Former Site of the Central Military Commission’s Field Command

Former Site of the Central Military Commission’s Field Command

Former Site of the Central Military Commission’s Field Command:

The Central Military Commission’s Field Command was the highest command body on the northern front during the Red Army’s fifth counter-“encirclement and suppression” campaign. In April 1934, the enemy concentrated large forces to attack Guangchang. The 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 9th Corps of the Central Red Army were tasked with defending Guangchang. A field headquarters was set up in a quadrangle courtyard belonging to a landlord’s family in the Longgang Zhuxibu Village Group of Toutian Town, Guangchang (later relocated to areas such as Wushigang and Sanguandian in Xujian Town), where leaders including Li De, Bo Gu, Zhu De, Gu Zuolin, and Wu Xiuquan directed operations. Due to Li De and Bo Gu’s insistence on the “short, swift assault” strategy and positional warfare—fortress against fortress—without heeding the suggestions from Yang Shangkun and Peng Dehuai to abandon the defense of Guangchang, despite 18 days of fierce fighting, the Battle of Guangchang ended in failure for the Red Army, and the city fell. On April 27, Yang Shangkun and Peng Dehuai led the 3rd Red Corps to regroup in Toutian, more than 20 kilometers from Guangchang County. The following evening, they attended a meeting of principal leaders from various corps held at the Feng Family Ancestral Hall in Xiaguan, Toutian Town. The command headquarters then withdrew to Ruijin.