From this source alone, it does provide evidence of the CCP’s initial intentions were to escape from the GMD, also source C agrees with the same statement but is from a GMD perspective and can be questioned for reliability.
The tone of Source C is blunt towards the CCP and the nature is quite unsympathetic and refers to the Red army as ‘…remnants…’ and describes them as retreating towards the west, ‘…the communist broke the siege and fled to the west…’ As the source is from a GMD viewpoint it holds the motive to condemn the CCP and to promote themselves, this makes the source more unreliable, but it is valuable as it is the only source from a GMD view. Source C clearly shows that the GMD claims, that the CCP were running away, the CCP also had to endure a very harsh trek, ‘…with the rain soaking us to the skin and the wind in our faces…’ This segment of the source also conveys that the Long March was a struggle, and the situation was not stable which furthermore appeared as a retreat. So far the sources have been analysed at a short term perspective.
Sources B and C which are from the two opposing sides both agree with the statement that the Long March was a retreat, the sources presents the as CCP moving away from the GMD. Source B also describes the CCP’s movements as ‘…a slow moving caravan…’ this quote is describing the slow journey the Red Army were on yet, this could be observed as the seeding machine, wherever the CCP went their ideas had influenced people and this now could be seen as victory as they slowly gained power in a Long term perspective.
If the Long March was viewed overall in a long term viewpoint the outcome and result is victorious for the CCP. Source C can also illustrate this. The attribution states that the source was produced in ‘Taiwan 1971’; however, the Red Army successfully completed the Long March in 1949 and Communism took rule of China this led to the GMD to flee to Taiwan, so really the CCP had been successful and had pushed the GMD out of China. Source C can dispute and support the statement that the Long March was a retreat.
Source G Mao describes the Long March as ‘…victory for us and defeat for the enemy…’ the reliability can be questioned as the origin is from the leader of the CCP, however within the source it tells us that he is speaking after the Long March has taken place, ‘For twelve months we were under daily reconnaissance..’ and goes on to state that the GMD has been defeated, ‘…Chiang Kai-Shek and his like are powerless…’ this source contradicts the statement that the Long March was a retreat.
Source H is also an account written after the completion of the Long March,’ Welcome Chairman Mao…’ this segment again opposes the idea that the Long March was a retreat but a great success in the long run as this source states that Mao is now Chairman, this extract reveals the result of the planting seed.
Other factors to prove that the Long March was not a retreat was the war between China and Japan, initially the GMD and CCP did unite with one and another to fight against Japan, yet the GMD began concentrating on suppressing the CCP, but the CCP carried on solely, fighting for their country China, this made the CCP seem more patriotic as they became the only defenders for their country.
Overall the Long March originally began as a retreat when the Red Army were under rule of Otto Braun, the GMD had four times the power of artillery and they started out with an army four times the size as the CCP’s. Not until Otto was replaced by Mao Zedong the retreat then evolved into a great success e.g. no longer were the Red Army ‘sitting ducks’ as Mao changed their straight westwards route, the change of leader could be distinguished as a turning point for the Long March.
From a short term perspective the Long march began as a retreat to keep the Red Army alive but from a long term perspective the Long March was successful, as the majority of survivors then became the Leaders of China, this makes the Long March exceedingly significant as ‘the lessons they learnt’ on the Long March greatly influenced and shaped China to the country it is today.
‘….Long Live the Chinese Communist Party…’ this extract is indeed true as up to now as Communism is still going on;
Article 2 ‘All power belongs to the people’ – Mao’s idea is still alive even amongst the invasion of Japan and World War 2 and the quote also displays that the seed was sown very deeply during the Long March for Communism to still be alive and therefore completely contradicts the statement that the Long March was a retreat but in fact a Victory.
Word Count: 1062
Total Word Count: 3320
Bibliography:
* Class Work
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* China preparation booklet
