Negotiating with Yan Xishan on the Red Army’s Area of Operations

(September 3, 1937)

Zhou, Zhu, Peng, Ren[1]:

A. Situation along the Ping-Sui Railway[2]: Tang Enbo’s[3] four divisions have lost approximately half their strength and have withdrawn to Zhuolu; Wei Lihuang’s[4] three divisions are positioned west of Juyong Pass on the southern bank of the Yongding River; Liu Ruming’s[5] division and the 72nd Division of the Jin Army have withdrawn to the southern bank of the Yang River; Fu Zuoyi’s[6] reinforcements, approximately six regiments, are likely in the Huailai area; Zhao Chengshou’s Cavalry Army[7] is likely in the Xinghe and Tianzhen area; the main force of the Jin Army is in the Datong, Guangling, and Daixian area.

[1] Zhou, Zhu, Peng, Ren refers to Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, and Ren Bishi, Director of the Political Department of the Eighth Route Army.

[2] The Ping-Sui Railway refers to the railway from Beiping (present-day Beijing) to Baotou in Suiyuan (a former province covering the central part of present-day Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, abolished in 1954), now the Beijing-Baotou Railway.

[3] Tang Enbo was then Commander-in-Chief of the Forward Forces of the 7th Group Army of the 2nd War Zone of the Kuomintang Army and concurrently Commander of the 13th Army.

[4] Wei Lihuang was then Commander-in-Chief of the 14th Group Army of the 1st War Zone of the Kuomintang Army.

[5] Liu Ruming, formerly Commander of the 143rd Division of the 29th Army of the Kuomintang Army, was then Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the 7th Group Army and concurrently Commander of the 68th Army.

[6] Fu Zuoyi was then Commander-in-Chief of the 7th Group Army of the 2nd War Zone of the Kuomintang Army and concurrently Commander of the 35th Army.

[7] Zhao Chengshou’s Cavalry Army refers to the 1st Cavalry Army of the Kuomintang Army, with Army Commander Zhao Chengshou.

Negotiating with Yan Xishan on the Red Army’s Area of Operations

B. The First and Second Front Armies of the Red Army[1] can be deployed approximately between Beiping, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Datong, and Zhangjiakou around the 25th of this month.

C. When Zhou and Peng arrive in Taiyuan, they should negotiate with Yan Xishan the following areas for Red Army operations: (1) All areas within the three counties of Zhuolu, Yangyuan, and Yuxian not garrisoned by friendly forces. (2) Areas within the four counties of Wanping,[2] Fangshan, Laishui, and Yixian not garrisoned by friendly forces. (3) Areas west of the county seats of the six counties of Wanxian, Tangxian, Quyang, Xingtang, Lingshou, and Pingshan. (4) The three entire counties of Laiyuan, Fuping, and Lingqiu as our army’s central base area. (5) The five counties of Guangling, Hunyuan, Fanzhi, Wutai, and Yuxian. The above totals 21 counties, some in their entirety and some in part, all of which must be definitively designated, and Nanjing and Jin’s Yan[3] must issue orders to the three provincial governments to relay orders to the county governments of each county, and simultaneously issue orders to the garrisons in each county and its neighboring counties, clarifying the Red Army’s tasks of defense deployment and creating guerrilla base areas. For if the Red Army’s areas and tasks are not clearly stipulated and communicated via general orders to friendly forces and local authorities, many disputes will inevitably arise due to unclear areas and undefined tasks.

Mao Zedong

Jiangwu (3rd, 11:00–13:00)

[1] The First and Second Front Armies of the Red Army refer to the First Front Army and the Second Front Army of the Red Army, respectively denoting the 115th Division and the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army. These two divisions were formed on the basis of the First and Second Front Armies of the Red Army, respectively. After the Red Army was reorganized into the Eighth Route Army, some documents continued to use the designation of the Red Army.

[2] Wanping, a former county located in the southwest of present-day Beijing, was incorporated into Beijing Municipality in 1952 and belongs to Fengtai District.

[3] Yan refers to Yan Xishan, then Commander of the 2nd War Zone of the Kuomintang.