Chapter 23 Opinions on the Situation in North China and the Adjustment and Deployment of the Eighth Route Army

(November 9, 1937) Zhu Pengren[1] and told Zhou[2] to transfer Hu Yangpeng[3]: Now that the regular war in North China has ended and guerrilla warfare has come to dominate, the Japanese invaders will soon move their main force to attack key points in the inland counties.Shenchi, Ningwu, and Jingle in the northwest of Shanxi, Wutai, Yuxian, Yuxian [4], Guangling, and Lingqiu in the northeast of Shanxi, Xiyang, Heshun, Liaoxian [5], Jincheng in the southeast of Shanxi, and southwestern Shanxi At Lishi, Zhongyang, Xiaoyi, Lingshi, Puxian, etc., the enemy forces will all advance, so I am divided into the four divisions of Nie Bu, He Shi, Liu Shi, and Lin Shi[6]( The Lin division should immediately move to the Luliang Mountains) and must be redeployed.The general deployment plan is to control one part as an assault team, and the majority to disperse as much as possible in various important places to organize the people's armed forces.In general, troops should be deployed first in areas close to railways and highways, and in remote areas, and then work; in areas where the enemy is about to arrive, work first, and in areas where the enemy will not be there for a while.All the armies were defeated, and Yan [7] had no master.Under the basic principles of the united front, the Red Army should freely mobilize the people, abolish exorbitant taxes, reduce rent and interest, recruit defeated troops, purchase guns, raise military salaries, implement self-sufficiency, expand troops, crack down on traitors, tolerate the left wing, and further develop the spirit of independence.By doing so, we expect to achieve remarkable results within one month, so that we can prepare sufficient forces to deal with the enemy's attacks on the counties in the interior.

Mao Zedong four o'clock on the ninth Printed from transcripts kept at the Central Archives. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] Zhu, refers to Zhu De.Peng, referring to Peng Dehuai, was the deputy commander-in-chief of the Eighth Route Army at the time.Ren refers to Ren Bishi, who was then the director of the Political Department of the Eighth Route Army. [2] Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai. [3] Hu, refers to Hu Fu, that is, Liu Shaoqi.Yang, referring to Yang Shangkun, then deputy secretary of the Northern Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.Peng, referring to Peng Xuefeng, who was then the Chief of Staff of the Eighth Route Army Headquarters and Director of the Shanxi Office.

[4] Yu County, in the west of Hebei Province. [5] Liao County, now Zuoquan County. [6] Nie Department refers to the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region formed by the First Division of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army, with Nie Rongzhen as the commander and political commissar.Master He refers to the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army under the command of He Long.Division Liu refers to the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army under the command of Liu Bocheng.Lin Division refers to the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army under the command of Lin Biao. [7] Yan, refers to Yan Xishan, who was then the commander-in-chief of the Second Theater of the Kuomintang Army.