Iron Flow 25,000: A Chronicle of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Illustrated Edition)

Author: Zhang Yuzhong, Liu Quan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: Four Revolutionary Cradles: A Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire
In April 1928, Chiang Kai-shek mobilized troops from Hunan and Jiangxi provinces to surround Jinggang Mountain, boldly declaring, "I will eliminate the Red rebels on Jinggang Mountain." Under Mao Zedong's command, the young Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army adopted guerrilla tactics, maneuvering with the enemy on Jinggang Mountain. Jinggang Mountain covers an area of over 500 li, with steep cliffs and dense forests. It takes a full day to travel from the foot of the mountain to Wujing. During the days of fighting while dragging the enemy, although the soldiers were filled with joy for victory, frequent marching and combat led some to develop thoughts like "fearing the hardships of climbing mountains" and "wanting to attack cities." These sentiments sometimes surfaced, and they began to complain about Jinggang Mountain. Mao Zedong quickly noticed this mood. To correct this wrong thinking, one day, he gathered the entire army at the foot of a mountain to speak about establishing a revolutionary base. He said, "Some people dislike Jinggang Mountain because it is high and vast. Today they want to climb the east peak, tomorrow the west peak. After climbing mountains too much, they get tired and don't want to climb anymore, wanting to attack cities instead. This mindset is wrong. You must know that Jinggang Mountain, although it has worn out our feet and tired our legs, provides us with food, serves as our base, allows us to maneuver, and helps us strike the enemy. Comrades, don't you all have this experience? Every time we climb it, we win a battle and eliminate some enemies. If we climb it more often, we will win more battles and eliminate more enemies. Therefore, this mountain is revolutionary, and it is a revolutionary mountain. We must protect it and cherish it, not fear climbing it more, and certainly not dislike it. Since we have such a revolutionary mountain, with the correct leadership of the Party, the support of the broad masses, and the firm revolutionary will and heroic fighting spirit of all our comrades, the enemy's boasts will turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy—not the enemy eliminating us on Jinggang Mountain, but us eliminating the enemy here."
Mao Zedong also used a vivid analogy: "Revolution requires a base, just as a person needs a buttocks. If a person has no buttocks, they cannot sit down. If they keep walking or standing all the time, they will inevitably collapse. When legs get tired and knees weaken, they will fall down. With a base, revolution can have a place to rest, regain strength, replenish forces, and continue the fight, expanding and developing toward final victory."
Mao Zedong's words clarified the wrong thinking of some comrades and raised their understanding of establishing a revolutionary base. In April 1928, after launching the Xiangnan Uprising, Zhu De and Chen Yi led the remnants of the Nanchang Uprising army to transfer over 10,000 people toward Jinggang Mountain. When this news reached Zhongcun in Yi County, Mao Zedong said with great joy, "The troops of the Nanchang Uprising have arrived, and Jinggang Mountain will now be like a tiger given wings—the revolutionary forces will grow even stronger. We must do our best to welcome them so that the uprising troops can arrive at Jinggang Mountain smoothly."
At this time, the enemy army, fearing that the Nanchang Uprising troops and Mao Zedong would join forces, sent two divisions to pursue and intercept them along the eastern route. Upon learning of this, Mao Zedong decided to personally lead the Jinggang Mountain Peasants' Revolutionary Army to resist and delay the enemy, while also welcoming the uprising troops. At that moment,