Looking back at the Long March, we can see what we can appreciate

Looking back at the Long March, we can see what we can appreciate

■ Wang Shuzeng

This year marks the 85th anniversary of the victory of the Long March. The Long March, which took place from 1934 to 1936, is a magnificent epic written by the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army with faith, ideals, courage and will. Exactly 85 years after the victory of the Long March, we look back on the Long March again because, despite the vicissitudes of the sea and the mulberry fields, the historical essence of a nation needs to be inherited; it is because despite the great changes in the mountains and rivers, the spiritual bloodline of a nation needs to be connected. How should we understand the Long March and interpret the spirit of the Long March today?

One

We should start with one of the most plain topics: What is the Long March? First of all, the Long March is a rare expedition in human history that is not afraid of difficulties and obstacles. "In the long journey, the red army officers and men fought more than 600 battles with the enemy, crossed nearly a hundred rivers, climbed more than 40 high mountains and dangerous peaks, of which more than 20 snow mountains above 4,000 meters above sea level, crossed the vast grassland known as the 'death trap', and conquered the limits of human survival with tenacious will. The officers and men of the Red Army staged a mighty and majestic war drama in the world's military history and created a human miracle that swallowed mountains and rivers. "The Long March spanned 14 provinces in China at that time, and the total area of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's war was larger than the total land area of many European countries. The Long March passed through the highest elevation of the vast wetland, which was almost the same area as the land area of France. More importantly, during the Long March, the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was often in the pursuit and blockade of enemy troops several times larger than itself, and a fierce battle occurred in an average of 3 days. The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army not only had to fight against the enemy who was "encircled and suppressed" by heavy troops, but also had to march an average of more than 50 kilometers a day. After the Central Red Army seized the Kyaukpyeong ferry crossing on the Jinsha River, Liu Bocheng, chief of the general staff of the Red Army, said: "The cadre regiment walks two hundred miles a day, and it is night again, it is a difficult mountain road, and there are enemies. How can a person walk so far in a day? They went, and they fought the battle. ”

Second, the Long March was a rare expedition in human history without fear of sacrifice. In October 1934, the 86,000-strong unit of the Central Red Army embarked on the Long March, and a year later, when it reached the town of Wuqi in northern Shaanxi, nearly 7,000 people. In May 1935, nearly 100,000 troops of the Red Fourth Front crossed the Jialing River in the west, and when they arrived in Huining, Gansu Province, in October 1936, the whole army was more than 33,000 people. In November 1935, more than 17,000 people of the Red Second and Sixth Red Armies rushed out of the blockade of the Kuomintang's 300,000 troops, and in October 1936, when they reached Lund to meet the troops of the Red Army, the whole army was more than 11,000. In November 1934, the Red Twenty-fifth Army embarked on the Long March, and after several months of arduous battles, it became the first unit of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army to reach northern Shaanxi, arriving with only more than 3,000 troops. After the Central Red Army broke through lazikou, in Gannan, Peng Dehuai, commander of the Red Third Army Corps, was appointed commander of the Shaanxi-Gansu detachment. When he left the Red Third Army, this Red Army general who had experienced all kinds of difficulties and dangers burst into tears in the face of all the Red Army cadres of the legion. Peng Dehuai said: "From the tens of thousands of people in the first anti-'encirclement and suppression' army, there are only 2,000 people left now... All that remains is the essence, the hope of the Chinese revolution. ”

The Long March is also a rare expedition in human history to spread ideals. The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army turned to fight for most of China, spreading with firm conviction and indomitable spirit the revolutionary ideal of the Chinese Communists changing heaven and earth. The Long March awakened millions of people in China and gave them a yearning and hope that they had never had in their generations. The crossing of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army on Chinese soil made the people living at the bottom of society know for the first time that the revolution led by the Communists and the Red Army of Workers and Peasants could change all the injustices in the world. For this reason, thousands of people followed the ranks of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army all the way, firmly believing that the end of this road was the China that the toiling masses had dreamed of for thousands of years - the Long March was the beginning of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's journey to a brand-new China.

In October 2016, at the conference commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Red Army, President Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "The Long March, a great feat in human history, has left us the most valuable spiritual wealth, that is, the great Long March spirit forged by the Chinese Communists and the soldiers of the Red Army with their lives and blood. ”

What is the Spirit of the Long March? The spirit of the Great Long March is the spirit of putting the fundamental interests of the people of the whole country and the Chinese nation above all else, strengthening revolutionary ideals and convictions, and firmly believing in the inevitable victory of the just cause; the spirit of not being afraid of any difficulties and dangers, and not hesitating to make all sacrifices in order to save the country and the people; that is, the spirit of persisting in independence, seeking truth from facts, and proceeding from reality in everything; the spirit of taking into account the overall situation, strictly observing discipline, and forging close unity; that is, the spirit of relying closely on the masses of the people, relying on the masses of the people in life and death, sharing hardships and hardships, and struggling hard.

Two

The victory of the Long March is the victory of ideals and convictions.

The Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army basically consisted of two levels: the political and military elite who had received systematic revolutionary theoretical education, many of whom had studied abroad, and who knew one or two foreign languages; and the other, the political and military elites who came from the bottom of old Chinese society and many of whom were illiterate and poor peasants. Although the people who formed the Red Army of Workers and Peasants came from different strata of Chinese society, the social ideals of the Communists were consistent with the dreams of the destitute peasants.

Although not all the Communists in the ranks of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army were of proletarian origin, their social ideals belonged to the proletarians, that is, to overthrow the old China and maintain the rule of exploitation and oppression, and to seek the complete political and economic emancipation of the proletariat. The Communists who led the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army on the Long March were undoubtedly the most outstanding elements of that era, because the social ideals for which they devoted themselves were the aspirations of millions of Chinese people for generations, and they practiced the great revolution of Chinese society with unparalleled firm conviction and strong will, so the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army will not stop moving forward even if it is in a desperate situation and even if it sacrifices greatly.

And those from the bottom of old Chinese society — the poor peasants, the craftsmen, the unemployed industrial workers — have suffered unjust oppression for generations, and many have never lived a "human" life. The Communists' claim of the proletarians seeking liberation taught them that the working people could control their own destiny and that there could be a society free from exploitation and oppression. So, when the red flag with the sickle and hammer head painted with the sickle and hammer they were familiar with appeared in front of them, they grabbed the hoe, the hammer, or even just a wooden stick beside them, and joined the ranks of the Red Army in order to change their fate. In Ruijin and Xingguo, more than 100,000 young people joined the Red Army; in Tongjiang, 120,000 young people followed the ranks of the Red Army — nothing in this world can stop people from running towards a good life.

After the Red Army crossed the Dadu River, when it passed through the enemy blockade of Lin Huaping, the Planes of the Kuomintang Army dropped bombs, and the guards flew toward Mao Zedong. Chen Changfeng was pushed far away by the blasting air waves, and Hu Changbao was seriously injured. Mao zedong bandaged him with doctors, but Hu Changbao's breath was already weak. Mao Zedong hugged the little Red Army, who was not yet 18 years old, and said: "It will be fine, we will carry you away." Hu Changbao said: "Chairman, I feel that the blood is flowing into my stomach." I have nothing to worry about, the chairman takes care of himself. Hu Changbao, a little Red Army, died in Mao Zedong's arms. Mr. Mao's confidential secretary, Huang Youfeng, said he had seen Mao in tears for the first time. In the ranks of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, whether it is the political and military elite or the illiterate Soldiers of the Red Army, the officers and men are like one person, and they all firmly believe that they are strivers of a great cause. They were passionate, went forward, sacrificed their lives and forgot their deaths, and were determined to sacrifice their lives for the ideals that every Red Army shared.

The environment along the Long March was harsh and the fighting was fierce, but the Red Army sang continuously on the Long March. Where did the red army's happiness, which faced hunger, injury, cold and death threats almost all the time, come from? The officers and men of the Red Army did not suffer or bewildered because of their personal interests; they lived a full and pure life, and their only goal of survival was to overcome the difficulties on the journey and the enemy who came with the impact. Their convictions are extremely firm, they must be strong-willed, and they have nothing to do with this world except their yearning for a new China.

The Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was a military operation, a political ideal, and even more a forging of the immortal spirit of mankind. With the support of spiritual strength, the history of a nation will have a lasting impetus to move forward.

Three

The spirit of heroism can almost encompass all kinds of indomitable spirits that human beings present in the pursuit of social progress, including bravery, never-say-die and perseverance. In the heritage of human civilization, heroism is a huge driving force supporting human development, without which the development of human civilization would be unimaginable today. The victory of the Long March is also the victory of revolutionary heroism.

Revolutionary heroism is the passion of life that bursts out under the banner of faith and ideals. The vast majority of the commanders of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army were very young, and some of the combatants were still teenagers. The young officers and men of the Red Army were able to march day and night without seeing a single grain for days, and then throw themselves into fierce and brutal battles, and their bravery and tenacity and fearless sacrifice were unparalleled in the world. These young officers and men of the Red Army, a contingent full of brilliant dreams for the future, are always the outstanding Communists and excellent Commanders of the Red Army in this contingent when they charge at the enemy.

In the Battle of Xiangjiang, the Red Thirty-fourth Division led by division commander Chen Shuxiang was responsible for the rearguard. In order to ensure that the large troops crossed the Xiang River, Chen Shuxiang led his troops to defend their positions. After the CPC Central Committee, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, and the organs directly under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China crossed the Xiang River, the Red Thirty-fourth Division was heavily encircled, and almost all of them died heroically. At the last moment, Chen Shuxiang was injured and arrested. At that time, He Jian, commander-in-chief of the Kuomintang "pursuit and suppression" army, sent a telegram to the generals of the Xiang Army on the front line, ordering that the commander of the Red Army division be taken to Changsha alive. As a result, soldiers of the Kuomintang army carried Chen Shuxiang on the trail all night. Suddenly, the soldier carrying the stretcher behind felt something almost slipped. It turned out that Master Chen Shuxiang was lying on a stretcher, tearing open the abdominal wound with his hands, pulling out his intestines and twisting them, preferring to end his life with his own hands than fall into the hands of the enemy army. He was only 29 years old when he died.

When the Red Second Army entered Guizhou in the west, it was blocked by the Kuomintang army at Dongshan, and he Bingyan, commander of the Fifth Division, rushed up the hill facing the enemy's machine guns, and the officers and men of the Red Army saw their division commander holding a shell gun in his left hand and the entire sleeve of his right arm was bloodied. After the battle, He Long asked the hygienist, "Can you keep your arm?" The hygienist said: "Only by sawing off the arm can you save your life." A large saw boiled in boiling water for an hour, and because there was no anesthetic, the officers and men of the Red Army pressed Down on He Bingyan's body. He Bingyan said, "All on the side!" Saw it. After the saw, He Long walked over to He Bingyan's pale paper face due to severe pain for a long time, and then picked up something from the pool of blood on the ground and held it in his hand. From then on, whenever the Red Second Army was mobilizing for battle, He Long would open the bupa he was carrying and say, "Look, this is the bone slag of He Bingyan, the commander of the Red Army Division." ”

When the Red Twenty-fifth Army crossed the River, the troops were separated by a sudden surge of water on the north and south banks, and the cavalry units of the Thirty-fifth Division of the Kuomintang Army and an infantry regiment attacked the north bank. Wu Huanxian, who had already reached the south bank safely, plunged into the rushing river at the moment when the gun sounded, and struggled to swim towards the north bank of the enemy's attack. Once the Red Twenty-fifth Army was held back, it would be exhausted, and Wu Huanxian, who had gone to the north bank, led the army's transportation team to start a counterattack. On the mound, the officers and men of the Red Army saw Wu Huan turn back to them and shouted, "Rush with me!" Then, the thin body fell straight down in the heavy rain — several bullets from the enemy hit the 28-year-old Commissar of the Red Army.

What the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army left in the course of human history was a strong will and an incomparable bravery. As Chinese, we should have better reason than anyone else in the world to read about the Long March waged by the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. If we understand the Long March, we will know how powerful the will of mankind is, why life can still have happiness and self-confidence after suffering and hardship, and we will know how vast the heavens and the earth will be and how glorious life will be when a person links the fate of an individual with the fate of the nation.

Four

The Long March was also a victory for collectivism. Taking into account the overall situation, strictly observing discipline, and forging close unity are the reasons for the invincibility of the officers and men of the Red Army.

The Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army is an army of equality between officers and soldiers, an army without the concept of private property, and an army in which everyone closely links his or her personal destiny with the cause of national liberation. The Red Army "the uniforms of officers and men are the same, the red stars on their heads are the same, and the gestures of sacrifice are the same." Officers and soldiers are unanimous and all are equal, and for those poor young peasants, this is something they never dared to expect before joining the Red Army. The internal relations determined by the proletarian character of the Red Army are the spiritual source of this detachment, which travels through the lofty mountains and rapids, and maintains its astonishing combat effectiveness.

When the Central Red Army arrived at Huili, the officers and men were given some silver dollars to buy items. Everyone stuffed the silver dollars they had given themselves on the stretchers of the wounded, whether they were commanders in their twenties or soldiers who were only fifteen or sixteen years old. The officers and men of the Red Army generally believed that as long as they were not wounded and left behind, it was useless to keep silver dollars; and those wounded on stretchers could save their lives if they were left behind. When the Red Second Front crossed the meadow, the fallen Red Army, in order not to drag the other comrades, simply covered their faces with grass and did not move, hoping that the comrades who walked by them thought that they had died. When the Red Army cadres knew about it, they pulled the grass off their faces one by one and carried them to the stretchers as soon as they found a breath. Some Red Army, who knew that they could not go on alive, took off all their clothes and put them aside before sacrificing, so that the Red Army coming from behind could wear the cold. In order to let more officers and men walk out of the grass, Zhang Zhenkun, commander of the Red Eighteenth Division, spread a rain cloth on the grass and poured his remaining dry food on it, and all the officers and men of the division followed him to do so. Zhang Zhenkun stressed to the officers and men of the Red Army that the reason was: "Revolution is not successful by one person. And once the young officers and men of the Red Army thought of the company commanders, battalion commanders, regimental commanders, and division commanders who had saved their lives, their words were, "My life is not my own"—when every Red Army on the Long March can sacrifice its life, then there is no army in the world that cannot be overcome and invincible.

Five

President Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "More and more people in the international community believe that the Long March of the Red Army is one of the most important events in the 20th century that can most affect the future of the world, and it is a human epic full of ideals and dedication, composed with will and courage. The powerful force that the Long March bursts out of the hearts of the people, spanning time and space and crossing the nation, is a great epic of mankind's unremitting efforts to pursue truth and light. ”

The spirit of the Long March belongs not only to the Chinese, but also to all mankind.

When human society entered the 21st century, Time of Life Publishing Company published the book "1000 Years of Mankind". A hundred important events that occurred in the course of human history from 1000 AD to 2000 AD were published. Scholars from different nationalities, different countries and different disciplines in the world agree that in the entire thousand years that have passed, these hundred important events have had an important impact on the course of human history. China has three historical events selected: the invention of gunpowder weapons, Genghis Khan's empire and the Long March of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. To be sure, Western scholars have nothing in common with the Chinese Communists ideologically, nor do they view the Long March from the perspective of the history of the Communist Party of China and the military history of the Chinese Red Armed Forces.

The Long March belongs to such an event in human history: even after a long period of time, it will still be pursued by the world. For decades, people of different countries, different nationalities and different ages have appeared on this long journey that the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army once walked. In today's rapid development of human material civilization, why should the people of the world endure fatigue, fatigue and lack of living conditions, and walk on this road winding through the lofty mountains? On the other side of the globe, Brzezins, a former U.S. national security adviser, announced in the fall of 1981 that he was going to China on a trek "along the long march route." He came and took his whole family on the path taken by the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in 1934. When the Western politician came to the dadu river crossing, he was shocked by the rushing river and the steep cliffs on both sides, and he was shocked by the feat of more than 30,000 workers and peasants of the Red Army crossing the river in the pursuit of more than 100,000 enemy troops. Brzezinski later said: "For the up-and-coming new China, the significance of the Long March is not only an unparalleled heroic epic, its significance is much more profound." It is a hint of the spirit of national unity, and it is also a necessary factor to overcome what is backward. ”

The Long March embodies an indispensable spiritual force that human civilization can develop to this day, that is, never yield, always advance, and never retreat. At present, many foreign young people are not interested in the history of the Chinese revolution or the Chinese Red Army, but are looking for this source of strength and spiritual source that can support their lives and can go on with more strength. The Long March is a major event in the process of human spiritual civilization, which has continuously injected new spiritual vitality into mankind.

Six

A person without a spirit is a man of desolation of heart. A nation without a spirit is a nation with a bleak future. Spiritual qualities can change the destiny of individuals and the world. The faith, ideals, will and courage embodied in the Long March are the spirits that can create miracles on earth.

Historically, the party has united and led the people of all nationalities throughout the country to carry out one magnificent long march after another and won one victory after another. At present, we are closer to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than at any time in history, and we are more confident and capable of achieving this goal than at any time in history. On the road to the second centenary goal, we need to vigorously carry forward the spirit of the Great Long March.

Looking back at the Long March, we first know what is the power of faith, what is the indomitable will, what is cohesion, what is a just and great cause, and what is the heroism of a nation, a country, and an army.

Undoubtedly, all the undefeated in human history have originated from this.

With this spirit, the Chinese revolution was able to win victory.

With such a spirit, the Chinese nation has been able to endure hardships and live endlessly.

With such a spirit, China has the hope of winning a bright and brilliant future and realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The Long March will live forever in the annals of human history.