Synopsis
The victory in Liao-Shen, Huaihai, and Ping-Tsin caused Chiang to falter and then make a speech that introduced a puppet president, directing a scandalous drama of false retreat and real manipulation. On 21 January 1949, Chiang Kai-shek hosted a high-level military meeting at Xikou in a vain attempt to prevent the PLA from crossing the Yangtze River. In April, Mao Zedong and Zhu De issued the order to march across the country. The People’s Liberation Army captured the presidential palace and triumphantly liberated Nanjing, followed by Chiang Kai Shek’s escape to Taiwan and the liberation of most of the country one after another. The birth of new China is imminent…