Directive on the Course of Action for the Forces of Wang Zhen and Wang Shoudao[1]

(June 15, 1945)

Wang Zhen, Shoudao, and inform Zheng and Li[2]:

Although there have been sacrifices in this operation[3], there have also been victories. Your actions over the past several months along the Hunan-Hubei border have yielded results. However, Wang Lingji[4] is concentrating his forces against us, our main force has little room to maneuver, and we are already in a passive position. Henceforth, the course of action is none other than (1) persisting in place in the present area; (2) developing southward. If the second course is adopted, there are again two options: (1) Wang Zhen first leads the picked troops to advance south, while Shoudao leads the remaining forces in the present area; (2) the two of you lead the main force (the majority) to advance south, leaving a small force to coordinate with Zhang Tixue[5] in creating a Hunan-Hubei border area, awaiting Zhang Qilong, Wen Niansheng[6], and others. When advancing south, the destinations again have two options: (1) within about three months,

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee to Wang Zhen, Commander of the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Military Region of the New Fourth Army, and Wang Shoudao, Secretary of the Provisional Party Committee of the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Border Area and concurrently Political Commissar of the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Military Region of the New Fourth Army.

[2] Zheng refers to Zheng Weisan, then Secretary of the Party Committee of the Hubei-Henan-Anhui Border Area. Li refers to Li Xiannian, then Commander of the Fifth Division of the New Fourth Army and concurrently Commander and Political Commissar of the Hubei-Henan-Anhui-Hunan-Jiangxi Military Region.

[3] This refers to the engagement between the forces of the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Military Region of the New Fourth Army and the 92nd Division of the 99th Army of the Kuomintang forces from June 6 to 7, 1945.

[4] Wang Lingji, then Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Kuomintang’s 9th War Zone and concurrently Commander-in-Chief of the 30th Group Army.

[5] Zhang Tixue, then Deputy Commander of the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Military Region of the New Fourth Army.

[6] Zhang Qilong and Wen Niansheng, then respectively Political Commissar of the 2nd Guerrilla Detachment and Commander of the 3rd Detachment of the Eighth Route Army.

proceed all the way to the Hunan-Guangdong border, create a guerrilla zone and base area among the five points of Ganzhou, Shaozhou[1], Wuzhou, Guilin, and Hengzhou[2], link up with the Guangdong forces and merge into one, while Qilong, Niansheng, and others also advance to the same area within about eight months, establish a southern front, and prepare to be cut off; (2) you advance to the Heng-Bao area[3] to establish a base area, Zhang Qilong leads the follow-up of the Ninth Brigade[4] also to this area, while the Wen Brigade advances to the Hunan-Guangdong border to link up with Guangdong, also preparing to be cut off. As to which of the above courses is appropriate, please consider and reply by telegram so that a decision can be made. At present, the overall situation remains favorable to us. The South Pacific theater is under British responsibility, the American forces will not attack Guangdong, hence the Japanese bandits have abandoned Nanning, shortened their defense lines, consolidated the Guangdong-Hankou Railway[5], and attacked the Three Souths[6] and Heyuan eastward. The eastward redeployment of American forces requires time, and the decisive battle between Japan and America will likely occur after the summer of next year. Therefore, you still have a period of one year to over a year and a half to utilize. Beyond this, changes will occur, and the Kuomintang may launch a civil war. By that time, your base area must be of considerable scale so as to cope with the civil war and form a wing in the south. This task is of great significance. We hope you will consider and reply based on this prospect.

Military Commission

Yishan

[1] Shaozhou, an old prefectural name, now Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province.

[2] Hengzhou, an old prefectural name, now Hengyang City, Hunan Province.

[3] The Heng-Bao area refers to the present-day area of Hengyang and Shaoyang (formerly Baoqing Prefecture) in Hunan.

[4] Refers to the second echelon of the 359th Brigade of the Eighth Route Army, which was organized in June 1945 as the 2nd Guerrilla Detachment of the Eighth Route Army to march south.

[5] Guangdong-Hankou Railway, i.e., the Guangzhou-Hankou railway, a section of today’s Beijing-Guangzhou line.

[6] The Three Souths refer to the three counties of Qiannan (now Quannan), Longnan, and Dingnan in southern Jiangxi.

Manuscript of the telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee to Wang Zhen, Wang Shoudao, and others.