Marshall Mission Files, Lot 54–D270
Memorandum by General Chou
En-lai to General Marshall
MM 055
Nanking, June 25, 1946.
Dear General Marshall: Regarding the “Basis for
Military Reorganization and for the Integration of the Communist Forces
Into the National Army”,82 the kernel issue of our
additional proposal lies in the amendment and addition of certain
provisions in the light of the changed situation in Manchuria. It is not
backed by any intention to alter those basic policies which are embodied
in that agreement, such as “subordination of army to politics”, “Divorce
of Army from Civil Administration”, “Separation of Military Operations,
Military Administration and Military Training”, or to modify the
strength and the deployment in a general scale. Should the Government
insist on an alteration of those basic policies, it would be bound to
meet our opposition.
What the Chinese Communist Party insists upon is merely the modification
and addition of such terms, that the Communist forces in Manchuria shall
become two armies, comprising five divisions, at the end of the first
stage of reorganization, and four divisions at the end of the second
stage. Since it thus exceeds the strength provided by the original
agreement by 2 divisions at the end of the first stage, and 3 divisions
at the end of the second stage, the total strength of the Communist
forces shall become 20 divisions and 13 divisions respectively. I beg to
forward the following reasons for claiming this increase of strength:
- 1.
- The Northeastern Democratic Joint Army had not been recognized
by the Government in the earlier days, but at the present time
it should be taken into consideration by the Army Reorganization
Agreement;
- 2.
- Hostilities in Manchuria have never been ceased prior to June
7th. Since the end of February when the Army Reorganization
Agreement was signed, the actual conditions have undergone a
fundamental change.
In view of the foregoing reasons our proposal of increasing the strength
and the force ratio of Communist-led forces in Manchuria should neither
imply that some of the Communist forces assigned to China proper be
shifted to Manchuria, nor that the Government forces in Manchuria be
proportionately increased. It implies only and alone that the strength
of the Communist forces in Manchuria as well as
[Page 1196]
its ration vis-à-vis the Government forces be
varied to the favour of the Communist forces. That and nothing else is
what it implies.
We further suggest that the Manchurian annex83 to the Army Reorganization Agreement be enforced
on July 1st, and completed over the same span of time as in China proper
(18 months). But the first stage of reorganization can be completed
within a period of six months, so that the integration may commence on
January 1, 1947.
As regards the disposition of the various Government and Communist armies
and divisions in Manchuria and China proper at the end of the 1st stage
of reorganization, I have now worked out a tentative draft as shown in
the enclosed tables and overlays.84
On anything else, my memo MM 047 under date June 19, 1946, is referred
to.
[Signature in Chinese]
(
Chou
En-lai
)
(Annex 1)
Readjustment in the Military Reorganization
and Integration of the Communist Forces Into the National
Army
(Revised by Gen. Chou En-lai)
On the basis of the orders of June 6, 1946 halting all advances,
attacks and pursuits for a period of 15 days commencing at noon of
June 7th, which will be continued in effect, Ave, the Committee of
Three, announce the following instructions with respect to
readjustments in the “Basis for Military Reorganization and for the
Integration of the Communist Forces into the National Army” dated
February 25, 1946 (referred hereinafter as “the basic agreement”):
- a.
- The terms of the basic agreement (inclosure 185) remain in effect except as
herein modified and amended.
- b.
- For the purpose of regulating the various steps in the
prescribed procedure in accordance with the stated time
periods, the effective date of this basic agreement shall be
considered as June 1, 1946.
- c.
- Specific modifications follow:
- 1.
- Articles I, II, VI, VII and VIII—No change.
- 2.
- Article III—The second sentence of Section 1 shall
be modified as follows:
“At the conclusion of 12 months the armies
shall consist of 110 divisions of not to exceed
14,000 men each. Of these, 20 shall be formed from
Communist Forces.[”]
- 3.
- Article V—Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Section 1 shall
be modified as follows:
“the Communist Party shall demobilize all units
in excess of 20 divisions.”
“The dates for the submission of the two lists
to the Military Sub-Committee shall both be July
21st, 1946.”
“This report shall include a list of the 20
divisions to be retained.[”]
- Article IV—Section 4 shall be modified as follows:
“During the 6 months following the first 12
months the National divisions shall be further
reduced to 50 and the Communist divisions shall be
further reduced to 13, making a total of 63
divisions to be organized into 21 armies.”
- 4.
- Article V—Paragraph 1 of Section 2 shall be
modified as follows:
“Northeast China:— … and 2 armies consisting of
3 and 2 Communist divisions respectively, each
army with a Communist commander—total 7
armies.[”]
- Article V—Section 3 shall be modified as follows:
“During the following 6 months the 4 army
groups referred to in Section 2 above shall be
reorganized, creating 4 separate armies each
consisting of 1 National and 2 Communist
divisions. Thereafter, the organization of army
groups shall be terminated. [”]
- Article V—paragraph 1 of Section 4 shall be
modified as follows:
“Northeast China—2 armies consisting of 2
National and 1 Communist divisions with a National
commander; 1 army consisting of 1 National and 2
Communist divisions with a Communist commander,
and 3 armies each consisting of 3 National
divisions, each with a National commander—total 6
armies. [”]
- 5.
- Article VIII—Add words “as amended” to the end of
the first sentence of Section 2.
- d.
- Movement by any forces even though authorized by this or
other agreements, will be reported to Executive Hearquarters
prior to the movement and the movement will not be executed
without clearance from Executive Headquarters.
- e.
- The Executive Headquarters shall be the agency responsible
for placing into effect the terms of this agreement and
shall do so in accordance with, the terms of the Memorandum
to Executive Headquarters agreed to and issued by the
Committee of Three on March 16, 1946.
____________________
General
Hsu Yung Chang
Authorized Representative of the National
Government________________________
General Chou En Lai
Authorized Representative of the Chinese Communist
Party_______________________
General G. C.
Marshall
[Annex 2]
Disposition of Communist Army After
Reorganization (at the end of 1st period)
a. four armies (12 divisions) in
north china
| Unit |
Location of army
headquarters |
Location of division
headquarters |
| Army |
Tsining |
(1) D Tsining |
(1) D Suiteh |
| Army |
Kalgan |
(1) D Kalgan |
(1) D Chengteh |
|
|
(1) D Chihfeng |
|
| Army |
Hantan |
(1) D Hsingtai |
(1) D Wensi |
|
|
(1) D Changchih |
(1) D Hotze |
| Army |
Lini |
(1) D Yitu |
(1) D Tenghsien |
|
|
(1) D Tehhsien |
|
(see overlay i)
b. one army (3 divisions) in
central china
| Unit |
Location of army
headquarters |
Location of division
headquarters |
| Army |
Hwaian |
(1) D Hwaian |
(1) D Suchien |
|
|
(1) D Tungtai |
|
(see overlay i)
[Page 1199]
c. two armies (5 divisions) in
northeast china
| Unit |
Location of army
headquarters |
Location of division
headquarters |
| Army |
Harbin |
(1) D Harbin |
(1) D Tsitsihar |
|
|
(1) D Taoan (Paicheng) |
|
| Army |
Antung |
(1) D Antung |
(1) D Mutanchiang |
(see overlay ii)
Disposition of Government Army
After Reorganization (at the end of 1st period)
a. five armies (15 divisions) in
northeast china
| Unit |
Location of army
headquarters |
Location of division
headquarters |
| Army |
Changchun |
(2) D Changchun |
(1) D Kirin |
| Army |
Szepingkai |
(1) D Szepingkai |
(1) D Hsian |
|
|
(1) D Kaiyuan |
|
| Army |
Mukden |
(1) D Mukden |
(1) D Penhsi |
|
|
(1) D Fushun |
|
| Army |
Yingkou |
(1) D Yingkou |
(1) D Anshan |
|
|
(1) D Haicheng |
|
| Army |
Chinchow |
(1) D Chinchow |
(1) D Hulutao |
|
|
(1) D Suichung |
|
(see overlay iii)
b. five armies (15 divisions) in
northwest china
| Unit |
Location of army
headquarters |
Location of division
headquarters |
| Army |
Ninghsia |
(1) D Ninghsia |
(1) D Tengkou |
|
|
(1) D Chungning |
|
| Army |
Sining |
(1) D Sining |
(1) D Tulan |
|
|
(1) D Chiuchuan |
|
| Army |
Kaolan |
(1) D Kaolan |
(1) D Pingliang |
|
|
(1) D Tienshui |
|
| Army |
Tihua |
(1) D Tihua |
(1) D Hami |
|
|
(1) D Usu |
|
| Army |
Yenshih |
(1) D Yenshih |
(1) D Tulufan |
|
|
(1) D Paicheng |
|
(see overlay iii)
[Page 1200]
c. seven armies (21 divisions) in
north china
| Unit |
Location of army
headquarters |
Location of division
headquarters |
| Army |
Tientsin |
(1) D Shanhaikwan |
(1) D Tangshan |
|
|
(1) D Tientsin |
|
| Army |
Peiping |
(1) D Peiping |
(1) D Paoting |
|
|
(1) D Shihchiachwang |
|
| Army |
Tsinan |
(1) D Tsinan |
(1) D Weihsien |
|
|
(1) D Tsingtao |
|
| Army |
Kaifeng |
(1) D Kaifeng |
(1) D Hsinhsiang |
|
|
(1) D Anyang |
|
| Army |
Loyang |
(1) D Loyang |
(1) D Chenghsien |
|
|
(1) D Shanhsien |
|
| Army |
Taiyuan |
(1) D Taiyuan |
(1) D Fenyang |
|
|
(1) D Linfen |
|
| Army |
Kweisui |
(1) D Kweisui |
(1) D Paotou |
|
|
(1) D Wuyuan |
|
(see overlay iii)
d. nine armies (27 divisions) in
central china
| Unit |
Location of army
headquarters |
Location of division
headquarters |
| Army |
Hsuchow |
(1) D Hsuchow |
(1) D Pangfu |
|
|
(1) D Hofei |
|
| Army |
Nanking |
(1) D Nanking |
(1) D Chenkiang |
|
|
(1) D Wuhu |
|
| Army |
Shanghai |
(1) D Shanghai |
(1) D Soochow |
|
|
(1) D Hangchow |
|
| Army |
Hankow |
(1) D Hankow |
(1) D Hsinyang |
|
|
(1) D Kiukiang |
|
| Army |
Changsha |
(1) D Changsha |
(1) D Yuehyang |
|
|
(1) D Hengyang |
|
| Army |
Chungking |
(1) D Chungking |
(1) D Wanhsien |
|
|
(1) D Ichang |
|
| Army |
Sian |
(1) D Sian |
(1) D Tungkwan |
|
|
(1) D Nancheng |
|
| Army |
Chengtu |
(1) D Chengtu |
(1) D Chienyang |
|
|
(1) D Ipin |
|
| Army |
Kangting |
(1) D Kangting |
(1) D Yaan |
|
|
(1) D Hsichang |
|
(see overlay iii)
[Page 1201]
e. four armies (12 divisions) in
south china
| Unit |
Location of army
headquarters |
Location of division
headquarters |
| Army |
Foochow |
(1) D Foochow |
(1) D Taipei |
|
|
(1) D Amoy |
|
| Army |
Canton |
(1) D Canton |
(1) D Swatow |
|
|
(1) D Kaoyao |
|
| Army |
Kweiyang |
(1) D Kweiyang |
(1) D Kweilin |
|
|
(1) D Nanning |
|
| Army |
Kunming |
(1) D Kunming |
(1) D Chuching |
|
|
(1) D Tali |
|
(see overlay iii)
