Chapter 24 The Tasks of the Eighth Route Army in Shanxi during the Transition Period to the Comprehensive Anti-Japanese War

(November 13, 1937) Zhu Pengren[1] and Enlai, Hu Fu, and Shang Kun[2] also reported to Lin Nie, He Xiaoguan, Liu Xuzhang[3] and other comrades: A. The nation's one-sided war of resistance has no strength to support, and the all-out war of resistance has not yet come. It is currently in a transitional period with a serious crisis of shortage. B. All the armies in Shanxi were defeated, except for Liu Xiang and Tang Enbo[4], all of them were unable to fight for the time being.The regular war is over, and all that remains is guerrilla warfare dominated by the Red Army, and the Shanxi ruling class and the leaders of the various armies have been shaken.

C. The task of the Red Army is to further develop the principle of independence and self-reliance, persist in guerrilla warfare in North China, fight against the Japanese invaders for most of the villages in Shanxi Province, turn them into guerrilla bases, mobilize the masses, recruit defeated troops, expand itself, be self-sufficient, and not rely on Others, fight more small victories, boost morale, use it to influence the whole country, promote the transformation of the Kuomintang, the government, and the army, overcome the crisis, and realize a new situation in the all-round war of resistance.

Ding and Xu Brigade of Lin Shi [5] rushed to the Wucheng area, ready to cooperate with He Shizhi's He Liao detachment [6] and win a few small battles.Headquarters, Lin Shi Division, and Chen Guanglv [7] rushed to the Fenxi and Xixian areas, preparing to fight a few small victories.Liu Shiying's division headquarters and Chen Geng's brigade[8] were located in the Taihang Mountains area, and they fought a few more small victories.The other regiment of the Liu Division should be handed over to the headquarters or under the command of the Lin Division. It is located on the east bank of the Fen River east of Jiexiu and Lingshi, and cooperates with the Chen Brigade on the west bank to pinch the enemy going down the Fen River, winning many small victories.It is quite right for the Rongzhen Military Region to establish the first independent division based on Yang Tuan[9], and it should also prepare to establish the second independent division based on the headquarters secret service battalion.Please Zhu and Peng quickly deal with the above.

E. The plan to recruit troops to the south and Sichuan is temporarily impossible.The method of expanding red is mainly through expanding the guerrillas, and secondly recruiting from large areas. Although it is no longer possible to the east of Fenyang and north of Jiexiu, it is still possible to the west of Fenyang and south of Jiexiu.Headquarters and Master Lin please pay attention to grab it in time, it will be impossible if it is too late.In the past, all plans should be based on the loss of Taiyuan and Niangziguan. In the future, all plans should be based on the loss of Jundu, Linfen, Puxian, and Jincheng. Northwest Shanxi should be based on the loss of Ningwu, Shenchi, and Wuzhai. The fall of Wutai, Yuxian, Guangling, Lingqiu, and Fuping is the starting point.Please take all of the above into consideration.

Mao Zedong November 13 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] Enlai, namely Zhou Enlai.Hu Fu, namely Liu Shaoqi.Shang Kun, that is, Yang Shangkun, was the deputy secretary of the Northern Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China at that time.

[3] Lin, referring to Lin Biao, who was then the commander of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army.Nie, referring to Nie Rongzhen, was then the political commissar of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army, the commander and political commissar of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region.He Xiaoguan refers to He Long, Xiao Ke, and Guan Xiangying, who served as the division commander, deputy division commander, and political commissar of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army at that time; The commander, deputy commander and political commissar of the 129th Division. [4] Liu Xiang (1888-1938), a native of Dayi, Sichuan, was the commander-in-chief of the Seventh Theater of the Kuomintang Army at that time.Tang Enbo was the commander of the 20th Army Corps and the 13th Army of the Kuomintang Army at that time.

[5] Xu Brigade refers to the 344th Brigade of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army where Xu Haidong was the brigade commander. [6] He Liao Detachment refers to the 716th Regiment of the 358th Brigade of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army with He Bingyan as its head and Liao Hansheng as its political commissar. [7] Chen Guang Brigade refers to the 343rd Brigade of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army where Chen Guang was the brigade commander. [8] Chen Geng's Brigade refers to the 386th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army under the command of Chen Geng.

[9] Yang Tuan refers to the independent regiment of the 115th Division of the former Eighth Route Army headed by Yang Chengwu.