ABSTRACT
Shortly after the founding ceremony of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949, Deng Xiaoping and Liu Bocheng returned to their military duties in the south—leaving others in Beijing to enjoy celebration banquets and receive central government posts. The seizure of Chongqing by the Liu–Deng army left Chiang no choice but a final decision to move his government personnel and surviving troops to Taiwan. Ten days after Chongqing was lost, Chiang pronounced the establishment of his government in Taipei on December 10, 1949. Deng held official positions such as the mayoralty of Chongqing and the directorship of the Southwest Financial and Economic Committee, both with practical responsibility and executive power. His energetic working style and firm-handed approach made his actions seem even more authoritative than his formal titles warranted. All in all, it seemed no exaggeration to call him the “Lord of the Southwest”—as the Red Guards did during the Cultural Revolution—with supreme leadership over the entire region.
