The Shifting Balance of Power in 1945

By early 1945, Imperial Japan’s grip on China was unraveling. The Japanese North China Area Army, under orders from the China Expeditionary Army, scrambled to reorganize its forces—transferring seven divisions to Shanghai while establishing new garrison units. With only 125 understrength battalions (190,000 troops) and unreliable puppet forces across northern China, their defensive posture contrasted sharply with the Communist Eighth Route Army’s growing strength.

This strategic imbalance set the stage for one of the most consequential campaigns of the Second Sino-Japanese War. From January to August 1945, Communist forces launched coordinated offensives across multiple fronts, demonstrating their evolution from guerrilla fighters to a conventional military force capable of complex operations.

Operation Thunder: The Shandong Campaigns

### Decapitating the Puppet Regimes

Shandong became a critical battleground where Communist commanders perfected their “attack fortified positions” tactics. In a daring February 1-2 operation, the Lu’nan Military District stormed Sishui County, eliminating the entire collaborationist 10th Provisional Army leadership including commander Rong Ziheng and his Japanese advisors. This surgical strike demonstrated new capabilities in urban warfare.

The subsequent February 11-19 campaign against Zhao Baoyuan’s 18,000-strong puppet force showcased large-scale coordination. Some 50,000 militia supported five regular regiments in a multi-pronged assault that crushed Zhao’s headquarters at Wandi. The operation’s success—7,370 prisoners taken—marked a turning point in eroding Japanese control through proxy forces.

### Summer of Liberation

From June to August, Shandong forces executed a campaign symphony:
– June 5-27: The Li Wenli Elimination Campaign neutralized 7,300 enemy troops near Weifang
– July 15-30: The Zhang Buyun Campaign liberated 2,500 sq km around Zhucheng
– July 31: The Tianliuzhuang offensive breached Shouguang’s defenses

These operations intersected with Japan’s desperate preparations for anticipated American landings, stretching their already thin resources. By August, Communist forces had severed key rail lines and isolated urban strongholds like Jinan.

The Northern Hammer: Taihang and Taiyue Offensives

### The Daoqing Railway Campaign

From January 21 to April 1, the Taihang Mountain forces executed mobile warfare along the vital Daoqing rail corridor. Their three-phase strategy—first crushing puppet forces, then isolating Japanese garrisons—liberated 75,000 people across 2,000 sq km. The operation proved Communist troops could sustain complex maneuvers across months.

### The Anyang Masterstroke

The July Anyang Campaign demonstrated combined arms prowess. Nine regular regiments supported by 30,000 militia systematically dismantled Li Ying’s 7,000-strong puppet network. The precision strikes—capturing 30 strongpoints while minimizing casualties—showcased matured operational art.

Southern Lightning: New Fourth Army’s Multi-Front War

### The Yangtze Delta Blitz

In Jiangsu, the New Fourth Army’s April 24-26 Funing Campaign exemplified rapid urban assault. Eleven regiments overwhelmed 3,400 defenders in 48 hours, securing the critical Tongyu Highway. The concurrent April 28 Sando Ambush along the Beichengzi River annihilated 1,800 Japanese and puppet troops in a textbook waterway ambush.

### The Huai River Gambit

February-April saw a masterclass in riverine warfare. As Japanese forces attempted to control the Huai and Sanhe waterways, Communist units conducted 24 precision strikes, including the elimination of a Japanese major. The subsequent April road destruction campaign around Lingbi severed enemy logistics across northern Anhui.

Strategic Implications and Lasting Legacy

### The Numbers That Changed History

By August 1945, Communist forces had:
– Eliminated 160,000 enemy troops
– Liberated 61 county seats
– Secured 240,000 sq km of territory
– Freed 10 million Chinese citizens

These gains positioned Communist troops to accept Japan’s surrender while denying territory to Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists—a decisive factor in the coming Civil War.

### Evolution of People’s War

The 1945 campaigns marked the culmination of Communist military development:
– Transition from guerrilla tactics to conventional warfare
– Mastery of siegecraft and urban combat
– Large-scale coordination between regular and militia forces
– Sophisticated logistics for prolonged operations

This hard-won experience would shape PLA doctrine for decades, influencing everything from Korea to border conflicts. The human cost—and triumph—of these months remains etched across hundreds of Chinese memorials, where the names of those who fought in this decisive hour still command reverence.

The Spring-Summer Offensive stands as testament to how tactical victories aggregate into strategic triumph—a lesson written in the soil of liberated villages from Shandong’s coast to the Huai’s muddy banks.