Elena+LM

After the fail of the four-extermination campaigns lead by Chiang Kai- Shek against the communists it was time for Chiang t change his strategy. His fifth and biggest campaign used a new method, which was devised by a German, General Hans von Seeckt. This method involved surrounding the Jiangxi Soviet where the communists were based. The Guomindang forces would slowly advance building blockhouses to encircle the communists. This would create much difficulty for the communists due to their lack a food and resources that would be able to be supplied to them due to the encirclement. The Long March commenced in the 16th of October 1934 and was a tactic devised by a Russian agent, Otto Braun to escape the encirclement of the Guomindang troops. 80 000 communist soldiers broke through the southwest wall will food, ammunition, clothing, medical supplies and documents which would be needed when setting up a new government in Hunan- Hubei. Otto was leading the men in a straight line, which made it easy for the soldiers to predict its movements, and many were criticizing and blaming Otto for the loses. When the communists reached Zunyi, the Zunyi conference took place. Eighteen key communists leaders engaged in discussion for the reasons for the defeat of the party and the political options that they now faced. As a result of the conference Otto Braun lost control in military decision-making and Mao named a full member of the ruling Standing Committee and chief Zhou Enlai for military planning. This marked an important step in Mao’s rise toward the control of the communist party. As the communist started heading north through Yunnan and Sichuan they were faced with warlords who still controlled the provinces and the Guomindang troops. The soldiers marched north and crossed mountainous and wild terrain. At the Luding Bridge the Communists forces one of the most daring acts when they crossed a suspension bridge with a plank wood floor. This was followed by a grim march across the Great Snow mountain ranges. During this section of the march many were sick and suffered frostbite. The long march troops reached he northern Sichuan on June 12 1935. They joined forces with Zhang Guotao, who had abandoned his soviet areas and lead his 50 000 troops to a new base. However after weeks of strategic discussion the two leaders could only agree to disagree. As a compromise the two armies were both blended and redivided. Zhang moved southwest and Mao’s exhausted troops crossed the bleak marshlands of the Qinghai- Gansu. There were thousands of deaths from exhaustion and illnesses among the marches. Finally on October 20 Mao’s troops reached at Wuqizhen in northern Shaanxi Mao’s troops met up with north Shaanxi Communist forces. Only 8 000 to 9 000 of the 80 000 troops that left with Mao at the start if the march were still with Mao. In December 1935 Mao wrote “ it has proclaimed to the world that the Red Army of heroes.