1947

June 30，1947

Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping led the main force of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, four columns totalling 130,000 men, in forcing the Yellow River from an area between Zhangqiuzhen and Linpu in southwestern Shandong to break through from the middle of the enemy's dumbbell-shaped battle array that extended from Shan-dong to northern Shaanxi, thus raising the curtain on the PLA's strategic offensive. At this point, the enemy's attacks on key sectors had not yet been completely smashed and the PLA was still far inferior to the enemy in terms of number and equipment. So, the shift in strategy represented a bold policy decision made by the CPC Central Committee after fully assessing the various factors that had a bearing on the war effort. Right after crossing the Yellow River, the Liu-Deng army waged the South-western Shandong Campaign, destroying nine and a half enemy brigades totalling 56,000 men. Then, they started a swift southward advance for 500 kilometres without a base rear to fall back on and arrived in the region of the Dabie Mountains towards the end of August.