Preparations for Military Deployment Against Chiang Kai-shek’s Attack on the Border Region[1]

(July 9, 1943)

Comrade Dehuai:

Chiang and Hu[2] have completely withdrawn their river defense forces and moved them to the Luochuan–Zhongbu–Binzhou[3] line, issuing secret orders to actively prepare and await the command to attack. We have already transferred four regiments from northwestern Shanxi south across the river to prepare for operations. Northwestern Shanxi is now left with only six small regiments and is quite exposed. At the same time, the incident may develop into a rupture between the two parties, and our Party must make plans in advance. Should such a situation arise, we intend to implement the plan formulated in the spring of the year before last, drawing ten large regiments (approximately 20,000 men) from Wutai and Taihang to move west and respond to the emergency. Please give this your consideration in the coming days, formulate your views, and telegraph them back. At present, apart from military preparations here, we are vigorously carrying out political mobilization, launching a propaganda offensive, and disseminating this propaganda to Xi’an, Chongqing, and various places abroad, including Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union, so as to mobilize domestic and international public opinion to strike at Chiang’s counterrevolutionary schemes.

Mao Zedong

Wu Jia

[1] This is a directive from Mao Zedong to Peng Dehuai concerning military preparations to counter the Kuomintang’s launching of the third anti-communist upsurge.

[2] Chiang and Hu refer to Chiang Kai-shek and Hu Zongnan, Commander-in-Chief of the 34th Army Group of the Kuomintang’s First War Zone.

[3] Zhongbu, the name of an old county, is present-day Huangling County, Shaanxi Province. Binzhou, the name of an old county, is present-day Bin County, Shaanxi Province.