Chen-Xie Army Must Make Full Preparations Before Advancing West[1]

(November 10, 1946)

Chen and Xie, and inform Liu and Deng, Bo and Wang[2]:

(1) Before you set out to advance west, you must make full preparations regarding clothing, ammunition, and new recruits, carrying as much as possible, and have Taiyue provide continuous supplies thereafter. Your basic rear area remains Taiyue, as the border region has a population of only 1.5 million and already finds it difficult to supply the existing 100,000 Party, government, and military personnel; outside armies can only be supplied with grain. (2) Each person in your unit should make one rice bag for carrying grain. (3) After you arrive in Lüliang, assess the situation: if Hu[3]’s army advances rapidly toward Yan’an, you should also advance rapidly; if Hu’s army advances slowly, you may attack and occupy the counties of Lüliang and await orders to proceed to Yan’an. (4) The 24th Brigade should quickly move west to Lüliang.

Military Commission

Xu Hui

[1] This is a telegram drafted by Mao Zedong for the Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee to Chen Geng, commander of the 4th Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, and Xie Fuzhi, its political commissar.

[2] Liu and Deng refer to Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, then commander and political commissar of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army, respectively. Bo and Wang refer to Bo Yibo and Wang Hongkun, then first deputy political commissar and second deputy commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region, respectively.

[3] Hu refers to Hu Zongnan, then commander of the 1st War Zone of the Kuomintang.