Reply to Peng Dehuai’s Telegram [1]
(June 11, 1949)
I agree with your operational policy. When carrying out the operations, take care to first wipe out one army of the Ningxia Ma clique, and then wipe out another one of its armies; destroy them one by one, and do not try to strike too many at one blow.

[1] On the 10th, Peng Dehuai telegraphed Mao Zedong, stating his view that giving up operations between the Jing and Wei rivers and waiting to engage Hu Zongnan and the Ma clique until troops are concentrated at the end of June or in July would entail many disadvantages. If operations are conducted between the Jing and Wei rivers, although our current troop strength does not hold the advantage, Hu’s army has very low morale, Hu and the Ma clique lack mutual trust, and the Linyou Mountains naturally divide the link between Hu and the Ma clique, which is advantageous for us to contain Hu and strike the Ma clique. Our 18th and 19th Corps are currently advancing toward Xi’an, and in a few days we will hold a slight advantage. This is the main content of Mao Zedong’s reply telegram to Peng Dehuai on the 11th.

[2] Ningxia Ma clique, refers to Ma Hongkui of Ningxia.