China's Red Army Marches
Encyclopedia
China's Red Army Marches (1934), by Agnes Smedley
. Also published in the USSR as Red Flood Over China.
This book gives a detailed account of the Chinese Soviet Republic in Jiangxi
from 1928 to 1931, ending with the proclamation of the Soviet Republic of China in 1931. It has been described as pioneering "a new form of socially conscious art that considerably influenced leftist reportage in the 1930s", because "she spoke of individuals experiences, but she meant her readers to view the people about whom she wrote as representatives of a larger group who chose the mass actions linked to China's emerging Communist movement as an alternative to their despair.
The book has many details including an account of the Anti-Bolshevik League
. Neither Smedley nor any other Western reporter visited Chinese Soviet, but she had first-hand accounts from Chinese Communist fighters whom she covertly sheltered in Shanghai
. Her main sources were two Red Army commanders, Zhou Jianping and Chen Geng
. It is strongly partisan for the Chinese Communists and hostile to the Guomintang (Kuomintang).
The book does not deal with events past 1931, nor does it anticipate the destruction of the Jiangxi Soviet and the subsequent Long March
. It does however have detailed accounts of the words and actions of Zhu De
(Chu Teh), Peng Dehuai
(Peng Teh-hewi) and Mao Zedong
, whose name is inaccurately given as 'Mau Tse-tung'. It includes a full speech by Mao and some shorter remarks, perhaps the first time his words had appeared in English.
It also has some detailed accounts of early CCP policies, including land-reform policies that were more extreme than those followed after the Long March. And many accounts of battles, including the capture and subsequent loss of Changsha. And an emphasis on the importance given to educating the poor and giving rights to women.
This book and also Chinese Destinies
were covertly circulated in Guomintang-ruled China, both in English and in Chinese translations. It was one of only three foreign publications to be formally banned by the Guomintang government. She had long been identified by them as a major foe, and they even made the bizarre claim that she had brought cases of whisky to the Jiangxi Soviet base and had stood nude before a mass rally, singing the Internationale. (Claims of sexual laxity in Chinese Communist areas were common at the time. Edgar Snow
in Red Star Over China
mentions them as something he had heard but had correctly disbelieved.)
Agnes Smedley
Agnes Smedley was an American journalist and writer best known for her semi-autobiographical novelDaughter of Earth. She was also known for her sympathetic chronicling of the Chinese revolution...
. Also published in the USSR as Red Flood Over China.
This book gives a detailed account of the Chinese Soviet Republic in Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
from 1928 to 1931, ending with the proclamation of the Soviet Republic of China in 1931. It has been described as pioneering "a new form of socially conscious art that considerably influenced leftist reportage in the 1930s", because "she spoke of individuals experiences, but she meant her readers to view the people about whom she wrote as representatives of a larger group who chose the mass actions linked to China's emerging Communist movement as an alternative to their despair.
The book has many details including an account of the Anti-Bolshevik League
Anti-Bolshevik League incident
The Anti-Bolshevik League incident, or AB League Incident , was a period of political purge in the territory of a Chinese Communist revolutionary bases in Jiangxi province. Mao Zedong accused his political rivals of belonging to the Kuomintang intelligence agency "Anti-Bolshevik League"...
. Neither Smedley nor any other Western reporter visited Chinese Soviet, but she had first-hand accounts from Chinese Communist fighters whom she covertly sheltered in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. Her main sources were two Red Army commanders, Zhou Jianping and Chen Geng
Chen Geng
Chen Geng was a Chinese communist military leader.-Early life:Born in Hunan province, Chen was second of 12 siblings. However, because his elder brother died early due to illness, Chen became the eldest son. His grandfather, Chen Yiqong was an officer in the imperial Chinese army and was rewarded...
. It is strongly partisan for the Chinese Communists and hostile to the Guomintang (Kuomintang).
The book does not deal with events past 1931, nor does it anticipate the destruction of the Jiangxi Soviet and the subsequent Long March
Long March
The Long March was a massive military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China, the forerunner of the People's Liberation Army, to evade the pursuit of the Kuomintang army. There was not one Long March, but a series of marches, as various Communist armies in the south...
. It does however have detailed accounts of the words and actions of Zhu De
Zhu De
Zhu De was a Chinese militarist, politician, revolutionary, and one of the pioneers of the Chinese Communist Party. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in 1955 Zhu became one of the Ten Marshals of the People's Liberation Army, of which he is regarded as the founder.-Early...
(Chu Teh), Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai
Peng Dehuai was a prominent military leader of the Communist Party of China, and China's Defence Minister from 1954 to 1959. Peng was an important commander during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese civil war and was also the commander-in-chief of People's Volunteer Army in the Korean War...
(Peng Teh-hewi) and Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
, whose name is inaccurately given as 'Mau Tse-tung'. It includes a full speech by Mao and some shorter remarks, perhaps the first time his words had appeared in English.
It also has some detailed accounts of early CCP policies, including land-reform policies that were more extreme than those followed after the Long March. And many accounts of battles, including the capture and subsequent loss of Changsha. And an emphasis on the importance given to educating the poor and giving rights to women.
This book and also Chinese Destinies
Chinese Destinies
Chinese Destinies is a collection of essays about China and Chinese lives by Agnes Smedley, a left-wing journalist. Along with another book called China's Red Army Marches, it was covertly circulated in Guomintang-ruled China, both in English and in Chinese translations. ....
were covertly circulated in Guomintang-ruled China, both in English and in Chinese translations. It was one of only three foreign publications to be formally banned by the Guomintang government. She had long been identified by them as a major foe, and they even made the bizarre claim that she had brought cases of whisky to the Jiangxi Soviet base and had stood nude before a mass rally, singing the Internationale. (Claims of sexual laxity in Chinese Communist areas were common at the time. Edgar Snow
Edgar Snow
Edgar P. Snow was an American journalist known for his books and articles on Communism in China and the Chinese Communist revolution...
in Red Star Over China
Red Star Over China
Red Star Over China, a book by Edgar Snow, is an account of the Communist Party of China written when they were a guerrilla army still obscure to Westerners. Along with Pearl Buck's The Good Earth, it was the most influential book on Western understanding and sympathy for China in the 1930s...
mentions them as something he had heard but had correctly disbelieved.)