New Fourth Army Anecdotes: The New Fourth Army's War of Resistance in Memory

Author: Shi Changwang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The founding of the New Fourth Army was a product of its time. The New Fourth Army was an army that fought against Japanese aggression. It was the backbone of anti-Japanese resistance in Central China. The New Fourth Army originated from the Red Army and guerrilla units that had persisted in three years of guerrilla warfare in 14 regions across eight southern provinces. In the second half of 1934, after the main force of the Red Army embarked on the Long March, a portion of the Red Army and guerrillas remained in the south. Under the leadership of Xiang Ying and Chen Yi, among others, they conducted an arduous three-year guerrilla war. The hardship of this struggle far exceeded people's imagination. Chen Yi later recalled: "The three-year guerrilla war was the most arduous struggle I have ever experienced in my life. I spent whole years sleeping in the mountains and running outside. In the spring, there was a lot of rain, and my body was covered in mud for two and a half months without a dry moment. What I ate were wild grass, bayberries, bamboo shoots, and snakes—it was no life for humans, more like beasts. During those three years, I only entered a house twice." However, the Red Army guerrilla fighters remained steadfast in their revolutionary beliefs and continuously endured tests in harsh environments. Chen Yi's immortal poem "Three Poems from Meiling" was written during this time, a historical reflection of the hardships of the three-year guerrilla war. Today, when people recite it, they are deeply moved and inspired by Chen Yi's revolutionary spirit:
How do I feel today as I face the noose?
The struggles of building a new world have been long and arduous.
In the underworld, I summon my old comrades,
With ten thousand banners, we will strike down.
The southern land has been in flames for a decade,
This head must hang at the national gate.
Those who come after, let them strive with all their might,
When victory comes, let the reports serve as paper money.
To dedicate oneself to revolution is to have a home,
The storm of blood and wind must have an end.
To achieve righteousness and die for a cause today,
Freedom's flowers will bloom across the land.
In a divided and besieged environment, the Red Army guerrillas fought independently against enemies many times their number in long, desperate battles. They overcame unimaginable difficulties, endured severe trials, preserved an armed force of over 10,000 people, and achieved victory in the three-year guerrilla war in the south. The historical achievements of the Southern Red Army guerrilla war were highly praised and affirmed by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. In December 1937, a resolution by the Central Committee stated: "Comrade Xiang Ying and the main leaders of the Southern guerrilla zones, as well as all comrades who have engaged in long and arduous struggles in the guerrilla zones, have demonstrated the spirit of long-term arduous struggle and the firm will to liberate the Chinese people, setting an example for the entire party. The Central Committee calls on all party comrades to learn from these exemplary comrades."
On July 7, 1937, Japanese imperialism provoked the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, launching a full-scale invasion of China. On July 8, the Communist Party of China issued a nationwide announcement calling for a war of resistance by the entire nation. On July 15, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China submitted the "Declaration of the Communist Party of China on the Establishment of a Second United Front with the Kuomintang" to the Kuomintang. On August 1, the Central Committee issued the "Instructions on Work in the Southern Guerrilla Zones," requiring the Red Army and guerrillas, under the guarantee of the party's absolute leadership, to negotiate with nearby Kuomintang troops or government forces, change their ranks or organization, gain legal status, and then march to the front lines of the anti-Japanese war.
After the Shanghai "August 13 Incident," Japanese forces launched a major offensive on Shanghai, directly threatening the Kuomintang's rule and the interests of Britain and the United States. Chiang Kai-shek began to resolve to resist Japan. On September 22, the Kuomintang published the "Declaration of the Communist Party of China for the Publication of the Declaration of the Second United Front," which had been postponed for over two months. On the 23rd, Chiang Kai-shek made a public speech, acknowledging...