Liu, Deng, and Bo; He and Li; Nie and Liu [1], with notice to Chen and Shu [2]:  (1) Judging from the situation in recent days, Chiang Kai-shek is preparing for a major campaign, which will likely be difficult to avert.  Following the outbreak of large-scale hostilities, within about six months, if our forces achieve a decisive victory, peace negotiations may be possible; if the outcome is inconclusive, negotiations might still be feasible; but should Chiang’s forces secure a major triumph, no peace talks will be possible.  Therefore, it is imperative that our forces repel Chiang’s offensive and thereby secure a peaceful future.  (2) After the commencement of the major campaign, our main forces in Jin-Cha-Ji, Rehe, and Liaodong should engage the principal Chiang-kai-shek forces in Rehe and around Peiping–Tientsin, while a portion of these forces will assist He and Li in countering Fu Zuoyi [4] and capturing the northern section of the Tongpu Railway. Another contingent will support Liu, Deng, and Bo in seizing the Zhengtai Railway.  (3) He and Li, under unified command, are to deploy the main forces of the Jin-Sui Military Region along with certain units of Nie and Liu, in order to crush Fu Zuoyi’s attack and capture the northern Tongpu line. A subset of these forces will also aid Liu, Deng, and Bo in taking southwestern Shanxi and the southern Tongpu line.  (4) Our main forces in Jin-Hebei-Luyu are to confront the principal Chiang-kai-shek forces operating in Henan Province, with the remaining troops employed to seize the Zhengtai Railway, the southern Tongpu line, and southwestern Shanxi. Ultimately, they are to coordinate with the forces in northwestern and northeastern Shanxi to capture Taiyuan.  (5) It is proposed to appoint Chen Geng as commander and Bo Yibo as political commissar, establishing a joint command organ to exercise unified leadership over all Party, government, military, and civilian resources in the Taihang (excluding southern Taihang), Taiyue, southwestern Shanxi (Lüliang), and one of the two divisions in northeastern Shanxi situated near the Zhengtai Railway. The mission of this command will be to capture the southern Tongpu line, the entire region of southwestern Shanxi, the Dongqin section of the Baijin Railway [5], as well as the Zhengtai Railway between Taiyuan and Niangziguan.  The post of commander of Chen Geng’s column shall be filled by another officer or an acting replacement.  (6) Please advise us of your views on the foregoing deployment.  (7) Our major offensive must be launched only after Chiang initiates his own, so as to demonstrate that he has provoked the conflict.  This document was published by the Central Committee based on Mao Zedong’s handwritten draft.

Notes  [1] Liu, Deng, and Bo refer to Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping, and Bo Yibo, who at that time served respectively as commander, political commissar, and first deputy political commissar of the Jin-Hebei-Luyu Military Region.  He denotes He Long, then commander of the Jin-Sui Military Region.  Li stands for Li Jingquan (1909–1989), a native of Linchuan, Jiangxi, who held the position of political commissar of the Jin-Sui Military Region.  Nie and Liu represent Nie Rongzhen and Liu Lantao, serving respectively as commander and political commissar, and as deputy political commissar of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military Region.  [2] Chen refers to Chen Yi, who at the time was both commander of the New Fourth Army and commander of the Shandong Military Region.  Shu Tong, born in 1905 in Dongxiang, Jiangxi, served as director of the Political Department of the New Fourth Army and concurrently as director of the Political Department of the Shandong Military Region.  [3] Rehe refers to Rehe Province; see note [3] on page 10 of this volume.  [4] Fu Zuoyi was then the commander-in-chief of the Nationalist Army’s Twelfth War Area.  [5] The Baijin Railway was an incomplete rail line running from Baigui in Qixian County, Shanxi, to Jincheng; it has since been entirely dismantled.  The Dongqin section designated here corresponds to the segment of the Baijin Railway extending from Dongguan in Qixian County to Qin County, Shanxi.