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76-576: During the Shangdang Campaign , Communist units of the Shanxi - Hebei - Shandong - Henan Military Region succeeded in taking control over a 200 km section of the railway from Beijing to Hankou , and the adjacent regions along this section. The Kuomintang was determined to dislodge the Communists from their newly gained territory and planned an offensive that would significantly boost

152-541: A KMT-allied warlord clique, like many of Chiang's other forces). During the Second Sino-Japanese War , they had remained loyal to Chiang unlike many former warlord armies that defected to the Japanese. They felt that their loyalty was not being properly rewarded, and that they were being used as cannon fodder. Such resentment against Chiang and his regime was exploited to the maximum by the Communists in

228-631: A base for An Qingxu . There was the famous Battle of Ye, after which An Qingxu was killed by Shi Siming . In 923, Li Cunxu ascended the throne in Daming, proclaiming himself emperor and establishing the Later Tang dynasty, known historically as Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang. During the Song dynasty , in response to the Liao invasion, Daming Prefecture was elevated to serve as the auxiliary capital to

304-533: A breakout from the west on 8 October 1945, under the cover of darkness, hoping to reach Linfen . Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping immediately ordered the Taiyue column to move to Mabi (马壁) from Siting to intercept the fleeing enemy. On 12 October 1945, the communist force caught up with the fleeing Nationalist force at the Jiangjunling (将军岭) and Peach River (桃川) regions, decimating the demoralized enemy and capturing

380-824: A central axis, and iconic structures such as the Bronze Bird Terrace . In the late Western Jin period, northern China fell into chaos during the Upheaval of the Five Barbarians , and Handan was occupied by various non-Han ethnic groups, such as the Xianbei and Jie people , leaving the city in ruins. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, Ye City in Linzhang served successively as the capital for Later Zhao , Ran Wei , Former Yan , and later

456-489: A complete list. In 2007, Handan was the location of China's largest-ever bank robbery . The population at the 2010 census was 941,427 for the 3 urban districts, 2,845,790 for the built up area and 9,174,683 for the entire Prefecture-level city area of 12,068 km (4,659 sq mi). The municipal executive, legislative and judiciary are situated in Congtai District ( 丛台区 , Cóngtái Qū), as well as

532-521: A growing services sector, with retail, banking and trading making up 40% of the economy. The GDP per capita in Renminbi was estimated at ¥13,449 in 2005. In 2015, the figure was ¥33,554.87 . According to a survey by "Global voices China" in February 2013, Handan was one of China's most polluted cities due to heavy industrial outputs. However the government has made a significant effort to make

608-555: A mountain" with an added radical (Chinese: 阝 ) denoting a city. Together, "Handan" means "the city at the terminus of Mount Han". This explanation has been widely accepted until the discoveries of jade writings in Houma, Shanxi in 1965, where the "Dan" in Handan was spelt " 丹 ", meaning red. This then lead to another explanation that Handan was named so because Mount Han appeared reddish-purple in color. The different spellings of

684-528: A noble from the state of Yan heard of a particularly elegant manner of walking unique to Handan. Arriving in Handan, he spent weeks trying to master the Handan style of walking on a bridge, only to fail. In the process, however, he had forgotten how to walk normally and had to crawl back to Yan. This story inspired the Chinese expression, "to learn the walk of Handan" ( 邯郸学步 , Hándān xué bù ), which means learning something difficult too intensely, thereby forgetting

760-543: A single conurbation . Handan is one of the oldest cities in China , first settled around 6500 BC by the Cishan culture . Throughout the city's long history, it contributed significantly to Chinese culture, serving as the capital of State of Zhao , was northern China's political, economic and cultural center, and home to Tai chi and the first compass , made from stones collected in the nearby Mount Ci (magnet mountain). Handan

836-535: A tight formation, making communication more efficient due to the shorter distance between units. The Nationalists benefitted from superior equipment, and effectively concentrated their superior firepower to inflict heavy casualties on the attacking communist force. The Communists were forced to redeploy the Southern Hebei column for reinforcement, leaving only the local militia to besiege Changzhi. The Communists changed tactics, attacking from 3 sides while leaving

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912-719: A transition from the guerrilla warfare commonly practiced by the Communists. On the political front, the campaign was a great boost for the communists in their negotiations at the peace talks in Chongqing. The Kuomintang suffered from the loss of territory, troops, and materiel. The Kuomintang also lost face before the Chinese public. [REDACTED] Communist Party / [REDACTED] Soviet Republic ( [REDACTED] Red Army ) → Liberated Area ( [REDACTED] 8th Route Army , New Fourth Army , etc. → [REDACTED] People's Liberation Army ) → [REDACTED]   People's Republic of China Handan Handan

988-669: Is Chinese folk religion , including Taoism and Buddhism . In 2013, there were more than 150,000 Catholics in Handan according to the Catholic Church , in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yongnian . Mother of Grace Cathedral in Daming County was built in 1918. The most recent church was built in 2007. There are also 300,000 Protestants. The largest Protestant church is on Qianjin Avenue ( 邯郸市西堂 ) and

1064-484: Is Queen Dowager Zhao , who is a Handan native. At the beginning of the Han dynasty , Handan was Liu Bang 's base for suppressing Chen Xi 's rebellion in 197 and 196 BCE. By the late Western Han period, Handan remained one of the five major cities in the country, covering an urban area of 13.6 square kilometers with a population of over 150,000. Its handicrafts, commerce, and iron smelting industries were highly developed. In

1140-542: Is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Hebei province, China. The southernmost prefecture-level city of the province, it borders Xingtai on the north, and the provinces of Shanxi on the west, Henan on the south and Shandong on the east. At the 2010 census, its population was 9,174,683 inhabitants whom 2,845,790 lived in the built-up ( or metro ) area made of 5 urban districts. Yongnian District in Handan and Shahe City in Xingtai have largely formed into

1216-517: Is designated as one of China's National Famous Historical and Cultural Cities . The city's name, Handan (Chinese: 邯 郸 ), has remained unchanged for over 3,000 years. The name first appeared during the reign of King Zhou of Shang , in the chronicle Bamboo Annals . A dictionary from the Tang dynasty explained that "Han" (Chinese: 邯 ) is the name of a nearby mountain ( Hanshan ), and "Dan" (Chinese: 单 ) meant "the terminus of

1292-548: Is in current Yongnian, Handan , as the capital of the short-lived Xia regime. Under the Tang dynasty , Handan was incorporated into Mingzhou and Cizhou. Meanwhile, Weizhou in the region began to rise in prominence and was later renamed Daming Prefecture, which is the current Daming County in Handan. By 621, Daming had emerged as the central city north of the Yellow River. During the An Lushan rebellion , Ye has been

1368-693: Is still contained in Handan Prefecture nowadays, located in the current Linzhang County . During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao established his base in Ye, marking the rise of Ye City. After the founding of the Cao Wei state, Ye became the northern capital of Wei, serving as the political center of northern China. The construction of the Wei capital was renowned for its symmetrical design along

1444-649: The CPC and Public Security bureaux. Handan has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate / semi-arid climate ( Köppen Dwa/BSk ), with strong monsoonal influence, typical of the North China Plain . The normal monthly daily mean temperature ranges from −0.9 °C (30.4 °F) in January to 27.3 °C (81.1 °F) in July, while the annual mean temperature is 14.3 °C (57.7 °F). A majority of

1520-681: The Eastern Wei and Northern Qi during the Northern Dynasties , spanning a total of 364 years. In 580, the Northern Zhou general Yuchi Jiong , stationed in Ye, launched a rebellion against Yang Jian but was defeated, leading to the destruction of the ancient city of Ye by fire. During the late Sui dynasty , Handan became the center of activities for Dou Jiande 's rebel army in Hebei. Dou Jiande established Guangfu, which

1596-865: The Eighth Route Army ’s 129th Division, also known as the Liu - Deng Army Headquarters, is located in She County , within Handan. Following Japan’s defeat in 1945, Handan was designated a city and served as the seat of the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu (晋冀鲁豫) Border Region Government. In October 1945, during the Chongqing Negotiations , the National Revolutionary Army advanced north along the railway, passing through Communist-controlled areas. Armed conflict broke out, leading to

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1672-675: The Handan Campaign . By November, the Communist forces achieved a decisive victory, consolidating the North China Liberated Zone into a unified territory. In 1946, the Chinese Communist Party ’s Central Bureau of the Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu region planned to launch a major official newspaper in Handan. Initially considered names included Jin-Ji-Lu-Yu Daily and Taihang Daily, but Mao Zedong suggested

1748-589: The Warlord Era , Handan became a contested site between the Zhili and Anhui warlords. In 1927, a Communist Party branch was established in Handan, and the region was embroiled in the Central Plains War . By the mid-1940s, Handan had declined to a small commercial town, covering only 1 square kilometer with a population of about 28,000. During the Second Sino-Japanese War , the former headquarters of

1824-551: The Warring States period (5th–3rd centuries BCE), Handan is an important city of the state of Zhao . In 386 BCE, Marquess Jing of Zhao officially relocated the capital to Handan and initiated large-scale construction. It was their second capital, after Zhongmu . It remained the capital for 158 years, until Zhao was conquered by the Qin. King Wuling of Zhao turned Zhao into one of the Qin state's most stalwart foes, pioneering

1900-592: The Xiangtangshan Caves . Handan is served by Handan Airport . Handan has two main train stations: one is Handan railway station which serves for the normal speed train, the other is named Handandong railway station, which serves for the high speed train. According to Handan government in 2007, 40 ethnic groups were present in Handan. Ethnic minorities represent 50,000 people, among which 48,000 Hui. There are 22 Hui schools and 5 Hui junior high schools in Handan. The most widespread religion in Handan

1976-497: The 106th Division of the 40th Army was nearly wiped out, and the KMT's 30th Army was also badly mauled. Meanwhile, the Communist chief of staff Li Da personally went to the New 8th Army headquarters and convinced its commander Gao Shuxun to defect to the Communist side. The defection of their most capable fighting unit struck a devastating blow to KMT morale and worsened the situation for

2052-478: The 11th War Zone, and they were in charge of the entire operation. The KMT deployed around 145,000 troops in two echelons. The first echelon was planned to strike northward from Xinxiang . It consisted of three armies divided from the 11th War Zone between two fronts: the left front consisted of the New 8th Army and the 30th Army, while the right front consisted of the 40th Army and the 9th Combat Engineering Regiment. The second echelon also consisted of two fronts. In

2128-554: The American Operation Beleaguer . The New 8th Army was the most capable KMT unit and was thus tasked to bear the brunt of the fighting. However, this provoked resentment among the officers and soldiers of the New 8th Army. They had begun as a warlord army under the Guominjun clique and had later defected to Chiang Kai-shek . Since then, they had been under Chiang's direct control (rather than answering to

2204-475: The KMT 32nd Army at Anyang sent out a detachment to reinforce their besieged comrade-in-arms, but this reinforcement from the south was also stopped by the Communist force at the Zhang River. At dusk on October 28, 1945, the full-scale attack on the besieged KMT force begun. The Communist northern group targeted the KMT 40th Army while avoiding direct confrontation with the New 8th Army. By October 30, 1945,

2280-425: The KMT advance guards had occupied the positions at shore of Zhang River, providing cover to the troops building the bridges at the crossing point. On October 22, 1945, the KMT force crossed the Zhang River, where they were met head on with the Communist 1st Column deployed south of Handan , and the first shot of the campaign had been fired. By October 24, 1945, all three KMT armies had cross the Zhang River, and under

2356-549: The KMT in the Fuyang (滏阳) region north the Zhang River and south of Handan . The strategy was to proceed in several phases: First, Communist units would destroy railways from the north of Yellow River to Anyang , and harass the enemy and buy time. After the KMT has crossed the Zhang River, a Communist detachment would immediately take control the river crossing point and divide the KMT forces. The KMT units that had crossed

Handan Campaign - Misplaced Pages Continue

2432-663: The KMT reinforcements on the road immediately withdraw back to their fortified positions behind the city walls upon hearing the news. The campaign ended on the November 2, 1945. The Communist victory in the Handan Campaign reinforced their victory in the Shangdang Campaign , and strengthened the Communist position in the peace negotiations. It significantly slowed the KMT's deployment along the railway from Beijing to Hankou and thus provided cover for other Communist forces to seize northeast China . The most obvious KMT mistake

2508-486: The KMT's bargaining chips in peace negotiations. Their plan aimed to bring the Communist-occupied territory in northern China firmly back under their control and secure passage to northeast China . The commander of the 40th Army, Ma Fawu  [ zh ] , was also the commander-in-chief of the 11th War Zone, while the commander of the New 8th Army, Gao Shuxun , was also the deputy commander-in-chief of

2584-529: The Ming, with the area still called Zhili . Daming Prefecture served as the seat of the Zhili Governor-General, while Handan County remained under Guangping Prefecture, which functioned as the political and economic center of southern Hebei and northern Henan during the Ming and Qing periods. In 1928, Zhili was renamed Hebei Province, and Handan came under direct provincial administration. During

2660-593: The Nationalist commander Shi Zebo alive. The Shangdang Campaign cost the Kuomintang 13 divisions totalling more than 35,000 troops, with more than 31,000 of those 35,000 captured as POWs by the communists. Of the two Nationalist commanders, Peng Yubin was killed and Shi Zebo was captured alive. The communists suffered over 4,000 casualties, with none captured by the Nationalists. In addition to decimating

2736-469: The Nationalist force with relatively light casualties, the communist force also obtained an important supply of weapons that its force desperately needed, capturing 24 mountain guns , more than 2,000 machine guns , and more than 16,000 rifles , submachine guns , and handguns . The campaign had additional importance for the communists because it was the first campaign in which a communist force engaged an enemy using conventional tactics and succeeded, marking

2812-631: The Zhang River would then be lured into the Fuyang region to be ambushed in a pre-selected spot. The ambush would be a pincer movement: the eastern pincer would consist of the 1st Column and units of Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region, while the western pincer would consist of the 2nd Column, 3rd Column, units from Taihang Military Region and Southern Hebei Military Region. Kuomintang order of battle 1st Echelon: 7 Divisions with 45,000 troops 2nd Echelon: 100,000 troops Communist order of battle 60,000 regulars: Another 100,000 militia The Kuomintang begun their push on October 14, 1945. By October 20, 1945,

2888-655: The basics in the process. The nearby Xiangtangshan Caves contain massive Buddha statues carved into the mountainside, some dating to the 6th century, many of which were severely damaged by invading Japanese forces during World War II. At that time, Handan was prized by the Japanese invaders for its coal reserves. Many parts of the Buddhist statues are now in museums arouns the world. For example, several parts are currently in Metropolitan Museum of Art , The San Diego Museum of Art , and Penn Museum . See for

2964-528: The city cleaner, which involved closing down many polluting power plants. It is no longer the most polluted city, and, according to a 2016 government survey, the number of good air quality days is 189 days, an increase of 135 days compared with 2013. Handan Prefecture is home to the AAAAA tourist attractions Guangfu Ancient City and the Nüwa Imperial Palace . Handan Prefecture is also home to

3040-600: The city's name consolidated into the modern spelling in Qin dynasty . According to the Bamboo Annals , during the late Shang dynasty , the kings constructed palaces in the Handan area, with a time span of 3,050 to 3,100 years ago. In the early Western Zhou period, during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou , Handan was part of the Bei state and was inhabited by Wu Geng , the son of the last king of Shang . Later, it came under

3116-685: The commanders of the second echelon succeeded in preserving their forces. The successful preservation of the force, in turn, would later help the KMT buy time for troop deployment and strengthening their positions. [REDACTED] Communist Party / [REDACTED] Soviet Republic ( [REDACTED] Red Army ) → Liberated Area ( [REDACTED] 8th Route Army , New Fourth Army , etc. → [REDACTED] People's Liberation Army ) → [REDACTED]   People's Republic of China Shangdang Campaign [REDACTED] Nationalist government The Shangdang Campaign ( simplified Chinese : 上党战役 ; traditional Chinese : 上黨戰役 )

Handan Campaign - Misplaced Pages Continue

3192-423: The communist plan failed to materialize when Nationalist commander Shi Zebo, still at Changzhi, again anticipated the ambush and decided to hold out. When the attack on Changzhi began on 24 September 1945, but the communists failed to take the city (attributed largely to the superior arms of the Nationalist defenders). A stalemate was reached following the successful defense of Changzhi. After Yan Xishan learned of

3268-615: The communists' ambush failed, they did take the town of Tunliu on 12 September 1945. On 13 September 1945, the Chinese communists used the same tactics again, with the Taihang column attacking Changzi (长子), while the Taiyue (太岳) and Southern Hebei columns prepared for another ambush. However, the Nationalist commander Shi Zebo anticipated the communists' ambush, and did not send out any reinforcements from Changzhi. Realizing that their original plan would not be successful, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping promptly changed their strategy from decimating

3344-672: The control of the state of Wey . In 661 BCE, the Di people conquered Handan and ruled it for over 40 years after destroying Wey. In 588 BCE, the Jin state defeated the Di, and Handan was incorporated into Jin. In 546 BCE, after Wey's restoration, a rebellion forced members of the Wey royal family to flee to Handan for refuge. This event is recorded in The Spring and Autumn Annals (Guliang Commentary). During

3420-592: The course of the peace negotiation held in Chongqing from 28 August 1945, through 11 October 1945, resulting in a more favourable outcome for Mao Zedong and the party. After the end of World War II , the conflict between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang resumed the intensity that it had had before the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War ( Second United Front ). Under

3496-465: The direction of Chiang Kai-shek , the commander-in-chief of the second war zone, Yan Xishan , ordered the commander of the 19th Army, Shi Zebo (史泽波), to lead the 19th Army, part of the 61st Army, and other units, totaling more than 17,000 to invade the Communist base in the Shangdang (上党) region of southeastern Shanxi in mid-August 1945. Three Nationalist divisions were stationed in the largest city of

3572-449: The emergency facing Shi Zebo at Changzhi, he sent out reinforcements led by the deputy commander-in-chief of the 2nd Army Group, Peng Yubin (彭毓斌). Peng's units consisted of the 23rd Army, the 83rd Army, and other divisions totalling more than 20,000 men. Learning these troop movements on 28 September 1945, the communists planned an ambush in the area between Tunliu and Xianghuan, leaving the Southern Hebei column and local militia to maintain

3648-527: The entire second echelon to be mobilized to help the besieged first echelon. However, the KMT commanders of the second echelon were reluctant to help and unable to commit all of their forces. Instead, they only sent small detachments. On October 26, 1945, a portion of the KMT's 16th Army were sent from Shijiazhuang, but they were stopped by the Communist units of the Taihang Military Region and other local militia units at Gaoyi (高邑). Meanwhile,

3724-454: The first shot of the first battle was fired. The Chinese communists Taihang column first attacked Tunliu, while Taiyue (太岳) and Southern Hebei columns prepared for an ambush. One day later, the Taihang column entered a skirmish with the 6,000 Nationalist troops from Changzhi, but the Nationalist commander was extremely careful; and, once contact with the communist force was made, the Nationalist unit immediately withdrew back to Changzhi. Although

3800-526: The heavy artillery bombardment, the 106th Division of the KMT 40th Army assaulted the position of the 1st Brigade of the Communist 1st Column, succeeding in breaking through after a day of fierce fighting, penetrating the Communist defense at region between Cuiqu (崔曲), Jiati (夹堤), and by the evening, had successfully pushed to the Gaozhuang (高庄)—Nanpozi (南泊子) line. Unbeknown to the KMT force, the Communists were luring them into their trap, and northern group and

3876-609: The late Western Han, a peasant uprising erupted, and Wang Lang launched a rebellion in the Handan area in support of the peasant army. After Liu Xiu , the founding emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty, raised an army in Hebei, he captured Handan and downgraded it to Handan County, marking the first time the city was demoted from a capital to a county seat. This began Handan's decline. By the late Eastern Han period, Yuan Shao seized control of Hebei and established Ye , which gradually replaced Handan and rose to prominence. Note that Ye

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3952-455: The later Yuan period, the area suffered from frequent flooding and locust plagues, leaving the population in hardship. In 1368, with the establishment of the Ming dynasty , the Handan area was placed under the jurisdiction of Northern Zhili . It was governed by the prefectures of Guangping and Daming . Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang implemented a resettlement policy, relocating impoverished families from Shanxi to Daming and Guangping, revitalizing

4028-578: The latter stage of the Handan Campaign, resulting in their defection. This proved to be a significant factor that contributed to the KMT failure. To complete their plan, many Communist agents had already infiltrated the New 8th Army prior to the campaign. The Communist plan was to concentrate a total of 60,000 regular troops from the 1st Column, the 2nd Column, the 3rd Column, and units of the Taihang (太行) Military Region, Hebei - Shandong - Henan Military Region, and Southern Hebei Military Region, along with 100,000 Communist militia. They planned to annihilate

4104-417: The main capital (present-day Kaifeng ). At its peak, the city had a population of over one million, with a bustling trade that attracted merchants from as far as the Western Regions . In the late Northern Song period, the Jurchen Jin dynasty invaded the Central Plains . In the Handan region, locals joined Wang Yan’s "Bazijun" guerrilla force in the Taihang Mountains , resisting the Jin for decades until

4180-456: The many Chinese idioms that the city inspired, such as the road into which Lin Xiangru , courier of the precious Heshibi , backed in order to let his nemesis Lian Po pass first, as well as the location in which Lian Po begged for Lin Xiangru 's forgiveness. Modern-day Congtai Park is located on the site of the historical Zhao court. Next to Congtai Park is the legendary "Xuebu Bridge" ( 学步桥 ), or "Learning to Walk Bridge". Legend has it that

4256-416: The nationalist force to retaking lost territory, taking Xiangyuan, Changzi, Tunli, Lucheng, Huguang and other counties by 19 September 1945, annihilating over 7,000 Nationalist troops in the process. The next day, communist forces attacked garrisons outside of Changzhi from the south, east and west. The communists planned to let the Nationalists escape to the north and ambush them while they were fleeing. Again,

4332-515: The normal annual precipitation of 502 mm (19.8 in) occurs in July and August. Handan has witnessed rapid growth over the past 20 years. Industrial growth in the city has focused on communication and transport activities. Handan is a major producer of coal and steel, with Coal mines at Fengfeng providing power for Handan's iron, steel and textile mills. Chemical and cement plants along with other industries also benefit. Local agriculture produces maize, pomegranates and eggs. Handan also has

4408-440: The north side open so that the enemy would escape to the north and be ambushed on the way. This tactic proved successful when, on 5 October 1945, Peng Yubin scaped to the north exactly as the Communists had hoped. His force was soon defeated, and Peng Yubin himself was killed at Siting (虒亭) by the waiting Communist Taiyue column. Learning that his reinforcements were annihilated, the Nationalist commander Shi Zebo at Changzhi planned

4484-403: The northern shore of Zhang River. The KMT units were again besieged in the region along the line of the villages Qigan Zhang (旗杆漳), Xin Zhuang (辛庄), and Ma Ying (马营). On November 1, 1945, a detachment of the Communist 1st Column took the headquarters of the KMT 40th Army at Qigan Zhang, capturing the KMT commander-in-chief Ma Fawu alive. Kuomintang resistance ceased completely by the next day, while

4560-482: The offensive too early with insufficient strength. As Chiang had soon painfully realized, the Nationalist Government regime did not have enough resources to deploy its troops in a very short time span over the vast regions of China. When the surrounding countryside was dominated by the Communists, launching an offensive of the scale of Handan Campaign was overambitious. The KMT's second echelon failed to rescue their besieged comrade-in-arms because they were too far away, and

4636-433: The region after its decline during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. In the late Ming period, influenced by Li Zicheng , the people of Handan staged uprisings. In 1644, after the Qing army crossed the Great Wall and entered the Central Plains, local resistance, led by Zhang Zhibang, fought against the invaders but was brutally suppressed. Under the Qing, the administrative structure remained similar to that of

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4712-479: The region, Changzhi , while the rest were stationed in the following cities/towns: Xiangyuan (襄垣), Changzi (长子), Tunliu (屯留), Lucheng , Huguang (壶关), and other counties; and, from these newly established bases, the Nationalists planned to take the entire southeastern Shanxi region from the Communists. The Communists anticipated the Nationalist attack and mobilized 31,000 troops from the Taihang (太行), Taiyue (太岳), and Southern Hebei (冀南) military districts to prepare for

4788-409: The reinforcement sent by the 92nd and 94th Armies from Beijing did not even meet any enemy before the campaign was finished. They ignored Chiang's command to commit their full force, but they were already dangerously overstretched and overcommitting their forces risked letting the Communists seize the cities and destroy the KMT forces while they were on the road. Therefore, by disobeying Chiang's orders

4864-457: The remaining besieged units. Communist commander Liu Bocheng ordered the 1st Column and 3rd Column to open up the southern front and set a new trap along the road to lure out the besieged units from their strongholds. On October 31, 1945, the KMT force attempted to escape thru the opening in the south exactly as Liu Bocheng had expected. Communist units of the Taihang Military Region and units of Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region stopped them at

4940-406: The siege of Changzhi, while redeploying Taihang and Taiyue columns to the north. On 2 October 1945, the Nationalist reinforcements clashed with the ambushing communist forces at a region northwest of Tunliu known as "Wangjiaqu" (王家渠). After the initial battle, the Nationalist reinforcements were engaged at regions along Laoyeling (老爷岭), Mopannao (磨盘脑), and Yulin (榆林) line. The Nationalists maintained

5016-430: The south, the 32nd Army of the 11th War Zone would follow the 40th Army to Anyang , and then would continue and linkup with the 3rd Army and the 16th Army of the 1st War Zone at Shijiazhuang . Once the three armies had joined their forces, they would continue push northward and linkup with the 92nd Army and 94th Army, which would strike southward from Beijing, where these two KMT armies had previously been airlifted into by

5092-440: The southern campaign of Wanyan Liang . Due to the prolonged warfare, Handan fell into decline and was eventually submerged by flooding. The ruins of Song-era Handan remain preserved beneath four meters of Yellow River silt. After the Jin dynasty fell to the Mongol Empire , Handan was incorporated into the Mongol realm. During the early Yuan dynasty , it was part of the capital region of Dadu (modern-day Beijing ). However, in

5168-551: The southern group had already begun to encircle the enemy from three directions: south of Handan, west of Ci County and east of Matouzhen (马头镇). When the KMT force had reached Ci County and Matouzhen, the Communist encirclement was complete, while at the same time, the river crossing of Zhang River had also fallen into the Communist hands. Realizing that they were surrounded, the besieged KMT force retreated toward North and South Zuoliang (左良) and Cuiqu, and directly appealed to Chiang Kai-shek for help via radio. Chiang, in turn, ordered

5244-406: The stronger the position the communists would have at the negotiations. This did indeed raised the morale of the Communist troops in Shanxi. The communists also mobilized an additional 50,000 militia to ease logistical concerns associated with the campaign, and to fill vacancies left behind by the regular troops who were on the front lines. The campaign officially started on 10 September 1945, when

5320-441: The title People's Daily . Although the inaugural issue was printed on May 15, 1946, in Xibaipo , the project originated in Handan, and the publication became known as the “Handan Edition of the People’s Daily (人民日报邯郸版).” On December 22, 1952, Handan was reestablished as a city and became a provincial city in 1954. In 1956, Fengfeng City was merged into Handan, followed by the incorporation of Handan County in 1983. In 1984, Handan

5396-423: The upcoming battles. The communist commander Liu Bocheng was assisted by his political commissar Deng Xiaoping, who was excellent at motivating the soldiers. Many Chinese communist troops worried about the safety of Mao Zedong, who was in Chongqing negotiating a peace treaty with Chiang Kai-shek. Deng Xiaoping told the soldiers that the greater the victory for the upcoming battle, the safer Mao Zedong would be, and

5472-638: The use of walls to secure new frontiers (which would inspire the eventual construction of the Great Wall of China). The city was conquered by the State of Qin after the virtual annexation of Zhao by Qin in 228 BCE, except for the Dai Commandery . The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang , was born in Handan. His father is King Zhuangxiang of Qin , a statesman from the state of Qin, and his mother

5548-485: Was Chiang Kai-shek's attempt to reduce the power of the warlord armies by using them to eradicate the Communists. This directly caused the New 8th Army to defect to the Communists. However, Chiang was faced with a dilemma: these troops earned their living by serving in the armed forces, and if they were discharged in peacetime, they would be forced to join the Communists for survival anyway when they were out of jobs, as they did later in northeast China. The KMT also launched

5624-480: Was a series of battles fought between Eighth Route Army troops led by Liu Bocheng and Kuomintang troops led by Yan Xishan (aka Jin clique) in what is now Shanxi Province , China. The campaign lasted from 10 September 1945, through 12 October 1945. Like all other Chinese Communist victories in the clashes immediately after Imperial Japan 's surrender in World War II , the outcome of this campaign altered

5700-460: Was again designated a provincial city, and Wu'an (later Wu'an City) was annexed in 1986. Handan maintained a reputation for its fine Cizhou ware well into the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). It was also the birthplace in the 19th century of Yang-style tai chi , one of Tai Chi's five major schools. Though much of Handan's ancient history is no longer visible, it still has some attractions, deriving from

5776-476: Was built in 1997. The oldest church was on Congtai Street and was built in 1920. The church was destroyed in 2009 by the local government. A new church was built in 2011. According to the local government 30,000 Hui Muslims live in the prefecture of Handan. Handan is hailed as the capital of Chinese idioms. As a prosperous city and cultural center during the Warring States period , Handan attracted many scholars. Over 1,500 idioms and proverbs are attributed to

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