Chapter 56 Struggling to participate in the Long March 1933-1934

Journalist: “You became like the honorary chairman of today’s political consultative conference. Wasn’t the Party Central Committee planning to leave Jiangxi? Do they still need you?”

Mao: “I’m still hanging in there. In September 1933, Chiang Kai-shek mobilized 500,000 troops for the 5th encirclement campaign against the Central Soviet Zone. The enemy forces were building roads, gathering supplies, and gradually surrounding the Soviet Zone. They would advance a few kilometers, then stop and construct bunkers before advancing again. The bunkers formed a network of firepower with machine guns. The Soviet Zone was shrinking gradually, and the enemy intended to exhaust our resources.

Facing Chiang Kai-shek’s attack, both the Communist Party and Moscow were determined to defend Ruijin. Moscow dispatched military advisers, and Li De was sent to Ruijin to serve as the on-site commander for the Communist Party. The person who had a close relationship with Li De was the top figure of the Communist Party, Bo Gu. They had previously worked together in Shanghai, spoke Russian together, and the second most influential figure in military affairs, Zhou Enlai, also had frequent interactions with Li De. I don’t speak Russian, so I rarely saw Li De. The Moscow envoy had a good relationship with Bo Gu and Zhou Enlai, which was obviously not favorable to me.”

Journalist: “Oh, Moscow sent Li De to command and sought the support of Bo Gu and Zhou Enlai. You were sidelined?”

Mao: “Yes, I was sidelined. In the spring of 1934, Chiang Kai-shek’s forces had been advancing towards the Central Soviet Zone for six months. Neither the Moscow advisors nor the CCP leadership had a way to counter Chiang’s bunker strategy. It was clear that our base was running out of time. On March 25th, Moscow sent a telegram asking the CCP to prepare for evacuation. As soon as they received the telegram, Bo Gu’s first thought was to get rid of me. On March 27th, they telegraphed to Moscow from Shanghai, ‘Ruijin reports that Mao is seriously ill and requests to send him to Moscow.’ In reality, I wasn’t sick, but Bo Gu and others were afraid that I would cause trouble in times of crisis. They needed unity.

On April 9th, Moscow responded by opposing my trip to Moscow, stating that the journey would pass through enemy-controlled areas and would be unsafe. They insisted that I must receive medical treatment in the Soviet-controlled areas, regardless of the cost. They only agreed to my visit to Moscow if there was no other option for treatment in the local area and if there was a risk of death.

Journalist: “Oh, Bo Gu was afraid that you would cause trouble and wanted to send you to Moscow for treatment?”

Mao: “Yes, I was afraid of being sent away. My health was fine, and I didn’t want to go anywhere. Bo Gu came up with a solution: to leave me behind and have me carry the banner of the Central Soviet Zone. As the Chairman, staying in the Soviet Zone would be an announcement to the outside world that the red political power still existed, and Moscow couldn’t oppose that.”

Journalist: “Haha, Bo Gu was clever, asking you, the Great Chairman, to stay behind and carry the banner?”

Mao: “Yes. None of the high-ranking party members wanted to stay behind. Staying behind would likely lead to a dead-end. It meant either dying in battle or being captured by the Kuomintang. My younger brother Zetan, He Shuheng, and former General Secretary Qu Qiubai all died that way. Chen Yi stayed behind but managed to survive, which was rare. At that time, Chen Yi had a leg injury and couldn’t walk. He once lay on a stretcher to see Zhu De, begging to be taken along, but it was in vain. At the time, everyone believed that relying on the army was not dangerous and didn’t want to stay behind. Bo Gu and the others spoke nicely to me, saying, ‘You are a senior cadre. Originally, we should carry you away because you have been in Jiangxi for more than ten years, you have influence, prestige, and military knowledge. If the Central Committee leaves and doesn’t leave you behind, we won’t be able to justify it to the masses.”

Journalist: “Bo Gu gave you great honor, and you couldn’t decline?”

Mao: “I know, if I stayed behind, even if my life wasn’t at risk, being away from the central leadership and the Red Army would be politically equivalent to a death sentence. In the following six months, I exerted all my efforts to ensure that Bo Gu and the others wouldn’t abandon me.”
Journalist: “So what did you do?”

Mao: “My main strategy was to wait at the evacuation exit. At that time, the breakthrough point considered was the southern front of the Soviet Zone. I quickly arrived at the headquarters of the southern front in Huichang.”

Journalist: “Haha, you really know how to cling on. So you planned to just linger there?”

Mao: “Yes, the leaders of the southern front realized that when I suddenly appeared there, it was actually not for any official business. I had a lot of leisure time. I would climb mountains in the morning and even wrote a poem: ‘In the east, dawn approaches, do not say that you have left early. Having traveled across the green mountains, one’s spirit remains youthful, the scenery here is uniquely beautiful.’ I enjoyed going to the local troops’ office, which also served as my accommodation, and I would lie on the bed chatting with people.”

Journalist: “Haha, so you just stayed with the troops and had an easy time?”

Mao: “Yes, I had nothing to do. In July 1934, I returned to Ruijin and found that the breakthrough point had changed. It was no longer the southern front but the western side. An 8,000-strong detachment was leaving the Red Zone from the west to explore the route. I quickly gathered over 20 attendants, including my secretary, medical staffs, chefs, horsemen, and a security team, and went to E’du in the west of Ruijin. I settled at the local command headquarters, which was very close to the departure point of the E’du River crossing. I stayed there until I joined the large group.”

Journalist: “Oh, so when you found out that the breakthrough point had shifted to the west, you promptly took your two or three dozen people to the west?”

Mao: “Yes, before leaving Ruijin for E’du, I asked my younger brother Zemin to hand over all my treasure, the gold and silver wealth that had been hidden in the mountain caves since it was brought back from Zhangzhou two years ago, to Bo Gu. It was a significant loss to keep the confiscated items privately. I had thought of keeping a backup plan for myself, even if I were to part ways with the party, I would still have an escape route. Now that the Kuomintang Army was approaching, the buried wealth in the mountain caves became useless, so it was better to bring it out and use it to buy an ‘exit ticket.’ I presented a large amount of wealth to Bo Gu, and he was very pleased. I also promised him that if he allowed me to go with them, I would not cause any trouble. Bo Gu finally agreed. If Bo Gu had not agreed, I would have clung to the departure point, and when the time came, I would have followed them.”

Journalist: “So you finally exchanged a carload of gold and silver wealth for a permit?”

Mao: “Yes, a big weight was lifted off my shoulders. Xiang Ying, as the Vice Chairman of the Central Soviet Zone, was designated to stay behind. He accepted it without any complaints. However, he was deeply concerned about the Central Committee taking me away. Xiang Ying understood me. When he arrived in the Soviet Zone in 1931, he witnessed my brutal crackdown on the AB League. At that time, he accused me of pursuing personal power and did his best to save people. As a result, I harbored hatred towards him and even instructed prisoners under torture to falsely accuse Xiang Ying of being part of the AB League. Zhou Enlai told the Communist International, ‘Based on the confessions of the arrested individuals, Xiang Ying was claimed to belong to the AB League.’ Panyushkin, the Soviet ambassador at the time, said, ‘Mao wanted to get rid of Xiang Ying, so he accused him of being AB. However, due to the intervention of the Politburo, Mao couldn’t eliminate Xiang Ying.’ During the Ningdu Conference in 1932, Xiang Ying was determined to drive me out of the Red Army Headquarters.”

Journalist: “Xiang Ying saw through you, so you held a grudge against him?”

Mao: “Yes. Xiang Ying strongly advised Bo Gu not to take me away. Li De wrote, ‘Xiang Ying mentioned Mao Zedong’s terror policies in persecuting loyal communists around 1930. He warned that the seriousness of Mao’s opposition to the Party Central Committee should not be underestimated. Mao’s temporary restraint was only a strategic consideration, and given the opportunity, he would emerge and seize control of both the Red Army and the Party.’ However, Bo Gu was particularly optimistic. He had a good talk with me, believing that I would not provoke a leadership crisis.”

Journalist: “So, you managed to deceive Bo Gu, and everything was settled?”

Mao: “Yes, at that time, I indeed behaved well. Before July, when I was in the southern front, I kept criticizing the Central Committee, telling the troops there not to listen to the Central Committee but to follow my instructions. By September, I underwent a significant change. When Lin Biao and Nie Rongzhen came to see me, they felt that I was not secretly engaging in factional activities and was careful to abide by discipline.”

Journalist: “You really knew how to disguise yourself, so others couldn’t see through?”

Mao: “Yes, at that time, there was little traffic in my residence, and even senior party officials rarely visited. It was truly deserted at my doorstep. Losing personal power made me feel a bit melancholic.

As I prepared to leave, a sudden calamity struck. It was the malaria season, and I was in critical condition, running a high fever of 41 degrees and delirious. I urgently needed immediate recovery, or else even if I didn’t die, I wouldn’t be able to accompany the army in its departure. Fu Lianzhan, the best doctor in the Soviet Zone, rushed from Ruijin to attend to me, and he swiftly nursed me back to health. Fu saved my life and also saved my political life.”

Journalist: “Just before the departure, you had a high fever of 41 degrees, and Fu Lianzhan came to save you?”

Mao: “Yes, in 1934 when Fu rescued me, the Red Army was engaged in a fighting retreat under the intense pressure from the Kuomintang forces. The evacuation was planned to be conducted in utmost secrecy. The immediate goal was to rendezvous with the forces led by He Long in Western Hunan and merge into the base area there. The long-term objective was to evacuate to the Sino-Mongolian border, close to the areas under Soviet control, and receive weapons and other assistance. This objective was of utmost secrecy. In July, a 6,000-strong unit was dispatched in the opposite direction towards Fujian and Zhejiang as a diversion, claiming to be the ‘Advanced Vanguard of the Red Army Going North to Resist Japan.’ This was merely a propaganda tactic. As Li De put it, ‘No one dreams of going north to resist Japan.’ This unit carried over 300 loads and distributed more than 1.6 million pieces of propaganda materials along the way, attracting constant pursuit. The soldiers realized that they were being used as bait for the enemy, but even their commanders were kept in the dark. However, with such a small-scale unit, they couldn’t divert the enemy’s attention. Within a few months, the entire unit was annihilated.”

Journalist: “So, the 6,000-person diversionary propaganda unit was dispersed and disappeared?”

Mao: “Yes. Before the start of the Long March, all cadres were thoroughly examined, and those considered unreliable or wavering were executed. Zhou Enlai was in charge of this task, and thousands of lives were lost. Many of them were Kuomintang prisoners who served as instructors at the Red Army Military School. The execution ground was located in a secluded valley, where the executioners used large knives to decapitate the victims, kicking their bodies into pre-dug mass graves. Some were forced to dig their own graves before being buried alive.”

Journalist: “Zhou Enlai really carried out the Party’s orders ruthlessly! So, several thousand people disappeared like that?”

Mao: “Yes. In October 1934, under the pressure from the Kuomintang forces, the Red Army began its retreat. On the E’du River, a floating bridge was assembled with boats, and the boats were illuminated with lanterns and torches on both sides of the riverbanks. Relatives and organized villagers crowded the riverbanks to bid farewell to the Red Army. Severely wounded soldiers were entrusted to the local villagers. Countless well-wishers secretly hoped that the Communist Party would never return.”

Journalist: “Oh, so the locals were sending off the Red Army like they were bidding farewell to a plague?”

Mao: “Yes, in the hearts of the common people, they were bidding farewell to a plague. On the evening of October 18th, just after recovering from my illness, under the escort of guards, I left the E’du Command Post, passed through the city tunnel, and crossed the floating bridge to begin the Long March.”

Journalist: “Good, you finally joined the main force.”