In the third year of the war of liberation, great changes have taken place in the balance of forces between the enemy and ourselves and the war situation. By the autumn of 1948, the People's Liberation Army had grown to 2.8 million people, including field troops1490,000 people. The whole army has undergone the tempering of war, the army consolidation movement and the political, economic and military democratic movements, and its military technology and political consciousness have been greatly improved. Improved equipment, set up artillery and engineers, improved the ability to tackle key problems, and gained experience in positional warfare. Liberated areas are connected one after another, covering an area of 2.355 million square kilometers, accounting for 25% of the country's total area. Population1680,000, accounting for 37% of the total population in China. The liberated areas can jointly fight and form a siege of the Kuomintang army. The land reform in the liberated areas has basically been completed, the rear areas have been consolidated, the peasants' enthusiasm for revolutionary turnaround has never been higher, and they have worked hard to produce and support the front lines, laying a good foundation for strategic decisive battle. In this situation, on July 4th, 1948, the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) stipulated that in the third year of the war of liberation, about 128 brigades (divisions) of the enemy regular army would be wiped out, and the war continued to expand and went deep into the Kuomintang-ruled areas. Therefore, the whole army is required to prepare for a larger-scale annihilation war in the third year, and all of them are still fighting in Jiangbei, North China and Northeast China.

At this time, the number of Kuomintang troops has dropped to 3.65 million. Because a large number of troops are on the defensive, the available troops at the front line are only 6.5438+0.7 million. Although it still rules three-quarters of the country and two-thirds of the population, it is extremely isolated politically because of being attacked on all sides. The Kuomintang army had to give up "all-round defense" and implement the so-called "key defense"

The time is ripe for a strategic decisive battle between the People's Liberation Army and the Kuomintang army. At this time, the Kuomintang held a military meeting in Nanjing in August 1948, and determined the operational policy of "retreating from the northeast, consolidating North China, protecting China and managing South China", insisting on Shenyang until the end of 10, observing the development of the current situation, not giving up Shenyang in principle, and preparing for retreat at the same time.

1In August, 948, after the Kuomintang army was forced to take key defense, more than 1 10000 people from the second appeasement area stationed in Jinan, a strategic place, and 17000 people from Xuzhou were ready to help the north at any time.

The East China Field Army of the People's Liberation Army adopted the policy of "attacking the economy and aiding the enemy", attacking Jinan with seven columns and 6,543.8+0.4 million local armed forces, and preparing to stop Xuzhou from aiding the enemy with eight columns (including the 654.38+0 column of the Central Plains Field Army). 1September, 948 16 night, the People's Liberation Army launched a general attack on Jinan, and fought fiercely for 8 days and nights, and captured Jinan on the 24th. Coupled with the uprising led by Wu, the commander of the ninety-sixth army reorganized by the Kuomintang government, more than 65,430 people were wiped out on the defensive, and Wang, commander of the second appeasement area, and Mou Zhongyan, deputy commander, were captured. The battle of Jinan kicked off the strategic decisive battle.