User:Zrnstnsr/West Route Army

West Route Army
Part of Chinese Civil War
Date 24 October 1936 – 14 March 1937 (4 months, 2 weeks and 4 days) Location Gansu, China Result Nationalist victory
Belligerents
Chinese Red Army	Nationalist China National Revolutionary Army Ma clique
Commanders and leaders
Xu Xiangqian Chen Changhao Dong Zhentang † Sun Yuqing  (POW) Cheng Shicai Li Xiannian	Hu Zongnan Ma Bufang Ma Buqing
Units involved
1st Front Army 5th Army 4th Front Army 9th Army 30th Army	1st Army New 2nd Army 5th Cavalry Division
Strength
140,000+	21,800
Casualties and losses
25,000+	16,000+

The West Route Army, formally known as the West Route Army of Chinese Red Army (simplified Chinese: 中国工农红军西路军; traditional Chinese: 中國工農紅軍西路軍), was a unit of the Chinese Red Army established in 1936, which consisted of main forces of the 4th Front Army. Due to continual changes of instructions and military errors, the West Route Army was devastated and forced to fight in guerrilla warfare.

In order to gain supplies from the Soviet Union, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) decided to capture Ningxia and Gansu as base area. On October 24, 1936, the majority of the 4th Front Army, which had just joined with the 1st Front Army, started to cross Yellow River. Meanwhile, the Nationalists also advanced to sourthern Gansu and repeled the Red Army back to Yan'an Soviet. The forces located to the west of Yellow River was unable to return to Yan'an and assigned as the West Route Army. The army decided to pass through the Hexi Corridor to reach Hami to gain supplies and fought in Gansu for four months. The Ma clique who controlled Gansu launched waves of offensives and defeated the army decisively in early 1937. The army was forced to retreat east, and the leaders decided to disband the army on March 14, 1937. The remnants of the army divided to three parts and had to enter Qilian Mountains to flee from Ma clique's assault. Of the three parts of the remnants, only one part managed to reach Xinjiang and was later transported to Dihua, which is the only intact forces that managed to return to Yan'an.

The failure of West Route Army was a major failure of CCP during Chinese Communist Revolution. Of the 21,800 troops, over 7,000 were killed and 9,000 were captured recorded. Zhang Guotao, the leader of the 4th Front Army, was deposed since his route was considered as a major factor to the failure. CCP also made multiple attempts to rescue captured and lost soldiers after Xi'an Incident, with accumulatively over 4,000 returning to Yan'an.

Background

The Chinese Red Army had been sufferring shortage of supplies for long. In August 1935, Mao Zedong, who was still on his Long March, pointed out that the Red Army should move to northwest China, which is near the Soviet Union and Mongolian People's Republic (MPR) and convenient to gain support from the Communist International (Comintern). In 1936, after Chang Hsueh-liang visited Yan'an secretly, the CCP planned to seize northernwest China and form a united government with Northeastern Army and Guominjun. The plan ordered the 1st Front Army to seize Ningxia (note that Ningxia was next to MPR at that time) , 4th Front Army to attack Qinghai and 2nd Front Army to seize Gansu.

On June 1, warlords in Guangxi and Guangdong formed a united government and claimed to overthrow the Nationalist Government. Chiang ordered Hu Zongnan at Northwest China to move south, loosening the Red Army's pressure. The CCP asked the Comintern to provide assistance, and the latter agreed to seize Ningxia and transported supplies from MPR.

In September, the 4th Front Army led by Zhang Guotao (joined with the 2nd Front Army), attempted to cross the Yellow River and leave Yan'an away. After negotiations, Zhang agreed to met the 1st Front Army and the two armies were united at Huining on October 9. Meanwhile, Chiang Kai-shek had suppress the revolt from south and planned a large offensive against Yan'an. Allied to the CCP, Chang reported his plan to the CCP. The CCP had planned to launch "Ningxia Campaign" (Chinese: 寧夏戰役) in December, but knowing the latest news, the CCP changed the plan in October. Zhang's erratic order left the 2nd Front Army in the south, which met the 1st Front Army at Jiangtaibao on October 25. This is one day after "Ningxia Campaign" started, meaning that the 2nd Front Army would not be able to reinforce in time.

Crossing the Yellow River

Main page: Battle of Hubaokou

On October 24, 1936, the Red Army began to cross the Yellow River and enter Gansu. Eight days before, Chiang started to carry out his plan and Hu Zongnan's forces begin to attack Huining, which made the crossing become very urgent. The 30th Army was the first unit to cross the Yellow River. By October 24, they had built 16 ferries. During the following days, the 9th Army, the headquarters of the 4th Front Army crossed the Yellow River. On the other hand, KMT had captured Huining on October 25, and on October 30, the 5th Army which was ordered to guard the crossing, was forced to cross the river and march west.

In November, the Red Army had been splited into two parts, and the CCP discarded its Ningxia Campaign. Since the Comintern had moved its supplies to Hami, the CCP adapted the red armies to the west as the West Route Army and ordered them to advance west to pass through Hexi Corridor and try to reach Hami.