Chapter 26 At the Central Reporting Meeting, Deng Bin asked Xiang Zhongfa for cigarettes

In early January 1930, Deng Bin returned to Shanghai.He reported the work in Guangxi to the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission. Xiang Zhongfa, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Li Lisan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and Minister of Propaganda, Zhou Enlai, Secretary of the Central Military Commission (Military Minister), and Li Weihan, Minister of Organization and Secretary-General of the Central Committee, listened to Deng Bin's report, discussed the work in Guangxi, and discussed The report and the record of the discussion were published in the second issue of "Military Newsletter" sponsored by the Military Commission.

At that time, the Red Army and the base areas across the country were in a state of isolation.In order to strengthen the Party's leadership over the Red Army and exchange information, under the auspices of Zhou Enlai, the Central Military Commission established the secret publication "Military Newsletter" (now in the Central Archives) on January 15, 1930.The first issue published Chen Yi's "Report on the History and Situation of the Fourth Red Army". After the report, it will be clear", "It is unique in China".The Red Army and local party organizations are required to learn from the experience of the Fourth Red Army.

Soon, an article entitled "Discussion on the Work Arrangement of the Guangxi Red Army" was published in the second issue of "Military Newsletter", and an editor's note was added.The editor said in the note: We did not plan to publish all the records of the discussion, just because the transformation in Guangxi was the most organized and conscious mutiny in the whole country. It is very important to disseminate the lessons and experience gained from this mutiny to the local Party headquarters.We have therefore published this record in its entirety. In his report, Deng Bin reported in detail the work of Guangxi in the previous stage and proposed ideas for future work.

According to the report, the previous stage of military work in Guangxi can be divided into four periods: the first period was when the Military Commission (i.e., the Front Committee) was not established, and the movement of soldiers failed to start in a planned way; The Military Commission began to pay attention to the movement of soldiers in a planned way, and sent some people to the army in a planned way; in the third period, the teaching corps was already colored red, and it might be dragged out to launch guerrilla warfare, but it had already attracted the attention of the enemy; During the four periods, Yu Zuobai failed to oppose Chiang Kai-shek until now, and has dragged the Fourth and Fifth Guard Brigades to Baise, Youjiang and Longzhou, Zuojiang, and decided to formally establish the Seventh and Eighth Red Army.

Regarding the future work of the Front Committee, the report stated that we should continue to deepen the agrarian revolution, establish a Soviet revolutionary government directly elected by the masses, establish peasant associations organized by poor peasants, prevent aimless burning and killing, and all work should be directed towards the masses.It is necessary to expand propaganda, develop workers' organizations, protect small businessmen, increase donations to large businessmen, abolish exorbitant and miscellaneous taxes, improve local party work, and so on. With regard to the army, the report said that it is necessary to increase the combat effectiveness of the army, establish guerrilla warfare tactics, improve treatment, ensure that officers and soldiers are equal, reform the composition of the Red Army, carry out military training, strengthen political work in the army, and pay attention to maintaining military discipline and party discipline.The direction of military development is to get in touch with Zuojiang and Youjiang, and push them to the border of Hunan and Guangdong, so as to create a prospect of rendezvous with Zhu (Germany) and Mao (Zedong).

At the end of the report, Deng Bin said that the Seventh and Eighth Red Army had sufficient military personnel, but there was a lack of political personnel in the Party and the army.There used to be no local party organizations, and at present there is a great shortage of party organization cadres.The life of the local peasants was very difficult. Most of the land was concentrated in the hands of small and medium landlords. There were many self-cultivating farmers, but most of them were poor.Commodity exchange in Guangxi is centered on opium. Now one is to withhold part of the opium, and the other is to increase the taxation of opium trade. During the discussion, the spokesperson put forward many opinions and suggestions on the work of Guangxi, some of which are quite sharp, which can be seen at a glance With a strong "Left" flavor and the commanding tone of the Far East Bureau of the Communist International:

——The Guangxi Red Army should develop towards Liuzhou and Guilin, use revolutionary violence to overthrow the local bourgeois alliance regime there, and establish a Soviet-style dictatorship of workers and peasants. — To expand the scope of armed riots, organize regional general strikes and attack major cities. ——Under the situation in certain provinces, organizing an uprising in one or several provinces should make a firm decision today, and make the anti-warlord war and armed protection of the Soviet Union the main tasks of developing an independent mass revolutionary movement. ——Never have the slightest illusions about Li Mingrui, and step up the fight against him, otherwise, the Far East Bureau will accuse him of colluding with the warlords.

——The criticism of the Far East Bureau is correct. At present, the most serious problem in our party is right deviation, otherwise, it will be betrayed.Two years ago, Jiang and Wang betrayed the painful lesson of the revolution, shouldn't we learn it? ——The Chinese revolution is setting off a new upsurge in the intensification of warlord contradictions. We must be particularly vigilant against warlord figures like Yu Zuobai and Li Mingrui who use the armed forces of workers and peasants to achieve their ruling goals. After everyone spoke, Deng Bin made supplementary explanations based on the opinions of the discussants and even the questions raised, reiterated some key points of work that must be done according to the reality of Guangxi, and gave necessary explanations, explanations, and representations on some people's subjective assumptions and misunderstandings .He was very sincere. He said, of course, we still have illusions about Li Mingrui, but now, in Zuojiang, our subjective power has not been able to drive him away, and it is not wrong to think that it is not wrong to temporarily use his clues to mobilize the work of the lower masses. OK.Of course, it is right that the main thing is to mobilize the masses at the lower levels, but we cannot ignore the clues from the upper levels to establish the work!He said that although Li Mingrui was an old military officer, he was a famous general in the Northern Expedition and an anti-Chiang warrior. Together with our party comrades, he organized and led the Baise and Longzhou uprisings.Moreover, he has accepted the call of our party and has resolutely devoted himself to the ranks of the revolutionary ranks.

He said, the central government sent me to Guangxi to do united front work!According to Li Mingrui's performance and his own request, I suggested to the central government to approve the development of Li Mingrui as a member of the Communist Party of China.Not copying others' opinions, not copying others' old wisdom, not being a "peacemaker" and stating his opinions and opinions frankly and honestly. This is exactly what the young "little man" named Deng Bin has always done in the past and now. A consistent character of life!His outspoken advice, his wisdom and agility, and his reasoning and decision-making still show the charm and demeanor of his glorious nickname "Small Steel Cannon"!

When he put forward the suggestion of promoting Li Mingrui's joining the party, he was immediately opposed by some people - he didn't mind this, he was just so calm and calm. He said: I would like to accompany a certain comrade to go to Guangxi for inspection. At the same time, I would like to guarantee the responsibility and conscience of a party member. Is this possible? ! The words were spoken immediately, and the scene was silent for several seconds, no one spoke to answer or raised anything extra. At the end of the symposium, Zhou Enlai, aliased as "Guansheng", made a conclusive speech: Guangxi is suitable for the development of the revolution, and also suitable for the survival of counter-revolutionary forces, so we must understand that this period cannot be too optimistic.In terms of politics, it is necessary to serve the tasks of the two major parties, the armed defense of the Soviet Union and the war against warlords. meeting.In terms of military affairs, it is clear that the front committee is the highest organ within the party in the army. To carry out the soldier movement and expand the Red Army, the Red Seventh Army should be relatively concentrated. Mao Hongjun echoed and reached the prospect of rendezvous.

Although this conclusive speech did not deviate from the "Left" frame of the Central Committee at the time, it generally analyzed the situation in Guangxi in a more objective and realistic manner, and gave instructions for the future work of the Guangxi Red Army. People's styles and levels are very different. In view of Zhou Enlai, who was in charge of the military, making such a conclusion, Xiang Zhongfa, whose alias was "Tesheng", and Li Lisan, who was aliased "Baishan", stopped expressing most of their objections. Deng Bin took notes seriously.As soon as Zhou Enlai finished speaking, he raised his face, raised his smiling lips and met Zhou Enlai's eyes. He touched his pocket, and found that he was addicted to cigarettes, but the cigarette case in his pocket was empty.Seeing that Xiang Zhongfa was sitting there "breathing the clouds", he walked over and said, "General Secretary, borrow a cigarette." Xiang Zhongfa took out half a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and said generously, "Take it, take it, I'll give you the half pack of cigarettes!" Deng Bin took the cigarette case, took out a cigarette, took a puff, and said, "I will only borrow one, and I will return the rest to you." He smiled at the general secretary.Xiang Zhongfa also nodded and smiled at him. After the "Sixth National Congress" of the Communist Party of China, there was an abnormal phenomenon in the party: excessive emphasis on workers.Xiang Zhongfa (also known as Zhongfa, a native of Hanchuan, Hubei, born in Shanghai) worked as a worker in the Hanyang Arsenal, and then went to Wuhan as a sailor and dock worker. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1922 and was assigned to work in the trade union of Hubei Province. After 1926, he successively served as the executive member of the Hubei District of the Communist Party of China, the labor minister of the Hankou City Party Headquarters of the Kuomintang, the commander-in-chief of the Wuhan workers' picket team, and the chairman of the Hubei Provincial Federation of Trade Unions.Soon after the failure of the Great Revolution, Xiang Zhongfa went to the Soviet Union to serve as the CCP’s representative to the Comintern. He was appreciated by Bukharin, the head of the Comintern, and Mif, the deputy director of the Eastern Department of the Comintern. , "should take on important responsibilities in the branch of the Communist Party of China (the Communist Party of China is a branch of the Communist International)". From June 18 to July 11, 1928, at the Sixth National Congress of the Communist Party of China held at Serebrona, a country house near the town of Zvinigorod in the suburbs of Moscow, Xiang Zhongfa was elected as the Central Committee Member of the Political Bureau, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, and general secretary of the Central Committee.Xiang Zhongfa himself never imagined that he would be the first "top chair" in the CCP. He was flattered and had to think that he was "really incompetent" and could not play a major decision-making role in actual work.But this is a need, and it cannot be controlled by him, nor by the CCP, nor by many outstanding people in the party.Because Xiang Zhongfa, who is obedient to orders, is the general secretary of the Communist Party of China, the baton of the Comintern can be wielded at will and used freely. The Politburo Standing Committee of the "Six National Congresses" consists of five members: Xiang Zhongfa, Zhou Enlai, Su Zhaozheng, Xiang Ying, and Cai Hesen.Because Cai Hesen looked down on Xiang Zhongfa, he was quickly dismissed as a member of the Politburo, member of the Standing Committee and head of the Central Propaganda Department (in March 1931, he went to Hong Kong to guide the work of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, was arrested by the British police on June 10, and was later extradited. To Guangzhou, was killed by the Kuomintang warlord).Su Zhaozheng returned from the Soviet Union in February of the following year, and died of illness that month.Therefore, Li Lisan, who was originally an alternate member of the Political Bureau and Standing Committee of the Central Committee, was replaced as a member of the Politburo and Standing Committee and head of the Central Propaganda Department.After this period of time, Xiang Zhongfa, Zhou Enlai, and Li Lisan became the main leaders of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.Xiang Zhongfa relied on Zhou Enlai for military decision-making, but in other aspects he relied on Li Lisan for everything. Due to the lack of a clear understanding of the long-term and unbalanced nature of the Chinese revolution within the party, the experience of the Soviet revolution was regarded as a model that could be copied, coupled with the strong hatred of the Kuomintang’s massacre policy and the desire for an early victory in the revolution, resulting in The "Left" error represented by Li Lisan in the party developed viciously during this period. Between the spring and summer of 1929, Mif, a representative of the Comintern, came to China to organize the Far East Bureau with a German and a Polish.They are different from the international representatives in the past: they do not participate in the meetings of the Politburo and Standing Committee of the CCP, but Xiang Zhongfa, Zhou Enlai, Li Lisan, etc. go to them to ask for instructions, report or discuss with them before or after the meeting.Many conflicts of opinion quickly occurred between the two sides. For example, the CCP sent Deng Xiaoping to Guangxi as a representative of the Central Committee to engage in a united front with Yu Zuobai and Li Mingrui in preparation for an armed uprising, but was accused by the Far East Bureau of making a rightist mistake and "falling into the quagmire of opportunism." When the central representative and Li Mingrui led the Fourth and Fifth Brigades of the Guangxi Garrison to stage a mutiny and turn the troops to Zuojiang and Youjiang areas to prepare for an armed uprising, the Far East Bureau accused this of "collaborating with the warlords" and "leading the revolution astray."Another example is the issue of guerrilla warfare, the two sides also had a heated debate.The Far East Bureau said: Under the current Chinese environment, guerrilla warfare will definitely fail.The spokesperson of the CCP said: Peasant self-defense requires guerrilla warfare; China has a large territory, with mountains, rivers and lakes, which are most conducive to guerrilla warfare.The Far East Bureau said: The most serious problem within the CCP is right deviation.The spokesperson of the CCP said: Anti-Rightist should not relax anti-"Left".The two sides have been arguing endlessly, and the situation is very deadlocked.Even Xiang Zhongfa, who has always responded to the instructions of the Communist International, was indignant. He said: "I am very opposed to the working method of the Far East Bureau. They specifically criticize the central government for their faults! Shit fuck (Hubei dialect), medicine does not Symptoms, how to cure diseases!" It seems that it was against this background that the Central Committee ordered Deng Bin to return to Shanghai to report in detail on the work in Guangxi, so as to further state the actual situation in China to the Communist International and the Far East Bureau. Zhou Enlai did not mention Li Mingrui's question in his concluding speech. ——This is undoubtedly a recognition of Deng Bin's suggestion that the central government approve the development of Li Mingrui as a member of the Communist Party of China. The meeting approved Deng Bin's proposal.Deng Bin took the opportunity to ask Zhongfa to borrow a cigarette, which was undoubtedly a subterfuge - "emotional wooing", which not only smoked his cigarette, but also showed a kind of respect for him.In Xiang Zhongfa's view, to ask him for cigarettes is to look down on him as the general secretary, and he needs the general secretary to express his sympathy.Seeing Zhou Enlai nod his head slightly to him, he said, "Let's pass this proposal!" Shortly after Deng Bin reported his work to the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, that is, on March 2, the Shanghai Party Central Committee sent a letter of instruction to the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China to the Front Committee of the Seventh Red Army.The letter wrote: Comrade Deng Bin (Xiaoping) came and gave a detailed report on the past work and transformation in the Guangxi military. In addition to discussing many specific issues with Comrade Deng Bin in detail and conveying them personally, he also had the following instructions. The instruction said: The current situation is that the crisis of the imperialist attack on the Soviet Union is deepening, and the situation of the national warlord war is becoming more chaotic, which has accelerated the crisis of the ruling class.The Seventh Red Army came into being under the objective conditions of the whole country and under the influence of mass struggles in Guangxi.Although the Seventh Red Army appeared in remote Guangxi, its great role and significance cannot be reduced. This instruction letter from the central government summarized the advantages and disadvantages of the work of the Seventh Red Army in the previous stage, and pointed out that the main line of work in the future is: carry out the agrarian revolution in depth, expand the guerrilla warfare, completely destroy the feudal forces, and build a system based on the trust of the masses. Soviet power.The future of the development of the Seventh Red Army "is to advance to the border of Hunan and Guangdong, and the center of Guangdong, to get in touch with Zhu, Mao's Red Army, and the local riots in Beijiang, so as to win the first victory in one or several provinces in Guangdong." The letter of instruction approved the list of the front committee of the Seventh Red Army, appointing Deng Bin, Chen Haoren, Zhang Yunyi, Li Qian, Wei Baqun, Lei Jingtian, and He Shichang to form the front committee, with Deng Bin as the secretary of the front committee.At the same time, Li Mingrui was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Seventh Red Army and the Eighth Red Army, and Deng Bin was the general political commissar. This instruction of the Party Central Committee pointed out the future tasks and directions for the Seventh Red Army and the Eighth Red Army.Many of these instructions are very important, such as deepening the agrarian revolution, establishing Soviet power, mobilizing the masses, stepping up opposition to imperialism, and so on.However, its content is still full of the spirit of "Left" adventurism, especially the defense of the Soviet Union, the attack on big cities, the victory of one or several provinces, and some "Left" policies and measures.And it is these "leftist" instructions and spirit that set an extremely difficult and dangerous course of bloody battle for the Seventh Red Army and the Eighth Red Army.