Chapter 104 Shandong may become a hub for strategic shift

(July 9, 1942) Comrade Hu Fu[1]: (1) The telegram of June 9 has already been received, and all the comrades in the secretariat have read it. Due to deliberation, the reply is delayed. (2) We very much hope that you will come to Yanbin to participate in the Seventh National Congress, but because the road is very unsafe, you should not take risks, and it is still appropriate to rely on the army behind the enemy lines. (3) In your behavior, put safety first and work second, and use this standard to decide whether to stay in Shandong or return to the military headquarters. (4) But there is one point that I need to discuss with you, that is, the importance of Shandong.The situation at home and abroad is very favorable.There is hope for victory in the anti-Hitler struggle this winter and next spring, and if so, there is hope for victory over Japan next autumn and winter.The Soviet Union, Britain, and the United States are united very well, and it will not affect the relationship between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party too badly.Our policy is to try our best to unite the Kuomintang, try to improve the relationship between the two parties, and emphasize the need to cooperate to build a country after the war.The entire international situation in the post-war period was still a democratic republic with a united front of cooperation from all sectors of the democrats. China had to go through the democratic republic to enter socialism.Under this general international situation, the Kuomintang still has the possibility of cooperating with our party after the war.Although there is another possibility of civil war, we should strive for the former possibility to become a reality.Therefore, it must be estimated that when Japan is defeated and retreats from China, the New Fourth Army and the troops south of the Yellow River must be concentrated in North China, or even the entire Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army must be concentrated in the three eastern provinces in order to obtain the conditions for continued cooperation between the KMT and the Communist Party (this point is not currently required. To anyone), so Shandong is actually a transfer hub.At the same time, it must be estimated that at that time the Kuomintang may seize the opportunity to solve Xinsi. If Chiang [2] sends out heavy troops from Shandong and cuts off Xinsi's northward route, Xinsi will be very dangerous. Zong and Yangsu columns[3]) caused the security conditions for Xinsi to move northward, and it is necessary to take into account in advance. (5) The above tasks of mastering Shandong must be undertaken by you.As for carrying out this mission, it is convenient for you to be in Shandong, but if northern Jiangsu is safer than Shandong, you can also perform it in northern Jiangsu, or return to northern Jiangsu for a while in Shandong, and then go to Shandong at the end, please decide according to the situation.After you decide what to do, the central government will notify the central China, Shandong and northern bureaus to entrust you with the power to command the overall situation in Shandong and central China. (6) The Japanese invaders are actively preparing to attack the Soviet Union. The time has come at the end of this month. You must be prepared to deal with this situation. (7) One of the strategies of the Japanese invaders to attack us is to find our main command organization to attack.The attack on the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army and the death of Zuo Quan[4] is a serious lesson. This spring, the 115th Division headquarters was also in danger. Please pay serious attention to it. All the main guiding organs and main leaders always put safety first. (8) The study of twenty-two documents[5] achieved great results in Yan'an (10,000 cadres participated in the study in Yan'an). During the study, various mixed thoughts were found and corrected. Most of the cadres said that Studying for two months is more effective than studying in the past three years. Please pay attention to guiding this kind of study according to the characteristics of the enemy's rear.Mastering thought leadership comes first in mastering all leadership.

Mao Zedong July 9 Printed from manuscript. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] Hu Fu, namely Liu Shaoqi. [2] Jiang refers to Chiang Kai-shek. [3] Shanzong refers to the Shandong column of the Eighth Route Army under the command of Zhang Jingwu and the political commissar of Li Yu.Yang Su Column refers to the Second Column of the Eighth Route Army with Yang Dezhi as the commander and Su Zhenhua as the political commissar. [4] In May 1942, the Japanese army "mopped up" the Northern Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army in Taihang District.On May 25, Zuo Quan, the deputy chief of staff of the Eighth Route Army, died in the breakout battle commanded by Matian, Liao County (now Zuoquan County), Shanxi.

[5] Twenty-two documents, see note [4] on page 422 and note [5] on page 423 of this volume.