In the Decisive Battle at Baoding and in Northern Shanxi
The Eighth Route Army Must Play a Strategic Role

(September 25, 1937)

Zhu, Peng, Ren[1]:

I have a new strategic opinion; a long telegram[2] will be dispatched immediately. I now propose that you temporarily hold all the Red Army troops currently in northeastern Shanxi in place, conceal their objectives, and refrain from alarming the enemy, so that when the enemy’s main force penetrates deep into the vicinity of Daizhou[3] and Baoding, we may strike northward and recover the Hengshan mountain range into our hands. In the decisive battle at Baoding and in northern Shanxi, the Red Army shall play a strategic role.

Mao Zedong

The 25th day

[1] Zhu, Peng, Ren refers to Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, and Ren Bishi, Director of the Political Department of the Eighth Route Army.
[2] Namely, “Strategic Opinions on Operations in North China.”
[3] Daizhou refers to present-day Dai County, Shanxi.