The Red Army’s Mobilization Must Be Genuinely Prepared[1]

(July 15, 1937)

Comrades Peng, Ren, and Ye:

All necessary supplies that the Red Army must have before setting out—such as bayonets, tools, antiaircraft guns, hand grenades, and ammunition—shall be negotiated and arranged by Ye Jianying with the Kuomintang side. The Red Army’s mobilization must be genuinely prepared and carried out swiftly, so that after Chiang Kai-shek and Yan Xishan give their consent, we can move toward the Beiping–Suiyuan Railway without missing the opportune moment. If the situation becomes urgent and supplies cannot be replenished in time, we should still be prepared to proceed to Taiyuan and Datong to replenish there.

Mao Zedong

The 15th

[1] This is a telegram from Mao Zedong to Peng Dehuai, Ren Bishi, and Ye Jianying.