In the history of the Party, we often hear expressions such as: the Fourth Red Army, the First Red Army, the victorious rendezvous of the First, Second and Fourth Front Armies, the four major field armies... Our army has experienced the initial creation period, the Agrarian Revol

In the history of the Party, we often hear expressions such as: The Fourth Red Army, the First Red Army, the victorious rendezvous of the First, Second and Fourth Front Armies, the four major field armies... Our army has experienced the initial creation period, the agrarian revolution period, It was basically finalized during the Anti-Japanese War, the Liberation War, and after liberation. This article intends to briefly introduce the origin and changes of our military's organizational structure.

In the early days of our party's establishment, our party focused mainly on armed riots in cities and paid insufficient attention to "gun barrel" work. The August 1st Nanchang Uprising was the first shot of armed resistance against the Kuomintang reactionaries. It was the beginning of the founding of our army. August 1st was also designated as Army Founding Day. As the struggles in various base areas are unfolding in full swing, our party's armed forces have grown rapidly, and there is an urgent need to establish special military committees. In 1931, the Central Bureau of the Soviet Area of ​​the Communist Party of China was established in Ruijin, Jiangxi Province, under which was the Central Revolutionary Military Commission. The main leaders of the Central Soviet Area were Xiang Ying, Mao Zedong, and Zhu De, who successively served as chairman. In November of the same year, the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic was established, and Zhu De was appointed chairman of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission of the Chinese Soviet Republic. This was the beginning of the Chinese Revolutionary Military Commission in the history of the Red Army.

Due to various factors such as leftist errors and the Communist International , the Central Revolutionary Military Commission is still unable to independently lead the armed struggle in the base areas. After the Zunyi Conference in 1935, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Wang Jiaxiang formed a three-person military group and became the highest military decision-making body during the Red Army's Long March. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army. In order to ensure the party's absolute leadership over the people's army, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China established the Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, with Mao Zedong as chairman and Zhu De and Zhou Enlai as vice-chairmen. On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China was established, and the People's Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People's Government was also established, with Mao Zedong as chairman. In 1954, the Party's Military Committee was restored.

The beginning of the founding of the army: August 1st Nanchang Uprising

August 1st Nanchang Uprising, also known as Nanchang Uprising or August 1st Uprising. On August 1, 1927, the Communist Party of China united with the left wing of the Kuomintang and fired the first shot in armed resistance against the Kuomintang reactionaries, marking the beginning of the Communist Party of China's independent leadership of the armed struggle and the creation of a revolutionary army.

Li Binghong's oil painting "August 1st Uprising"

During the first great revolution, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party went from cooperation to breakdown. The reactionaries launched the April 12 coup and the July 15 coup to massacre communists. In July 1927, the CCP decided to assemble part of the National Revolutionary Army under its control and influence, go south to Guangdong to restore the revolutionary base, and then launch a new Northern Expedition. Zhou Enlai, Li Lisan, Yun Daiying, and Peng Pai formed the Former Enemies Committee of the Communist Party of China, with Zhou Enlai as secretary. The troops scheduled to participate in the uprising include: the 24th and 10th Divisions of the 11th Army of the Second Front of the National Revolutionary Army, the entire 20th Army, the 73rd and 75th Regiments of the 25th Division of the 4th Army, and the 5th Front Army headed by Zhu De. The first unit of the 3rd Army Officer Education Corps and the first unit of the Nanchang Municipal Public Security Bureau Security Team, with a total of more than 20,000 people.

After the success of the August 1st Uprising, the rebel army continued to use the designation of the Second Front Army of the National Revolutionary Army. He Long also served as the commander-in-chief of the front army, and Ye Ting also served as the commander-in-chief of the former enemy front army. The rebel army suffered setbacks when it went south. One group, led by Zhu De and Chen Yi, moved to the borders of Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Hunan, and finally saved about 800 rebels. In April 1928, he arrived at the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base and joined the Autumn Harvest Uprising troops on the Hunan-Jiangxi border led by Mao Zedong. This was the backbone of the Fourth Red Army and was known in history as Jinggangshan Reunion and Zhu Mao Reunion. After the

uprising, He Long established the Red Second Army and the Western Hunan and Hubei Revolutionary Base. In 1934, he joined forces with the Sixth Army of the Red Army led by Ren Bishi, Xiao Ke, Wang Zhen and others at the border of Guizhou and Sichuan, and later opened up the Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou border revolutionary base. In November 1935, the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps began their Long March. In July 1936, the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps formed the Second Red Front Army in Ganzi, with He Long as the commander-in-chief. After the start of the Anti-Japanese War, the Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, and He Long was appointed commander of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army. This is something.

Autumn Harvest Uprising: Another origin of the Fourth Red Army

On August 7, 1927, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held an emergency 87 Conference and determined the general policy of agrarian revolution and armed struggle. At this meeting, Mao Zedong made the famous assertion that "power emerges from the barrel of a gun." The meeting decided to send Mao Zedong to Changsha to lead the Autumn Harvest Uprising on the border of Hunan and Jiangxi.

The oil painting "Autumn Harvest Uprising" by He Kongde, Gao Quan, Ji Xiaoqiu and Chen Yuxian

The Autumn Harvest Uprising on the Hunan-Jiangxi border was the first time that the banner of the Communist Party of China was openly displayed in the armed struggle, and it embarked on the path of carrying out guerrilla warfare and establishing rural revolutionary base areas. the way. The insurgent army is called the 1st Division of the 1st Corps of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, with a total of more than 5,000 people. Lu Deming serves as the commander-in-chief and has 3 regiments under his jurisdiction: the 1st regiment, which is composed of the guard regiment of the former National Revolutionary Army's Second Front Army Headquarters, the Pingjiang Workers' and Peasants' Volunteer Corps, and the Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Chongyang and Tongcheng counties in Hubei Province; The 2nd Regiment is composed of the Anyuan Workers' Picket Team, the Anyuan Mine Police Team, and some farmers' self-defense forces in Anfu, Yongxin, Lianhua, Pingxiang, Liling and other counties; the 3rd Regiment is located in The Bronze Drum is composed of one unit each of the Liuyang Workers' and Peasants' Volunteer Team and the Guard Regiment, and one unit each of the Pingjiang Workers' and Peasants' Volunteer Team.

After the rebel army's attack on Changsha was frustrated, Mao Zedong promptly held a meeting in Wenjia City, abandoned the original plan to attack Changsha, and instead moved south along the Luoxiao Mountains to seek a foothold. When we arrived at Sanwan Village in Yongxin County, we found that the number of troops was less than 1,000. They were quite confused and poorly organized. Mao Zedong carried out the famous Sanwan adaptation here, reducing 1 division to 1 regiment, which was called the 1st Regiment of the 1st Division of the 1st Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. He established the party branch in the company and began to implement democracy. system.

After the Autumn Harvest Uprising troops went to Jinggangshan, in February 1928, they were co-organized with the troops of Yuan Wencai and Wang Zuo. The Autumn Harvest Uprising troops were the First Regiment of the First Division of the First Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. The local armed forces of Yuan Wencai and Wang Zuo were The Second Regiment of the First Division of the First Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army.

The Fourth Red Army in Jinggangshan

After Zhu Mao reunited in April 1928, they were jointly organized into The Fourth Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. In June, it was renamed the Fourth Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. Because the main force of these two armies comes from the Fourth Army of the National Revolutionary Army, and the Fourth Army is known as the Iron Army, it has always been called the Fourth Army. There is also a saying that calling it the Fourth Army made it appear that there were more Red Army soldiers, and the enemy thought that there were also the First Army, the Second Army, and the Third Army (which were later established one after another).

Lin Gang's oil painting "Jinggangshan Reunion"

The Fourth Red Army: Zhu De serves as commander, Mao Zedong serves as party representative and secretary of the Military Commission, Wang Erzhuo serves as chief of staff, and Chen Yi, director of the Political Department, has jurisdiction over 3 divisions. Zhu De, Mao Zedong, and Chen Yi serve separately. Commanders of the 10th, 11th and 12th Divisions, a total of more than 10,000 people. Soon the division organization was abolished and organized into six regiments. After the 30th and 33rd Regiments returned to southern Hunan to carry out guerrilla warfare, the troops in Jinggangshan were the 28th Regiment (composed of the remnants of the Nanchang Uprising Army), the 29th Regiment (composed of the Yizhang Peasant Army in southern Hunan), the 31st Regiment (formerly the First Regiment, composed of the Autumn Harvest Uprising troops on the border of Hunan and Jiangxi), and the 32nd Regiment (formerly the Second Regiment, composed of troops from Yuan Wencai and Wang Zuo), with a total of more than 6,000 people.

The 1st Red Army, the 1st Red Army, Central Red Army

In June 1930, according to the decision of the National Red Army Representative Conference on the centralized formation of regular corps by the Red Army in various places, the 4th, 6th (later renamed the 3rd Army) and 3rd Army of the Red Army were The 12th Army formed the 1st Army Corps of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. Zhu De served as the commander-in-chief, Mao Zedong served as the political commissar, with a total of more than 20,000 people. Soon, the 20th and 22nd Red Army armies established in southwestern Jiangxi were also placed under the 1st Red Army Corps.

Then, the First and Third Red Army Corps ( composed of the 5th and 8th Army of the Red Army, Peng Dehuai served as the commander-in-chief, Teng Daiyuan served as the political commissar ) gathered together to form the First Front Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army . 1931 On November 25, 2011, the headquarters of the 1st Red Army and the general headquarters of the 1st Red Army were abolished, and the subordinate units were directly led and commanded by the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, which was the Central Red Army.

In March 1932, the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Army Corps were reorganized, and the 1st Red Army Corps took charge of the 4th and 15th Army Corps. In October 1934, the Central Red Army began its Long March.After joining forces with the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army in 1935, it was renamed the 1st Army, and later reorganized into the 1st Column of the Shaanxi-Gansu Detachment of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. It arrived at Wuqi Town in northern Shaanxi in October 1935, and the Central Red Army successfully ended the Long March.

The Second Red Front Army

was the headquarters of He Long after the aforementioned Nanchang Uprising. is composed of the Second Red Army Corps, the Sixth Red Army Corps, and the 32nd Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. He Long was appointed commander-in-chief, and Ren Bi was appointed political commissar. The Long March began in November 1935 and reached the Shaanxi-Gansu Soviet Area in October 1936. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, it was reorganized into the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army.

Red Third Front Army

is missing. There are two theories: one is that because the aforementioned First and Third Red Army Corps have joined together, there is no longer the Third Red Front Army. Second, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission later planned to form the Seventh, Eighth, Nineth and Fourteenth Army Corps into the Third Red Front Army. However, after the failure of the fifth counter-encirclement and suppression campaign, some formed an advance team to go north to resist Japan, and some followed the Central Red Army on the Long March, so they failed. Implement co-edited plans.

The Fourth Red Front Army

The Fourth Red Front Army is mainly composed of the Hubei-Henan-Anhui Soviet Area troops. It was established in Huang'an in Hubei Province in 1931. The commander-in-chief Xu Xiangqian and the political commissar Chen Changhao. In 1932, faced with the enemy's encirclement and suppression , most of them moved westward and opened up base areas in Sichuan and Shaanxi, and their strength grew rapidly.

In June 1935, the First and Fourth Front armies met in the Maogong area of ​​Sichuan and decided to go north to create the Sichuan-Shaanxi-Gansu Soviet Area. In July 1936, the Fourth Front Army and the Second Front Army met in Ganzi. In October, the First, Second, and Fourth Front armies met in Huining, Gansu Province, and the Red Army's Long March ended successfully.

After the full-scale Anti-Japanese War broke out, the 4th and 31st Army of the Fourth Red Army and the 29th and 30th Army of the Northern Shaanxi Red Army were reorganized into the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army..

During the Anti-Japanese War

After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the armies led by the Communist Party of China were unified and reorganized into the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army (later renamed the Eighteenth Group Army) and the New Fourth Army. The Northern Shaanxi Red Army was organized into the 115th Division, 120th Division, and 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army. The southern guerrilla warfare forces were organized into the New Fourth Army.

The 1st, 15th Corps and 74th Division of the Red Front Army were reorganized into the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, with division commander Lin Biao under their jurisdiction, including the 343rd and 344th Brigades.

The Second Red Front Army, the 27th and 28th Army of the Northern Shaanxi Red Army, the 1st and 2nd Independent Divisions, the Chishui Guard Battalion and the First Team directly under the Red Army Headquarters were reorganized into the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army. Division Commander He Long was responsible for the 120th Division. 358th, 359th Brigade, etc.

The 4th and 31st Army of the Fourth Red Army, the 29th and 30th Army of the Northwest Red Army, the 1st to 4th Independent Regiments and the Cavalry Regiment of the 15th Army, etc., were reorganized into The 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, Division Commander Liu Bocheng was in charge of the 385th and 386th brigades.

The Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army carried out the anti-Japanese armed struggle behind enemy lines, opened up anti-Japanese base areas behind enemy lines, and developed the armed forces of various border regions, military regions and columns. By the time the Anti-Japanese War was won, the number of troops had grown to more than 1 million.

Field Army period

field, developed from the Eighth Route Army and local armed forces in the Shanxi-Suiyuan Liberated Areas and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Liberated Areas at the end of the Anti-Japanese War . On August 11, 1945, the Central Military Commission established the Shanxi-Suiyuan Field Army, with He Long also serving as commander. The Shanxi-Sui Military Region was established in 1946, and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Field Army was formed in 1947, with Zhang Zongxun as commander. The Northwest Field Corps was also established, with Peng Dehuai serving as commander and political commissar. Later it was renamed the Northwest Field Army and the First Field Army.

Erye, was formed and developed by the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Border Region Eighth Route Army and local armed forces during the Anti-Japanese War period. During the Anti-Japanese War, the 129th Division merged with the Eighth Route Army Headquarters to form the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region, which administered four military regions: Taihang, Taiyue, Jinan, and Hebei-Shandong-Henan. The 129th Division was formally reorganized into the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region. Hebei, Shandong and Yu Military Region. In 1947, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping were the commanders and political commissars of the Central Plains Field Army. In 1949, the Second Field Army was formed.

Sanye, was adapted and expanded from the New Fourth Army and the unit of the Eighth Route Army Shandong Military Region during the Anti-Japanese War period.In 1945, the main force of the New Fourth Army advanced into Shandong and formed the Shandong Field Army; the New Fourth Army units remaining in Jiangsu and Anhui formed the Central China Field Army. In 1947, the Shandong Field Army, the Central China Field Army and the Shandong Military Region troops were combined into the East China Field Army. Chen Yi serves as commander and political commissar, and Su Yu serves as deputy commander. In 1949, it was renamed the Third Field Army. Later it was East China Military Region , Nanjing Military Region .

Siye , gradually developed from the Eighth Route Army, the main force of the New Fourth Army, which entered the Northeast in the late period of the Anti-Japanese War, and the Northeast Anti-Japanese Allied Forces . In 1948, the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army was renamed the Northeast People's Liberation Army, and Lin Biao served as commander and political commissar. Later it was renamed the Fourth Field Army. In 1949, the Fourth Field Army and the Central Plains Military Region merged to form the Fourth Field Army and the leading authority of the Central China Military Region, which was later renamed the Central and South Military Region. In 1955, it was renamed Guangzhou Military Region.