Shortly after the founding of New China, Xu Xiangqian, then the first deputy commander of the North China Military Region, was appointed as the Chief of General Staff of the Central Military Commission, and he became the first Chief of General Staff of New China. At that time, Xu Xiangqian was not in good health and was recuperating in Qingdao , so he was unable to take office. The position of Chief of General Staff was represented by the First Deputy Chief of General Staff Nie Rongzhen. From 1949 to 1954, Nie Rongzhen has always been the acting chief of staff. In other words, Chairman Mao retained the position of Chief of General Staff for Xu Xiangqian for five years. So why does Chairman Mao value Xu Xiangqian so much? What is his extraordinary nature?
First of all, Xu Xiangqian is good at leading troops. When he was ordered to come to Hubei, Henan and Anhui in 1929, he had only a peasant armed force of more than 300 people, and he was not trained enough and lacked weapons and ammunition. He set an example, focused on training, and then led his troops to continuously attack the enemy with guerrilla tactics, accumulating small victories into big victories. In just two years, he developed this armed force of more than 300 people into an Red Fourth Front Army with a population of 40,000. During the War of Liberation, after Liu and Deng led the main force south, Xu Xiangqian only had local troops in Shanxi, Hebei, Shandong and Henan, but under his training, this local troops of 60,000 swept across Shanxi and drove away Yan Xishan .
Secondly, Xu Xiangqian is good at defeating the strong with the weak. During the Red Army, he fought against the 200,000 Sichuan Army of Liu Xiang with 80,000 people and annihilated 100,000 enemies. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, whether in the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, southern Hebei or Shandong, he fought against the Japanese and puppet troops many times, defeating the strong with the weak; during the War of Liberation, Xu Xiangqian was ordered to go to Shanxi to fight with Yan Xishan. At that time, he had only 60,000 local troops, but Yan Xishan had 300,000 elite troops, including the 10th Corps composed of Japanese soldiers. In the face of the strong enemy, Xu Xiangqian took the initiative to attack. In just one and a half years, he wiped out Yan Xishan's elite and liberated Shanxi.
Third point, Xu Xiangqian created 18 firsts in military history, leaving a deep impression on Chairman Mao. Let’s give you a few simple examples and you will know. For example, the first battle of the Red Army to annihilate a whole division of the Kuomintang was the Shuangqiao Town Battle commanded by Xu Xiangqian; for example, the most successful example of siege point to fight aid in during the Red Army was the Su Jiafu victory commanded by Xu Xiangqian; for example, the battle with the largest number of enemies in the history of the Red Army was the anti-"six route siege" commanded by Xu Xiangqian, and 100,000 enemy troops were eliminated in one battle.
In addition to these three points, Xu Xiangqian is also very humble and has always been very honest. He is called the "Marquis of the Common Man". He is good at leading troops and has superb military talents. In addition, he is humble and able to unite comrades. Therefore, Chairman Mao had a deep impression of Xu Xiangqian, and he personally named him as the first chief of staff after the founding of New China. Unfortunately, due to physical reasons, Xu Xiangqian was unable to take office. In November 1948, Xu Xiangqian fell ill due to overworking in command of the war day and night.
Chairman Mao was very concerned when he learned that Xu Xiangqian was ill and sent a telegram in person to ask Xu Xiangqian to put down his work and rest for a while. At the end of the telegram, he specifically stated: "If the condition is serious, you should come to the Central Hospital, it is very important." Just a week later, Chairman Mao called again: "I think deeply when I hear the disease, and I want to rest with peace of mind and not worry about work. When your condition is slightly better and you can move, come to the central government to recuperate, and then go to the front line after you recover. In short, treatment and rest are the first priority. Everything is easy to deal with when the disease is cured."
Chairman Mao was so concerned that Xu Xiangqian was very moved. Although the doctor used many methods, Xu Xiangqian's condition has not improved much. Especially when winter comes, the condition is particularly severe, and the winter in the north is particularly cold. In order to treat Xu Xiangqian, after the founding of New China, Chairman Mao specially asked Xu Xiangqian to come to the warm Qingdao for recuperation. After more than half a year of treatment, Xu Xiangqian's condition improved significantly. Chairman Mao was very happy when he learned about it and called him: You can read some documents and telegrams first, consider the issue of military construction, and wait for a while to maintain your health and you can work.
After the outbreak of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, Xu Xiangqian, whose health improved, was ordered to lead a delegation to visit the Soviet Union to discuss the purchase of weapons and cars. The winter in the Soviet Union was particularly cold and the negotiations lasted for several months. Xu Xiangqian fell ill again after returning from the Soviet Union. In the following years, his physical condition was sometimes better and sometimes worse, and the Chief of Staff was very busy. Out of concern for Xu Xiangqian, Chairman Mao did not let him take charge of the General Staff’s work, but he retained the position of Chief of Staff for him for five years. Later, after Xu Xiangqian's health recovered, he served as vice chairman of the Military Commission, minister of national defense, and vice premier of the State Council. In 1990, Marshal Xu Xiangqian died of illness at the age of 88.
