Order That the Troops Must March
with Light Packs
(September 5, 1932)
It appears that the most valuable thing for an army in combat is swiftness. In
order to achieve this objective, it must march with light packs, and the weight of
the packs carried by every fighter must be reduced as much as possible. Therefore, it is hereby stipulated that the number of bullets each fighter carries may
not exceed 150 rounds at most. The surplus ammunition should all be gathered
together by the management department of each army group and stored together
in an appropriate place. Suitable people should also be assigned to look after it
and to be prepared to replenish supplies. As for the personal belongings every
person carries with him, we must also adhere to the rules previously laid down.
Commanders at every level should conscientiously take responsibility for checking on this. The surplus and whatever is not required must all be sent to the rear.
We must ensure that our operations are swift and conserve our fighting capacity,
so as to be prepared to deal with the continuous cruel struggle.
ZhuDe
Mao Zedong
Our source for this document is Mao Zedong junshi wenji. Vol. I, p. 283, where it is
reproduced from the original in the Central Archives.