This year’s “August 1st” marks the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Red Army. Over the past decade, the Red Army has written many glorious chapters that have won it renown both at home and abroad. Building upon this decade of great struggle, a new, great and glorious historical mission has now been entrusted to the Red Army. Consequently, this tenth-anniversary commemoration carries particularly special significance.

To mark this momentous occasion, it has been decided to undertake a large-scale compilation of the Red Army’s war history over the past ten years nationwide. Comrades Xu Mengqiu, Zhang Aiping, Lu Dingyi, Ding Ling, Wu Xiru, Shu Tong, Gan Siji, Fu Zhong, Huang Zhen, Xiao Ke, and Deng Xiaoping—eleven in total—have been appointed as members of the “Red Army History Compilation Committee,” tasked with collecting and organizing materials. Comrade Xu Mengqiu will serve as the committee’s chairman.

We hereby call upon all the heroes of the Chinese nation—the entire officer corps and rank-and-file soldiers of the Red Army—to exert your utmost effort. Drawing on your individual experiences, please set down accounts of the Red Army’s various histories, battles, and so forth, and also seek out relevant memorabilia, so as to complete this monumental historical work commemorating the Red Army’s ten years of arduous struggle. All submitted manuscripts and memorabilia, once accepted, will be rewarded with cash ranging from fifty cents to one hundred and ten yuan. Manuscripts must be delivered to the committee no later than mid-July. Each submission must include the author’s full name and affiliation. The specific items to be collected are listed on a separate sheet.

Chairman of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission: Mao Zedong  Supreme Commander: Zhu De  May 10th

Items for Collecting Red Army Historical Materials:  History—The origin and development of each Red Army unit; War History—Individual campaigns and major engagements; The Long March—Excerpts or complete recollections; Brief Biographies—Accounts of fallen comrades or stories about the Red Army; Newspapers—Past major and minor publications; Propaganda Department—Past leaflets, slogans, manifestos, etc.; Books—Newly compiled works, reprints, lithographically printed materials, or mimeographed copies; Library Materials—Both existing and newly acquired books; Plays and Current-Event News Sheets—Previously published scripts or supplementary recordings; Diaries—Official and personal records; Songs—Various songs from the past, folk tunes, mountain ballads; Photographs—Old and recent pictures; Memorabilia—Possessions of fallen comrades or captured items; Flags—Ours or those captured from the enemy; Medals—Those belonging to fallen comrades or to ourselves; Documents—All past resolutions, orders, notices, and reports.