New Fourth Army Memories

Author: Shi Changwang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: On the grand and majestic historical stage, we are all eyewitnesses, having seen it with our own eyes, heard it with our own ears, and experienced it firsthand. Countless days and nights, we spent amidst the smoke of gunfire and the rain of blood. How many close comrades and fearless warriors fell beside us, staining the green mountains and lakes with our blood. We are all historical witnesses to the heroic battles of the New Fourth Army and the Hua Zhong civilian population. History has bestowed upon us a noble mission—to deeply recall the historical struggles of that time, to record them truthfully and factually, and to pass them down to future generations.
The New Fourth Army, like the Eighth Route Army, was one of the two main forces of the Communist Party of China's anti-Japanese armed forces. It made significant contributions to China's War of Resistance against Japan and even to the global War of Resistance against Fascism. With its initial strength of over 10,000 soldiers and inferior equipment, the New Fourth Army grew and expanded in the harsh and complex struggle environment, shouldering the heavy responsibilities of the anti-Japanese war in Hua Zhong. It fought across the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, in coordination with the Eighth Route Army in North China, and alongside the main front, engaging in bloody battles and bravely fighting the Japanese and puppet forces more than 20,000 times. It achieved glorious victories for the cause of national liberation and the victory of the global anti-fascist struggle.
The great achievements established by the New Fourth Army during the War of Resistance against Japan, as well as the "Iron Army Spirit" it forged, are worth us remembering and praising forever. This book vividly recreates the arduous journey of the New Fourth Army's growth and the grand and fierce scenes of its anti-Japanese war through the firsthand accounts of those who lived through its history. From the formation and reorganization of the New Fourth Army to the rebuilding of its headquarters after the "Southern Anhui Incident," from its battle campaigns to its logistical support, from its strategic decisions to the intense scenes of specific battles, from the strategic brilliance of its senior commanders to the heroic fighting of its battle heroes—each dramatic historical scene is presented with great emotional impact by the historical figures themselves. This allows readers to that era of flames and smoke, feeling the truth of history, understanding its reality, honoring the revolutionary martyrs, and being moved and inspired, thereby igniting a strong sense of patriotism.