Instructions on Consolidating and Developing the Northern Jiangsu Base Area
and Expanding and Reorganizing the Armed Forces
(May 23, 1940)
[1]


Hu Fu, Chen Yi, Ke Cheng, Xue Feng, Yun Yi:
(1) We have received both your telegrams, Nos. Hu Fu and Xue Feng.


(2) At present, the primary focus lies in Northern Jiangsu; only then come North Huai and Eastern Anhui. Therefore, the forces under Chen and Huang, together with the two additional regiments from the 115th Division, should all be concentrated in Northern Jiangsu for intensified reorganization and expansion. Efforts should be made to consolidate the Northern Jiangsu base area, while preparing to first deal with Han Deqin when Chiang Kai-shek genuinely launches an offensive against our North Huai and Eastern Anhui regions—this decision to be made centrally. Only in a second phase would troops be dispatched to North Huai and Eastern Anhui. This was the view expressed in your earlier telegram, which we consider appropriate.


(3) For now, the areas of North Huai and Eastern Anhui must be independently defended by the units under Xue Feng and Yun Yi. Whether facing enemy or stubborn faction attacks, engage them through guerrilla warfare without expecting any reinforcements. Reinforcements from North China are neither feasible nor advisable.


(4) Until Chiang Kai-shek truly surrenders, a large-scale offensive against us remains unlikely, as he lacks a favorable theater of operations. Hence, while you must earnestly prepare to counter any such attack and never relax your vigilance, you should also recognize Chiang’s own difficulties. Among these is the absence of a suitable battlefield; after the enemy occupied Woyang and Mengcheng, this difficulty has further intensified. Therefore, you may well seize the opportunity to actively make all necessary preparations, including expanding and retraining your troops and consolidating and developing the base areas.


(5) The larger and more capable your forces become, and the more developed and secure your base areas are, the less apprehensive you need be about any enemy assault. Thus, diligently expanding and retraining your army, as well as systematically developing and fortifying your base areas, constitutes the most reliable foundation for repelling any aggression.


(6) At present, the enemy is advancing westward beyond the Wo River, presenting a propitious moment for Xue Feng’s command to expand and retrain its forces while simultaneously strengthening and extending the base area. In the Eastern Anhui region, aside from deploying a strong detachment to counter the incursion by Mo Dehong’s forces and dispatching capable officers to lead that effort, the same strategic approach should likewise be adopted.


(7) To expand the ranks and solidify the base areas, it is essential to mobilize the broad masses. Mobilizing the masses, however, requires providing tangible benefits to them and suppressing reactionary elements. This involves a dual task: on one hand, adhering to the Party’s united front policy and social unity strategy to guard against leftist deviations; on the other hand, resolutely cracking down on reactionaries who obstruct our efforts to rally the people (though not necessarily executing every single one). Otherwise, mobilizing the masses and consolidating the base areas will prove impossible. Bandits, too, must be eradicated.


Mao, Zhu, Wang
Yangchen, Yan’an