Battle of Yiwu

Overview

The Battle of Yiwu (伊吾), also called the Battle to Defend Yiwu (伊吾保卫战) by the Chinese Communist Party and resulted in a communist victory. After a portion of the local nationalist commanders in Xinjiang defected to the communists, the remaining nationalists loyal to Chiang Kai-shek refused to join the communists and one detachment of these loyal nationalists decided to take the town of Yiwu to turn it into a guerrilla base in order to resume guerrilla activities until the eventual return of Chiang.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Yiwu was a communist victory in Xinjiang in the final phase of the Chinese Civil War. After a portion of nationalist commanders in Xinjiang defected to the People's Republic of China, the remaining nationalist forces loyal to Chiang Kai-shek refused to follow. One detachment, under Yulbars Khan, seized the town of Yiwu with the aim of establishing a guerrilla base from which to resume resistance and await Chiang's return. The PRC force under Hu Qingshan, numbering approximately 100,000 against the nationalist force of 45,000, defeated this effort. The battle effectively foreclosed the nationalist attempt to sustain an armed foothold in Xinjiang, consolidating communist control over the region as the civil war drew to a close.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)