Chapter 39 Commemorate the United Nations Day, defend Xi'an and the Northwest![1]

(June 14, 1944) Today is the third United Nations Day. There is a lively public meeting in Yan'an. This meeting is not only a celebration meeting, but also a meeting to mobilize the people to defend Xi'an, Shaanxi and Northwest China. In 1942, President Roosevelt initiated the designation of today as the United Nations Day every year. Anti-fascist countries all over the world commemorate it on this day. This year is the third time.The past two years have witnessed tremendous changes in the world situation, including two major events.The first was in November 1942, when the Soviet Red Army launched an offensive from Stalingrad[2], which reversed the history of the world, followed by the British and American offensives in North Africa and the Pacific, turning the United Nations[3] The defensive and retreating situation in China was transformed into an offensive situation, and the great achievements of the Soviet Red Army played a decisive role.The second is that on the 6th of this month, the British and American coalition forces opened up the second battlefield[4], turning the offensive into a decisive battle stage. The heroic allied forces are fighting hard but victorious battles in the French territory, and its influence will affect the whole world. world.When we commemorate the United Nations Day in China, we should not forget the hard struggle of the Soviet Union, the United States and the British people, and the wise leadership of Marshal Stalin, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill and the correctness of the road they pointed out.

Europe and the Pacific have already turned to the offensive, and Europe has entered the stage of decisive battle, but the Japanese invaders are still attacking China, and China has not only shown no signs of turning to the offensive, but also cannot stop retreating. This is the new situation in China today.Beginning on April 18, the Japanese invaders successively launched attacks on Henan, Hunan, and Guangdong. Luoyang fell, and Changsha was in danger. The most serious one was the war in Henan.On this battlefield, before the fall of Luoyang, the enemy's main goal was to attack the 300,000-odd troops under the command of generals Jiang Dingwen[5] and Tang Enbo[6] in the first theater, and the fall of Luoyang ended.At the beginning of this month, the second campaign began. The enemy's main purpose was to attack the troops under the command of General Hu Zongnan[7] in the eighth theater deployed in the Lingbao, Guolue, and Guandaokou lines.According to the information obtained so far today, the line is no longer defended, and the enemy is advancing towards Tongguan, with the obvious intention of attacking Shaanxi.It is reported that Xi'an has been ordered to evacuate, and the northwest is under great threat.China commemorates the United Nations Day, but it is in the opposite situation to Europe and the Pacific, where it is attacking, and this side is retreating.

There are also two situations in China, the battlefield behind the enemy is attacking, and the frontal battlefield is retreating.Since the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, China has formed two battlefields, the battlefield behind enemy lines and the frontal battlefield.From July 1937 to October 1938, Wuhan fell, and the main force of the enemy attacked the frontal battlefield, but the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army advanced behind the enemy, opening up several vast battlefields behind the enemy.After the fall of Wuhan, the enemy began to change its war policy. It mainly used political inducement to surrender to the frontal battlefield of the Kuomintang, supplemented by military offensives, and gradually shifted its main force to deal with the Communist Party behind the enemy lines. Until March of this year, for five and a half years, the main All the strike power fell on the Communist Party and the people behind the enemy lines.At its peak, the Communist Party was responsible for nearly three-quarters of the total of 600,000 Japanese troops and 900,000 puppet troops.However, we have no support, and the anti-Japanese base areas have been divided by the enemy.In the past five and a half years, the hostile frontal battlefield has only engaged in a few battles of a campaign nature, and they all went early and returned late, and there were no strategic or occupational attacks.The policy of the Kuomintang rulers during this period was a policy of parrying and watching the war.This policy has been implemented in all its party, government, and military organizations. It is stubborn and persistent, and it is unwilling to change it even to this day.

However, the enemy's situation has changed. After April 18, the previous policy of political inducement to surrender was changed to a policy of military offensive.The reason why the enemy came here is to save lives, but the enemy has not lost its combat effectiveness today.However, due to the long-term implementation of inappropriate policies, our government and the Kuomintang rulers have fallen into a situation where they have almost lost their combat effectiveness and are helpless. After more than a day, they retreated into Tongguan, and Xi'an was shaken, and they were preparing to retreat again.

1941 and 1942 were the most difficult periods in the battlefield behind the enemy. Under the heavy blows of the enemy's main force, the population of the base areas dropped from 10 million to 50 million, the army shrank, and the land also shrank.But we persisted in our struggle, implemented various appropriate policies of the CPC Central Committee, repelled all enemy attacks, and finally gained a firm footing.In 1943 and this year, extensive offensives were carried out, and a large amount of land was recaptured from the enemy's hands, and a large number of people were liberated. The population of the base areas rose to more than 80 million.The Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army have regained their vitality and developed. The three major battlefields behind enemy lines in North China, Central China, and South China totaled 470,000 regular troops and guerrillas, and 2 million militiamen. The main thing is that they have gained more experience and improved in quality.The enemy originally wanted to destroy the battlefield behind the enemy and then attack the frontal battlefield, but it was impossible. In order to save his life, he was forced to provoke these two battlefields on his shoulders at the same time.

This is an excellent situation. As long as our government and the Kuomintang rulers are willing to modify their policies, they will be able to boost morale and repel the enemy's attack.With such a strong and vast battlefield behind the enemy, as long as a small and powerful counterattack is made from the front, the enemy will be defeated.There are not many enemies. So far, the three offensive forces in Henan, Hunan, and Guangdong have no more than a dozen divisions in total. Is it impossible to fight back with all the strength of the country? But Wuru has only seen his own retreat so far. .

There is absolutely no reason for this.Why was the Communist Party able to stand firm and attack (although it is not yet a strategic offensive, unable to break through big cities), while the Kuomintang cannot stand firm and cannot attack? The reason is simple. The Communist Party insists on unity and democracy. The Communist Party unites people from all walks of life behind enemy lines in North China, Central China, and South China. It implements democracy and relies on the people. Unity, no matter how reactionary the KMT's policies are, is always willing to improve relations with it.The Kuomintang is not the case. As far as its rulers are concerned, up to now, they have no intention of self-reflection and selection of good, and have no unity and democratic policy. Anti-Japanese democratic areas are "traitor areas", arrogant and arrogant, which is well known both at home and abroad.They only know how to ask for things from the allies[8], relying on the allies to fight Japan, and rarely have the intention and plan of self-reliance.Seeking to defeat the enemy in this way, isn't it just looking for fish?

China's frontal battlefield is now in an extremely serious state. We hope that our government and the Kuomintang rulers will immediately conduct serious self-criticism and revise their own policies.The most serious task at present is to defend Xi'an, Shaanxi and the Northwest.This is the only international channel today. If it is lost here, it will threaten Sichuan.We Communists always hope that the Kuomintang will do well. We and the people of the whole country hope that the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party will be improved, the outstanding issues will be resolved, and a new era will be re-entered. We hope that our government and the Kuomintang rulers will not let the people down again.This hope is equally urgent for the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union.The press corps[9] gentlemen have already come to Yan’an, and Vice President Wallace[10] is about to arrive in China. We hope they can play a role in promoting and helping the Chinese people solve the problems of unity and democracy, so as to overcome the crisis that exists in China’s frontal battlefield .To cure China's current illness, there is no other medicine, only unity and democracy. Without these, the military crisis cannot be solved.On this United Nations Day commemoration, I would like to express the aspirations of our communists.

According to the publication of "Liberation Daily" on June 14, 1944. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] This is an editorial written by Mao Zedong for the "Liberation Daily". [2] Stalingrad, now Volgograd. [3] This refers to the Allies. [4] For the second battlefield, see note [3] on page 7 of this volume. [5] Jiang Dingwen (1895-1974), a native of Zhuji, Zhejiang.At that time, he was the commander-in-chief of the First Theater of the Kuomintang Army. [6] Tang Enbo, at that time served as the deputy commander-in-chief of the first war zone of the Kuomintang army and the commander-in-chief of the Shandong-Su-Yu-Anhui border area.

[7] Hu Zongnan, then the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Eighth Theater of the Kuomintang Army. [8] Allies refer to China, the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain, France and other countries that jointly fought against the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan during World War II. [9] The reporter group refers to the northwest visiting group of Chinese and foreign journalists.See note [1] on page 171 of this volume. [10] Wallace (1888-1965), then Vice President of the United States.Arrived in Chongqing on June 20, 1944, to carry out activities to "mediate" the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party.