Chiang Kaishek’s future of self-destruction.3 In short, Chiang Kaishek has taken
the road to ruin; as soon as he makes these two moves of convening the “National
Assembly” and attacking Yan’an, all his trickery will be exposed; this will help
the progress of the People’s War of Liberation. In every area we should fully
explain to the people inside and outside the Party that these two actions by Chiang
Kaishek, the convening of the “National Assembly” and the attack on Yan’an,
and we should unite the whole Party, the whole army, and the whole people in the
fight to smash Chiang Kaishek’s offensive and bring democracy to China.4


Central Committee
November 18
Our source for this document is Mao Zedong’s handwritten manuscript found in the
bianyanbu, Junshi kexueyuan junshi zhanlüe yanjiubu, and Zhongguo renmin geming junshi bowuguan, eds., Lishi juren Mao Zedong huazhuan (Beijing: Zhongyang wenxian chu

1.  Directive on Chiang Kaishek’s Recent Moves of Attacking Yan’an and Convening
the “National Assembly” → Directive of November 18, 1946
Central Archives. It can also be found in Zhonggong zhongyang wenxian yanjiushi diyi
banshe, 2013), Vol. 3, p. 135. A revised version was published in Xuanji (1960).

--- Notes

Directive on Chiang Kaishek’s Recent Moves
of Attacking Yan’an and Convening the
“National Assembly”1
(November 18, 1946)


Bureau and District Party Committees as well as Column Commanders:
Chiang Kaishek is at the end of his rope. He wants to strike at our Party and
strengthen himself by two methods—by convening the “National Assembly”
and by attacking Yan’an. Actually, he will accomplish the very opposite. The
Chinese people resolutely oppose the “National Assembly” stage-managed by
Chiang Kaishek to split the nation; the opening day of that assembly marked the
beginning of the self-destruction of the Chiang Kaishek clique. Militarily, now
that we have wiped out thirty-five brigades of Chiang Kaishek’s troops and their
offensive power is nearly exhausted, even if he should gather eight or nine brigades and2 occupy Yan’an by means of a sudden thrust, it would not damage the
general prospect for victory in the People’s War of Liberation, nor could it save

2.  he should gather eight or nine brigades and → his troops should

3.  save Chiang Kaishek’s future of self-destruction. → save Chiang Kaishek from the
doom awaiting him.

4.  bring democracy into China. → build a democratic China.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719511-246