Chapter 4 〇3. The historical status and contribution of the Northwest Revolutionary Base

The Northwest Revolutionary Base was established in the late period of the Agrarian Revolutionary War by merging the two bases of Northern Shaanxi and Shaanxi-Gansu Border.This base area lasted four years and eleven months from the establishment of the first Sicun plateau base area in March 1932 to the establishment of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region in February 1937.During this period, countless twists and turns and arduous struggles have been experienced.The military and civilians in the base area made great contributions and sacrifices, wrote a glorious page in the history of the Communist Party of China, and occupied a very important position in the Northwest Revolutionary Base Area.

After the failure of the Great Revolution, the Communists relied on the armed forces they created, held high the banner of the agrarian revolution, persisted in the armed struggle, and successively opened up more than ten bases in the vast rural areas of the north and south of the river, such as Jinggangshan, Central, Western Hunan, Hubei, Hubei, Henan and Anhui.However, under the erroneous auspices of "Left" adventurism and "Left" dogmatism during a period of central leadership work, 90% of the party organizations in the Soviet areas were lost, and the white areas were completely lost.After the failure of the fifth counter-campaign against "encirclement and suppression" in the central base areas, the Red Army in each base area was forced to withdraw one after another and carry out a strategic shift.Under the leadership of Liu Zhidan, Xie Zichang, Xi Zhongxun, Ma Mingfang and others, the Northwest Revolutionary Base resisted the influence of "left" dogmatism, led the army and the people to proceed from reality, implement correct principles and policies, and implement flexible and maneuverable strategies and tactics. The Kuomintang army "encircled and suppressed" again and again, and the base areas continued to consolidate and expand.In its heyday, the Northwest Revolutionary Base was bordered by the Yellow River in the east, under Liupan Mountain in the west, the Great Wall in the north, and Qiaoshan in the south.The Shaanxi-Gansu Border, Northern Shaanxi, Shaanxi-Gansu-Shanxi Provinces, Shenfu, Guanzhong Special Zone, etc. and 53 county Soviet governments were established, becoming a relatively complete and relatively large base.

In October 1934, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Red Army were forced to withdraw from the central base area, starting a strategic shift and carrying out the Long March.During the Long March, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee held several meetings to discuss the issue of the foothold. Some of them had no conclusions, and some had decided on the direction and goals, but they could not be realized due to changes in the objective situation. On September 20, 1935, the Long March of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Red Army arrived at Hadapu in Min County, Gansu.Mao Zedong proposed to go to northern Shaanxi according to the news that the Red Army and the base areas in northern Shaanxi still existed from the local newspapers. On September 27, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee held a meeting in Bangluo Town, Tongwei County, and formally decided to set the foothold of the Long March in northern Shaanxi.Since the Long March, this problem that has plagued the central government has finally been resolved.When the Red Army marched to the top of the Liupan Mountain of the Shaanxi-Gansu boundary marker, Mao Zedong said happily: "We have already passed through ten provinces, and we will enter the eleventh province, Shaanxi Province, where we are based. home." The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Red Army arrived at the Northwest Revolutionary Base, avoiding the continuous interception and pursuit of the Kuomintang army, and ending a year's long journey.From then on, a new historical period of the Chinese revolution began.

From October 19, 1935, when the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Red Army arrived in northern Shaanxi on the Long March to February 1937, the Northwest Revolutionary Base became the seat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Central Military Commission, and the Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic.The central party, government and military leading organs successively stationed in Wuqi Town (now Wuqi County), Xiasiwan, Ganquan County, Wayaobao (now Zichang County), Baoan (now Zhidan County), and stationed in Yan'an on January 13, 1937.Here he led and commanded the Northwest Revolution and the Long March of the Red Army from all walks of life across the country. On September 16, 1935, the Long March of the 25th Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army first arrived at Yongping Town, Yanchuan, the Northwest Revolutionary Base, and merged with the Northwest Red Army, which established the Northwest Revolutionary Base, to form the 15th Corps of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, opening up the country The prelude to the Red Army joining forces in the Northwest Revolutionary Base. On November 6, the Central Red Army and the 15th Red Army joined forces at Elephant Trunk Bay, Ganquan County. In late September 1936, the Red Fourth Front Army and the Red Second Front Army arrived in southern Gansu.With the support and strong support of the military and civilians in the Northwest Base, on October 9, the headquarters of the Red Fourth Front Army arrived in Huining to join the Red Front Army. On the 22nd, the Red Second Army of the Red Second Front Army joined forces with the Red First Front Army in Jingning Jiangtaibao on the 23rd.So far, the main forces of the Red Army from all walks of life in the country have gathered in the Northwest Revolutionary Base.The Northwest Revolutionary Base has truly become the stronghold of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the leadership center of the national revolution.

After the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China arrived in northern Shaanxi, the Northwest Revolutionary Base was under the direct leadership of the Central Committee. At this time, everything that happened here, no matter in terms of time, space or location, was not unrelated to the Northwest Revolutionary Base.The same is true for the formation and successful practice of the anti-Japanese national united front theory and complete system.After the September 18th Incident and the North China Incident, China is facing a serious national crisis. On August 1, 1935, the Communist Party of China published the "Message to All Compatriots for Anti-Japanese and National Salvation", calling on the people of the whole country to mobilize to "stop the civil war and unite to resist Japan" and establish an anti-Japanese national united front.Then the party led the "December 9th" student movement, which set off a powerful mass struggle to stop the civil war and resist Japan and save the nation.The goal of the struggle at this time was, on the one hand, to call on the people to mobilize and actively participate in the resistance against Japan;Less than two months after the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China arrived in northern Shaanxi, a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee was held in Wayaobao, the center of the Northwest Revolutionary Base, and the "Resolution on the Current Political Situation and the Party's Tasks" was passed. Strategies on the front lines.The Wayaobao Conference was a milestone in the history of the development of the United Front, marking the formation of the Chinese Communist Party's complete and systematic theory and correct principles and policies on the Anti-Japanese National United Front. In May 1936, at Wayaobao, where the central government was stationed, the Red Army sent a telegram saying "A truce to negotiate a peace, unite to resist Japan", and achieved a truce with the Kuomintang Northeast Army and Northwest Army that were attacking the Red Army at that time.At this time, the struggle strategy of the anti-Japanese national united front had developed from "anti-Chiang and anti-Japanese" to "force Chiang to resist Japan" by uniting all strata and classes to unite and fight against Japan together.The peaceful settlement of the Xi'an Incident forced the Kuomintang to stop the civil war.After the July 7th Incident broke out, on September 23, 1937, Chiang Kai-shek made a speech in Lushan Mountain, recognizing the legal status of the Communist Party of China, realizing the second cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, and forming a new national anti-Japanese national united front.According to the spirit of the Wayaobao Conference, this united front includes not only progressive forces such as workers, peasants, and revolutionary intellectuals, but also intermediate forces such as the national bourgeoisie, democratic parties, some local power factions, and other patriotic elements. The big landlords and big bourgeois die-hards.Determined to adhere to the principle of the party's leadership and independence in the united front, adopt the policy of "developing progressive forces, winning over middle forces, and isolating stubborn forces", and implement the policy of "unity and struggle, seeking unity through struggle" The anti-communist diehards carried out a "reasonable, beneficial, and restrained" struggle.The content, principles, guidelines, and policies of the new anti-Japanese national united front were all formed and implemented in the Northwest Revolutionary Base Area, where they were successfully practiced.

The new policies formulated by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China based on the anti-Japanese national united front in the new era, or the revisions and adjustments to the policies implemented in the past, were first tried and implemented in the Northwest Revolutionary Base Areas, and some of them were introduced to other base areas after gaining experience here. promoted or provided for reference. Contained a large number of Kuomintang troops and responded to the strategic shift of the Red Army from all walks of life.After the Long March of the Central Red Army, Chiang Kai-shek of the Kuomintang, while mobilizing troops to encircle and pursue it, also mobilized troops to "encircle and suppress" the revolutionary base areas in the Northwest, causing his front to be stretched and regardless of the north and the south. In February 1935, Chiang Kai-shek mobilized 26 regiments to carry out the second "encirclement and suppression" of the Northwest Revolutionary Base.Under the leadership of Liu Zhidan and others, the Red Army in the base area liberated six counties of Yanchang, Yanchuan, Anding, Ansai, Jingbian, and Baoan after more than ten battles, smashing the "encirclement and suppression" of the Kuomintang army.In July of that year, Chiang Kai-shek mobilized another 150,000 people from Yan Xishan, Gao Guizi, Jing Yuexiu, and Ma Hongkui to launch a third "encirclement and suppression" campaign against the Northwest Revolutionary Base, in an attempt to destroy the base in one fell swoop, wipe out the Northwest Red Army, and make all roads in the Long March The Red Army has no place to stand.Under the command of Liu Zhidan, the Northwest Red Army successively won victories in the battles of Laojundian in Suide County, Mujiayuan Village in Wubao County, Dingxianyong, and Hengshan, inflicting heavy damage on the invading enemy, causing the Jin army to retreat to the east bank of the Yellow River, Don't dare to commit crimes.The anti-"encirclement and suppression" war in the northwest base area contained a large number of Kuomintang troops, which objectively played a positive role in reducing the pressure on the Red Army during the Long March and supporting the Red Army's strategic shift.

The revolutionary armed forces were strengthened.On the eve of the arrival of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Red Army in the Northwest Revolutionary Base Area, the number of regular Red Army units in the base area has grown to more than 5,000, and the total number of guerrilla divisions, guerrilla columns, and detachments has reached more than 4,000. In the 15th Army Corps, the regular Red Army has nearly 10,000 people.The equipment of the Red Army and the guerrillas has been greatly improved, and the level of strategy and tactics has also been greatly improved.In order to expand and consolidate the base areas, the people actively joined the Red Army. At the beginning of 1936, according to the Central Committee's "Instructions on Violently Expanding the Red Army", Northern Shaanxi Province accepted the central government's task of recruiting 7,000 people. In just three months, more than 9,000 people were recruited.In less than a month, Fuxian County recruited more than 1,000 people to join the Red Army. The Military Department of the Shaanxi-Gansu Military Commission sent people to organize the establishment of an independent regiment, which later became the 29th Red Army.In just a few months, the Red Army and local armed forces reached more than 30,000 people, and there were more than 14,000 regular Red Army troops crossing the Yellow River.This armed force merged with the Red Second and Fourth Front Armies later, and became the vanguard of the Anti-Japanese War and the elite of the Chinese nation.

A group of senior cadres have been trained for the party and the country. Under the leadership and training of Liu Zhidan and Xie Zichang, the Northwest Revolutionary Base has emerged a group of proletarian revolutionaries and senior party, government and military leaders, such as Xi Zhongxun, Ma Mingfang, Ma Wenrui, Yan Hongyan, Yang Sen, Yang Qi, Zhang Xiushan, Zhang Dazhi, Wang Shitai, He Jinnian, Chuck, Guo Hongtao, Zhang Bangying, Gong Fengchun, Liu Jingfan, Cui Tianmin, Cai Ziwei, Gao Langting, Li Chiran, Wang Zhaowai.They not only made important contributions to the establishment and development of the Northwest Revolutionary Base Area, made great achievements in the victory of the Anti-Japanese War and the People's Liberation War, but also made important contributions to the construction of new democracy and socialism.

The fine traditions laid the foundation for the later Yan'an spirit.In the long-term revolutionary struggle, the base area has formed a fine tradition, the spirit of seeking truth from facts and hard work.The leaders of the base areas and the Red Army were able to resist the influence of "Left" dogmatism and formulate principles and policies based on reality.In leading the land reform of the masses, they did not physically destroy the landlords, but gave the rich peasants a way out; in terms of military strategy, they insisted on rural separatism, carried out guerrilla warfare, and did not attack big cities; All who can unite.They proposed three forms of creating their own armed forces, namely white (sending people to win over the Kuomintang army and local militias), gray (sending people to win over bandit armies), and red (creating workers' and peasants' armed forces).The Red Army moved to deep mountains and old forests for a long time, eating and sleeping in the dew, often with little clothing and food.The party, government and military personnel had no houses to live in, so they dug caves and built soil kangs by themselves.In order to reduce the burden on the people, they opened up wasteland and farmed land by themselves.Another example is firm belief and indomitable revolutionary will.Xie Zichang, the main founder of the base area, successively participated in leading the Qingjian Uprising and the Weihua Uprising, and went to the Kuomintang army to do military work.There were 11 members of the family who participated in the revolution, and 9 of them died.Wang Taiji, who joined the Communist Party during the Great Revolution, was imprisoned by the Kuomintang authorities twice after he led the Linyou Uprising and participated in the Weihua Uprising. Worrying, the universe will be popular everywhere in the future.” Another example is to sacrifice all personal spirit for the benefit of the party and the people.Liu Zhidan, the main founder of the base area, was squeezed out and attacked by the wrong "Left" leaders many times, and was demoted several times and even reduced to an ordinary soldier.In the mistaken "Eradication of Rebellion", the messenger handed him the secret document for his arrest. He had a chance to escape, but in order not to cause a split in the party, he ignored his personal safety and resolutely came to Wayaobao until he was arrested.The fathers of Zhang Xiushan, the former Secretary of the Shaanxi-Gansu Border Special Committee of the Communist Party of China, Wang Zhaoxiang, the head of the Third Regiment of the Red Army in Northern Shaanxi, and Mao Fengxiang, the Organization Director of the Shenfu Special Committee of the Communist Party of China, were wrongly killed during the land reform, but they all put the overall situation first. , regardless of personal grievances, insisted on the revolution unswervingly, and made important contributions to the party and the people.All of these laid the foundation for the later formation of Yan'an spirit.

He made heroic sacrifices and selfless dedication to the establishment of the base area and to welcome the arrival of the Central Committee.During the establishment and development of the base area, it was repeatedly besieged by the Kuomintang army and reactionary militias. The commanders and fighters of the guerrillas and the Red Army in the base area were not afraid of bloodshed and sacrificed, and bravely resisted.Thousands of commanders and fighters and revolutionary masses sacrificed their lives defending the base to fight against the enemy's "encirclement and suppression", among which the prominent representatives were Xie Zichang, Liu Zhidan, Li Miaozhai, Changsen, Huang Geng, Zhong Xuegao, Xie Shaoan, Yang Chongyuan, Bai Mingshan, Wang Zhaoqing, Bi Weizhou, Xie Weijun , Zhou Dongzhi, Wang Mantang, etc.The people in the Northwest Revolutionary Base will never forget these heroes who died in the Loess Plateau.

Although the Northwest Revolutionary Base is remote and poor, the people still save money on food and clothing. They do everything possible to raise food and funds for the Central Red Army, and all parties mobilize to do field work.After the Central Red Army arrived in northern Shaanxi, farmers in Wuqi town donated 25,000 catties of grain, more than 50 pigs and sheep, several thousand catties of wool and hundreds of pieces of cloth.More than 970 shi were raised for grain in northern Shaanxi Province, and more than 1,600 yuan were raised in Chiyuan County.The masses scrambled to take the wounded back to their homes for recuperation. In the sixth district of Chiyuan County alone, more than 200 wounded were resettled at one time.During the battle of Zhiluo Town, Fu County and Zhongyi County organized hundreds of stretchers to transfer the wounded and military supplies.During the Red Army's Eastern Expedition, Suide and Qingjian Counties alone built more than 60 ships within 20 days, and Yanshui County produced more than 1,000 stretchers and more than 800 pack animals.Only four months after the Central Red Army arrived in northern Shaanxi, women in northern Shaanxi made 8,486 pairs of military shoes and 553 pairs of socks, and Yanchuan County sewed more than 3,000 sets of military uniforms within four days.The touching scenes where the army loves the people, the people support the army, and the army and the people are as close as a family can be seen everywhere, composing moving songs of triumph. "Thousands of households open the door, welcome their loved ones in quickly, put hot oil cakes on the table, and serve them with boiling rice wine..." This popular folk song in northern Shaanxi, "Shandandan Blossoms are Brilliantly Red", is the scene at that time The true portrayal of it has been passed down to this day and will last for a long time.The military-civilian relationship in the Northwest Revolutionary Base became a shining example of the continuous development of "double support" work.