View source for Group army (military unit)

{{Short description|People's Liberation Army military unit}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2019}}
{{army units}}

'''Group armies''' ({{zh|t=集團軍|s=集团军|p=jítuán jūn }}) or '''army groups''' or '''combined corps''',<ref name="merics_cc" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/ga.htm |title=Group Armies / Combined Corps |website=globalsecurity }}</ref> are [[corps]]-level<ref name="tradoc_plagfga">{{cite web|url=https://rdl.train.army.mil/catalog-ws/view/100.ATSC/D9915B53-207D-4EB8-9305-D5D01541842D-1640033052890/gta20_10_002.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420064732/https://rdl.train.army.mil/catalog-ws/view/100.ATSC/D9915B53-207D-4EB8-9305-D5D01541842D-1640033052890/gta20_10_002.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 20, 2022 |title=People's Liberation Army 'Ground Forces'  Quick Reference Guide |website=United States Army Training and Doctrine Command |date=December 2021 |page=4}}</ref> [[formation (military)|military formations]] of the [[People's Liberation Army Ground Force]] of China. Despite what the name suggests, current Group Armies are not [[Field army|army-level]] formations, but corps-sized formations commanding 12 to 14 [[brigades]], roughly equivalent to [[List_of_corps_of_the_United_States#Active_corps|United States Army Corps]].

Some may use or translate 'Group Army' loosely to mean the same as [[Army Group]] through various time periods of history, depending on whether the [[military formation]] is under Nationalist China (ROC) or Communist China (PRC). Chinese Army Group or Group Army used to be equivalent to [[field army]] or [[army group]] in other militaries due to translation issues and ambiguity of the [[Chinese language]]. This is because while" {{Zh|c={{linktext|军}}|s=|t=|p=|labels=no}}" in [[Chinese language|Chinese]] means "[[corps]]" when classifying by size or number of troops, it also means (and more frequently so) in common and less precise military usage – any significant grouping of combat troops, such as [[Field army|army]], [[Army group]], or even entire [[military branch]].

== National Revolutionary Army ==
{{Main list|List of army groups of the National Revolutionary Army}}

By the end of the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]], the [[National Revolutionary Army]] had organized 40 army groups. These were roughly equivalent to a field army in other militaries.<ref>Hsu Long-hsuen and Chang Ming-kai, History of The Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) 2nd ed., 1971. Translated by Wen Ha-hsiung, Chung Wu Publishing; Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China. {{ISBN?}}</ref>

== People's Liberation Army ==
===Armies of the PLA 1948–1985===
From November 1948, the [[People's Liberation Army]] regularised the existing large number of armies and divisions into some sixty-seven armies of three divisions each. While some formations, such as the [[1st Army (People's Republic of China)|1st Army]], survived for over fifty years, a number were quickly amalgamated and disestablished in the early 1950s.

It appears that over 37% (26 of 70) of the seventy new armies may have been disestablished from 1949 to 1953. In 1949, the 8th and 34th Armies were disbanded,{{NoteTag|The 34th Army was disbanded in November 1950 but all three of its divisions had been reassigned in 1949: the 100th to the 33rd Army in July; the 101st to the 10th Army/Corps in November, and the 102nd in December to a special assignment but then became the 3rd Artillery Division. In November 1950 the military organs and direct troops of the army became the [[13th Public Security Division (People's Republic of China)|13th Public Security Division]] in East China (PLA360).}} in 1950, the [[30th Army (People's Republic of China)|30th]] and [[35th Corps (People's Republic of China)|35th Armies]] were disbanded in January, the 51st Army on September 24, 1950,{{NoteTag|The 211th Division may have become Huanggang Military District, and the 212th another district.}} and the 29th, 32nd, and 33rd in November 1950. The [[45th Army (People's Republic of China)|45th]] and 48th Armies appear to have been broken up in 1951–52; the 48th Army had the 142nd Division become the [[11th Public Security Division (People's Republic of China)|11th Public Security Division]] and the 144th Division transferred to the 21st Army/Corps. The 52nd Army was broken up on September 2, 1951. In 1952, the [[3rd Corps (People's Republic of China)|3rd]], [[4th Corps (People's Republic of China)|4th]], [[9th Corps (People's Republic of China)|9th]], [[10th Corps (People's Republic of China)|10th]], [[17th Corps (People's Republic of China)|17th]], [[18th Corps (People's Republic of China)|18th]], [[19th Corps (People's Republic of China)|19th]], [[25th Corps (People's Republic of China)|25th]] (July 1952), 36th, 37th, 43rd, 44th, and 49th Armies were disbanded. {{NoteTag|Regarding the 25th Corps/Army, the second 75 Division Headquarters Air Force, 73rd division was redeployed to the 23rd Army, the 74th Division redeployed to the 24th Army, the 75th division of the group were redeployed first to the 31 Army and then to the Jiangsu military.}} The 36th and 37th Armies appear to have both been broken up in February 1952, and both may have been reorganised for engineering tasks. The 44th Army was broken up in October 1952 with headquarters elements possibly transferred to the Navy, the [[131st Division (1st Formation)(People's Republic of China)|131st Division]] to the Navy Qingdao Base and the [[132nd Division (People's Republic of China)|132nd Division]] to the 43rd Army. The 49th Army was broken up in January.{{NoteTag|The military adapted for the Air Force 3rd Army, the [[145th Division (People's Republic of China)|145th Division]] (First Formation) into the 21st Corps, the 146th Division transferred to the Guangxi Military Region, and the 147th Division (First Formation) was reorganised as the [[12th Public Security Division (People's Republic of China)|12th Public Security Division]].}} It appears that the 2nd and 6th Corps were disbanded in 1953. The 5th Army/Corps was reorganised into a military region in October 1954.

After the [[Landing Operation on Hainan Island]], the 43rd Army merged with the [[Hainan Military Region]] on July 5, 1952. In September 1968 the 43rd Army was reformed, including the [[127th Division (People's Republic of China)|127th Division]], the [[128th Division (People's Republic of China)|128th Division]], the [[220th Division (People's Republic of China)|220th Division]] (renamed the 129th Division on September 19, 1969), to defend Guangxi Guilin. On October 17, 1969, it moved to Henan Luoyang, changed to Wuhan Military Region leadership (129th Division left Guiyang "support left", in January 1973 to build).{{clarify|reason=Does "support left" mean something like support for the army's left wing? "Build" is usually a [[transitive verb]], so what did they build, or did they build by getting new recruits?|date=July 2018}} Zhang Wannian became corps commander in 1981. In October 1985, the 43rd Army was disbanded again.<ref name=SwainM222>{{Cite book|url=http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a595926.pdf|title=The Military & Political Succession in China: Leadership Institutions Beliefs|last=Swaine|first=Michael D.|publisher=Rand Corporation|year=1992|isbn=0-8330-1296-7|page=222|access-date=June 2, 2022|archive-date=May 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526061829/http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a595926.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The 127th Division transferred to the 54th Army, and the [[128th Armed Mobile Police Division|128th Division]] to the 20th Army. The 129th Division was disbanded.

In March 1967, the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] identified some 35 field corps:<ref>Central Intelligence Agency, [http://www.foia.cia.gov/docs/DOC_0001095910/DOC_0001095910.pdf National Intelligence Estimate No. 13-3-67 Communist China's Military Policy and its General Purpose and Air Defense Forces, 6 April 1967] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128055503/http://www.foia.cia.gov/docs/DOC_0001095910/DOC_0001095910.pdf |date=28 November 2011 }}, p. 28 of 34</ref>
*[[Shenyang Military Region]]: [[16th Army (People's Republic of China)|16th]], [[23rd Army (People's Republic of China)|23rd]], 38th, 39th, [[40th Army (People's Republic of China)|40th]], [[46th Army (People's Republic of China)|46th]], [[50th Army (People's Republic of China)|50th]], [[64th Army (People's Republic of China)|64th]].
*[[Beijing Military Region]]: [[21st Group Army|21st]], [[24th Army (People's Republic of China)|24th]], [[63rd Army (People's Republic of China)|63rd]], [[65th Army (People's Republic of China)|65th]], [[66th Army (People's Republic of China)|66th Army]], 69th.
*[[Jinan Military Region]]: [[26th Army (People's Republic of China)|26th]], [[67th Army (People's Republic of China)|67th]], [[68th Army (People's Republic of China)|68th Army]].
*[[Nanjing Military Region]]: [[12th Group Army|12th]], [[20th Group Army|20th]], [[22nd Army (People's Republic of China)|22nd]], [[27th Army (People's Republic of China)|27th Army]], [[60th Army (People's Republic of China)|60th Army]].
*[[Fuzhou Military Region]]: [[28th Army (People's Republic of China)|28th Army]], [[31st Army (People's Republic of China)|31st Army]].
*[[Guangzhou Military Region]]: [[41st Group Army|41st]], 42nd, [[43rd Corps (People's Republic of China)|43rd]], [[47th Army (People's Republic of China)|47th]], [[55th Army (People's Republic of China)|55th]].
*[[Wuhan Military Region]]: [[1st Group Army|1st]], 10th Airborne (part of the [[PLAAF]]), [[15th Airborne Corps|15th]].
*[[Kunming Military Region]]: [[13th Group Army|13th Army]], [[14th Group Army|14th Army]].
*[[Chengdu Military Region]]: [[54th Group Army|54th Army]].
*Inner Mongolia, Lanzhou, Tibet, and Xinjiang Military Regions had no armies located within them.

=== PLAGF Group Armies (1985–2016)===
{{Blockquote|In the mid-1980s, Deng Xiaoping began to redefine PLA orientation radically, beginning with a reassessment in 1985 of the overall international security environment that lowered the probability of a major or nuclear war. Instead, Deng asserted that China would be confronted with limited, local wars on its periphery. The natural consequence of this sweeping reassessment was an equally comprehensive reorientation of the Chinese military. The number of [[Military Region|military regions]] was reduced from 11 to 7, and the 37 field armies were restructured to bring "tank, artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, engineer, and NBC defense units under a combined arms, corps-level headquarters called the Group Army."<ref>Dennis J. Blasko, "PLA Force Structure: A 20-Year Retrospective," in Seeking Truth from Facts, ed. James C.Mulvenon and Andrew N.D. Yang (Santa Monica, CA: Rand, 2001).</ref> Between 1985 and 1988, the 37 field armies were reduced to 24 group armies, and thousands of units at the regimental level and above were disbanded.|James C. Mulvernon, 'The PLA Army's Struggle for Identity,' in ''The PLA and China in Transition'', INSS/NDU, 2003, 111.}}

Potential disbanded field armies may have included:
*Shenyang Military Region, 68th Corps.<ref>See NPIC, https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/cia-rdp80t01355a000100060001-1</ref> In 1985 the 68th Corps was reorganised as the Chifeng Garrison, in Inner Mongolia but part of the Shenyang MD.<ref name=SwainM221>{{Cite book|url=http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a595926.pdf|title=The Military & Political Succession in China: Leadership Institutions Beliefs|last=Swaine|first=Michael D.|publisher=Rand Corporation|year=1992|isbn=0-8330-1296-7|page=221|access-date=June 2, 2022|archive-date=May 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526061829/http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a595926.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
*Beijing Military Region: [[66th Army (People's Republic of China)|66th Army]] (the Army and the Tianjin Garrison combined), 69 Jun; 
*Lanzhou Military Region: 19 Jun 
*[[Wuhan Military Region]]: [[43rd Army (People's Republic of China)]] – disbanded, see above; 
*[[Nanjing Military Region]]: [[60th Army (People's Republic of China)]] 
*[[Fuzhou Military Region]]: [[29th Corps (People's Republic of China)|29th Army]]; 
*[[Guangzhou Military Region]]: the [[55th Army (People's Republic of China)|55th Army]]; 
*[[Chengdu Military Region]]: [[50th Army (People's Republic of China)|50th Army]];
*[[Kunming Military Region]]: Jun 11. 24 Army

From 1997 to 2000, force reductions resulted in the disbandment of three group armies: the 28th (BMR), 64th (Dalian, Liaoning, SMR), and the 67th Group Army at [[Zibo]], [[Shandong]], in the [[Jinan Military Region]].<ref>Blasko, 2006, 74</ref> In September 2003, a further series of reductions were announced, and from 2003 to 2006 the [[24th Group Army]] at Chengde, Hebei, the 63rd Army at Taiyuan, Shaanxi (both BMR), and the [[23rd Army (People's Republic of China)|23rd Group Army]] at Harbin in the [[Shenyang Military Region]] were eliminated.<ref>Blasko, 2006, 75</ref>

Other PRC Chinese language sources typically describe each army group as having 2 or 3 divisions (mainly infantry but some are armour, motorized or artillery divisions) and further augmented by several [[brigade]] or [[regiment]] sized 'combat arms'/ 'support-arms' formations e.g. artillery, armour, air defence artillery, motorized (infantry), aviation/helicopter regiment etc.

====PLA Group Armies and their headquarters up until 2016====
* [[1st Group Army]] (Zhejiang, Nanjing Military Region)
* [[12th Army (People's Republic of China)|12th Group Army]] (Jiangsu, [[Nanjing Military Region]])
* [[13th Group Army]] (Chongqing, [[Chengdu Military Region]])
* [[14th Army (People's Republic of China)|14th Group Army]] (Kunming, Chengdu Military Region)
* [[16th Army (People's Republic of China)|16th Group Army]] (Jilin, [[Shenyang Military Region]])
* [[20th Group Army]] (Henan, [[Jinan Military Region]])
* [[21st Group Army]] (Shaaxi, [[Lanzhou Military Region]])
* [[26th Army (People's Republic of China)|26th Group Army]] (Weifang, Shandong, Jinan Military Region)
* [[27th Army (People's Republic of China)|27th Group Army]] (Hebei, [[Beijing Military Region]])
* [[31st Army (People's Republic of China)|31st Group Army]] (Fujian, Nanjing Military Region)
* [[38th Army (People's Republic of China)|38th Group Army]] (Baoding, Beijing Military Region)
* [[39th Army (People's Republic of China)|39th Group Army]] (Liaoning, Shenyang Military Region)
* [[40th Group Army]] (Jinzhou, Liaoning, Shenyang Military Region)
* [[41st Army (People's Republic of China)|41st Group Army]] (Guangxi, [[Guangzhou Military Region]])
* [[42nd Army (People's Republic of China)|42nd Group Army]] (Guangdong, Guangzhou Military Region)
* [[47th Group Army]] (Shaanxi, Lanzhou Military Region)
* [[54th Army (People's Republic of China)|54th Group Army]] (Henan, Jinan Military Region)
* [[65th Army (People's Republic of China)|65th Group Army]] (Hebei, Beijing Military Region)

=== PLAGF Group Armies (2016–present) ===
{{Main|2015 People's Republic of China military reform}}
The reform in 2015 was a major restructuring of the [[People's Liberation Army]] (PLA), which flattened the command structure and allowed the [[Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP) to have more control over the military, with the aim of strengthening the combat capability of the PLA.<ref name="2015reform">{{Cite journal |last1=Gill |first1=Bates |last2=Ni |first2=Adam |date=2019 |title=China's Sweeping Military Reforms: Implications for Australia |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/26644516.pdf |journal=Security Challenges |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=33–46 |jstor=26644516 }}</ref>

Legend: 
*[[File:Red pog.svg|8px]] [[Northern Theater Command]], TC headquarters at [[Shenyang]], [[Liaoning]];
**TC Ground Force Headquarters [[Jinan]], [[Shandong]].
*** [[16th Group Army|78th Group Army]] ([[Harbin]], [[Heilongjiang]], formerly 16th Group Army);
*** [[39th Group Army|79th Group Army]] ([[Shenyang]], [[Liaoning]], formerly 39th Group Army);
*** [[26th Group Army|80th Group Army]] ([[Weifang]], [[Shandong]], formerly 26th Group Army).
*[[File:Green pog.svg|8px]] [[Eastern Theater Command]], TC headquarters at [[Nanjing]], [[Jiangsu]];
**TC Ground Force Headquarters [[Fuzhou]], [[Fujian]].
*** [[12th Group Army|71st Group Army]] ([[Xuzhou]], [[Jiangsu]], formerly 12th Group Army);
*** [[1st Group Army|72nd Group Army]] ([[Huzhou]], [[Zhejiang]], formerly 1st Group Army);
*** [[31st Group Army|73rd Group Army]] ([[Xiamen]], [[Fujian]], formerly 31st Group Army).
*[[File:Yellow pog.svg|8px]] [[Western Theater Command]], TC headquarters at [[Chengdu]], [[Sichuan]];
**TC Ground Force Headquarters [[Lanzhou]], [[Gansu]]. 
*** [[21st Group Army|76th Group Army]] ([[Xining]], [[Qinghai]], formerly 21st Group Army);
*** [[13th Group Army|77th Group Army]] ([[Chongqing]], formerly 13th Group Army).
*[[File:Blue pog.svg|8px]] [[Southern Theater Command]], TC headquarters at [[Guangzhou]], [[Guangdong]];
**TC Ground Force Headquarters [[Nanning]], [[Guangxi]]. 
*** [[42nd Group Army|74th Group Army]] ([[Huizhou]], Guangdong, formerly 42nd Group Army);
*** [[41st Group Army|75th Group Army]] ([[Kunming]], [[Yunnan]], formerly 41st Group Army).
*[[File:Black pog.svg|8px]] [[Central Theater Command]], TC headquarters at [[Beijing]].
**TC Ground Force Headquarters [[Shijiazhuang]], [[Hebei]].
*** [[65th Group Army|81st Group Army]] (Shijiazhuang, Hebei, formerly 65th Group Army)
*** [[38th Group Army|82nd Group Army]] ([[Baoding]], [[Hebei]], formerly 38th Group Army);
*** [[54th Group Army|83rd Group Army]] ([[Xinxiang]], [[Henan]], formerly 54th Group Army).

PLA Army groups listed below have been disbanded:
* 14th Group Army
* 20th Group Army
* 27th Group Army
* 40th Group Army
* 47th Group Army

{{Location map+|China|float=center|width=1000|thumb|caption=
|places=
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=30.86 |long=120.10 |label=[[72nd Army (People's Republic of China)|72nd Group Army]] |position=top |mark=Green pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=34.26 |long=117.21 |label=[[71st Army (People's Republic of China)|71st Group Army]] |position=right|mark=Green pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=30.37 |long=103.40 |label=[[77th Army (People's Republic of China)|77th Group Army]] |position=top |mark=Yellow pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=45.75 |long=126.68 |label=[[16th Group Army|78th Group Army]] |position=top |mark=Red pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=36.71 |long=119.09 |label=[[26th Army (People's Republic of China)|80th Group Army]] |position=top |mark=Red pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=24.50 |long=118.01 |label=[[31st Group Army|73rd Group Army]] |position=top |mark=Green pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=38.76 |long=114.88 |label=[[38th Group Army|82nd Group Army]] |position=top |mark=Black pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=41.266|long=123.183|label=[[39th Group Army|79th Group Army]] |position=top |mark=Red pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=23.06 |long=114.24 |label=[[42nd Group Army|74th Group Army]] |position=left |mark=Blue pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=25.00 |long=102.68 |label=[[41st Group Army|75th Group Army]] |position=left |mark=Blue pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=35.3 |long=113.8 |label=[[54th Group Army|83rd Group Army]] |position=left |mark=Black pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=37.76 |long=115.5 |label=[[65th Group Army|81st Group Army]] |position=top |mark=Black pog.svg |label_size=70}}
{{location map~ |China |marksize=8 |lat=36.37 |long=101.46|label=[[21st Group Army|76th Group Army]] |position=top |mark=Yellow pog.svg |label_size=70}}
}}

== Structure ==
[[People's Liberation Army]]'s group armies (combined corps) are divided into Combined Arms Brigades (CA-BDE) and other support elements. Typically, a group army consists of:<ref name="merics_cc">{{cite web |url = https://merics.org/en/report/learning-russia-how-china-used-russian-models-and-experiences-modernize-pla |title=Learning from Russia: How China used Russian models and experiences to modernize the PLA |website=Mercator Institute for China Studies |date=23 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.benning.army.mil/Infantry/Magazine/issues/2020/Fall/pdf/5_Arostegui-HIMOB.pdf |title=An Introduction to China's High-Mobility Combined Arms Battalion Concept |first=Joshua |last=Arostegui |website=U.S. Army |year=2020 |access-date=April 7, 2021 |archive-date=April 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415051934/https://www.benning.army.mil/Infantry/Magazine/issues/2020/Fall/pdf/5_Arostegui-HIMOB.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="fas">{{cite web |date=9 August 2021|title=Chinese Tactics|url=https://irp.fas.org/doddir/army/atp7-100-3.pdf|website=Federation of American Scientists}}</ref>
* Group army headquarters
* Fire support/artillery brigade
* Air defense brigade
* Army aviation brigade 
* Special operation brigade
* Combat support and engineering brigade
* Service support and sustainment brigade
* Six maneuver combined arms brigades (CA-BDEs), including a mix of:
** Medium combined arms brigade
** Light combined arms brigade
** Amphibious combined arms brigade
** Mountain combined arms brigade
** Air assault Brigade
** Heavy combined arms brigade, and each CA-BDE typically includes:
*** Brigade headquarters
*** Fire support/artillery battalion 
*** Air-defense battalion
*** Reconnaissance battalion
*** Combat support and engineering battalion
*** Service support and sustainment battalion
*** Four combined arms battalions (CAB), and each CAB includes:
**** Battalion headquarters
**** Two tank companies
**** Two mechanized infantry companies
**** Fire support/artillery company
**** Combat/service/sustainment support company

== Notes ==
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |first = Dennis J. |last = Blasko |title = The Chinese Army Today: Tradition and Transformation for the 21st Century |location = London; New York|publisher=Routledge |year = 2006 |isbn = 0-415-77003-3 }} xvii, 228 pp. Paperback; Hardcover  {{ISBN|0-415-77002-5}}.
{{refend}}

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{{Structure of People's Liberation Army Ground Force since 2017}}
{{Corps and Armies of the People's Liberation Army}}

[[Category:Army units and formations of China]]
[[Category:Units and formations of the National Revolutionary Army]]
[[Category:People's Liberation Army Ground Force]]