The Long March

What was the Long March?

The Long March was the relocation of 100,000 communists, following the Extermination Campaigns.

When was the Long March?

The Long March took place between the 16th October 1934 and October 1935.

Who was involved in the Long March?

An estimated 100,000 communists relocated.

Where did the Long March go?

The communists marched from Jiangxi to Yanan, in the north of the country.

Why did the Long March happen?

Following the 'White Terror' (the Shanghai Massacres), the communists took refuge in the Jiangxi Soviet. However, they lost strength and began to steadily retreat as a result of the Extermination Campaigns. By October 1934, it was clear to the communists that they would be destroyed if they remained at the Jiangxi Soviet.

What were the key events of the Long March?

There were 4 key events in the Long March:

• ❖ Upon leaving, the GMD army chased the communists constantly. At first, those travelling suffered huge losses after engaging in battle with the GMD in urban areas.
• ❖ In January 1935, Mao Zedong and Zhu De became leaders of the CCP.
• ❖ This led to a reorganisation of tactics; communist groups were subdivided and fought using guerrilla warfare, to avoid directly fighting more powerful GMD forces.
• ❖ The Long March exposed the communists to extremely tough conditions. When they arrived in Yanan, it is estimated only 10% survived.

What was the importance of the Long March?

There were 6 key outcomes from the Long March:

• ❖ It provided superb propaganda and created martyrs, which encouraged others to join the CCP.
• ❖ Mao became established as the outright leader of the CCP.
• ❖ With only 10,000 survivors, the march promoted the idea of self-sacrifice and set an example for others to follow.
• ❖ It provided the CCP with a stable base area in Yanan, where they could develop policies and support for communism.
• ❖ As the CCP, or "Red Army" went through villages, it gained the support of the people.
• ❖ However, the GMD also used this as propaganda, calling the march 'the Great Retreat'. This also seemed to confirm the GMD's control of China, with many western governments now recognising Chiang's government.