Reply to Zhu De and Peng Dehuai’s Telegram
(August 3, 1938)
[1]
Concentrating our forces in the south to attack the Zhengtai Railway Line has the following drawbacks: First, victory is not guaranteed; second, the enemy may launch an offensive from the Daoging Railway toward Luoyang and from Linfen toward Tongguan. In such a scenario, it would be difficult for our northern forces to reinforce the southern front. Therefore, it remains advisable to maintain the current deployment with minimal changes.

Comrade Jiaxiang has returned and will assume responsibility for work at the Central Military Commission and serve as Director of the General Political Department, concurrently acting as Director of the Eighth Route Army’s Political Department. The headquarters will be located in Yan’an, while the unit operating at the front will be reorganized into the Field Political Department.

[1] This constitutes the main content of Mao Zedong’s reply to Zhu De and Peng Dehuai’s telegram.
[2] The Daoging Railway refers to the railway section stretching from Daokou Town in Huaxian County, Henan Province, to Qinghua Town in Bo’ai County.