After Resting and Reorganizing for a Few
Days, Carry Out Extensive Surprise Attacks
on the Enemy’s Rear
 (April 8, 1947)
To Peng [Dehuai] and Xi [Zhongxun]:1
	 1.	 Based on our intelligence from Xi’an and the retreat to Yongping by Hu
[Zongnan]’s2 army, it seems that the enemy has given up its attempt to attack
Suide. It is now facing a serious grain shortage and has been unable to locate
our main forces; its commanders are extremely frustrated and think this will
be a difficult campaign.
	 2.	 Under these circumstances, it seems the time has come to begin your proposed attacks on the enemy’s rear. The entire army should rest and reorganize for a few days (avoid fighting); it is of the utmost importance to review
and discuss the experience thus far and to make personnel adjustments.
During the rest period, consider your course of action: Either continue waiting for the right opportunity to wipe out a unit of the enemy’s main forces
(this will require great patience), or split into several groups and carry out
extensive surprise attacks on the enemy’s rear (one group should head out
through Jinpenwan, Linzhen,3 Yichuan, Hancheng, Chengcheng, Pucheng,
and Baishui, leaving a unit with radio equipment in the Jinpenwan-Linzhen
area, and carry out frequent attacks along this line; another group should
head out through Luochuan, Zhongbu,4 Yijun, Tongguan, and Yao county,
leaving one unit with radio equipment in the Yan-Gan-Fu area, and carry out
frequent attacks along this line). In the front (the area around Wa[yaobao]),
one brigade or even less than one brigade will be enough. In addition,
assemble your main forces to attack Deng [Baoshan] and Zuo [Shiyun],5 Ma
Hongkui,6 Ma Hongbin (Zhenyuan),7 eastern Gansu, and central Shaanxi,
and you can also consider using one unit to pin down Hu’s army. Carefully
consider which approach you will take and inform us by telegram.
The Military Commission
Our source for this telegram is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 4, pp. 28–29, where it is
reproduced from Mao’s handwritten manuscript preserved in the Central Archives.

--- Notes

1.  Mao Zedong drafted this telegram on behalf of the Central Military Commission.
Peng Dehuai was commander and political commissar of the Northwest Field Army and Xi
Zhongxun was deputy political commissar.

2.  Hu Zongnan was commander of the Guomindang’s First War Zone.

3.  Linzhen is in southeastern Yan’an, Shaanxi Province.

4.  Zhongbu is the former name of today’s Huangling, Shaanxi Province.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719511-291


5.  Deng Baoshan was general commander of the Guomindang Army Headquarters for
the Shanxi-Shaanxi-Suiyuan Border Region. Zuo Shiyun was commander of the Twentysecond Army under the Guomindang Army Headquarters for the Shanxi-Shaanxi-Suiyuan
Border Region.

6.  Ma Hongkui was a deputy director of the Nationalist government’s Northwest Field
Headquarters.

7.  Ma Hongbin (1884–1960, native of Gansu) was deputy commander of the Guomindang army’s Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Pacification Headquarters.