Battle of Huai Hai

Overview

● A decisive battle in the civil war● One of the few conventional battles (didn’t

use guerilla warfare)● Resulted in the Communists gaining control

over China

Guerilla Warfare

● Used to avoid major battles and capture territory

● Night raids, ambushes, blowing up railways● Took most of central and Northern China● Forced GMD to be defensive

What is an advantage the Communists would have gained by owning more land and having more control?

(Hint: also one of the main benefits of the Long March)

Peasant support gave strength in numbers

Three key stages

1) Assault on the Seventh Army2) Destruction of the Twelfth Army and making

a blockade3) Victory

Stage 1

● 8th November: East China Field Army led an assault on 7th Army

● Led by He Jifeng and Zhang Kexia (Communist spies)

● Revolted, army relief was delayed● Held out for 12 days before Communists

wiped them out (22/11)● 100,000 troops

Stage 2

● 1st December: Communists capture Xuzhou railway

● Defeat the 12th Army at Shuangtuichi (120,000 troops)

● Huang Wei captured● Communists encircled troops 9 miles from

Xuzhou

Why was Xuzhou railway so important?

(Hint: the railway was linked up to Nanjing and Shanghai)

Protection from major cities

Stage 3

● 16th Army break out of Communist blockade● Most soldiers killed/captured● Du Yuming (a good strategist) decided to

hold position

What would you do?

a. Recall troops from Xi’an and Wuhan to focus on getting rid of the Communist blockade

b. Wait for reinforcements from other armies and the air force

c. Break out of the blockade

Chiang Kai-Shek chose the riskiest option.

Defeat

● A major problem: a month of heavy snowfall● Impossible for air force to bring support and

supplies● Starvation● 10,000 surrendered

Defeat (continued)

● Rest of the armies retreated● Only one general escaped, rest captured or

killed

Significance of the Battle

1) GMD crippled - lost lots of equipment, 500,000 troops

2) Chiang Kai-Shek fled to Taiwan

3) Communists had railway - could capture Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou quickly

4) CCP established the People’s Republic of China

The GMD is defeated. All hail Chairman Meow and the CCP.