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Mao Sidelined from Governmental Position
After being a prominent member of the CCP's military and the leader of the Jiangxi area, top CCP officials assumed control over Jiangxi in 1932, leaving Mao sidelined. -
The Fifth Encirclement Campaign is Launched
Chiang Kai-Shek establishes a new military campaign. Up until this point, the Red Army has been able to avoid any huge losses to their troops in Jiangxi using Guerilla tactics. Along with the GMD's new elite military came a new defense advisor to the nationalist party, German World War I veteran, Hans von Seeckt. To make matters worse for the communist party, the GMD negotiated with warlords, bringing the number of anti-communist troops to over one million. -
The Long March Begins in Ruijin
Throughout the south, the GMD had surrounded numerous communist bases, including the capital, Ruijin. Though they were optimistic, the Red Army forces were undeniably outnumbered. Come mid-1934, the Nationalist Party planned a massive assault on Ruijin. CCP spies reported this information to party leaders, beginning the mass evacuation known as The Long March. Over 97,000 communists prepared to break through nationalist lines west of Ruijin. -
The Reds Begin to Break Through Nationalist Lines
As the main Red Army rushed out of Jiangxi, they faced devastating attacks via airstrikes. Yet they prevailed and broke through nationalist defense lines in Kiangsi and Hunan, and moved even further west. -
The Battle of the Xiangjiang River
As the Red Army continued through the Hunan province, they were met by an unprecedented number of Nationalist troops. In the following two days, nearly half of the army's troops were lost. In The Battle of the Xiangjiang River alone, 40,000 troops were killed and thousands fled. By mid-December, the CCP was down to 35,000 troops. -
The Zunyi Conference
After facing heavy losses at The Battle of the Xiangjiang River, the CCP was forced to reconsider its tactics. Meeting in Zunyi, the commanders of The Red Army were replaced by Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Wang Jiaxiang. After being ousted in 1932, Mao Zedong was finally back in a position of leadership within the CCP. With Ma in charge, the Red Army continued west, now moving in a more unpredictable pattern to confuse the anti-communist forces awaiting their arrival. -
The Reds Occupy Kweichow
As the Red Army approached a crucial crossing at the Yangtze River, they were stopped in their tracks by thousands of nationalist troops sent to hold them back. So, the Red Army was forced to hold their ground in Kweichow, modern Guizhou, for the next four months. During this time though, 20,000 more men were conscripted in the nearby towns. Farmers tended to give their assistance to Red Army soldiers, offering food and shelter to the weary troops. -
Diversion in Yunnan
Realizing they wouldn't be able to cross the Yangtze, the Red Army changed directions, now on the path to southern Yunnan, which bordered Burma and Indochina. In response, Chiang Kai-Shek quickly moved his troops to Yunnan Fu. However, it turned out that only a few troops had been moved to Yunnan Fu as a diversion for the bulk of China's troops to continue westward through Yunnan. -
The Path to Sichuan
As the troops moved out of Yunnan and into Sichuan, they faced perilous conditions on the tall peaks of Yunnan's mountain range. Nearly 5,000 meters high, oxygen levels were low, leaving thousands of troops to die from the extreme conditions alone. As the Yangtze River flows through these peaks, Chiang Kai-shek hoped he could catch the Red Army by boat while following them along this path. -
The Battle of the Luding Bridge
As the most dramatized piece to the march, the CCP claims this to be one of the great victories throughout The Long March. Allegedly, when the Red Army came to the crucial Luding bridge to pass from Sichuan into Tibet, countless nationalist guards were defending their position. The Red Army was then forced to climb the iron chains of the bridge in order to safely cross. However, eyewitness accounts claim that the bridge was protected by unorganized warlords who fled upon the Red Army's arrival. -
Struggle for Power
In Maogong (AKA Xiaojin), the Main Red Army and the Fourth Red Army joined forces. The leader of the Fourth Red Army, Zhang Guotao, attempted to overthrow Mao Zedong as head of the CCP. A substantial number of troops abandoned Mao Zedong to follow Zhang Guotao into southwestern China. This left Mao Zedong with fewer troops than anticipated as they neared the end of the march. -
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Journey Through the Far West
Nearing the end of the march, the Red Army endured the final long stretch through far western China. Throughout this period, with the combined forces of the main and fourth Red Armies, the CCP moved through the west with some success. At this time though, they began running short on supplies. Soldiers were said to boil leather as "beef stew" or even drink their own urine when they became too desperate. -
Arrival in Shaanxi
As Mao Zedong led the Red Army into the safe borders of Shaanxi, the celebration came with a recognition of the march's failure. 90% of the original troops didn't make it to Shaanxi. Yet Mao spun the narrative into a message of rebirth for the CCP, stating: “The Long March is a manifesto. It has proclaimed to the world that the Red Army is an army of heroes, while the imperialists and their dogs are impotent. It has proclaimed their utter failure to encircle, pursue, obstruct and intercept us."