Chapter 75 Gain time to establish the Wuling Base in northern Guangdong and southern Hunan

(July 22, 1945) Wang Zhen, Shoudao[1]: (1) Smart telegrams.Where are Taohuashan and Jinjiaping [2], what is the situation along the way, and how long does it take to reach the Wuling [3] mountain range? (2) In order to deal with the Allied forces landing in Shandong, the Japanese invaders dispatched five divisions from Hunan and Guangxi to march northward, not abandoning southern China.However, in order to shorten the line of defense, Nanning, Liuzhou, Ganzhou, etc. have been abandoned, and some locations may be abandoned.But at least it must stick to Guangzhou and the entire Yuehan Road.Ji'an and Yuanzhou [4] have not been occupied, and the information of the merchants is not accurate.

(3) The meeting of the Big Three in Berlin[5] will decide the two major issues of Europe and Asia.Song Ziwen[6] went to the Soviet Union for more than ten days of talks, but the problem has not yet been resolved.After the meeting of the Big Three, Song will still go to the Soviet Union, and may decide that China and the Soviet Union will fight together.All of Chiang Kai-shek's preparations were anti-communist, and the danger of civil war was unprecedentedly serious. (4) Your only task is to seize the present moment to establish the Wuling base area in northern and southern Hunan, and unite with our army in Guangdong, and prepare to contain the southern wing during the civil war.It will be extremely difficult to accomplish this task, but as long as internal and external unity and correct policies are followed, it can be accomplished.Don't hope to establish base areas in Liu, Li, Heng and Bao[7]. Chiang Kai-shek will do his best to eradicate these base areas after the defeat of the Japanese invaders, which will put our army at a disadvantage.We should go all the way south and establish the Wuling base area, taking advantage of the contradictions at the junction of the four provinces of Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Jiangxi. After the defeat of the Japanese invaders, I can still gain a foothold.In addition, it is of great strategic significance to join forces with the Dongjiang column[8] so that they can receive assistance, preserve and develop this southern force that has been established for many years, and avoid possible failures, and you must also complete it.When looking at problems, you should take a longer view and don't be fooled by temporary phenomena.

(5) Modesty and prudence, neither arrogance nor impetuosity, is the attitude that the whole party should adopt.Modesty means no arrogance, and prudence means no impetuosity. Arrogance and impetuosity are the great enemies of revolutionary work.I hope you will defend yourself with this and educate all cadres. (6) All possible difficulties must be envisaged in everything, such as serious enemy situation, defeat in battle, lack of food, not only no expansion of the army but a great decrease, internal differences of opinion, disunity, etc.Only by thinking through all these in advance and making full mental preparations, and making cadres have such preparations, can we come up with a way to overcome difficulties and move towards a bright future.

Mao Zedong lunch Printed from manuscript. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] Wang Zhen, then commander of the Hunan People's Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army.Shoudao, that is, Wang Shoudao, was a political commissar of the Hunan People's Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army at that time. [2] Taohuashan and Jinjiaping are both located in the southwest of Pingjiang County, Hunan. [3] Wuling, see note [8] on page 441 of this volume. [4] Yuanzhou, now Yichun County, Jiangxi. [5] The Big Three refer to Stalin, Truman, and Churchill, the leaders of the Soviet Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom.From July 17th to August 2nd, 1945, the heads of state of the three countries (later in the meeting, the head of the United Kingdom was the successor Prime Minister Attlee) and their foreign ministers held a meeting in Potsdam, southwest of Berlin, Germany, focusing on discussing the basic politics of Germany after the war , economic principles and other issues.During the meeting, China, the United States, and Britain issued the "Potsdam Proclamation" on July 26, urging Japan to surrender unconditionally.

[6] Song Ziwen, at that time served as President of the Executive Yuan of the Kuomintang government and Minister of Foreign Affairs.From June to August 1945, according to the "Yalta Agreement" reached by the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, Song Ziwen, a representative of the Kuomintang government and others, and Molotov, a representative of the Soviet government, held talks in Moscow.The talks officially started on June 30. On July 12, Song Ziwen left Moscow on the grounds of returning home to ask for instructions. Stalin and Molotov left the Soviet Union to attend the Potsdam Conference, and the negotiations were interrupted.On August 8th, the two sides resumed negotiations, and China's Song Ziwen and the new foreign minister Wang Shijie participated in the negotiations.On August 14, the two sides formally signed the "Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Alliance", four other agreements, and two subsidiary protocols.

[7] Liu, Li, Heng, and Bao refer to Liuyang, Liling, Hengyang and Baoqing (now Shaoyang) in Hunan. [8] On December 2, 1943, the Guangdong People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Corps, which was active in the Dongjiang area of ​​Guangdong, was reorganized into the Guangdong People's Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Corps Dongjiang Column, referred to as the Dongjiang Column.