JessicaLM

To a great extent, the Long March which began in 1934, was subsequently responsible for the ultimate victory of the Chinese Communist Party. Although it is arguable that the Long March, in the short term, was not a complete victory for the CCP due to the extensive number of lives lost, it is fair to conclude that without the long March many factors would not have been brought about, which would eventually lead to the unifying of China under the CCP in 1949. The Long March allowed Mao Zedong to place his ‘foot in the door’, as it may be said, to becoming one of the significant leaders within the CCP, as his ideas were acknowledged, which in turn lead them to success. It allowed the leaders of the CCP to see the flaws in the USSR model of communism and gave Mao the opportunity to put his ‘mass line’ strategy into practise. Additionally, the march highlighted to most of the CCP leaders and the general population, that the GMD’s principles and Chiang kia shek’s agenda were far different and ultimately negative to the livelihood of the peasantry, compared to those of the CCP who greatly supported this 80 percent of China’s population. Therefore, it is through the analysis and culmination of these factors, that the Long March, resulted in the ultimate victory of the Chinese Communist party in 1949. Initially, without the occurance of the Long March in 1934, it may be argued that Mao Zedong’s principle of ‘Mass line’ and the winning of the heats and minds of the peasantry, may never have been brought to the fore. As a result, the CCP may have conninued along the USSR’s example of orthodox Marxist- Leninist communism, focusing on the urban workers support, which may have seen their parties, as well as the GMD’s collapse. However, as the ‘blockhouse strategy’ of GMD proved to be a great success in chiang Kia Sheks fifth and final extermination campaign in 1933, all of the main leaders of the CCP agreed that their tactics of guerilla warefare would need to be altered. In spite of this, cracks in the CCP leadership began to appear as the four main men (Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, Bo Gu and Otto Braun) disagreed upon the nature of the strategy which would allow the CCP to break free of these ‘blockhouse’ lines which suffocated and trapped them within the Jiangxi Soviet region. The Russian advisor, Otto Braun ultimately made the decision (as he was supported by 20 Russian general) to begin a retreat and take the ‘Long March’ traveling west, then north, to [|Shaanxi] province, in order to breakfree of the GMD’s offensive and set up a new communist base there. The initial phases of the march, from 16th October 1934, went almost to plan, allowing Mao to connect with and learn from the peasantry living in the villages as the march continued. As a result of this march, Mao was able to apply his strategy of ‘mass line’ for the first time, which he retrospectively argued its importance stating “ The people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history”. Carrying out ‘Mass Line’ strategy along the long march allowed him to understand what the majority of China’s population wanted and how he and the CCP may be able to achieve this. Due to being closely tied with the peasantry, Mao began to win the people ‘hearts and minds’ and gained much needed support for his ideas and principles; as mao himself wrote in 1935, “the Long March..is a manifesto a propaganda force, a seeding machine” (J. Spence. “the drift to war”), summing up his main reasons for partaking in the event. Therefore, it is evident that through the long march, Mao was able to gain personal support from not only the peasantry who he listened to, but also from a growing number of CCP members, which would ultimately add to his rise to power. Mao leadership of the CCP, would in turn, provide the strategies, such as mass line, that eventuated in the vitory of the CCP after the civil war of 1945-49. Additionally, the Long March highlighted the lack of understanding the USSR advisors had on China’s situation and planted seeds of doubt in the minds of the CCP leaders that the orthodox model of communism may not prove successful for China. Although the initial phases of the Long March went mostly to plan, the final stages proved less successful as the soldiers were held up by mass amounts of bulky baggage they had been forced to carry by Braun, plagued by poor maps and by the non existent roads of the terrain they were travelling. Additionally, the CCP was forced to fight a major battle with the GMD defensive lines on the river of Xiang in mid December, which in turn, left the population of the march dwindelling at less then half there original number. Despite these trying factors, the CCP March eventually reached the town of Zunyi where they seized massive amounts of badly needed supplies. Also, it was here that the CCP held the Zunyi Conference of January, 15-18 1935, where the leaders thrashed over the reasons for the defeat of the party in the Jaingxi region and the political options now facing them. The conference concluded with the criticism of  Otto Braun’s leadership tactics of ‘pure defence’, insisting on the Long Mrach advocates carrying tones of luggage and of “aimlessly fighting against the enemy in the Soviet”. The party realized that Braun lacked understanding of China’s situation, not to mention her geography, and lost faith in the orthodox communism which the USSR modeled for China and the CCP as thier only way to successfully unify the nation. As a result of the Zunyi Conference, the leaders of the CCP suspended Otto Braun and the Returned Bolshevik, Bo Gu, placing military control (the Red Army) of the CCP back into the hands of Zhu De and Mao Zedong. This evidently strengthened Mao’s position of leadership within the CCP, where in the aftermath of the Zunyi conference, Mao slowly moved to also take military leadership of the Red Army. Additionally, the “resolutions” which came out of the conference largely represented Mao’s views on working within the villages of the peasantry in order to truly understand them and their needs (mass line strategy), suggesting that the CCP was moving away from the Marxist-leninist form of communism, towards mao’s proposed peasant focused ideology. Therefore, the long march, marked an important step in Mao Zedongs rise towards control of the CCP with maosim as the main principle. As a result of Maos leadership, he was able to apply his principles, whoch in turn won the support of the peasants. This mass support of 80 per cent of Chinas population, subsequently lead to the ultimate victory of the CCP over the GMD in 1949. Subsequent to the long march, Maos leadership became explicit, however during this event his decisions also proved to be successful and allowed the CCP to use them as an argument as to why they were the rightful and most suitable leaders of china after the civil war in 1949. As the march contined north from the town of Zunyi, Mao’s troops joined forces with Zhang Guotao who was leading his march to a new base. However, the union did not last long, as mao insisted on the need to drive farther north, opposed to Zhang who wished to build an isolated defensive soviet where they currently were; the Sichuan-Xikang border region. Maos intention for moving north, was to form a “united national defense government” so that all Chinese could join forces against Japanese, who had since 1932, controlled Manchuria. Mao evidently had a strong aim to bring about nationalism in China, which he believed would allow the ultimate unification of their nation. This idea paralleled with most of China’s general population, who believed ridding their nation of all imperialists was of number concern. As a result of Mao’s decision to fight against Japanese aggression during the long march, he gained support from the pesants and also had the power to use this event, as a justification as to why the CCP was the only party who deserved to unify China. As opposed to Chiang kia shek and the GMD who’s main objective was to exterminate the CCP, the communists cared about China as a sovereign nation and served the needs of the people, whoch proved necessary in the CCP’s victory after the civil war in 1949. Without the long march, Mao would not have had the opportunity to rise to power, leading the CCP to eventual victory. However, the Long march also worked in favour of the communists success, as it highlighted to all of china the disunity, corruption and lack of nationalism apparent in the CCP’s rival, the GMD. The long march came about due to Chiang kia shek’s obsession of ridding China of all communists through his fifth extermination campaign. However, at this time, areas of China were still under western imperalists claim, there was mounting pressure of invaision by Japan and some of the nation’s provinces were still being controlled by major warlords. Despite these significant external factors, undermining China’s fast growing nationalism, Chiang continued to seek out and destroy the CCP, justifying his reasons by remarking “Japan is a disease of the skin, the Chinese Communist Party is a disease of the heart” As a result, faith and support in the GMD’s actions and principles began to slowly diminish within China. Chiang, it could be argue, ultimately lead to self destruction of himself and his party, has he failed to carry out the most important aspects of defending China; he failed to capture the hearts and minds of the mass population and as a result lead to the enivitable victory of the CCP. Thus, through the analysis of a combination of factors, it is apparent to a great extent, that the long march was responsible for the CCP’s ultimate victory in 1949. Due to maos subsequent rise to power as a result of the long march, he was able to carry out his principle of ‘mass line’ and made the party become aware that their focuse needed to be on the peasants, not the urban workers as in the orthodox communism. Additionally, the long march made the flaws of the leadership of the GMD clear, so as to place the CCP in a better position of support, which ultimately lead to vicoty. However, Maos decision within the march, to fight against Japanese aggression provided a two fold advantage: support by the chinses population to increase nationalism and it also allowed the CCP leverage and justification as to why they were the deserved victors of the civil war in 1949. Therefore, it is as a result of these relating factors, that the long march greatly constitied to the victory of the CCP in unifying China under their control in 1949.
 * To what extent was the Long March responsible for the ultimate victory of the Chinese Communist Party?**


 * research task**

The long march began on the 16th of October 1934, however the foundations of this negative example of leadership, were layed much before this. After the communist party had survived the first four extermination campaigns implemented by Chaing kai shek, the GMD troops changed their tactics of warefare in order to reach their goal of completely destroying the CCP. Chiangs “blockhouse strategy” which was developed by a German general, Seeckt, resulted in an economic blockade and military encirclement of the Jangxi Soveit region; in which the CCP were now based. The GMD’s new strategy of extermination was at first, highly effective, severely restricting the CCP’s military movements, communication to the outside and monetary situation.These factors forced the CCP to come up with a new strategy of their own, as the previous geurilla warfare tactics implemented by Mao Zedong, did not have an impact on the surrounding GMD. These new tactics were suggested by a Russian agent, Otto Braun, who had been sent to advise the Jangxi Soviet by the Russian Government, to whom the CCP now had close ties with. All of the leaders of the CCP- red army commander in chief, Zhu De, Zhou Enlia, Bo Gu and Otton Braun alike- agreed that the soviet should be abandoned by the majority of the communists. However, tension arose when the four leaders disagreed on the timing of the move, how many people should be left in the region and the ultimate destination of the CCP. This dispute was soon overcome as Otto Braun won the support of 24 Russian trained leadders within the CCP, to implement his strategy. Braun criticsed the previous tactics of Mao saying they were political wrong and thus, under his leadership the red Army would now try to break through the blockhouse lines of the GMD and head for the communist base on the Hunan-hubei border where there were men and supplies based. Brauns strategy was spurred into action, by information that Chaing was to set upon a new offensive in autumn. Without final consolidation of the strategy and with some 87000 soldiers of the Red Army, carrying all the equpment/supllies needed to set up a new government at their destination as well as ammunition, braun set out on his long march on the 16th October 1934. It took the army six weeks to break through the blockhouse rings of the GMD which encircled Jiangxi. However success was not immanent. Due to the time it took the red army to break through those lines, the GMD were ready to attack again. After already being exhausted deu to the huge amounts of equipment carried, the red army troops were forced to fight a major battle when reaching the Xiang River on the 25th Npvember. Althoiugh this battle onbly lasted a couple of weeks, by the end of it, the red army had lost more then half the number it set out from Jiangxi with; 45000. The reamianing weak redarmy were forced to change plans and gather much needed supplies in the town of Zunyi, on the 7th January 1935. As the troops rested, the CCP leaders decided to make Zunyi their city of radical change. They the Zunyi Conference between 15th and 18th January, 1935 which was attened by 18 key communist leaders. These leaders argued over the reasons for the massive losses in the red army and the inevitable defeat of the CCP in the Jianxi regioun. The leadership of otto Braun was heavily criticised for the amount of equipment forced upon the socldier during the march and also the straight line tactic used, which made the army easy targets for the GMD troops. As a result of this conference, Otto Braun was suspended and military control of the Red Army was placed back into the hands of Zhu De and Mao Zedong. Since the resolutions of the Zunyi conference largely represented Mao Zedong’s views, they marked an important step in his personal rise towards control of the Communist party as a whole.