Everything for the Objective of Winning
a Second Victory
(March 1, 1936)
To Comrades Lin [Biao] and Nie [Rongzhen], Xu [Haidong] and Cheng [Zihua],
and to be transmitted to Comrades Zhou [Enlai] and Bo [Gu] and the commanders of the Twenty-eighth Army:
1. The consecutive victories of the First Army Group and the Fifteenth Army
Group, particularly the victory in Guanshang and the occupation of Shuitou,
have won for the Red Army the initial freedom to establish base areas in Shanxi.
The future tasks are to shatter any new attacks decisively, and create base areas
through conscientious, practical work.
2. The victories in Guanshang and Shuitou have completely exposed the
Fenyang road and the Fenshui railroad before our eyes. This will place in an
extremely difficult position Yan Xishan's attacks and defense against us. But it
should not be thought that Yan Xishan will switch to a defensive position right
away; without a doubt, he will resolutely attack us with four or five divisions
within a short space of time. The only correct slogan for us for now, therefore, is
everything for the objective of winning a second victory.
3. The victories in Guanshang and Shuitou enabled us to take over the area
along the borders of the five xian of Shilou, Zhongyang, Xiaoyi, Fenxi, and
Xixian, an area of extreme military importance because it placed the Red
Army in the middle of the great arc of Jundu, Lishi, Fenyang, Xiaoyi, Jiexiu,
Lingshi, Fenxi, Xixian, and Yonghe, and provided very favorable conditions for
our battles and creating base areas.
4. In order to strengthen this region and strive to score a second victory, the
main forces of the two army groups should, in the area centered around
Guanshang and the area centered around Shuitou, build up the morale of the
troops, mobilize the mass struggle, and connect the heroic Red Army with advantageous areas. Without hindering the ability of the main forces to concentrate
their strength and to rest, every effort should be made to carry out the local work,
in the spirit of making every minute count.
5. The entire xian of Shilou and the northern part of Yonghe constitute our
army's communication line with the rear. The units directly under the front
army, the anti-Japanese guerrilla forces, and one unit of the Fifteenth Army

6. The regaining and occupation of the large area consisting of Wu[bao],
Jia[xian], Shen[mu], and Fu[gu] increased the strength of the Red Army's strategic rear. The tactic of reconciliation in the south to make the Northeastern Army
an army friendly to the revolution has already achieved initial success. All this is
of great help to the main forces of the Red Army.
7. The above instructions are to be passed on to divisional and regimental
commanders and to heads of army and divisional political departments.
Peng Dehuai Mao Zedong

--- Notes

Our source for this document is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 1, pp. 472-74.
Group are to undertake local work, plus construction of new boats and strengthening the ferry points.