The historical role of the masses of the people from the victory of the Huaihai Campaign

　The Huaihai Campaign was an unprecedented strategic decisive battle during the War of Liberation. 600000 the Chinese People's Liberation Army experienced more than 60 days and nights, it defeated the well-equipped 800000 Kuomintang army when its troops and weapons were at a disadvantage. A glorious example of winning more with less in the history of Chinese and foreign wars. Behind this great victory that can be called a miracle, there is a profound and extensive decisive force, which is the majestic power of the people. Comrade Chen Yi once spoke highly of this pre-support movement with high enthusiasm and strong participation of the people: "The victory of the Huaihai Campaign was launched by the people with small cars."
　　"Everyone is responsible for joining the army and participating in the war"
Among the three major battles that determine China's future and destiny, the Huaihai Campaign is the largest in scale, the longest in duration, and the most annihilated enemies. Unlike the Liao-Shen Campaign and the Ping-Jin Campaign, the Huai-Hai Campaign was conducted with the enemy's battlefield forces dominant. After Stalin heard the battle report of the victory of the Huaihai Campaign, he wrote in his notepad: "It is a miracle that 600000 defeated 800000. It is a miracle!" Indeed, this is a miracle in the history of human war, and it is not only the heroic people's Liberation Army that created this miracle, but also the great people.
The Huai-Hai Campaign was a decisive battle of large regiments and required a large number of soldiers. With deep feelings for the party and the people's children and soldiers, the people in the liberated areas actively responded to the party's call to "go to the front line, go to the main force" and enthusiastically signed up to join the army. Some areas also put forward the slogan of "everyone is responsible for joining the army", which set off an upsurge of joining the army in which the father sent his son, the wife sent his husband, and the brothers rushed to the battlefield.
Song Shoukun, then 27, was a second-class honorary soldier and returned to his hometown in the spring of 1948 due to his injuries. After learning that the children's corps was going to the front line, he immediately organized more than a dozen young people in the village to volunteer to join the Huaihai War despite their injuries. Liu Jinghe, 23, is also a demobilized soldier. When the news of the conscription came, his family was preparing for his wedding. After hearing the news, he immediately found the village instructor and asked to set off on the front line. The instructor did not agree to let him stay at home and get married, but he said, "it is more important to beat Lao Jiang than to marry a wife," and insisted on going home to pack up and set off with the team. Before leaving, Liu Jinghe said to his family, "When Chiang Kai-shek is overthrown, I will come back and marry a daughter-in-law in peace!"
Mao Zedong pointed out: "The deepest root of the great power of war lies in the people." The attitude of the broad masses of the people actively participating in the army and fighting bravely on the Huaihai battlefield fully proves that the Huaihai Campaign is not only a contest of the strength of the two armies, but also a contest of the war potential behind the two armies. Victory is on whichever side the people are on!
"We have to support the front line even if we lose everything"
The Huaihai Campaign was basically fought in the countryside and required unprecedented manpower and materials. Without strong logistical support, it is difficult to win the final victory.
In order to support the front line, the people in the liberated areas actively carried out the "mutual assistance in farming and warfare" movement under the leadership of the party, which set off a climax of active production and concerted support. They put forward the slogan of "important people, food and food, material and material, and full support for the front line". Workers carried out labor competitions and farmers organized labor mutual assistance, forming the spectacle of young and middle-aged people in front of the army, people in the rear producing at home, village milling rice and flour day and night, actively paying grain and offering grain, raising vegetables, oil and salt, and rushing to make military uniforms and quilts. In order to send more bowls of food to the front line, the people also put forward the slogan of "support the front line even if you lose everything. In the southwest of Shandong, Bohai and Jiaodong regions alone, from 1948 to 1949, the people made more than 700 million pairs of shoes and more than 200 million pairs of military socks for the front line. Some women even had finger disabilities due to long-term continuous shoe making.
In addition to actively supporting the front, people from all over the country have also carried out activities to care for frontline soldiers. The East China People's Condolence Group alone issued more than 100000 letters of condolences. A primary school student wrote in a letter of condolences to the front: "Mom heard that Xuzhou was liberated, so she hurriedly prepared to do shoes for you; Dad heard that Xuzhou was liberated, so he hurried to help the street propaganda work... As for me, I was so happy that I didn't know what to do, so I picked up my pen and wrote this letter, in this letter, I salute you with a most enthusiastic, sincere and grateful heart." The condolences of the people have greatly inspired the fighting will and belief of the frontline commanders and fighters, and provided a powerful spiritual force for the officers and soldiers to fight the enemy courageously.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The people are the creators of history and the masses are the real heroes." The majestic picture of the people's production support in the liberated areas fully proves that what is unfolding between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party is not only a military struggle, but also a contest of popular support. As long as there is the support and participation of the people, there is no difficulty that cannot be overcome.
　"The People's Liberation Army without the uniform"
In the Huaihai Campaign, there was a "People's Liberation Army without military uniforms" called by the masses. This is the broad militia and the masses in the field. Under the leadership of the party, they are organized, disciplined, and conscious. They perform important tasks such as defending production, protecting transportation, escorting materials, escorting prisoners, eliminating bandits, and cleaning the battlefield. They directly support the people's army in fighting against the enemy and make great contributions to the victory of the campaign.
Under the careful organization of the General Front Committee, the liberated areas have established a complete support system for the front and rear areas. In the vast areas north of the Yangtze River, grain stations, military stations, civilian stations, wounded transfer stations and rear hospitals have been established, forming a crisscross support network.
He was only 23 years old at the time. As a team member, he has always worked actively and is not afraid of hardship. Once, he led eight migrant workers to transport them overnight because of the urgent need for grenades at the front. In the middle of the journey, the advancing trench was packed with soldiers, so he climbed above the trench and carried it out in the gap between the enemy's intensive artillery fire. Under his leadership, the transportation team went through untold hardships and finally completed the transportation task in time.
The migrant workers not only transported food and supplies, but also collected military intelligence for the troops and cooperated with the troops in detaining prisoners. The militia strictly abide by the policy and discipline of prisoners of war, and resolutely refuse the money and goods of prisoners of war. A militia platoon in Yishui County, Shandong Province, served for three months in the Huaihai Campaign, escorted 2160 prisoners, successfully completed the escort mission, and everyone in the platoon rendered meritorious service.
In sharp contrast to the people's strong support for the People's Liberation Army, the Kuomintang army hit a wall everywhere in the vast ocean of the people. Du Yuming, a general of the Kuomintang, once sighed: "In any village where the national army goes, all the people run away, all the food is buried, and all the wells are blocked." At that time, the Kuomintang radio stations around Xuzhou were almost completely useless, and some people deliberately used false information to confuse the enemy, making the Kuomintang army blind and deaf. This shows the direction of the people's hearts and the greatness of their power.
When visiting the Huaihai Campaign Memorial Hall, General Secretary Xi Jinping said with deep feeling that the victory of the revolution was not easy to come by, relying on a large number of generals and combat heroes with the spirit of revolutionary heroism, as well as the support and dedication of the people. The Huai-Hai Campaign profoundly enlightens us that without the strong support and help of the people, there would be no victory in the Huai-Hai Campaign. In the Huaihai Campaign, the People's Liberation Army regarded the masses as their parents, and the masses regarded their children and soldiers as their relatives. The army and the people fought side by side with the enemy, composing a magnificent triumph of the People's War.
The "Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party's Centennial Struggle" passed by the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China pointed out that "adhere to the party's mass line and always keep in mind that the country is the people and the people are the country". On the journey of the new era, the masses of the people will always be the fundamental force driving the wheel of history forward. As long as we rely closely on the people, we will surely be able to overcome all difficulties and obstacles and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Source: Party Building Magazine