Xu Shiyou - Early Career

Early Career

Xu first emerged in the annals of Chinese military history in Hubei in 1927, as part of a nascent military unit that included future generals Qin Jiwei and Chen Zaidao. In 1932, he commanded the 34th Regiment, 12th Division of the Fourth Front Army led by future Marshall Xu Xiangqian. His deputy in the 25th Division, 9th Corps (which Xu later led) in 1933-36, Chen Xilian, later rose to serve on the Politburo Standing Committee during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. By the age of 29, Xu Shiyou commanded the Red 9th Corps of the Fourth Front Army.

Eight months after the First Front Army abandon the Jiangxi Soviet and embarked on the Long March, it met up with Zhang Guotao’s Fourth Front Army, in June 1935 at Maogong, Sichuan. Zhang favored consolidating power in Sichuan whereas Mao Zedong wanted to continue on to Gansu and Ningxia, to receive aid from the Soviet Union. The compromise decision was to convene a conference, in July at Mao’ergai. Despite support from Liu Bocheng, Zhu De and other commanders, Mao would not be convinced. As a result, the Fourth Front Army was divided into a Left Column under Liu, Zhu and Zhang; and a Right Column under Xu Xiangqian. Xu Shiyou at the time commanded a cavalry regiment.

The Second Front Army, under He Long and Ren Bishi, and Xiao Ke's Sixth Front Army linked up with the Fourth Front Army in June 1936. Again dividing their forces, He Long took the Second on a northward line toward Gansu while Zhang led his forces somewhat west of that line. The result was that Zhang’s Fourth Front Army was battered by Nationalist and warlord troops, and arrived in Yenan in poor shape in October 1936. Zhang was forced to submit to Mao’s leadership.

In the first half of 1937, just prior to the formal beginning of the Sino-Japanese War, the purge of Zhang Guotao and his closest officers sparked turmoil within the party. Cadets of the Fourth Front Army studying at the Anti-Japanese University (Kang Da), including Xu, confronted the party leadership over accusations that Zhang was disloyal.

In 1939, Xu Xiangqian led elements of the 129th Division – including Xu Shiyou and Han Xianchu – into western Shandong to recruit new soldiers. Xu Shiyou went on to serve as deputy commander of the 385th Brigade, 129th Division in eastern Shandong and expanded his forces into the 11th Army of Marshall Chen Yi’s Third Field Army. One of his key deputies during the war was Nie Fengzhi, who would later command the Chinese People's Volunteers Air Force during the Korean War. Xu remained in Shandong until 1954. In the fall of 1947, Xu commanded the East Front Army Corps of Chen Yi’s East China Field Army (later the 3rd Field Army); his political commissar, Tan Zhenlin, was one of the most powerful figures in East China. They took Jinan in September 1948.