Conduct Guerrilla Warfare Dispersedly and Do Mass Work in the Shaanxi-Henan Border Region[1]

(July 31, 1946)

Huang and Zhang, and inform Li, Ren, and Wen[2]:

(1) Your telegram of the 30th[3] received. We are greatly relieved that you have resolved to conduct guerrilla warfare in the Shangxian, Luonan, Shangnan, and Lushi areas. When necessary, you may temporarily operate in various counties of western Henan, but do not go to Zhashui or Zhen’an, as the enemy will blockade the main road north and south of Shanyang, and once you enter, you will not be able to get out. At present, Zheng and Li are also not going to Zhashui or Zhen’an; only Wang Zhen’s unit[4] is heading west, prepared not to come out. (2) The most crucial thing is to improve relations between the army and the people, and to rely closely on the people to establish local guerrilla units. (3) Be adept at breaking the whole into parts and assembling the parts into a whole. At present, you should delineate areas and, taking the battalion as the unit, dispersedly conduct guerrilla warfare and do mass work. A meeting of cadres should be convened to explain the situation and the policy, and then proceed with the dispersal in a planned manner.

Military Commission

Shi

[1] This telegram was drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee and addressed to Huang Lin, commander and concurrently political commissar of the Henan Military District, and Zhang Shuiquan, deputy commander.
[2] Li, Ren, and Wen refer to Li Xiannian, Ren Zhibin, and Wen Jianwu, who were respectively commander of the Central Plains Military District, political commissar of the Second Column, and commander of the Second Column at the time.
[3] Refers to the telegram sent by Huang Lin and Zhang Shuiquan to the CPC Central Committee on July 30, 1946. The telegram stated: We have entered the Shangxian and Shanyang areas and are resolved to conduct guerrilla warfare in Lushi, Shangnan, Luonan, Shangxian, Shanyang, Zhen’an, and other places.
[4] Wang Zhen’s unit refers to the 359th Brigade of the Second Column of the Central Plains Military District, led by Wang Zhen, deputy commander and concurrently chief of staff of the Central Plains Military District.