Central Revolutionary Military Commission Order No. 9[1]

(April 17, 1931)

The Central Revolutionary Military Commission has decided to establish an editorial committee under its General Staff Department, designating Ye Jianying, Zhu Yunqing, Guo Huayu[2], Zuo Quan, Yang Lisan, Fan Shude, Lin Biao, Lin Ye, Huang Gonglüe, Chen Qihan, Geng Kai, Deng Ping, and Zeng Shi’e — thirteen persons in all — as members of the editorial committee. Ye Jianying is appointed editor-in-chief, Zhu Yunqing director of the War History Department, Zuo Quan director of the Translation and Compilation Department, Guo Huaruo director of the Magazine Department, and (temporarily vacant) director of the Military Geography Department. The work contents are as follows: First, to collect historical materials on the struggles of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army in wars over the past several years, and to properly organize them so as to form the embryonic shape of the Red Army’s war history for future compilation. Second, to gather the experiences and original insights of Red Army soldiers in battle, and to introduce writings by international, especially Soviet, military writers, in order to enhance the skills of Red Army military commanders. Third, to publish an irregular magazine, enabling the entire life of the Red Army to express its faithful views in writing and to raise the level of Marxist-Leninist military theory, along with various introductions, thereby providing powerful assistance for the creation of an iron Red Army. Fourth, to conduct detailed surveys of the geography, economy, and conditions of the inhabitants, as well as all military-related materials, of the various regions where the Red Army has rotated in operations over successive years. These tasks should be regular and planned work of all levels of the Red Army organs, and there should be a specialized responsible body — the editorial committee. It is especially necessary that the entire Red Army unanimously participate in this work, supply materials to the fullest extent, so as to enrich the compilation

[1] This is Order No. 9 of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission issued jointly by Mao Zedong, Xiang Ying, and Zhu De.

[2] Guo Huayu, i.e., Guo Huaruo.