The Long March of Mao Zedong Fight Chiang Kai Shek

The Long March of Mao Zedong Fight Chiang Kai Shek

Who was the German who obliged the leader like Mao Zedong to take out a long march?

How the long march moved ahead through the difficult mountainous terrains and the live machine guns?

I am Sadaqat Ali . You will see History of China series, '.

Boxer revolution was the last bloody drama of the century in China.

In that century weird and somewhat ridiculous efforts were made to cause revolution in China. Hong Xiuguan, the proponent of Taiping rebellion, which started from 1850 to 1864, claimed... he too was the son of God and younger brother of the Jesus Christ and was divinely tasked to reform China. Hong failed to reform China but his rebellion took lives of over 20 million people. Hong had failed in the civil service examination and was out to play havoc with the system through a revolt. Whatever the reason may be but situation in China had gone out of control.

The first day's sun of the new century also did not see peace in China. In this scenario, China found the leader it was looking for over the centuries. No, it was not Mao Zedong, but Sun Yat-sen, an educated son of a farmer. Including the US, UK, Japan he had travelled to many countries. He also hated the Kingdom so was banished like many other revolutionists. The Chinese Royal dynasty, Qing, belonged to Manchuria area along the coastline. The people of Manchuria did not regard their land a part of China. Therefore, the Chinese king for them was also an alien. With the help of army and the people, Sun Yet-pat fought and ended the Qing kingship in 1911. He also made the 5-year old emperor to sign the instrument of terminating the kingship. Sun Yat-pat became the first President of Chinese Republic. But he relinquished the office in favour of a former Minister Yuan Shikai. But later he also revolted against the Shikai rule. So by 1921, Sun had taken control of China. Taking advantage of the weak government, Mongolia and Tibet separated from China. Now the war lords instead of the government established their writ. Sun Yat-sen wanted to reunite China as a state. But he died in 1925.

 

 The people of China was much grieved over the death of their dear leader and buried him with honour. After Sun two other came to the scene with determination to unite China. They were young charged up revolutionaries but daggers draw with each other. One was Chiang Kai-shek and the other Mao Zedong. Chiang was the most brilliant student of Sun Pat-sen so he took over the power soon.

Mao was the son of a rich family but he felt much for the poor. Mao was very impressed by the Russian revolution and the Karl Marx philosophy. Mao was the Army commander of the Communist Party. Earlier the Communists with the help Chiang Kai-shek had defeated many warlords and captured Shanghai. But later Chiang turned his face on the Communists and massacred them in a large number. The Communists in reaction raised the standard of revolt under Mao's leadership. Mao captured Jiangxi province in 1931 and set up his rule under the name, Soviet Republic of China. For the nationalist government of Chiang Kai-shek Moa's independent state became a challenge. So he sent army to crush the rebellion and the situation triggered civil war. The Chinese civil war was the deadliest in the human history of movements. Both the sides had a free hand so they killed the people of each other at a large scale.

 

The Long March of Mao Zedong Fight Chiang Kai Shek millionwar

 The apathy was demonstrated at its peak when... the army of Chiang arrested the wife of Mao, Yang Kaihui. The soldiers badly tortured Yang and forced her to slander Mao in public. She was murdered when she refused to obey this order. Mao had set up a state but he did not get the chance to rule it properly. So Chiang's army reached Meo's state who had little armed strength so he took to guerilla fight. Moa's soldiers would let the rival forces come much inside their territory then they trap and kill them. Chiang's four back to back military missions to Mao state failed. In one of the missions, a whole division of 9000 Chaing's soldiers had perished. Before the fifth attack, a German came to the state of Mao and made him quite helpless. How a leader like Mao became helpless, the account of it is very interesting. The Chinese Communist Party greatly honoured Soviet Russia and the Communist Revolution.

 

 So Stalin, head of the Russian state, sent a German Otto Braun as adviser to Mao's state. Braun was warmly received by Moa's people. But it became the point from where the bad-luck of the Chinese communists had started. Otto Braun declared Mao's policy of guerilla fight wrong. He wanted to face the enemy in the field so that communists power could be asserted. Mao tried to convince him on the guerilla fight given the situation but Braun did not agree.

Unluckily, Central Committee of the Communist Party did not want to annoy Stalin's adviser. The Committee accepted Braun's suggestion and removed Mao from the leadership. Thus the Communist soldiers gave up guerilla fight and came face to face the Chiang's army. In the fifth attack on Jiangxi, Chiang fielded his elite army. This force comprised 0.7million troops and was specially trained to combat the communist guerillas. Chiang's force had a pleasant surprise after it surrounded Mao's state. Now the communists were no more fighting guerilla style but were facing the enemy openly. It had eased the task of the Chiang forces and they killed 60,000 communists in heavy bombing in a little time. Interestingly, the Chiang's army was hard to face, even if Mao would himself be commanding his soldiers. Now Otto Braun for solely responsible for the defeat. Since he had planned this war for the communists. Communists commanders held a meeting in this background where Mao suggested... for breaking siege of the enemy at some points and surrounding it from behind. But Otto Braun did not accept it and floated the idea of long march. Yes, the idea of long march was conceived by Otto Braun. Mao was opposed to long march but he was helpless before Braun's decisions. Braun wanted the communist army beyond the borders of their state to a safe site. But difficulty lay in breaking seige of the enemy. The communists made another mistake by carrying things related to the government offices. Meaning, they also burdened themselves with type writers, furniture, etc. This miles long caravan of the 84000 people moved on October 14, 1934. The caravan faced the difficulties of heavy goods, enemy's fear, and slow travel at night It managed to cross the initial posts on the way without being sighted by the enemy.

 

The Long March of Mao Zedong Fight Chiang Kai Shek millionwar

But when they reached the bank of river Xiang, the enemy saw through their plan to flee. Both the forces had a fierce fight in the bid to cross over the river. Of the 84000, around 30000 succeeded in crossing the river and the rest were either killed or ran away. The entire official record, furniture and other articles were swept away in the river. The Communists had crossed the river, but they were now facing air attacks from the enemy daily. The enemy troops were also chasing the communists and it cost the communists many lives. After hardships of 3 months, the Communists revolutionaries reached the province Guizhou. Here the communist leaders held a meeting in a village. Depressed by the huge losses, they were not ready to trust Soviet Russia for help anymore. Therefor the value of Otto Braun also became nil. The Communists dismissed the strategy of Otto Braun and once again accepted Mao their leader. This time Mao became chairman of the Party will full authority and held this office till his last. The depressed revolutionaries rejuvenated their spirit for victory after Mao became their leader. They regarded themselves as the revolutionary soldiers out to lay the foundation of modern China. It was the turning point in the long march which is rightly spelled out through this couplet. "We were insurmountable in rest and staked even life in motion. We made our every moment unforgettable." Mao gave the order of passing through the hazardous mountain range to escape the sight of the enemy. So that the enemy could not chase them and they could reach Shanxi province. Through the dangerous hilly tracks, it was the most difficult phase of the long march. The tribal people living in that route were even more threatening since they disliked any alien in their area. Mao lured them with the promise of retaining their independence after coming into power. The tribesmen was pleased and they also provided guides to the communists for way ahead. So with the help of the guides the revolutionaries marched on. But the enemy was also on their prowl. The ruling forces were not able to attack the communists openly.

 

 But they set up posts and installed machines guns at all important points, passes, and the bridges. Mao and the marchers would come under fire as soon as they moved. The situation had become very critical. But Mao's leadership had inspired the revolutionaries so much that they challenged even the death. They would mount the difficult hilly tracks and destroy the enemy by attacking from the rear. Some zealots even tied up hand grenades on the body and entered the opponent ranks and killed the enemy. They also came across a bridge that was tied to a chain and the enemy was firing from the front. Some 20 die-hard lay down on the bridge to move ahead amid the rain of bullets. They reached the enemy and perished the rival soldiers with hand grenades. Countless revolutionaries died of difficult hilly tracks, hunger, thirst, cold, illness and enemy bullets. Many collapsed due to hunger and never rose up again. But Mao kept morale of his followers high staring the death in the face.

The unflinching determination of the revolutionaries prevailed upon the mountains as high as 4000 Fighting the hardships, Mao and his associates reached borders of Sichuan and Shanxi provinces.

meters. By then the popularity of Mao's long march was echoing all over China. Communist armies of two other provinces came forward to receive them. All three armies joined in the border areas on October 22,1935. The long march had come to an end and the marchers were receiving a very warm welcome. "My healer be given the good news and the enemy informed. The debt on the life has been paid today." The long marchers were given high respect as long as they lived. The end of the long march was not the end of the revolution. In order to reorganize his army, Mao needed a military base which he found in Shanxi province. Mao and his companions had covered 10000 kms from Jiangxi to Shanxi in the long march. They had crossed 24 rivers and 18 mountain ranges. Of the 84000 marchers in the beginning only 8000 had survived in the end. For the West, the account of valour and bravery in the long march is merely a propaganda. Even then the West admits this tough and too long travel of the long march not less than an achievement. Mao began preparations for war as soon as he reached the destination. The preparations were not limited to arms and the army but Mao also introduced a new weapon in that fight.

 

The Long March of Mao Zedong Fight Chiang Kai Shek millionwar

Mao would be naive to think he had escaped the enemy thousands of miles away from it. Chiang Kai Shek knew well that survival of his rule lay in the death of Mao. Chiang was preparing for a decisive final attack to eliminate Mao and his companions. This attack might have shattered the successes achieved by Moa in the long march.

 

But in this situation Japan came to the help of Mao. How Japan helped him against Chiang?

Which general kidnapped his own leaders?

Do you know Mao had also sought help from America. Why?