We Agree That You Should Concentrate Your
Forces to Conduct Operations in Xiangning
and Other Places
(April 12, 1936, 2:00 A.M.)
Comrades Lin [Biao] and Nie [Rongzhen]:
We agree that you should first concentrate the whole of your military forces, and
seek opportunities to conduct operations in the Xiangning, Jixian, Daning, and
Puxian areas, trying to fight one or two battles in this area and wipe out one or
two of the enemy's regiments. This is the best plan. You are to prepare to
accomplish within ten to fifteen days the tasks of fighting battles and sabotaging
the blockade line, with the fighting as the first stage. As long as you can fight
one victorious battle, breaking the blockade line will no longer be an urgent
problem.
Peng [Dehuai]
Mao [Zedong]

We have translated this telegram from Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 1, p. 514, where it
is reproduced from a copy in the Central Archives.