ORDER OF BATTLE // March 29, 1950
Battle of Yiwu
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 145,000 estimated
Republic of China
45,000
Medium-confidence figure
People's Republic of China
100,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
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.
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