To the Northeastern People's Revolutionary
Army and Volunteer Army
(January 22, 1934)
To the dear comrades of the Northeastern People's Revolutionary Army and the
Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army:
The Second National Soviet Congress of the Chinese Soviet Republic, which is
opening in Ruijin this month, expresses warm revolutionary salutations to you,
the valiant fighters resisting Japan! The Congress expresses boundless sympathy
to you for persistently waging a national revolutionary war against Japan. Since
Japanese imperialism occupied Manchuria, the Provisional Central Government
of the Chinese Soviet Republic has already issued a proclamation declaring war
on Japan and a mobilization order for military operations against Japan. Moreover, in a proclamation dated January [ ],1 1933,the soviets and the Red Army
declared their willingness to enter into an operational agreement with any armed
force to resist Japan and the Guomindang government on three conditions: a halt
to attacks on the soviet areas and the Red Army, granting democratic rights to
the people, and arming the popular masses to fight a national revolutionary war.
The Guomindang government, however, in the face of the Japanese imperialist
occupation of Manchuria and North China and the attacks on China from all the
other imperialist powers, has adopted a consistent and thoroughgoing policy of
nonresistance. Capitulating to imperialism, it has been suppressing the anti-imperialist movement of the popular masses, slaughtering or arresting the popular
masses who oppose imperialism, and disarming members of the anti-Japanese
Volunteer Army. It has mustered up the armies and resources of all China for its
Fifth "Encirclement and Suppression" against the soviet areas and the Red
Army, in order to prevent the soviets and the Red Army from joining with you in
a common fight against Japan and all the other imperialist powers, thus willingly
paving the way for the complete carving up of China by imperialism. The Congress maintains that, to win independence and freedom for the Chinese nation
This text was first published in Hongse Zhonghua, Special Issue no. 6, February 1, 1934,
on the Second National Soviet Congress. We have translated it from Mao Zedong ji.
Bujuan, Vol. 4, pp. 201-4, where it is reproduced from this source.
I. For some reason, a blank space is left here for the day of the month in the text as
published in Hongse zhonghua and reproduced in Mao Zedong ji. The proclamation in
question is translated above, and the correct date is January 17, 1933.

and complete victory in the national revolutionary war, it is necessary to overthrow the rule of the Guomindang government, which is selling out the national
interests and humiliating the Chinese people. On behalf of the tens of millions of
revolutionary masses and the Red Army in the soviet areas as well as the White
areas, the Congress welcomes the delegates the People's Revolutionary Army
has sent to the Congress and hails the conclusion of the agreement for joint
military operations with the Central Soviet Government and the Red Army. The
Congress also proposes to all the anti-Japanese volunteers to conclude, on the
three conditions specified in the proclamation of the Central Soviet Government
issued on January [ ], 1933, an operational agreement against Japan and the
Guomindang. The Congress hopes that you will persist in the national revolutionary war against Japan, arm the popular masses even more widely, purge and
expel the irresolute leaders who capitulate to imperialism, confiscate the property of all the traitors who are selling out the country and use it for military
purposes, and confiscate the land and property of the landlord class and distribute them among the workers and peasants, thus combining the national revolutionary war with the agrarian revolution. The Congress is convinced that the
ment and Suppression" of imperialism and the Guomindang, extend itself to the
key cities, and achieve a higher level of cooperation with your actions, so that
Japanese and all other imperialists will be completely driven out of China and a
new free and independent Soviet China will be established. Long live the national liberation of China! Long live the new Soviet China!
Second National Soviet
Congress Chairman
Mao Zedong