Directive on the Summary Report on the Launching of the Democratic Movement
(4 May 1951)

Deng, Tan; He, Deng; Zhang, Gan; Wang Zhen[1]:

This is a report by the Party Committee of the 23rd Corps[2], which may serve as a reference for your work in reforming the 21st Corps, the 22nd Corps, and other insurrectionary units. The 23rd Corps is the former unit of Fu Zuoyi[3], with Dong Qiwu as its commander and Gao Kelin as its political commissar. The entire corps was moved from Suiyuan to Hebei for consolidation and training and has now basically been reformed. As for the state of reform in the 21st Corps and the 22nd Corps, Deng and Tan, as well as Wang Zhen, are hereby instructed to direct the Party committees of those two corps to submit a report to the Military Commission.

Mao Zedong
4 May

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[1] Deng refers to Deng Zihui, then Second Political Commissar of the Central-South Military Region of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Tan refers to Tan Zheng, then Third Political Commissar of the Central-South Military Region of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. He refers to He Long, then Commander of the Southwest Military Region of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, then Political Commissar of the Southwest Military Region of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Zhang refers to Zhang Zongxun, then First Deputy Commander of the Northwest Military Region of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Gan refers to Gan Siqi, then Deputy Political Commissar and Director of the Political Department of the Northwest Military Region of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. Wang Zhen, then Acting Commander and Acting Political Commissar of the Xinjiang Military Region of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

[2] Refers to the Summary Report on the Launching of the Democratic Movement in the Insurrectionary Units by the Party Committee of the 23rd Corps of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, dated 24 April 1951. The report states: The corps-wide democratic movement, after 40 days of arduous work, was fully concluded on the 10th of this month. As a result of this movement, the basic situation within the units has been transformed, creating favourable conditions for future work. The main current circumstances in the units are: (1) The class consciousness of the rank-and-file soldiers has been raised; many soldiers have stood up and become the masters and vital force of the units. (2) The ideological system of warlordism has been smashed, and many shocking criminal facts have been exposed. (3) Positive elements and progressive forces within the units hold an absolute advantage. (4) The organization of the units is purer than before. (5) Ten thousand peasants who have turned over have been recruited, adding new blood to the units and changing their composition.

[3] Fu Zuoyi, then Member of the Central People's Government and Minister of Water Resources.