Migration and Leadership: Southward Cadres and Counter-Insurgency Efforts in Southern Anhui New Area

At the onset of liberation in Southern Anhui, the menace of insurgents posed a severe threat to the nascent democratic regime. Cadres who had experience in anti-banditry campaigns in the old revolutionary base areas of North China migrated southward and brought valuable experience in counter-insurgency efforts. They advocated for a strategy emphasizing “developing armed forces, targeting key strikes, and pursuing dispersed operations” upon entering Southern Anhui. However, due to the initial heavy burden of post-liberation governance and their recent arrival in Southern Anhui, the effective implementation of the cadre’s correct anti-banditry policies faced challenges. There was a progression from negligence to recognition of the cadre’s sound policies, leading to a shift from insurgents being passive to proactive. This process also reflected the gradual establishment of authority by the migrating cadres in the Southern Anhui New Area. Eventually, by applying successful methods from their migration in North China, these cadres took charge of the counter-insurgency effort in Southern Anhui, successfully eradicating banditry in the region.