Letter to Yang Hucheng (Excerpt)

December 5, 1935

To His Excellency General Huchen, Commander-in-Chief:

I have heard that your two divisions under Generals Sun and Feng are also advancing from southern Shaanxi toward northern Shaanxi. I truly do not understand what the intention is! If it is a matter of defending the territory, our army has no design on the seat of power in Chang’an. If it is a matter of attacking the Red Army, then setting aside the disastrous defeats of He Lizhong, Liu Handong, Niu Yuanfeng, Shen Ke, and others, can you disregard the repeated failures of Tang Sitong and Zhang Hanmin? If it is a matter concerning Shaanxi, then who is it that glares covetously from the side of your own couch? Over forty regiments of Chiang Kai-shek have long penetrated deep into Shaanxi and Gansu, and the main force of Zhang Xueliang has recently entered Shaanxi in successive waves. Shao Lizi is utterly defenseless, yet you are already panting with anxiety over him; if he were replaced by He Zhuguo or any man under Zhang Xueliang, would your position as Pacification Director and your local authority still survive? Feng Qinzai has already been pulled away by Chiang Kai-shek; can you guarantee that Sun Weiru will not become a second Feng Qinzai? If it is a matter of the nation, then today is a day of national subjugation and racial extinction. How should every patriotic person of ideals and every revolutionary soldier weep blood and beat their breast, rising up with one heart to fight for resisting Japan and punishing Chiang? For Japanese imperialism is the sworn enemy of our nation and people, and Chiang Kai-shek is the public foe of the entire populace. Without Chiang Kai-shek, Japan could not succeed in its treacherous schemes to annex North China and destroy China; without Japan, Chiang Kai-shek could not carry out his villainous plots to sell out the nation, slaughter the masses, ruin the army, and expel dissidents. Therefore, resisting Japan and opposing Chiang cannot be pursued one without the other. Raise the banner of righteousness within the country, proclaim Heaven’s punishment across the realm, drive out the powerful invaders—four hundred million share this common resolve; execute the great traitor—for a thousand ages this will be hailed as a joyous deed. We and our comrades are determined to defend the nation, swords and sandals all astir. What have we come for, having journeyed twenty thousand li? Having reached the land of the Three Qin, we wish to seek like-minded comrades. If we could join with your army and ride bridle to bridle in common advance, then the rivers and mountains would be fortunate, our momentum would grow more formidable, our worries about the rear would be reduced, and the strength of our front forces would increase. We and our comrades further wish to unite with all who oppose Chiang and resist Japan, regardless of their party affiliation or past conduct, asking only whether at this moment of national crisis they have the sincerity to resist Japan and punish Chiang. To all who are willing to join the united front for resisting Japan and punishing Chiang, we and our comrades are ever glad to extend a helping hand, to jointly form an Anti-Japanese Allied Army and establish a National Defense Government to preside over the great cause of resisting Japan and punishing Chiang. This government shall have a Ten-Point Program suited to the people’s hearts and a unified will, as set forth in the declaration issued on December 1 by the Soviet Central Government and the Revolutionary Military Commission. If you agree, we request that you send representatives to the Soviet Area to discuss all matters. The passes are a hundredfold fortified—who says there are no men in the land of Qin? The homeland stretches three thousand li—grievous it is that the clouds of Yan are in sight. The plight of a slave of a fallen nation is what no one willingly accepts; the future of a captive under the steps is best avoided. Ice and frost blanket the ground—I venture to send these few words. In wind and rain we share one boat—I wish to hear your enlightened counsel. I write specifically to express my thoughts. With wishes for your success and prosperity.

Mao Zedong
Peng Dehuai
December 5, 1935