Research On Siping Battles In The Northeast China’s War Of Liberation

During the the Northeast Revolutionary War, from March 1946 to March 1948, there were four battles around the strategic important Siping City between Kuomintang and the Communist Party known to history as the “Four Battles of Siping”. In those four battles, more than 940,000 military personnel were committed from both sides and the four battles lasted 63 days totally. Because of the gains and losses affected the overall strategy of both KMT and the CPC directly and indirectly in Northeast, elite troops were sent to the battles who fought hard, alternated offensive and defensive operations and got win alternately. The control of Siping was transferred several times. The Northeast Democratic Allied Army annihilated approximately 68,000 military personnel of the KMT army with about 40,000 casualties. The CPC took the final control of this strategic important Siping City.The “Four Battles of Siping” were four operations in the Northeast battlefield which affected the whole war. The large number of the military personnel of both sides, the length of duration and the disastrous degree of the battles were incomparable in the Northeast battlefield except the Liaoxi-Shenyang Campaign. Throughout the entire Chinese People’s War of Liberation, the liberation of Northeast was not only a key to impact the progress of the war, but also the beginning of the victory under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.The “Four Battles of Siping” were major battles related to the fate of the KMT and the CPC, the prospect and destiny of Northeast and the course of history. The CPC, the KMT and the external forces dominated by the United States showed a great concern on the battles. To this end, the envoy was sent by the President of the United States for mediation, and made a comment in the State Department white paper “The Relationship between the United States and China”. On April 27, 1946, MAO Zedong put forward the slogan “Taking Siping Street as Madrid” evaluated Siping as Madrid-- “the symbol of heroism and resistance”. It gave full expression to the strategic status of Siping Defensive Battle. The extremely intense situation and the heroic spirit of the “Four Battles of Siping" had a far-reaching influence in the world.As the best teaching material of patriotic and revolutionary traditional education, the “Four Battles of Siping” were memorized for its rich historical meaning and the lasting glory by Siping people and moulded the “Four Battles of Siping” spirit with the blood of heroes. They are the abundant and precious spiritual wealth and the source of strength which impel Siping people forward.This thesis combs through the preparations, the process, the importance and the functions of the battles in order to conclude the strategic significance, historical value, and the comments by the KMT and the CPC. The thesis aims at providing a panorama of the battles and making the research on the situation of the “Four Battles of Siping” and the strategic position in the Northeast battlefield systematically. The contemporary value of these classic battles is also considered in this thesis.