Forcing Chiang to End His Annihilation
of the Communists Is the Key at the Moment
(November 22, 1936)1
Resolutely Stop the Enemy's First Brigade
from Taking Yanchi
(November 22, 1936, 5:00 P.M.)
Xiaokai:2


1. The two telegrams from Nanjing and the two telegrams from Shanghai
have all been received. At present it is hard to know where to begin with this
matter. Enlai is too busy to leave here for the time being.


2. We can negotiate with them only on the basis of preserving all the organizational strength of the Red Army and designating lines of defense against Japan.


3. Create from all sides a movement for halting the attacks against the Red
Army. First nurture and then mobilize. Once it is launched in one place, there
will be a response on every hand, forcing Chiang to end his extermination of the
Communists. This is the central crux of the current anti-Japanese united front.
Details to follow separately.


To Peng [Dehuai], and for the information of Song [Shilun] and Song
[Renqiong], and of Xie [Song] and Gan [Weihan]:


Hu [Zongnan] has ordered the Forty-third Division to reinforce Mengcheng and
Tianshui, and the First Brigade yesterday reached Qingshanjie, not far from
Yanchi. The entire Twenty-eighth Army as well as the cavalry regiment should
go at once to Qingshanjie. Use one small unit in the front and the main forces
from the rear flank to block the First Brigade resolutely, so that Yanchi will not
fall into the enemy's hands, and await the arrival of our main forces. Apart from
the small unit used for keeping a watch on Anbian, the main forces of Xie's and
Gan's troops should immediately concentrate in and defend Yanchi.


[Mao Ze]dong
[Zhang Wen]tian
Mao


Our source for this document is the 1985 annual compendium of Wenxian he yanjiu, pp.
198-99.


We have translated this text from Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 1, pp. 673-74, where it
is reproduced from a copy in the Central Archives.

--- Notes

1. The time of day is indicated by a conventional character which means between
9:00 and 11:00 P.M.

2. Mao here addresses Pan Hannian by his pen name, Xiaokai.