The Central Government's Telegram to the
Hunan-Jiangxi Provincial Congress of
Workers', Peasants', and Soldiers' Deputies
(June 9, 1932)
To the Hunan~Jiangxi Provincial Congress of Workers', Peasants', and Soldiers'
Deputies, in care of the Hunan-Jiangxi Provincial Soviet. L
Dear Comrade Delegates:
Because of the difficulties of travel and transportation, the Central Soviet is
unable to send representatives to attend your congress and can only give the
congress this simple directive via wireless.
I. At the moment, the imperialists are madly conducting a war against the
Soviet Union and carving up China; the Chinese revolution is advancing, especially with the several unprecedented victories by the Soviet Red Army.2 The
imperialists have escalated from covert intervention to overt and direct violent
suppression of the Chinese Revolution.
2. The rule of the Guomindang is collapsing; it continues to betray China and
serve as the imperialists' scavenger in the attempt to resuscitate their expiring life. It
is furiously launching new attacks against the soviet areas and the Red Army all over
the country. The present period is one in which revolution and counterrevolution are
waging a life-and-death struggle; it is a period in which the civil war has advanced to
the stage of total war with the armed forces of the imperialists.
3. At the moment, the balance of strength between classes in the country has
changed--much to the benefit of the development of the soviet revolution. At

JUNE 19.12
22.1
present, the soviet is adopting a policy of aggressive offensives, using attacks by
revolutionary forces to annihilate the attacks by the imperialists and the
Quomindang; it is mobilizing and arming the masses to the maximum degree; it
is carrying out fully the Central Government's mobilization order for war against
Japan and struggling to win victory first in Jiangxi and its neighboring provinces.
4. Your congress is to carry out all the tasks required by this mission, to
define more specific action plans, to mobilize and prepare the masses and Red
fighting soldiers to struggle against imperialism and for the overthrow of the rule
of the Guomindang, and to plan even more specifically for the sovietization of
the western banks of the Gan River and, in cooperation with the Red Army and
Jiangxi Province, for concrete action to seize Ganzhou. Ji'an, and Nanchang.
5. The congress should come to a very specific decision about tying; to
expand the Red Army and implementing the policies of special treatment for the
Red Army. The congress should make a full decision on how to lead the
strengthening and development of guerrilla warfare, the expansion of the soviet
areas, and the strengthening of all efforts and struggles in the White areas.
6. Strengthen the masses' initiatives for struggle. You must carry out thoroughly
the political program of the soviet. Fully enforce the labor laws and conduct land
investigation to check on whether or not the land laws have been fully applied. Carry
out land construction and raise production in a planned manner.
7. Strengthen the congresses of deputies in cities and townships to create a
real democratic system and attract the majority of masses to take part in the
government and in carrying out its tasks.
8. As regards the problem of purging counterrevolutionaries, while correctly
executing Directive No. 6,l the further mistake of abandoning the purge must be
avoided at the same time. However, worker and peasant elements who were
enticed or deceived into joining various organizations (such as opium-smoking
groups, romance societies, etc.), as opposed to joining knowingly, must not be
handled in the same manner as those elements who joined the AB Corps voluntarily or with prior knowledge. A distinction should be made. They should not be
prosecuted as having officially joined counterrevolutionary organizations. Only
in this way can the masses who were deceived into joining subversive organizations unknowingly be won over, and the counterrevolutionaries prevented from
conspiring to blackmail them into joining their conspiracies.
9. The past error of encouraging the masses to go to the White areas to loot
and take rice must be strictly corrected. This damages the credibility of the
soviet and increases the hostility of the masses in the White areas, causing them to be
put to use by the counterrevolutionaries. Local workers and peasants in the White
areas should be encouraged to seize the rice owned by landlords residing in the
White areas, so that part of it may be used to help the Red Army and part of it may
-~~referred

MAD'S ROAD TO POWfR
be used to assist the masses in the ravaged soviet areas where there is a rice
shortage. But propaganda must still be conducted among the masses in the White
""'·
10. In the past, in opposing the rich peasants, the provincial soviets made a
distinction between the situation before and after the revolution.4 This is extremely
wrong, and the congress must reject any such theory. In the past, the masses did not
enthusiastically engage in production mainly because of the abuses in levying fines
without distinguishing among classes and in collecting donations. This was not
caused by the struggle to oppose exploitation by rich peasants.
11. Correctly carry out economic policies to open up financial resources.
Establish the economic foundation for developing the revolutionary war. On the
one hand, develop the economy, rectify tax collection, and organize guerrilla
forces. [On the other,] when raising money in the White areas, at the same time
raise the [slogan] of "economize in all expenditures to fund the revolutionary
war” to punish severely corruption and waste. Achieve a true unification of
finances to solve the problem of raising money for the regular Red Army and
enable it to devote itself fully to the revolutionary war.
12. In order to carry out these tasks thoroughly, a system of work inspection
must be put into effect to root out bureaucratism, embezzlement, corruption, and
passive work stoppage. It was wrong for the Provincial Soviet not to establish a
Workers' and Peasants' Inspection Department in the past. Governments at all
levels must establish such departments according to the rules issued by the
Provincial Soviet Congress. Veteran members of the Communist Party with the
most experience in struggle and the most enthusiasm for work should be selected
to staff them. Moreover, call on the majority of workers, peasants, and mass
organizations to participate in this effort.
13. The congress must thoroughly examine the previous work of the Provincial Soviet and governments at all levels, and ruthlessly expose all the mistakes
in their work. Only by so doing can you correctly implement all the resolutions
and orders of the soviet congress and the Central Government and fulfill the
tasks the congress should set. In conclusion, we wish your congress success.
Chairman of the Provisional
Central Government
of the Chinese Soviets
Vice-Chairmen
Mao [Zedong]
Xiang(Ying)
Zhang [Guotao]

---

Notes

This telegram was first published in HOllg#ZIItmghllo, no. 22, June 9, 1932. The text is
reproduced in Mao Zedongji, Vol. 3, pp. 123-25, and we have translated it from that
source.

--- Notes

I. The Hunan-Jianpi Revolutionary Base Area was located in the Jingganphan region on the border between the two provinces; Yongxin :rian constituted the core of the
base. The First Congress of the Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet took place in Lianhua :rian on
October 17-25, 1931; a second congress took place in Yongxin xlan on August 1-7,
1932. Given the date on the present document, it appears directed toward the soon-to-beheld second congress, rather than being a retrospective commentary on the first.

2. "Soviet Red Army" here refers to the Red Army in the Central Soviet Area, not to
the army or the Soviet Union.
10 appears to be"Directive No. 6ofthe Central Executive
Committee of the Chinese Soviet Republic," dated December 11, 1931, translated above.

4. That is, before and after the initial rural uprisings that led to soviet power being
established. in an area.