Liaoshen campaign

Long ago, two groups fought in a land called Manchuria.

One group was the Communist party. The other was the Nationalist government. They fought for many days.

The Communists took control of the countryside first. They even took the train tracks. This made it hard for the other group to get food.

Then, the Communists won many big cities. They won the city of Jinzhou. They also won the city of Shenyang.

This big fight changed the land. The Communists became very strong after this.

In 1948, a big fight took place in Manchuria.

This fight is called the Liaoshen campaign. Two groups fought for control. One group was the Communist party. The other was the Nationalist government. The Communist forces were led by Lin Biao.

At first, the Communists controlled the countryside. They took the Jingha Railway. This meant the Nationalists could not get supplies by land. They had to use planes to fly in food and tools. This did not work well.

In September, the Communists attacked the city of Jinzhou. They captured the city in October. This was a major win. Soon after, the city of Changchun fell. People in Changchun had been hungry for many months.

Next, the Communists moved on Shenyang. This was a very big city. The city fell in November 1948.

This victory changed everything. For the first time, the Communists had more troops than the Nationalists. They now held all of Manchuria. This gave them a great advantage in the war.

The Liaoshen campaign was a major part of the Chinese Civil War.

It took place in the region known as Manchuria. This area was very important because it was the most industrialized part of China. The campaign lasted 52 days from September to November 1948. It was fought between the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Kuomintang Nationalist government. This battle was the first of three large military campaigns in the war. Winning this fight changed the balance of power in China forever.

To understand the fight, we must look at how the groups moved. By spring 1948, the Communist forces controlled much of the countryside. They seized the Jingha Railway to block land routes. This meant Nationalist forces in cities like Shenyang and Changchun could not get supplies by land. They had to use airplanes to fly in what they needed. However, these airlifts were not enough to keep them going. The Communists had successfully isolated the Nationalist cities from each other.

The campaign began with a focus on the city of Jinzhou.

Jinzhou was a key point because it sat on a path to North China. On 12 September 1948, the Northeast Field Army started its attacks. The Communist leader Lin Biao was initially hesitant to attack Jinzhou. However, Mao Zedong convinced him to move forward with the assault. By 8 October, the Communists had 250,000 troops surrounding the city. They captured Jinzhou on 15 October, along with 80,000 Nationalist troops.

After Jinzhou fell, the focus shifted to other major cities. The city of Changchun had been surrounded for five months.

Many people there had suffered from hunger. On 23 October, the Nationalist forces in Changchun surrendered to the PLA. Next, the Communists moved toward the large city of Shenyang.

On 1 November, the PLA launched a final assault on Shenyang. The city fell the next day, and the Nationalist forces there surrendered.

The results of this campaign were huge for the Communist party. For the first time, the Communists had more total troops than the Nationalists. They gained full control over the entire Manchuria region. This victory also meant that Nationalist cities like Beiping were now in danger. The loss of these best troops was a heavy blow to the Nationalist government. This period of history shows how control of land and supplies can change a war.

The Liaoshen campaign was a massive military operation during the Chinese Civil War.

It took place in Manchuria, which was the most industrialized region in China at that time. The campaign lasted for 52 days between September and November 1948. It was fought between the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Kuomintang Nationalist government. This engagement was the first of three major campaigns that shaped the war. Its outcome changed the balance of power in China by giving the Communists a strategic numerical advantage for the first time.

Before the main fighting began, the two sides fought for control of the Manchurian region. After the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Soviet Union occupied Manchuria. When the Soviets withdrew in March 1946, both the Nationalists and the Communists expanded into the area. By the spring of 1948, the PLA controlled most of the countryside. This allowed them to isolate Nationalist forces in major cities. They also seized control of the Jingha Railway. This cut off land supply lines to the cities of Shenyang and Changchun. Consequently, the Nationalists had to rely on airlifts, which were largely ineffective and unsustainable.

The PLA forces in the Northeast were organized as the Northeast Field Army. This force was led by commander Lin Biao and political commissar Luo Ronghuan. On the other side, the Nationalist forces were under the command of the General Suppression Headquarters of Northeast Garrison. This headquarters was led by Wei Lihuang. There were disagreements between Nationalist leaders regarding strategy. Chiang Kai-shek wanted forces to concentrate near the Shanhai Pass. However, Wei Lihuang preferred to defend the cities of Shenyang and Changchun. This indecision made it difficult for the Nationalists to respond to Communist expansion.

The first major phase of the campaign focused on the city of Jinzhou. Jinzhou was a key point in the Liaoxi Corridor, which was the main land passage to the North China Plain. On 12 September 1948, the Northeast Field Army launched attacks along the Beijing Railway. By 28 September, the PLA had captured several towns, including Suizhong and Yixian. This effectively isolated Jinzhou from other Nationalist positions. Although Lin Biao was initially hesitant to attack, Mao Zedong convinced him to proceed. By 8 October, the PLA had 250,000 troops encircling the city. The final assault on 14 October resulted in the capture of Jinzhou and 80,000 Nationalist troops.

Following the fall of Jinzhou, the focus shifted to Changchun. This city had been encircled by Communist forces for more than five months. Because of the blockade, the city was weakened by starvation. Many civilians fled the city in large numbers by June 1948. On 17 October, some Nationalist units in the city defected to the Communist side. Eventually, the remaining Nationalist forces surrendered on 23 October. This surrender included the Nationalist commander Zheng Dongguo, who became a prisoner of war.

The Nationalists attempted a counter-offensive to regain control.

On 21 October, the Nationalist Ninth Army Group attacked Heishan. However, the Communist forces successfully defended Heishan and Dahushan. The Ninth Army Group was then encircled and decisively defeated by the PLA. This defeat included the loss of over 25,000 soldiers and the capture of Liao Yaoxiang. This failure left the path to Shenyang open for the Communist advance.

The final stage was the fall of Shenyang. The Northeast Field Army began encircling the city on 29 October. As the situation grew desperate, the Nationalist commander Wei Lihuang fled by plane. On 1 November, the PLA launched a final assault against a garrison of 140,000 men. The city surrendered quickly the next day. By 2 November, the city of Yingkou had also been captured. With the Northeast completely clear of Nationalist forces, the Liaoshen campaign reached its conclusion.

The campaign had massive consequences for the future of China. The Nationalist government lost many of its best troops from the Chinese Expeditionary Force. The victory gave the Communists full control of the Manchuria region. This success also left Nationalist cities like Beiping and Tianjin exposed to future attacks. Furthermore, the role of Mao Zedong in directing the attack on Jinzhou increased his reputation within the Communist Party. This campaign served as a turning point that moved the country toward a new political era.