Chapter 49 Futian Incident anti Mao 1930

Journalist: “What was the Futian Incident all about?”

Mao: “The Futian Incident was a rebellion against me. After I had mostly dealt with those in the Red Army who opposed me, I turned my attention to the old Jiangxi Communists. On December 3, 1930, I sent Li Shaojiu to Futian, where the leaders of the Jiangxi Communist Party were located. I wrote him an instruction letter and gave him a list containing the names of those who had voted against Liu Shiqi during the summer meeting. On December 5, I wrote a second letter, which was delivered to Li Shaojiu by two Red Army soldiers who were already on their way. I stated that the meeting was to be ‘a gathering organized by the ABT to oppose Mao Zedong.’ I ordered a major crackdown and complete annihilation. I ordered the counties and districts to capture ‘rich peasants who were wavering’ and to execute them in large numbers. In areas where they were not captured or killed, the Party and the government must be ABT, and their leaders could be captured and interrogated. I also sent the Secretary-General of the Central Front Committee, Gu Bo, to Futian to assist Li Shaojiu.”

Journalist: “Oh, so it was a highly organized and planned mass killing?”

Mao: “Yes. Li Shaojiu arrived in Futian on December 7, 1930, and that evening, they began arresting and torturing people. One form of torture was called ‘beating the landmine officer,’ where bamboo sticks were hammered into the gaps between the fingers and nail beds, causing excruciating pain with each blow. Another form of torture involved slowly burning victims with incense, causing prolonged agony that made life unbearable. Li Shaojiu even had specific methods of torture for the wives of Jiangxi leaders. They would be stripped naked, subjected to the landmine officer torture on their hands, burned with incense on their bodies, had their genitals burned, and their breasts cut with a small knife.”

Journalist: “The torture methods employed by your trusted follower are horrifying. Did you approve of them?”

Mao: “Of course, I approved. From December 7 to the evening of December 12, Li Shaojiu captured over 120 people believed to be ABT members, and more than 40 of them were executed.

The atrocities triggered a mutiny, an open rebellion against me. The leader was Liu Di, who was not from Jiangxi but my fellow Hunanese. I had sent him to the Red Army in Jiangxi as an officer, hoping to use him to control the Jiangxi Red Army. As soon as Li Shaojiu arrived in Futian, he brought Liu Di and first told him that someone accused him of being part of theABT, intimidating him. Then he told him that as long as he cooperated, he would be fine and could even be promoted.

In Liu Di’s report to the central leadership after the mutiny, he wrote about what prompted him to take up arms. He saw Li Shaojiu feasting on meat, ham, and alcohol while comrades were being tortured at his feet. He observed Li Shaojiu’s enthusiastic and cheerful demeanor. He heard Li Shaojiu say, ‘It’s not an ABT issue, it’s all political.’ This made him suspect that something was amiss, that it must be Mao Zedong’s lackey, Li Shaojiu, sent to massacre the party cadres in Jiangxi.

Liu Di was determined to save his comrades. He first pretended to be compliant and told Li Shaojiu, ‘I am your former subordinate. My political level is low, and now that you have arrived, I believe that Comrade Mao Zedong is definitely not ABT, and neither are you. I will follow your orders.’ The next morning, Liu Di continued to pretend to please Li Shaojiu. Li Shaojiu urged him to swiftly resolve the ABT issue and told him that the ABT referred to those cadres who were unmovable’ and ‘unreliable under my control.”

Journalist: “Oh, so it was your trusted follower who incited Liu Di to fight against the ABT?”

Mao: “Yes. When Liu Di returned to his troops, he shared what he had seen and heard, and everyone was willing to take action with him. On December 12, 1930, Liu Di rallied the troops and headed straight to Futian, rescuing a large number of captured cadres. He did not harm Li Shaojiu. Li and his men managed to escape safely.

That night, large slogans saying ‘Down with Mao Zedong’ appeared in Futian. The next morning, a soldiers’ meeting against me was held in Futian Square. In the afternoon, the Jiangxi Party organization left the city and retreated to the east of the Gan River, 60 kilometers away. They distributed notices, stating that I, ‘Mao Zedong, are well known for being extremely cunning, with a strong sense of individualism and a mind filled with heroism. I have always used intimidation, punishment, and political means to strike down comrades, treating the party organization as a personal tool. His actions and behaviors are no longer those of a revolutionary leader. Mao wants to become the emperor of the Party.’”

Journalist: “The old Jiangxi Communists directly accused you of being cunning, treating the party organization as your personal tool, and wanting to be the party emperor?”

Mao: “Yes, they hit the nail on the head. The central inspectors present at the time were not allowed to openly criticize me, but they said that Mao Zedong had ‘influence on both domestic and international revolutions.’ The old Jiangxi Communists obeyed the order and handed their fate over to the central leadership. They sent victims of torture to Shanghai to report and show their battered bodies to the central leadership, accusing me of ‘conspiring to massacre the cadres of the Jiangxi Party and undermining the organization of the Jiangxi Party.’ They said, ‘Mao Zedong has always been against the central leadership. He deliberately refused to implement the instructions of the Front Committee and deliberately made things difficult for comrades sent by the central leadership. The central leadership has repeatedly sent letters to transfer Mao Zedong’s work, but he has always ignored them.’”

Journalist: “Were the accusations made by the old Jiangxi Communists against you true?”

Mao: “They were all true. But I had great power and was not afraid.

When the Futian Incident happened, the old Jiangxi Communists sought support from Zhu De and Peng Dehuai. Zhu and Peng were also disgusted with me. Zhu De confided in his old comrade Gong Chu, saying that many of their friends had been killed, and he believed that I was the mastermind behind it. He said that the Futian Incident caused by the killing of the ABT was orchestrated by me. Many comrades were killed by their own people.

However, Zhu and Peng did not support the old Jiangxi Communists.

Standing behind me was the central leadership and Moscow. If they joined forces with the old Jiangxi Communists, it would mean severing ties with the party. They realized that I was also prepared and could make Zhu and Peng into prisoners at any time. Zhu De’s headquarters was even subjected to a major crackdown on the ABT, with three out of five deputy officers being killed. I could easily order a tortured person to accuse Zhu De. As for Peng Dehuai, even the Soviet military intelligence agency heard rumors that ‘Peng might have connections with the ABT.’ I not only threatened Zhu and Peng but also made them have blood on their hands. Among the ‘judges’ who sentenced Liu Di to death, Zhu De was one of them.”

Journalist: “You are quite powerful! Both Zhu De and Peng Dehuai were implicated?”

Mao: “Yes, I am ruthless towards everyone. Zhou Enlai, who was in charge of major affairs upon his return from the Soviet Union, followed Moscow’s instructions and fully supported me, Mao Zedong. Even if he witnessed the injuries inflicted on loyal party members, Zhou Enlai understood that in Stalin’s world, those who engage in purges always come out on top. Moscow wanted someone who could be ruthless, as nothing could be accomplished without being ruthless. Although the old Communists in Jiangxi were loyal to the Party, they could be sacrificed. The Central Committee ordered them to obediently carry out my orders, otherwise, they would face ruthless struggle, which means being eliminated. Moscow concluded that I, Mao Zedong, was ‘fundamentally correct.’”

Journalist: “Wow, so Stalin is your ace card?”

Mao: “Yes. For me, this is a milestone. Moscow supported me in massacring the loyal and devoted members of the old Communist Party in Jiangxi. Moscow also ordered that the appeals of the old Communists in Jiangxi be handed over to me, indicating that I could dispose of them as I pleased. The instructions read, ‘Translate and return to Mao.’ After being translated into Russian and submitted to Moscow, it was handed to me. With Moscow’s support, the massive terror I unleashed established my personal authority. I became the Lenin of the Jiangxi Soviet Zone.”

Journalist: “With Stalin’s support, have you become the king of killings in Jiangxi?”

Mao: “Yes. With the support of the Stalin-led International Communist movement during the Futian Incident, I emerged victorious. I executed all the senior officers above the rank of platoon leader from the Red 20th Army. Stalin needed a leader for the Communist Party who was as fierce and brutal as himself. If it weren’t for him recognizing me, I would not have become the leader of the CCP. When it comes to ruthlessness and brutality, no one can surpass me, not even Zhang Guoxi.”