Time goes back to1July 7, 950. On this day, Chen Geng was officially appointed as the representative of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and went to Vietnam to assist in directing operations. On 26th, after nearly 20 days' travel, Chen Geng led a delegation to meet with Ho Chi Minh, President of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam. As soon as they met, Chen Geng asked Ho Chi Minh about the current battlefield situation in Vietnam. Later, Chen Geng made a detailed investigation and analysis of the combat capability and environment of the Vietnamese army and the French army, and made a battle plan to attack Dongxi. As soon as the plan was put forward, it was opposed by the Vietnamese commander. Chen Geng can only report to the central battle plan, while persuasion.
Soon, Chen Geng received instructions from the Central Military Commission represented by Chairman Mao:
Then, Chen Geng once again received a telegram from Chairman Mao:
The six-character telegram is concise but full of lofty sentiments, which not only shows Chairman Mao's trust in Chen Geng's operational command ability, but also strengthens Chen Geng's confidence and confidence in commanding operations abroad.
Subsequently, Chen Geng quickly took Chairman Mao's telegram to the front headquarters of the Vietnamese army, and said firmly to the commanders of the Vietnamese army at the scene:
These are historical events that really happened, and they are the real experiences of China soldiers in the war against legal aid.
1884, France dispatched warships and cannons to make Vietnam a French colony. During World War II, Japanese invaded Vietnam on 1940, cutting off international aid to China and replacing French colonial rule in Vietnam. During the five years in Vietnam, Japanese invaders plundered Vietnam's grain and extorted money, which once led to a famine in Vietnam, and more than 2 million Vietnamese died of this man-made famine.
With 1945 August 15, Japan declared its unconditional surrender, and under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam launched an uprising all over the country and won the August Revolution. On September 2, President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, announcing to the world the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the abolition of all French privileges in Vietnam.
However, the hard-won peace did not last long. The French colonists did not want to lose their colonies that had been ruled for many years, so they decided to pounce on Vietnam again and re-establish colonial rule in Vietnam.
1945 On August 24th, due to the development and change of the international situation, the United States made a commitment to France, saying that it would not oppose France's return of zhina to India, and promised not to create obstacles for France's affairs in zhina, India in the future. As a result, France, promised by the United States, with the help of shipping provided by the United States and Britain, drove its troops to zhina, India, and the American and British troops also entered southern zhina, India. On September 13, more than 10,000 British troops took the lead in entering Saigon. In Saigon, the British army joined hands with the newly rescued French prisoners of war to form an advance team to restore the French colonial rule and create conditions for the French expeditionary force to invade Vietnam. 2 1, the first French expeditionary forces landed in Saigon. Two days later, the French army launched a surprise attack on the local area, and the anti-French war broke out in the south. 1946 19 During the period of February 19, France finally decided to shell Hanoi, formally launched an all-out armed attack on Vietnam, successfully signed an agreement, and France tore up the agreement. On the 20th, Ho Chi Minh issued a book "Calling on the whole nation to resist Japan" to the people:
On the 22nd, Vietnam pointed out that the war against France would be a "national, comprehensive and long-term" war. Since then, the Vietnamese people have started the war of resistance against France.
At the beginning of the war, France invested 654.38+10,000 troops on the battlefield in Vietnam, involving land, sea and air, while the main force of the Vietnamese army was 85,000, and its combat equipment was backward. At that time, many people thought that Vietnam's war against French invaders was "ants kicking elephants". Even Ho Chi Minh said, "We can only hit enemy planes and artillery with sticks."
Despite the disparity in combat effectiveness between the two sides, France's all-round aggression met with tenacious resistance from the Vietnamese people. In the first year of the war, the casualties of the French army exceeded 20,000, accounting for15 of the total strength of the French expeditionary force, while the Vietnamese army continued to grow, from the previous 85,000 to125,000.
At the end of 1949, France once again sent more troops to the battlefield in Vietnam and launched a crazy extermination campaign against the Vietnamese army. The Vietnamese People's Army led by Ho Chi Minh was forced to retreat to the deep mountains and forests and struggled to continue fighting with the French army, but the Democratic Republic of Vietnam has fallen into a state of near collapse.
1950 10. In order to save the country, Ho Chi Minh, who was over 60 years old, walked 17 days and nights in the virgin forest in northern Vietnam, arrived in China and arrived in Beijing, just as Chairman Mao had just left Beijing for Moscow. Therefore, after a short break in Beijing, Ho Chi Minh once again set off for the Soviet Union, met Stalin and Chairman Mao in Moscow, and asked to discuss aid to Vietnam.
In Moscow, Ho Chi Minh unreservedly introduced the current difficult situation in Vietnam, especially after the French army reinforced and started a large-scale attack, the organizational system of the Vietnamese People's Army was almost destroyed, and it could only be fragmented, and it was scattered in mountainous areas and primitive jungles to wage guerrilla warfare with the French army, thus consuming the effective strength of the French army. However, the continuous fighting has exhausted the existing guns and ammunition of the Vietnamese army, making it difficult to carry out guerrilla warfare, let alone organize large-scale battles.
He asked Chairman Mao for all-round support and assistance from the China government, including military material assistance and sending troops directly to fight in Vietnam.
In this way, with the consent of the three heads of state, an agreement to aid Vietnam was finally reached. The Soviet Union provided China and Vietnam with military weapons, ammunition and various materials, while China insisted on helping to train the Vietnamese army and improve its combat level under the principle of not directly entering the country. At the same time, the China Military Advisory Group was set up to secretly enter the front-line operational headquarters of Vietnam to assist the Vietnamese People's Army in carrying out military operations.
1in March, 950, after Chairman Mao returned to Beijing, he began to study the related matters of supporting Vietnam. Chairman Mao pointed out that at present, Vietnam is extremely short of regular troops, and the military equipment and personnel combat level of the troops also need to be improved urgently. More deadly, Vietnam's military discipline is lax and it lacks practical experience.
Therefore, Chairman Mao put forward a proposal: Vietnamese formed troops should be brought to China for military training, and all training subjects should be arranged by the Chinese side. After four months, the fighting capacity of the first batch of Vietnamese troops who went to China for training was greatly improved after returning home, which made great contributions to the Vietnam War. At the same time, China sent Luo Guibo to Vietnam first to understand the actual situation in Vietnam and act as a liaison between China and Vietnam.
In addition to helping to train the Vietnamese army, another difficult problem that the Central Military Commission needs to solve is: Who is the head of China's military advisory group?
Chairman Mao first looked at Zhu De and asked, "Boss Zhu, who do you think is suitable?"
"Are you sending Lin Biao?" Zhu De also responded with some uncertainty.
Sure enough, Chairman Mao shook his head slightly. Lin Biao's health was seriously damaged during the War of Liberation, despite his superb ability of commanding operations. If he is sent to Vietnam, his physical condition is probably not allowed.
Later, Liu Shaoqi put forward another candidate: "What about Deng Xiaoping? How is he? "
Deng Xiaoping was indeed a suitable candidate, but at that time, he was mainly responsible for the affairs of southwest China. Although the local area has been liberated, the reactionary forces there are still stirring, and Deng Xiaoping needs to sit in the town himself, so we can't let him leave the southwest affairs and go to Vietnam.
Finally, Premier Zhou suggested: "Let Chen Geng, commander of the Yunnan Military Region, go."
Chairman Mao and others agreed after a little thinking.
In fact, the choice of Chen Geng as the head of China's military advisory group was the result of Chairman Mao's careful consideration.
First of all, geographically, Chen Geng is stationed in Yunnan, close to Vietnam, and is familiar with the situation in the region, so he should not be completely blind, but should know the situation from the beginning.
Secondly, Chen Geng and Ho Chi Minh have a deep friendship. When Ho Chi Minh served as the secretary of the Soviet representative in Guangzhou, Mi Ma Bao Luo Ting, he was also received by Chen Geng many times at the Whampoa Military Academy. In particular, many units of the Vietnamese People's Army have received military training in Chen Geng, Yunnan Province, and they have always regarded the PLA 14 Army as their teachers. Sending Chen Geng to Vietnam can speed up the communication between China's military advisory group and Vietnam.
Finally, Chen Geng has excellent operational command ability, which was fully verified as early as China War. In addition, Chen Geng's political thought and style are also excellent, and he can provoke military and political events by himself. He is humorous and kind, so it is undoubtedly the best choice to let such a person with high emotional intelligence and high IQ go to Vietnam.
What's more, Chen Geng is one of the best students and practitioners of Mao Zedong's military thought, and he will certainly be able to complete the tasks entrusted by the Central Military Commission.
1950 On July 7th, Chen Geng, as the representative of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, led the working group to leave for Vietnam. On July 26th, after more than 20 days' trek, he finally arrived at Ho Chi Minh headquarters in Vietnam. Talking about the experience of going to Vietnam this time, Chen Geng once wrote in his diary: "It was really a hundred times more difficult to go to Vietnam that time."
During the Long March, Chen Geng can at least ride a horse as a means of transportation. However, the environment in Vietnam does not allow him to walk on two legs. At that time, Chen Geng was in poor health and both legs were injured. However, on the way to Vietnam, he never complained, biting his teeth and sticking to the Ho Chi Minh headquarters in Vietnam.
As soon as he arrived at the headquarters, Chen Geng began to devote himself to intense work. It wasn't long before Chen Geng discovered the problems existing in the Vietnamese army. He first pointed out the ideological problems existing in the officers and men of the Vietnamese army. Deeply influenced by the western concept of systematic operations, these commanders attach great importance to the "academic qualifications" of officers and ignore the strength of workers and peasants. These officers took attacking the city and plundering the land as the starting point of the war, instead of thinking about destroying the French army's effective strength and seizing the strategic initiative, they were bent on occupying towns, which made Chen Geng realize that the Vietnamese People's Army's construction and operational thinking were all.
But at the same time, Chen Geng also saw the Vietnamese army's spirit of hard work, courage to fight and fear of sacrifice. It is only the lack of practical experience in carrying out large-scale mobile warfare and tough battles and the lack of experience in coordinated operations that led to the delay in the retreat of the Vietnamese army.
After finding the problem, Chen Geng began to prescribe the right medicine.
At that time, in order to cut off the connection between Vietnam and New China, France built a long defense line on the border between the two countries to stop the Vietnamese army, extending from Gaoping to lang son. The French army has always maintained this line of defense, and constantly added new fortifications to form a long snake array.
At that time, the French soldiers guarding this line boasted that this road only had one chance to cross alive in a lifetime. Although exaggerated, it was enough to spy out the grim situation at that time. The purpose of the French army is very direct. In addition to cutting off contact with China, the Vietnamese army should be trapped in the mountains and forests, and starved to death when ammunition and food were exhausted. Obviously, to a certain extent, France has achieved part of its goal. Before the arrival of large-scale aid from China, Ho Chi Minh once advocated saving food: "Every grain is as precious as a drop of blood."
At the military meeting between Chen Geng and Ho Chi Minh, both of them agreed that the urgent task is to open this channel between Vietnam and China and cut off this "long snake array" so as to have more positive interaction with China in future wars.
Chen Geng asked Ho Chi Minh thoughtfully, "Where do you want to start first?"
"Gao Ping." Ho Chi Minh replied firmly.
After listening to the answer, Chen Geng frowned and stared at the map. After a long silence, he said, "President Hu, I'm afraid I can't play Gao Ping. I think it's better to hit Dongxi, 45 kilometers south. "
Originally, Ho Chi Minh and Wu Yuanjia, commander-in-chief of the Vietnamese People's Army, and other generals had already prepared to attack Gaoping, and the liberation of Gaoping undoubtedly broke through the border blockade. Why attack dongxi first?
Chen Geng explained to the commander of the Vietnamese army that Gaoping was an important stronghold of the French army, which was heavily guarded and easy to defend but difficult to attack, while the Vietnamese army was not good at fighting hard. In addition, the French army has advanced weapons and equipment, sufficient ammunition supply, and highly mobile paratroopers to reinforce at any time, so attacking Gaoping will pay a great price.
On the other hand, there are only more than 300 French troops stationed in East and West. If the Vietnamese army thunders, it can attack the Vietnamese army by surprise and win Dongxi at a very small price. After the occupation of Dongxi, the French army stationed in Gaoping fell into a helpless situation. At this time, the French army stationed in other places will immediately come to help. The Vietnamese army only needs to ambush and destroy the French army that has come to reinforce, so that the Vietnamese army can consume the effective strength of the French army at the least cost.
The purpose of occupying Dongxi is to destroy the enemy as much as possible, weaken the enemy's strength, and make the enemy have to retreat or flee everywhere. In this way, not only Gaoping, but also more and more land will be returned to the hands of the Vietnamese army.
This battle plan is also the embodiment of Mao Zedong's military thought: "Destroy the enemy's effective strength, regardless of the loss of one city and one pool." Destroy the enemy and the land will automatically come into your own hands.
Chen Geng took pains to explain, so that the Vietnamese army commanders realized that it was not advisable to attack big cities blindly before. Wu Yuanjia praised Chen Geng: "Your battle plan has taught me a lot. To tell the truth, the speed of Vietnam's transformation from guerrilla warfare to mobile warfare is too fast, which makes it difficult for the commanders and soldiers to adapt. Even at my own level, I'm afraid I can only be a team leader. I hope you can stay in Vietnam and help us win. "
On September 18, the Vietnamese People's Army annihilated more than 300 French troops stationed in Dongxi and seized a large amount of materials and ammunition. The success of the first battle of the border campaign greatly boosted the morale of the Vietnamese army. The word "long snake array" was cut off by the middle and gradually began to fall apart. Since then, with the assistance of Chen Geng, the situation of Vietnam's Anti-Japanese War has been greatly reversed. 10 June, the Vietnamese army resisted.
After the war, Wu Yuanjia said excitedly: "I have to admire Mao Zedong's military thought, which also applies to the Vietnam War."
1950165438+10. In October, Chen Geng led a working group to return home after attending the conference on summing up the border battle. Before leaving, Vietnamese cadres finally couldn't help asking: "How many generals like Chen Geng are there in China?"
Ho Chi Minh also pointed out that Chairman Mao's military thoughts are also suitable for Vietnam's environment and armed struggle. Long-distance attack, circuitous movement, division and encirclement, pulling out some support, first breaking the weak enemy, dispersing the enemy and isolating the enemy are all important components of Chairman Mao's military thought and theory.