In order to select favorable conditions and secure greater prospects for development, it has been decided that our Field Army will move into western Sichuan. We plan to cross the river above Luzhou; if there are no obstacles, we should be able to reach the north bank and advance north by around mid-November. It is anticipated that there will be numerous fierce engagements along the way. The successful implementation of this strategic policy is closely linked to your actions. To enable the Fourth Front Army and the Field Army to coordinate their operations closely before Chiang Kai-shek’s forces have fully entered Sichuan to launch a full-scale encirclement campaign, and in order first to defeat the Sichuan warlords, we propose the following: You should deploy the mass armed forces and independent divisions to conduct active operations on the eastern front to pin down Liu’s forces, while concentrating the main body of the Red Army to launch an offensive on the western front. Since our army has entered Sichuan, Liu Xiang no longer poses a threat to you; even if you were to attack his forces, your chances of success would be slim, your operational distance from our forces would be considerable, and the direction of Soviet area development would be less advantageous. By contrast, on the western front, there is internal strife within Tian’s unit, Deng’s forces are being redeployed southward, and Yang, Li, and Luo command weak and fragmented troops. Under these circumstances, the likelihood of success is much higher, coordination with our forces would be more convenient, and the expansion of the Soviet area would be more favorable. Therefore, you should swiftly assemble your units and complete preparations for the offensive, launching your advance west of the Jialing River at the earliest possible opportunity. As for the disposition of forces and the selection of targets, a portion of your troops should operate along the Yingshan line as a supporting axis, while the main thrust should be directed toward Cangxi, Langzhong, and Nanbu. On the main axis, concentrate the bulk of your forces and break through the enemy’s defenses at gaps and weak points, penetrating deep behind enemy lines. In the broad, fortress-free areas, seek out the enemy and encircle and annihilate them in mobile warfare. Should the course of battle permit, if you can advance into the Xichong, Nanchong, and Pengxi regions, this would provide the most favorable conditions for cooperation with our forces. At the same time, we must take into account the possibility that the enemy may use a relatively small force to hold the Fourth Front Army in check behind fortified positions, while simultaneously shifting its main strength to launch a surprise attack against our Field Army while it is still establishing itself, thereby achieving the objective of defeating us piecemeal. Accordingly, you are requested to promptly determine your operational plan and telegraph your reply without delay.


o Zhang Guochun and [My Recollections] Sichuan People’s Publishing House, 1982.12