Actively Prepare for the Second, Even Greater Victory in the Great War*

(1931)

I. A New Warlord Melee Is About to Erupt

1. The war between Chiang, Yan, and Feng has just ended, and Zhang Xueliang immediately went to Nanjing to assess the situation. After returning to Tianjin, he reorganized the remnants of Yan Xishan’s forces into five armies and also reorganized several divisions of Feng Yuxiang’s troops. He then forcefully demanded 560,000 [yuan] from the National Government in Nanjing to distribute among this large body of troops. This clearly indicates his intention to use these troops in partnership with him to fight Chiang Kai-shek. Zhang Xueliang also bought over Shi Yousan and Sun Jianzhong, and sought to use Sun to collude with Han Fuju and Ma Hongkui, aiming to forge a grand anti-Chiang coalition throughout Shandong. Chiang Kai-shek, naturally not to be outdone, is also employing both soft and hard tactics to win over, buy off, and intimidate Sun Lianzhong, Han Fuju, and others, while also sowing discord within the Jin Army and Feng’s subordinate Sun Liangchen’s forces. He has also liquidated some motley troops in Shandong and Henan, fearing these unreliable forces might be enticed away by Zhang Xueliang in the future. Chiang Kai-shek’s own trusted troops are all deployed in northern Jiangsu, Anhui, as well as Henan, Shaanxi, and other places. Thus, both Chiang Kai-shek and Zhang Xueliang are now rubbing their hands and eagerly preparing for another warlord war with even greater slaughter.

2. Because the Chiang-Zhang war is bound to break out, Chiang Kai-shek wants to borrow a large sum from the United States and Canada for war expenses. However, imperialists like Britain and France, out of jealousy, have intervened, saying that if loans are to be made, they should be made jointly by all, and no single country should lend money to China alone. From this, it can be seen that the conflicts among the imperialists in China are intensifying, and inevitably, the melee among their running dogs, the various warlords, will correspondingly become more intense.

3. As Chiang Kai-shek prepares for a major war with Zhang Xueliang, he fears that our revolutionary movement might develop in his rear, which would be disastrous for him. The development of the revolutionary movement signals the arrival of the death knell for the reactionary ruling class. Therefore, he has redeployed troops to attack the Soviet areas and the Red Army in various places. He hopes to intimidate and somewhat reduce our revolutionary strength so that he can boast before his bosses—the imperialists, the gentry, landlords, and the bourgeoisie—that he, Chiang Kai-shek, can suppress the revolutionary forces, thereby consolidating his counter-revolutionary leadership position, and also feel secure enough to wage a major war against Zhang Xueliang. Unexpectedly, Zhang Huizan’s entire division was captured by us, and half of Tan Daoyuan’s division was wiped out. Chiang Kai-shek’s first-step plan has completely failed. He then reluctantly redeployed two brigades of Han Deqin’s from Shandong and one division of Guo Huazong’s from Hubei. Because Lu Diping proved utterly useless, He Yingqin was dispatched to Jiangxi to take command. He also shortened the deadline for his so-called "bandit suppression" campaign, originally set for the end of April, by over a month. All this shows that Chiang Kai-shek wants to intimidate us quickly so he can transfer his troops back to deal with Zhang Xueliang. But now, the Chiang-Zhang war is intensifying day by day, while the troops engaged in the so-called "bandit suppression" are all afraid of becoming a second Zhang Huizan and dare not advance. We, on the other hand, sit here as steady as Mount Tai, seizing opportunities to eliminate them one by one (what is called waiting at ease for the exhausted enemy). Moreover, with the help of the armed masses, our intelligence is very good, and we are familiar with the terrain—advantages the enemy possesses none of. With such favorable conditions for battle, we are naturally confident of winning every battle we fight.

II. The Development of the Red Army Across the Nation

1. This time, Chiang Kai-shek has made considerable resolve to pit himself against the revolutionary forces nationwide. He has dispatched troops not only to southwestern Jiangxi but also to northeastern Hubei, southern Hubei, eastern Hunan, western Hunan, northeastern Jiangxi, and western Fujian. But what have been the results of these attacks? Let us look at the news from the reactionary newspapers (of course, this news is all watered down). In northeastern Hubei, after Guo Rudong’s two brigades, sent by Chiang Kai-shek to attack the Red Army, staged an uprising and joined the Red Army, the First Army of the Red Army has become even more active on the borders of Anhui, Hubei, and Henan. In western Hunan, the Second and Sixth Armies of the Red Army have defeated Xu Yuanquan’s and He Jian’s troops many times, and the revolutionary forces have expanded from Gong’an and Qianjiang to Shihua. In southern Hubei and eastern Hunan, a part of the Sixteenth Army of the Red Army captured Gao’an, 120 li from Nanchang (January 24). In northeastern Jiangxi, the Tenth Army of the Red Army, after capturing Shangrao (January 7), besieged Yujiang. The Seventh Army of the Red Army reached Jianghua in southern Hunan and Lianshan County in northern Guangdong. In western Fujian, the Red Army recaptured Yongding (January 1) and also attacked Pinghe. The Independent Division on the Western Route captured Suichuan. It would have been better for the Kuomintang not to send troops to attack the Red Army; sending troops to attack the Red Army simply helps the Red Army develop, because they deliver so many rifles and bullets to the Red Army.

2. We have captured Zhang Huizan alive, and the Red Army in various places is continuously developing. Consequently, the reactionary ruling class is even more terrified and trembling, while China’s worker and peasant masses are even more exhilarated and striving harder. Even the proletariat and the revolutionary masses in the colonies worldwide are clapping and cheering, celebrating the new development of the Chinese revolution. Thus, the panic of the reactionary ruling class increases day by day, while our revolutionary development increases day by day. Our morale is to subdue the enemy; therefore, we are even more confident of winning battles.

III. The Futian Incident Has Been Resolved, Our Strength Is More United and Consolidated

1. When we fought the first major battle, the Futian Incident was still recent. Many comrades, exploited by the AB Corps and the Liquidationists, still could not understand the past clearly. Now it is different. The many negative phenomena that occurred after the Futian Incident are now gradually disappearing. The Yongyang Provincial Action Committee has already been abolished, and the masses who were deceived in the past have all awakened. In this way, we can use our full strength to deal with the attacking enemy, and naturally, our strength has become even greater.

2. When we fought the first major battle, although we had struck down a large part of the internal AB Corps, many were still lying low within our ranks, acting as spies for the White Army, spreading rumors, sabotaging, and dispersing revolutionary strength. Now we have ferreted out some more of the AB Corps remnants that were not finished off last time. Those deceived AB Corps elements have come to understand and have surrendered themselves. In this way, the internal bad elements, the counter-revolutionary AB Corps, can be said to have been completely purged. Thus, our revolutionary strength is more consolidated. Therefore, compared to the time of the first great victory, our strength is now more united and consolidated. Hence, our power to kill the enemy is also greater, and we are more confident of achieving the second great victory.

IV. Our Armaments Have Increased

We wiped out Zhang Huizan and defeated Tan Daoyuan, capturing 8,000 rifles. Machine guns, mortars, and submachine guns together number over a thousand, along with over a million rounds of ammunition. With so many weapons delivered to us by the enemy, we can now surround several more regiments of enemy troops.

V. Local Armed Forces Have Increased

1. Because after our first great victory, we distributed three to four thousand rifles to the local masses. Having obtained so many guns, their strength has become more formidable. Every day they harass the enemy and fight the Pacification Bandits, capturing more guns in the process. Moreover, having fought more, their courage has grown, their experience has increased, and their military skills have improved. Thus, the strength of their assistance to the Red Army has also become greater.

2. With the increase in local armed forces, we can eliminate more Pacification Bandits and carry out more harassment operations against the enemy. To maintain their lines of communication, the enemy will inevitably have to deploy troops step-by-step along the routes, establishing posts as they go. This further disperses the enemy’s forces and increases their anxieties. Consequently, it becomes easier for us to eliminate the enemy. So, although the enemy may wish to increase troop strength on each route, the actual number reaching the front lines cannot be increased by much, because they must retain many troops to secure rear communications. In this way, we gain many advantages. Naturally, this is also a condition that gives us confidence in winning battles.

VI. The Enemy’s Panic Has Increased

1. Upon entering the Red areas, the enemy cannot find guides or buy food. Coupled with the harassment by local armed forces everywhere, they are already panic-stricken beyond measure. Hearing that Zhang Huizan’s entire division was wiped out and that Tan Daoyuan, though he ran fast, also suffered a disastrous defeat, their panic has become even more severe.

2. When the White Army soldiers come to suppress the Red areas, they see our slogans and leaflets telling them to strike the local tyrants and divide the land, informing them that the Red Army is the army of the workers and peasants, based on equality and freedom. At the same time, they witness the White Army burning, killing, and looting in the Red villages. Thus, they gradually come to understand the revolution and recognize the Red Army. When Jiang Guangnai’s and Cai Tingkai’s divisions arrived in Xingguo, twenty-three soldiers defected to the Red Army with their guns. This shows that many White Army soldiers are unwilling to fight the Red Army. Furthermore, after the captured soldiers from Zhang Huizan’s division returned, they widely publicized how well we treated them, how we did not search their pockets, and even gave each person three silver dollars. As a result, the morale of the White Army is even more shaken; they lack the courage to fight the Red Army, and some even think of delivering their guns to the Red Army to collect the three dollars. This shows that our strength is greater and more consolidated, our courage in battle is rising day by day, while the enemy’s panic increases day by day, and their morale disintegrates day by day. This is also a condition that gives us confidence in winning battles.

VII. The Enthusiasm of the Masses Has Further Increased, and We Have Geographical Advantages

1. When the White Army first came to attack, although the masses actively helped the Red Army and carried out much harassment work against the enemy, their strength was not yet fully displayed because local armed forces were not numerous, experience in various aspects was limited, and there were still many AB Corps elements and rich peasants inside making trouble. Since the victory in the first great battle, their courage has greatly increased, their armaments have grown, and their experience in all aspects has multiplied. Therefore, their work in fighting the Pacification Bandits and harassing the enemy has become more active, braver, and their tactics more ingenious. Now, the masses everywhere are actively fighting the Pacification Bandits and harassing the enemy day and night, keeping the enemy in constant fear, forcing them to build fortifications everywhere, and never daring to relax their guard for a moment. This naturally exhausts the enemy troops greatly, which inevitably affects their fighting spirit.

2. The fighting spirit of our Red masses in defending the Soviets is inherently very brave. Moreover, the brutal acts of the White bandits this time—looting grain, burning houses, killing everyone on sight—have made the masses even more indignant and braver, wishing they could wipe out all the enemy at once. We have the broad masses; the enemy does not. Our masses are becoming more active and braver day by day, while the enemy soldiers are wavering day by day. The deeper they enter the Red areas, the more difficulties and panic they face. All this makes it inevitable that the enemy will suffer defeat.

3. Within the Red areas, we know all the familiar paths, and we have the masses to deliver intelligence and guide the way. We know every move the enemy makes, making it easy for us to encircle them. The enemy is unfamiliar with the terrain, has no one to guide them, and cannot infiltrate their spies. Therefore, they do not know where our main force is and can only blunder blindly into the Red areas. We can wait for them in very strategic and dangerous places and catch them off guard, then surround and disarm them. Capturing Zhang Huizan alive was achieved using this method. In the future, we will use this method again to capture two more division commanders alive.

What is called geographical advantage and popular support are already conditions for winning battles. Moreover, we have many other conveniences and advantages. How could there be any reason for us not to win?

VIII. Our Economic Resources Are More Abundant

1. We had long anticipated that this would be a protracted war, so we had already moved local grain, oil, salt, and other supplies to secret hiding places. Thus, when the enemy enters, they have no food to eat, while we can freely use our supplies and lack nothing. The Red Army itself had already prepared several months’ worth of funds. The brave officers and soldiers of the Red Army have also voluntarily donated their personal money to the public fund and willingly reduced their food allowances. Furthermore, within the regiments and □□, several months’ worth of monthly expenses have been prepared. Therefore, waging a protracted war against the enemy poses no problem. The enemy, however, cannot manage this. When they enter the Red areas, they can find nothing to eat or use. They must transport everything from their distant rear areas. Transporting supplies from the rear is extremely difficult; the mountain paths are hard to traverse. If they send too small an escort, we can intercept them. If they send a large escort, they do not have that many troops. Thus, when Jiang Guangnai’s and Cai Tingkai’s troops arrived in Xingguo, they could only eat one meal of rice and one meal of gruel per day. If they advance further into the Red areas, they will surely have no food at all. This point also makes it inevitable that the enemy will suffer defeat and we will win.

However, although we have so many conditions for winning battles, we must absolutely not become complacent or underestimate the enemy. We must intensify our preparations even more, use our greatest strength to wipe out more enemies, capture a few more division commanders alive—we must capture Jiang Guangnai, Cai Tingkai, Xu Kexiang, Mao Bingwen, Luo Lin, and Gong Bingfan alive. We must completely smash the enemy’s offensive attempts. We must go on the offensive against the enemy, pursue the enemy, drive the enemy to Nanchang, to Jiujiang, so as to consolidate and expand the Soviets, unfold a new revolutionary situation, launch an even larger-scale revolutionary war, eliminate the warlord melees, and strive for the victory of the Soviet revolution in one province, several provinces, or even the entire nation.

General Political Department of the Central Revolutionary Military Council of the Chinese Soviet Republic

In October 1932, at the Ningdu Conference of the CCP Soviet Area Central Bureau, Mao Zedong was again subjected to erroneous criticism by the "Left" adventurist leadership. After the conference, he left his leadership post in the Red Army to focus solely on government work. Nevertheless, keeping the overall situation in mind, he mobilized the people of the Soviet area to support the revolutionary war. The picture shows Mao Zedong’s former residence in Ningdu—the Hu Family Ancestral Hall.