Education in General Geographical Knowledge for the Troops Is Extremely Important

(February 10, 1949)

Lin, Luo; Liu, Chen, Deng; Su, Tan; Peng, Zhang, Zhao; Xu, Zhou:[1]

According to a telegram dated the sixth day of the second month from Yang, Luo, Geng, and Pan,[2] the cadres of the 193rd Division of the North China Second Army Corps find study important, have deepened their reading of documents, and generally feel that the more they study, the more valuable material they find. Especially after the current situation and tasks were conveyed, morale has been very high, with everyone saying it was like receiving a blood-cleansing injection. At the same time, it was also discovered that the cadres’ level is very low; some battalion and company cadres believe that in a communist society, everyone in the country will become a Communist Party member, and that after crossing the Yangtze River, one still has to cross the Yellow River. Therefore, education in geography and general terminology will be very important in the future. Education in general geographical knowledge is extremely important. Please consider whether it is possible to...

[1] Lin and Luo refer to Lin Biao and Luo Ronghuan, who were respectively commander and political commissar of the Northeast Field Army at the time. Liu, Chen, and Deng refer to Liu Bocheng, Chen Yi, and Deng Xiaoping, who were respectively commander of the Second Field Army, commander and political commissar of the Third Field Army, and political commissar of the Second Field Army at the time. Su and Tan refer to Su Yu and Tan Zhenlin, who were respectively deputy commander and concurrently second deputy political commissar (acting commander and political commissar of the Third Field Army) and first deputy political commissar of the Third Field Army at the time. Peng refers to Peng Dehuai, who was commander of the First Field Army at the time. Zhang and Zhao refer to Zhang Zongxun and Zhao Shoushan (1894–1965, a native of Huxian, Shaanxi), who were respectively deputy commander and deputy commander of the First Field Army at the time. Xu refers to Xu Xiangqian, who was deputy commander of the North China Military Region and commander and political commissar of the Eighteenth Army Corps at the time. Zhou refers to Zhou Shidi (1900–1979, a native of Lehui, Guangdong [now Qionghai, Hainan]), who was deputy commander and concurrently deputy political commissar of the Eighteenth Army Corps at the time.

[2] This refers to a telegram dated February 6, 1949, from Yang Dezhi (commander), Luo Ruiqing (political commissar), Geng Biao (chief of staff), and Pan Zili (director of the political department) of the Nineteenth Army Corps (formerly the North China Second Army Corps), reporting on the troops’ study situation.