[KS] Cables Chinese leadership sent to Stalin soon after Chinese entry into The Korean War

Kwang On Yoo lovehankook at gmail.com
Wed Oct 19 22:17:31 EDT 2011


Hello All,

In the winter of 1950, shortly after their entry into The Korean War,
Chinese leadership sent following cables to Joseph Stalin. These cables,
that can be found at archive of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for
Scholars in Washington, D.C., shed light on how dire the Chinese situation
was at the time.

In the first cable, dated November 8th, 1950, Mao Zedong asks Stalin for a
supply of small arms and ammunition, needed by the upcoming February, to
replace the "trophies" captured from Japanese and the Nationalist
Chinesewhich The People's Liberation Army were using at the time in
Korea.

In the second cable, dated November 17th, 1950, the Chinese Premier,
Zhou Enlai,
urgently requests 500 automobiles that the Russians had in the
Liaodongpeninsular to relieve hardships the
Chinese Army were facing in Korea. The next day Stalin agreed.
**
President Truman used to say that the Chinese were "sick of the whole thing
and wished they had never gotten into Korea." It seems as this statement was
not that far off the mark as barely three months after entry into the war,
even Mao was already considering negotiated peace. In a dispatch sent to
Stalin, he stated, "conducting negotiation will be advantageous for China
and (North) Korea."

As increasingly more Chinese documents in relation to the Korean War are
made public, it seems that Truman's statement may have been correct.

Regards,

Kwang-On Yoo




*Ciphered telegram, Mao Zedong to Filippov (Stalin)*  *Date:*
8 November 1950 *Source:*
*APRF, Fond 45, Opis 1, Delo 335, Listy 80-81*  *Description:*
Request from Mao to Stalin for infantry arms, detailing specifically types
and amounts of requested munitions.

SECOND MAIN ADMINISTRATION OF THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE SOVIET ARMY

CIPHERED TELEGRAM No. 26637
Copies: Stalin (2), Molotov, Malenkov, Beria,
Mikoyan, Kaganovich, Bulganin, Khrushchev, Vasilevsky, Shtemenko

>From Beijing Received 02 hours 00 minutes
8.11.1950

TOP PRIORITY

To Comrade FILIPPOV [Stalin]

In view of the fact that the infantry arms
of the People’s Liberation Army are mainly
trophies captured from the enemy, there is a
great variety in the calibers of the rifles.

Such a situation creates great difficulty
for the manufacture of ammunition, and in
particular for the production of rifle and
machine gun cartridges, especially as our
factories can produce only very small quantities of these cartridges.

At present the troops of the volunteer army, in the amount of 36
(thirty-six) divisions
of the twelve armies, which are taking part in military operations in KOREA,
have only (six) battle sets of rifle-machine gun cartridges. In the future,
in connection with
the development of military operations, we
will have a very great need to supply the
army with ammunition. If there is no change
in military production, then the rearmament
can be begun in the second half of 1951.

For overcoming the difficulties of the present time I ask you to review the
question
of the possibility of the delivery of small
arms for 36 (thirty-six) divisions in the course of January and February
1951, according to the following list (name, quantity in pieces):

1. Soviet rifles 140,000.

2. Rifle cartridges 58,000,000.

3. Soviet sub-machine guns 26,000.

4. Cartridges for sub-machine guns 80,000,000.

5. Soviet light machine guns 7,000.

6. Cartridges for light machine guns 37,000,000.

7. Soviet heavy machine guns 2,000.

8. Cartridges for heavy machine guns 20,000,000.

9. Pilots’ handguns 1,000.

10. Cartridges for pilots’ handguns 100,000.

11. TNT 1,000 tons.

I ask you to communicate to me the results of your review of my request.

I wish you health.

MAO ZEDONG

No. 2784
7.11.50





*Ciphered telegram, Zhou Enlai to Filippov (Stalin)*  *Date:*
17 November 1950 *Source:*
*APRF, Fond 45, Opis 1, Delo 335, Listy 122-123*  *Description:*
Request from Zhou Enlai to Stalin for the rapid transfer of automobiles from
Soviet forces on the Liaodong Peninsula rather than the Chinese rear, on
account of enemy attacks on autotransport and the onset of winter. These
automobiles are to be credited from the 3000 originally allocated.

SECOND MAIN ADMINISTRATION OF THE GENERAL STAFF OF THE SOVIET ARMY

CIPHERED TELEGRAM No. 26998
Copies: Stalin (2), Molotov, Malenkov, Beria,
Mikoyan, Kaganovich, Bulganin, Khrushchev
>From Beijing Received 20 hours 45 minutes
17.11.1950

EXTREMELY URGENT T

To Comrade FILIPPOV [Stalin]

According to a report from Peng Dehuai and Gao Gang, we have an insufficient
number of automobiles engaged in transport to the rear, enemy planes are
inflicting losses on autotransport, and also it is not possible to ensure
the supply of local human and material resources, food supply and winter
clothing cannot be secured in time and the troops are experiencing hunger
and cold.

A new operation will begin soon. Railroad bridges across the Yalu are
subjected to bombardment by enemy planes every day.

The river is beginning to freeze, and it is not possible to build submerged
bridges and pontoons. Therefore until such time as the river is frozen, so
that automobiles can cross the ice, we must in the next 8-9 days transport
at an extraordinary speed food stuffs, winter gear and ammunition. If we do
not, it will have an influence on the next stage of the fulfillment of the
operation.

In view of this, besides the mobilization of all automobiles in Manchuria
that could be mobilized on the front, we can mobilize a maximum of 200
automobiles from Northern China and immediately send them to the front to
relieve the difficult situation.

I earnestly ask you to give a command to the commander of the Soviet Army on
the Liaodong peninsula about the transfer of 500 automobiles for our army.
These 500 automobiles will be reimbursed on the account of the portion which
you promised to send from 25.11 to 25.12, numbering 3,000 automobiles.

Can you satisfy my request? I await your swift reply.

With bolshevik greetings.

ZHOU ENLAI
No. 2933
17.11 10:00

*Ciphered telegram, Filippov (Stalin) to Zhou Enlai via Zakharov*  *Date:*
17 November 1950 *Source:*
*APRF, Fond 45, Opis 1, Delo 335, List 124*  *Description:*
Stalin's affirmative response to Zhou Enlai's request of 16 November for
automobiles.

CIPHERED TELEGRAM No. 5708
BEIJING

To Comrade Zakharov

For Comrade Zhou Enlai

I received the telegram with the request for urgent delivery of 500
automobiles. Your request will be satisfied by us. In order to speed up the
transfer of the automobiles to you, having in mind to give you new
automobiles, orders have been given to our military command not to give you
old automobiles from Port Arthur, but to send new automobiles to the
Manchuria [railway] station and to transfer 140 automobiles to Chinese
representatives on 20 November and 355 automobiles on 25-26 November.

We will speed up the shipment of the remaining automobiles and another 1,000
automobiles will arrive at the Manchurian station before 5 December.

FILIPPOV [Stalin]
17 November 1950
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