Sources B,C and G

Question 3: Study sources B, C and G compare the value of sources B, C and G to the historian studying the long march (10 marks

For an historian studying the Long March, Sources B, C and G, when considered, are quite valuable. Each source has different origins and hold very different views. All the sources have varying ideas and a message they wish to portray. As a result, the sources could lose value and reliability as the historian must consider whether the sources are influenced and whether details have been left out. Each source has an individual value, but this grows stronger when the sources are considered collectively, as it allows the historian to get a broad and deep understanding. For example Source B is a primary source from an interview with a CCP soldier. It gives the historian valuable information as to specific details about the March and the harsh weather of the Long March ‘we marched through the late autumn and early winter, westward always westward’.

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This Source is written by a soldier, rather than Mao himself. It is less likely to have propaganda in it and can be seen as very reliable, however, it can be interpreted as propaganda as it was written by a CCP veteran and the statement ‘a million men against us’ can be seen as propaganda as it exaggerated the numbers and therefore the condition. Source B, although from a CCP soldier’s perspective does not appear one sided, as it concedes that ‘many of us died’. However, this Source is an extract, therefore limited and does not mention any of the GMD views and fails to mention the Long March, however, the source is both clear and blunt. For this reason, Source G could be considered equally important as Source B in aspects, as it does not make continued references to the Long March in a historical context.

Zedong constantly refers to the Long March as a ‘message’ and a ‘seeding machine’. This would be useful to an historian as it emphasises the historical significance of the Long March, which Source B does not, and allows a deeper knowledge. Throughout the Source, Zedong promotes the Long March, but it would be wrong to assume that everything within this Source is accurate. For example, unlike in Source B, Zedong has portrayed a very positive view of the Long March and the Red Army’s achievement so the motive of the source could be considered to be propaganda. However, Mao has referred to how the CCP were ‘intercepted by a huge force of several thousand men’ which coincides with Source B’s opinion therefore increasing the value and reliability of both sources.

Although some of the information within Source G may have been blurred such as the number of CCP soldiers who died on the Long March, it does not lower from its value and the relevance it has for an historian, however, it does effect it’s reliability. Source G also to Source B does have its own flaws. And the main one of these is that it doesn’t give the entire truth and doesn’t acknowledge the viewpoints of the GMD. Also, the intended audience of this source are the peasants, who are Zedong’s main group of supporters. Also, unlike Source B, this source is long and makes a bleak time in the party’s journey seem cheerful. Therefore, the reliability of the source decreases, but its value is the same as Source B.

If this is compared with Source C then both sources increase in value and reliability, as well as help to obscure the individual problems. Source C is from a GMD perspective. This Source blends with Zedong’s account of the Long March, allowing the historian to look at two different sides. Although they both contain their own elements of influence, Source C contrasts with the two other Sources, it suggests that the CCP was ‘annihilated… and under government control’. This is a result of its origin in Taiwan, where Chang Kai-Shek, leader of the GMD fled in 1949, which may have influenced its content and why its viewpoint has been changed, therefore decreasing it’s reliability.

By comparing the sources collectively, the historian is able to assess which points are accurate. For example it is possible to cross-reference facts between sources in order to consider how reliable they are. For instance both Sources B and G illustrate how the CCP marched westward and use the same figure for the soldiers, as a result, the historian is able to assume this fact to be correct as the sources support each other.

In conclusion, I believe that each source has its individual merits and is useful to an historian in different ways. Source B would be useful for getting an understanding into the actual events of the March, as it accepts both viewpoints. Source C is helpful for highlighting a GMD perspective and Source G is useful for gaining an insight into the CCP’s view. Analysing the Sources collectively obscures their negative aspects in terms of any one sidedness like in Source C and G and allows the historian to cross-reference the different views. Therefore they are all useful, with Source B being slightly more valuable because it is the one the historian can trust most. Each source has its own insufficiencies, but when considered collectively; their shared value increases an historian’s knowledge widely.

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