Adequate preparation before departure: the origin of the 800,000 funds of the Red Army
In October 1934, the Central Red Army was forced to leave the central Soviet area of its base area and embarked on a difficult journey of 25,000 miles. However, before departure, the Red Army was well prepared for this strategic shift.
What is surprising is that the Red Army actually carried a huge amount of money of more than 80 yuan. Where exactly does this money come from? The answer can be traced back to the tungsten sand trade during the Central Soviet period.
It turns out that tungsten sand is abundant in southern Gansu, and tungsten sand is an important raw material for the manufacture of weapons and ammunition. The Red Army was well aware of this and reached a mutually beneficial and win-win deal with the Cantonese warlord Chen Jitang early.
The Red Army sold tungsten sand to Chen Jitang in exchange for a large amount of military revenue. This hard-won tungsten sand trade income has become an important source of more than 80 yuan of the Red Army's huge funds.
However, the relationship between the Red Army and Chen Jitang can be described as delicate. Although Chen Jitang temporarily stopped the offensive against the Red Army, his real purpose was to covet the tungsten sand resources in southern Gansu.
Once the Red Army withdrew, Chen Jitang would immediately send troops to occupy southern Gansu. Nevertheless, the Red Army skillfully used the strategic opportunity of this time, not only gaining valuable respite, but also accumulating sufficient funds and food reserves.
It was with these reserves that the Red Army was able to maintain the basic needs of the troops at the beginning of the Long March, laying the groundwork for subsequent arduous transfers.
However, the Red Army's funds and food were limited after all. On the long journey of the Long March, it is not enough to rely on pre-departure reserves. The Red Army also needed to find ways to raise more money and supplies in order to continue to support this great revolutionary journey.
Combat capture: The enemy makes us weapons, and our own enemies send food and clothing
No matter how well you reserve before departure, you will inevitably be overstretched during the long journey of the Long March. But the Red Army was not a vegetarian, they had a unique way of "supplying" - combat capture! That's right, it's about getting weapons, ammunition and supplies by defeating the enemy.
This is no joke, in a series of famous battles such as the four crossings of Chishui, the Red Army relied on captured materials to get through the difficulties.
Don't say it, the Red Army really has two hits. They even summed up a slogan: "No guns, no artillery, the enemy made us; There is no food, no clothing, and there is an enemy of their own!" This is not an exaggeration.
In the Battle of the Four Crossings of Chishui, the Red Army, relying on its superb command and mobile operations, not only shook off the encirclement and interception of the Kuomintang, but also captured a large amount of guns, ammunition, and provisions. This is a solution to the urgent need!
The role of combat capture in the Long March should not be underestimated. It not only provided the Red Army with the necessary material support, but more importantly, greatly boosted morale.
Think about it, can the fighting spirit of the Red Army soldiers not be high, wearing the new clothes they have captured, eating the captured dry rations, and holding the captured weapons? This method of self-reliance and reaping the fruits of victory from the enemy also embodies the revolutionary spirit of the Red Army in defying hardships and dangers and daring to struggle.
However, relying only on combat captures, the material support of the Red Army was still stretched. After all, it is impossible to win every war, and it is difficult to sustain and stabilize captures. The Red Army also needed more sources of financing to sustain the Long March.
Fighting local tyrants and dividing the land: another source of revenue for the Red Army
Combat captures, while important, knew that the Red Army could not put all its eggs in one basket. They found another way and started a huge agrarian revolutionary movement - fighting local tyrants and dividing the land!
This is not something that can be fought casually, the Red Army has a strict set of standards.
Seeing that there are a lot of livestock at home, or the oil on the stove is so thick that it can get tired of killing flies, or there are so many farm tools that it can't fit it, congratulations, you have successfully been targeted by the Red Army, and it is inevitable to be promoted to a "local tyrant"!
However, it is not possible for a group of people to rush into the land recklessly, and the Red Army pays attention to organization and discipline. They set up a "confiscation committee" composed of the most reliable and honest cadres.
This committee is not a dry meal, and their responsibilities are heavy. From the collection of grain to the confiscation of the property of local tyrants, from the investigation to the distribution of materials, each piece and pile must be reviewed and supervised by them.
This is the style of the Red Army, rigorous, meticulous and unambiguous!
Fighting local tyrants and dividing the land has brought tangible benefits to the Red Army. According to statistics, on October 20, 1934 alone, the Red Army confiscated the property of 15 landlords, raised more than 30,000 oceans, and seized more than 1,200 pieces of clothing, not to mention countless grains.
This wealth became the "life-saving money" of the Red Army. With these funds and materials, the Red Army was able to cope with various challenges more calmly during the Long March, and even in the most difficult moments, it had the confidence to persevere.
Of course, the fight against local tyrants and the division of land was only a microcosm of the revolutionary struggle of the Red Army. In the final stage of the Long March, the Red Army faced even more severe tests.
Food is exhausted, exhaustion, the road ahead is uncertain, and hope seems unattainable. But at this moment, a special figure stepped forward and gave the Red Army assistance in the snow.
Sending charcoal in the snow: foreign aid and mentoring in the later stage of the Long March
In the latter stages of the Long March, especially when crossing the meadows, the Red Army encountered unprecedented difficulties. When the straw sandals were eaten, the warriors had to weave their shoes out of bark and weeds; When the salt is finished, it is made with the ashes of the trees; The ammunition is exhausted, and it is only possible to rely on the enemy to "deliver it to your door".
Moreover, the Red Army was almost in a desperate situation - the enemy was closing in, food and grass were cut off, medicine was running out, and the wounded and sick had nowhere to stay. Who can lend a helping hand at this critical juncture?
Just when the Red Army needed help the most, a special figure stepped forward. She is the great revolutionary pioneer Soong Ching-ling. When Soong Ching-ling learned of the situation of the Red Army, he immediately donated generously and donated his family property worth 400,000 silver dollars.
That's a lot of money at the time! Not only that, Soong Ching-ling also ran around, calling on all sectors of society to support the Red Army. Inspired by her, many progressives have donated money and materials, provided information, or assisted in the resettlement of the sick and wounded.
This aid was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the Red Army at the most critical moment.
It was with this support that the Red Army was able to tide over the difficulties and move on. And when the three main forces of the Red Army finally met in Gansu after all the hardships, the officers and men of the Red Army all burst into tears.
After two years of bloody fighting, the Red Army finally completed the great Long March!
Standing in the crowd of the divisions, the officers and men of the Red Army recalled the bits and pieces along the way: the difficult preparations before departure, the battles and captures along the way, the revolutionary action of fighting the local tyrants and dividing the land, and the helping hand at the last moment.
All this has been condensed into the spirit of the Long March and has become a precious asset of the Chinese revolution.
The victory of the Long March was not only the result of the indomitable and courageous march of the officers and men of the Red Army, but also inseparable from the great help of people from all walks of life.
This expedition, which attracted worldwide attention, not only tested the will and quality of the Red Army, but also demonstrated the strength of the Chinese nation to unite and forge ahead.
From history to reality, the spirit of the Long March has endured and inspired generation after generation to make unremitting efforts for national rejuvenation. The story of the Red Army's efforts to raise funds and sustain the survival of its troops during the Long March is an indispensable part of this great journey.
These stories not only vividly portray a period of eventful years, but also interpret a revolutionary character of perseverance and self-improvement. Today, let us revisit these touching historical chapters, draw strength from them, and forge ahead on the new Long March!