Directive on the Southward Movement of the 344th Brigade and the Peng-Wu Detachment to Develop Base Areas in the Central Plains[1]

(May 5, 1940)

Dehuai, Kecheng, Chen, Luo, Xuefeng, Hufu:

Although Han Deqin’s attack on eastern Anhui has failed and he has retreated north of the Huai River, and although Li Pinxian, under the threat of an assault on the Dabie Mountains by five regiments of our Li Xiannian Column, has shown an inclination to halt the offensive in eastern Anhui, and although Chiang Kai-shek has also indicated a willingness to cease military clashes and negotiate terms with us, intending to confine our Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army entirely north of the Yellow River and designate the area north of the Yellow River as the defense zone for our two armies—nevertheless, first, the enemy-occupied areas in North China are expanding daily, our struggle there is becoming increasingly arduous, and we cannot survive without entering Central China. Second, in the event of a possible nationwide sudden turn, our army must on no account be confined rigidly north of the Yellow River without entering the Central Plains; therefore, Central China constitutes our most vital lifeline. Third, this time Chiang has ordered Han Deqin, Li Pinxian, Li Zongren, Wei Lihuang, and all the armies in Hubei, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu to attack our New Fourth Army—the provocation was initiated by the other side. Hence, we should still seize this opportunity to dispatch the necessary military forces southward. After Huang leads the 344th Brigade to rest and regroup at its present location and establishes radio contact with Hufu and Xuefeng, it should follow the orders of Zhu and Peng to move into the northern bank of the Huai River. Hufu has already arrived there in advance to await them. Upon the brigade’s arrival, it shall act on Hufu’s advice in deploying its forces and arranging its work. The Peng-Wu Detachment shall also follow the advice of Hufu and Kecheng in moving out toward northern Jiangsu, gradually advancing southward from the vicinity of Xuzhou, first occupying the counties north of Yancheng and Baoying. The slogan for the southward movement of the 344th Brigade and the Peng-Wu Detachment shall remain: Rescue the New Fourth Army and coordinate with friendly forces to resist Japan. If by that time Li Pinxian has withdrawn the troops attacking eastern Anhui, restored the Li Huang office, released Madame Zhang (Han Bi, wife of Zhang Yunyi) and all arrested Party members, and returned the military funds, then our army may temporarily refrain from entering Huainan, with the first step being to take Yancheng, Baoying, Bengbu, and Mengcheng as the boundary. If Han and Li come to attack, we shall annihilate them. If Han and Li are willing to concede the area north of this line as our defense zone, then a temporary compromise shall be made. If the strength of the Peng-Wu forces is insufficient, the 344th Brigade shall assist them. However, the whole of northern Jiangsu, eastern Anhui, and the area north of the Huai River are territories we must contest. All the region north of the Yangtze River, east of the Huainan Railway, north of the Huai River, east of Kaifeng, south of the Longhai Railway, and west of the sea must, without exception, be turned into democratic anti-Japanese base areas within one year. The 344th Brigade, the Peng-Wu Detachment, the Xuefeng Detachment, the Luo-Dai Detachment, and Ye Fei’s unit of Chen Yi’s forces, in coordination with the local Party, are charged with assuming full responsibility for this. All military operations shall be under the unified command of the two Commanders-in-Chief Zhu and Peng and Comrade Hufu. All concrete dispositions, political slogans, political power construction, development plans, and united front policies shall be the unified responsibility of Hufu, who shall consult with Kecheng and Xuefeng to consider and decide upon them, and report to Zhu, Peng, and the Central Military Commission.

Mao, Wang
Wei-you