The War Situation in the Central China and Other Strategic Areas and the Estimate of the Chiang Kai-shek Army’s Offensive[1]

(October 28, 1946)

Zhou, Ye, Lin, Chen, Liu-Deng, Nie, He[2]:

(1) Our Su-Yu[3] forces have annihilated 7,000 men of the 74th Division; two brigades of this division have lost their combat effectiveness. Thus, in less than four months, our Su-Yu forces have wiped out ten enemy brigades. Together with the two brigades annihilated by the Shandong forces in the Huaihai area in July, a total of twelve brigades have been wiped out in this area, not counting those wiped out piecemeal by local troops. If another seven or eight enemy brigades can be annihilated in the coming months, northern Jiangsu can be secured and the lost territory recovered. (2) Gu Zhutong’s and Hu Zongnan’s[4] troops have been dealt blows by us, and their edge has been blunted; a few more blows will render them impotent. (3) Wang Yaowu[5] has lost more than two brigades, but he can still attack Yan-

[1] This telegram was drafted by Mao Zedong for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and sent to Zhou Enlai and others.

[2] Ye refers to Ye Jianying, then a member of the CPC side in the Peiping Executive Headquarters for Military Mediation. Lin refers to Lin Biao, then Commander and Political Commissar of the Northeast Democratic United Army. Chen refers to Chen Yi, then Commander and Political Commissar of the Shandong Field Army. Liu-Deng refers to Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, then Commander and Political Commissar respectively of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army. Nie refers to Nie Rongzhen, then Commander and Political Commissar of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Area. He refers to He Long, then Commander of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Military Area.

[3] Su-Yu refers to Su Yu and Tan Zhenlin, then Commander and Political Commissar respectively of the Central China Field Army.

[4] Gu Zhutong was then Commander-in-Chief of the Kuomintang Army General Headquarters. Hu Zongnan was then Commanding Officer of the Kuomintang 1st War Zone.

[5] Wang Yaowu was then Commander of the Kuomintang 2nd Pacification Zone.

tai and Weihai[1] and must be dealt further blows. (4) An initial blow has been dealt to Li Zongren[2]; after a few more of his units are wiped out, his arrogance will also subside. (5) The offensive against the border region relies mainly on Ma Hongkui[3]; the three border areas[4] may fall, and this will threaten Yan’an. We are now making preparations to cope with this. (6) It is estimated that the offensive of the Chiang Kai-shek army inside the Great Wall can last another two or three months; after that, it will be incapable of further attacks. If our army can wipe out about twenty-five enemy brigades this winter (beginning in October), we can start the counter-offensive next spring and recover large areas of lost territory.

The Central Committee

Youjian

[1] Yantai and Weihai in Shandong Province.

[2] Li Zongren was then Director of the Peiping Field Headquarters of the Kuomintang Government.

[3] Ma Hongkui was then Deputy Director of the Northwest Field Headquarters of the Kuomintang Government.

[4] The three border areas refer to Dingbian, Anbian, and Jingbian in northwestern Shaanxi Province.