Directive on the Missions of the Western Field Army of the First Front
Army and the Second and Fourth Front Armies
(August 25, 1936)
From September to November, the mission of our Second and Fourth Front
Armies is to operate in southern Gansu, annihilate the forces of Mao Bingwen
and Wang Jun, expand the soviet areas, and prepare for new operations in
winter. As for the Western Field Army, its task from September to November
is to destroy the “Two Ma” forces in mobile warfare, capture several key
fortified towns without incurring excessive casualties, occupy Haiyuan,
Dala Chi, Tongxin City, and the regions north of these areas; while
mobilizing the Hui population to engage in struggle, strive to have a large
number of Hui people join the main Red Army units; develop the Northwest
Soviet Region, secure the Dingbian, Yanchi, and Yuwang soviet areas, and
support the operations of the Second and Fourth Front Armies. On the 31st,
the Western Field Army advanced westward from the areas north and south of
Yuwang Fort, quickly gaining control over the region west of the Zhongning–
Guyuan highway and east of Haiyuan. By September 14, it had also captured
Jiangtaibao and Dala Chi. The Second Front Army set out near Hadapu on
September 11 and, by the 19th, successively occupied Cheng County, Hui
County, Liangdang, and Kang County, among other places. Meanwhile, before
September 7, the Fourth Front Army had captured four county seats—Zhangxian,
Lintan, Weiyuan, and Tongwei—as well as extensive areas in Min County, Longxi,
Lintao, and Wushan.

[1] This is the directive issued by Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Peng Dehuai
regarding the missions of the Western Field Army of the First Front Army and
the Second and Fourth Front Armies.