are big differences. Now it is hard to reach a consensus. We only ask the Soviet Union to send out air force cover. We only ask the Soviet Union to assist us with the weapons and ammunition we need, and provide the blueprint of the army light weapons for us to imitate. Comrade Stalin, our Chinese demands are not excessive. We don’t have a anti-aircraft gun , no tanks, no planes, and our entire army uses all captured old weapons. For the emergency, we can only deploy weapons among the various armies, let the 38th Army use Japanese weapons, and all the American weapons captured by the 40th Army use Tom Guns. Only in this way can we barely guarantee the supply. But our infantry did not have enough ammunition. The domestic arsenal digs three feet, including the refurbished old bullets, and only got 120 million rounds, which is only enough for the supply of light weapons for the aid of North Korea. Do you let us fight the Americans with bayonets?
Premier Zhou said sincerely, this is the actual situation in China.
Stalin eased his attitude at this time and said: "It can meet the aircraft, artillery, tanks and other equipment needed by China to resist the United States and aid Korea. But the Soviet air force is not ready yet. It must wait two months or two and a half months. "Stalin paused, then said, "If you really don’t want to send troops, let Kim Il Sung go to the northeast to establish a government in exile!"
Stalin’s These words are very .At the time, Kim Il-sung was the first to send a letter of assistance to Stalin. Stalin kicked the ball to China. Now what Stalin promised is not counted. It is indeed a "socialist big brother" demeanor. When Premier Zhou said that it was useless, he sent a telegram to Chairman Mao to report on the talks with Stalin.
After receiving Premier Zhou’s telegram, Chairman Mao’s anger can be imagined: " Our soldiers are also the flesh and blood of their parents. There are no flying bones! We have hundreds of thousands of troops when we are dispatched, but he refuses to dispatch hundreds of pilots. If you say it well, it doesn't count. Isn't this a draw from the bottom? If you don't send troops, we won't go out, and call Peng Dehuai back! "Speaking, Chairman Mao patted the table in front of Zhu De and Ren Bishi, and even the tea cup jumped up.
Zhu De and Ren Bishi were also silent.
After a while, Zhu De said, "Chairman, be cautious and impatient." Things..." As for Stalin's actions, the leaders of China are also aware of what he did. After all, they had dealt with Stalin many times and knew who he was.
Chairman Mao pondered for a long time and said: " has been poor and weak for a hundred years. We Chinese must stand up for strength. We must strive for strength. We must strive for strength. We must strive for strength in the future. The better, so you don’t have to snorted! ”
On the afternoon of October 13,Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang arrived in Beijing. Chairman Mao once again explained the situation in the Soviet Union. Whether we can send troops to aid Korea, we still need to seek the advice of Commander-in-Chief Peng Dehuai, because we must face a reality that the Soviet Union cannot send out its air force to cover the Chinese army! However, Chairman Mao still prefers to send troops immediately, because the U.S. military is marching northward and will lose its strategic initiative one day later. Therefore, troops must be sent immediately, no matter how difficult it is. " we can't die without saving! " said Chairman Mao.
At 9 o’clock that evening, Chairman Mao summoned Luo Shen, a Soviet adviser, to explain China’s attitude: " The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China once again discussed Comrade Filipov’s latest telegram and my decision. We agreed , We should help the North Koreans... The main problem now is that our air force must be covered. We hope that the air force will arrive as soon as possible, no later than two months... The Chinese government cannot pay cash for the equipment provided by the Soviet Union, and hopes to lease it. To get these equipment, Zhou Enlai must discuss these issues with Comrade Filipov. ”
Chairman Mao once again stated:“ we will send troops to North Korea, to China, to North Korea, to the East, and to the world. It is extremely beneficial. If we do not send troops to push the enemy to the Yalu River, the domestic and international reactionary arrogance will increase, and it will be detrimental to all parties. In short, we should participate in the war and must participate in the war. The benefits of participating in the war are great, and the damage to not participating in the war is great. ”
In the early morning of the 14th, Chairman Mao telegraphed Chen Yi: The 9th Corps photo plan was assembled,Stand by to drive northeast.
In the early morning of the 15th, Chairman Mao ordered Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang to send two troops across the river to build fortifications in the Dechuan area.
At the same time, Chairman Mao also telegraphed Premier Zhou to continue discussing with Stalin on the order of arms and support from the Soviet Air Force, which was finally implemented!
However, when Zhou Enlai once again discussed with Stalin about air force support, Zhou Enlai’s reply surprised Zhou Enlai again: , the Soviet Union could only send air forces to the Yak River in China. I don’t plan to enter North Korea in a month or two and a half months ! This undoubtedly shows to China that the Chinese army's operations in North Korea should not expect assistance from the Soviet Air Force.
Stalin changed his mind again. This time, Zhou Enlai, who has always been gentle and elegant, was also angry. He calmly but pointed out sharply: " We Chinese can also ignore other people’s affairs and live our own little life behind closed doors. We just decided something good, what? Will it be overthrown again? It won’t work. What we have decided in China will not change anymore. China must send troops to aid North Korea! Therefore, no opinion was expressed. But Molotov, who was next to him, blushed.
said nothing,Make this veteran diplomat feel embarrassed.
Why did Stalin break his promise again and again? There are many reasons. He did not want to conflict with the United States, so he acted very cautiously; but the Soviet Union signed an alliance treaty with North Korea and China, so he had to take action. When Kim Il Sung lost on the Korean battlefield, Stalin lost his confidence and even repeatedly demanded Kim Il Sung went to fight guerrillas; he had the obligation to assist North Korea and did not want to take responsibility, so he could only rely on China; but China did have practical difficulties, so when China expressed his difficulties, Stalin did not want to take responsibility!
When Premier Zhou reported Stalin’s opinions to Chairman Mao, Chairman Mao met and discussed. He asked Peng Dehuai: Looks like this, has the Soviet Union completely washed its hands? Can this battle be fought? Peng Dehuai believes that the Soviet Union provides us with weapons but does not dispatch the air force. The commander-in-chief has this confidence, so Chairman Mao said: "Even if the United States cannot be beaten, it will always owe us an account. Whenever we want to fight, we can fight again!" Therefore, the meeting concluded: No matter whether the Stalinist faction or not. The plan of the Air Force and Volunteers to cross the river to aid North Korea cannot be changed, because the US military has already besieged Pyongyang and will arrive on the Yalu River in a few days. Chairman Mao immediately ordered: 4 armies and 3 artillery divisions secretly cross the river on the night of the 19th according to the original plan.
The grand prelude to "resist US aggression and aid Korea, defend our country" officially kicked off.
The Soviet Union repeatedly broke its promise on the issue of resisting US aggression and aggression against Korea, backtracking, and letting this so-called socialist "big brother" demeanor disappear. Although the Soviet Union still sent its air force to fight against China, the initial hesitation put a lot of pressure on China. This made Chairman Mao and others feel: will be controlled by others ! Later, when Chen Yi reviewed China’s decision to send troops to North Korea,Once said: Stalin was moved to tears when he heard China's determination to send troops to aid Korea and won the Korean battlefield. He repeatedly said: " Chinese comrades are good! " Is Stalin moved? I don’t know how to cry, but the Chinese people’s unsophisticated internationalist spirit is touching:
On the battlefield, huge military expenditures were consumed, and a poor and weak China has only been established for one year, and it has undertaken this huge pressure! All the national sacrifices and the huge assistance of manpower and material resources are free of charge, and North Korea is not required to pay a penny! The arms that the Soviet Union aided us were purchased by the Chinese with loans from the Soviets. During the entire period of resistance to US aggression and aid to Korea, China owed more than 3 billion yuan in munitions for this. In the next three years of natural disasters, the Chinese just gritted their teeth and paid off all their loans! Therefore, Chairman Mao said: "We have neither foreign debt nor domestic debt!" With extremely backward equipment, the Chinese stubbornly won the war and drove the U.S. army from the Yalu River to the 38th line. Our volunteer soldiers have paid a huge sacrifice.
Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou, Peng Dehuai and other leading comrades have also endured tremendous pressure and devoted tremendous efforts. In order to wait for a telegram on the North Korean battlefield, Premier Zhou stayed up all night and had a nosebleed anxiously. When the staff persuaded him to go to rest first, Premier Zhou became angry and said: " You always let me rest, rest, dozens Ten thousand volunteers were desperately fighting on the battlefield, unable to provide logistics,Can I leave it alone? "When the staff saw Premier Zhou’s nosebleeds bleeding more severely, they said with tears: "Stop talking, you are in a hurry, and your nosebleeds flowed more severely. "It was not until Premier Zhou waited for this telegram to rest.
It is precisely because of the lack of China's industrial capabilities that Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou made up their minds to develop their own industry and defense industries. Starting from the imitation of Soviet cars and weapons, on the basis of a poor and white foundation, the powerful industry and ordnance industry of New China was established, laying a solid foundation for the modernization of China today.
Because the leaders are deep Deeply know: At a critical time, no one can rely on anyone, only being strong is the only truth!
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