Charter of the Red Army Soldiers’ Congress, September 13, 1930 Chapter One: Purpose Article 1: To raise the political awareness of soldiers, strengthen class consciousness, clarify revolutionary goals, and enhance fighting power.
Article 2: To unite soldiers in their revolutionary spirit, join forces with the revolutionary movements of workers and peasants, and accomplish the political tasks of the revolution—overthrow imperialism, overthrow the landlord class, topple the Nationalist government, and establish a worker-peasant-soldier government.
Article 3: To represent the interests of soldiers, improve their living conditions (including provisions, sanitation, treatment, and recreational activities), and boost their revolutionary morale.
Article 4: To assist military and political organs, maintain revolutionary discipline, expand the political influence of the Red Army, and win over the broad masses.


Chapter Two: Powers Article 5: The Soldiers’ Congress shall carry out its work under the guidance of the Political Department and the Political Commissar.
Article 6: Regarding all military and political matters, the Soldiers’ Congress may submit opinions to the military and political authorities.


Charter of the Red Army Soldiers’ Congress, Article 145
Article 7: When deemed inappropriate, the Soldiers’ Congress has the right to lodge protests or appeals with higher authorities concerning the management of the army.
Article 8: The Soldiers’ Congress possesses the authority to audit the army’s finances and supervise its supply system—for example, reviewing income and expenditures, settling accounts for rations, and so forth.
Article 9: As for disciplinary measures against members, the Congress may only directly impose warnings or expel individuals from membership; decisions involving confinement, fines, or execution must be recommended to the competent officer for handling.
Article 10: The Soldiers’ Congress has the right to elect representatives to participate in Soviet organizations.
Article 11: The Soldiers’ Congress is a mass organization of soldiers; therefore, its structure should be based on mass principles.
The Red Army Political Department serves as the army’s political organ, with Political Departments established at divisional and corps levels and above.
Consequently, no Soldiers’ Congress committees exist at these higher echelons, whereas regiments and lower units may organize such bodies.
Directly subordinate units are also permitted to form Soldiers’ Congresses.
Regimental Soldiers’ Congresses fall under the jurisdiction of their respective divisional Political Departments, while those of directly subordinate units report directly to their corresponding Political Departments.
Article 12: Officers, non-commissioned officers, and ordinary soldiers of the Red Army are all eligible to become members of the Soldiers’ Congress.
Article 13: Members of the Executive Committee, regardless of rank, enjoy both the right to vote and to stand for election; however, the number of officers elected to the committee shall not exceed one-third of its total membership.
Article 14: Methods for forming executive committees at various levels: For company-level Soldiers’ Congresses, seven to nine members are elected by the company’s general assembly to constitute the executive committee, from which three are further selected to serve on the Standing Committee of the General Assembly.
Article 16: Below the company level, smaller groups are formed based on platoons or squads, each with a group leader and a deputy leader appointed by the executive committee.
In military and political organs, groupings may consist of ten or eleven members depending on local circumstances.
Article 17: Company-level Soldiers’ Congresses may appoint one organizational commissioner, one propaganda commissioner, one entertainment commissioner, one hygiene commissioner, and three economic commissioners.
The four aforementioned positions—organization, propaganda, entertainment, and hygiene—are filled by members of the Soldiers’ Congress, while the head of the economic commission is also chosen from among the Congress members.
The remaining one position can either be designated by the executive committee or elected by the general assembly.
Article 18: Regimental, battalion-level, and directly subordinate unit Soldiers’ Congresses may establish departments for organization, propaganda, recreation, and sanitation.
The heads of these departments are all selected from among the regimental or battalion-level Soldiers’ Congress members, with one to three additional members appointed by the executive committee to staff each department.
Article 19: Regimental, battalion-level, and directly subordinate unit Soldiers’ Congresses may appoint a secretary who can concurrently hold another position or hire a separate individual.

Article 2: Term of Office The executive committee of a company-level Soldiers’ Congress is re-elected every two months; whereas that of regimental and directly subordinate unit Soldiers’ Congresses is re-elected every three months, with the possibility of consecutive terms.
Article 21: Meeting Schedules The general assembly of a company-level Soldiers’ Congress convenes every two weeks, the executive committee meets weekly, and the Standing Committee holds sessions once every five days. (All meetings may be called at any time in case of special circumstances, while group meetings occur every seven days.)
The regimental and directly subordinate unit Soldiers’ Congresses hold a general meeting once a month, the executive committee meets every ten days, and the Standing Committee convenes every five days; special sessions can be called as needed.

Article 22: Discipline Each member must adhere to the Red Army’s three fundamental rules: 1) Do not take even a single item from workers, peasants, or small merchants; 2) Confiscated property from landlords must be turned over to public use; 3) Follow all commands without question.
Additionally, observe the Eight Points of Attention: 1) Raise door panels when entering homes; 2) Tie up straw bundles; 3) Speak kindly and conduct fair trade; 4) Return borrowed items; 5) Compensate for damaged property and always treat public property with care; 6) Do not defecate indiscriminately; 7) Do not search enemy soldiers’ pockets.
Violation of any of these rules will result in reporting to the responsible officer for appropriate punishment.
Furthermore, all members must comply with any decisions passed by a majority vote.
Failure to convene meetings on time, tardiness, or non-compliance with Congress resolutions may result in warnings or expulsion from membership, at the discretion of the relevant committee.
Moreover, members who fail to pay dues for three consecutive months without justifiable reason will be expelled.
Article 23: Under the guidance of the Political Department and the Political Commissar, efforts should be made to advance the land revolution, build political power, distribute land, and arm the workers and peasants.

Article 114: Intensify revolutionary propaganda to broaden the Red Army’s political influence, such as organizing mass rallies, holding welcome ceremonies for new recruits and captured enemy soldiers, and seeing off soldiers granted leave.
Use the name of the Soldiers’ Congress to disseminate manifestos and dispatch representatives to attend mass meetings.

Article 115: Maintain close ties with local mass organizations at all times, and strive to establish such organizations in areas where none currently exist.

Article 116: Enhance the cultural literacy of soldiers through literacy campaigns, youth schools, publication of soldier newsletters, discussions on political issues, and speech training.

Article 27: Conduct surveys of socio-economic conditions.

Article 118: Provide proper recreational opportunities for soldiers, including organizing clubs, social gatherings, races, singing, games, dancing, costume performances, speeches, and martial arts or football matches.

Article 119: Supervise food supplies and settle accounts for meals.

Article 30: Handle sanitary matters, paying attention to cleanliness of drinking water, food, clothing, and sleeping quarters, maintaining personal hygiene, designating fixed latrine locations for troops, ensuring they wear warm clothes and blankets at night, and washing their feet regularly.

Article 31: Show care and support for wounded and sick soldiers by sending personnel to assist them, fetching water for washing their faces, preparing tea for them to drink, cleaning their living quarters, launching fundraising drives to collect clothing and funds, and providing assistance tailored to their specific needs.
Propose measures to offer preferential treatment to wounded and sick soldiers and recommend that military and political authorities implement them.

Article 31: Investigate and register fallen comrades, and make arrangements to comfort their families.

Article 33: The monthly budget for company-level Soldiers’ Congresses is set at five yuan, while that for battalions and directly subordinate units is ten yuan, both disbursed by the Political Department.
If a member violates gambling regulations, the Soldiers’ Congress may confiscate the gambler’s belongings, retaining eighty percent for the company or the Soldiers’ Congress itself and returning ten percent to the battalion or regimental Soldiers’ Congress.
Each member is required to contribute one copper coin per month as dues.

Article 34: Should dissatisfaction arise with the Soldiers’ Congress charter, more than one-third of the members may propose amendments, allowing the Congress to submit its views to the Political Department for revision, subject to approval by the General Political Department.

Article 35: This charter shall come into effect upon its promulgation. Issued by the General Political Department of the Red Army’s First Front.