History of China from 1600 to 1987 - Page 12

History of China: A College Paper By Paul Noll

N. Mao Zedong Supports the Peasants

The Guomindang in its military efforts alienated many of the rural peasants with conscriptions, theft, abuse of women and general cruelty. Mao, on the other hand, had set up a rapport with the civilian populations. He enforced strict discipline on his armies. He set out "The Three Main Rules of Discipline" and "The Eight Points for Attention." Failure to adhere to these could and did result in execution for the offenders.

The Three Main Rules of Discipline:

  1. Obey orders in all your actions.
  2. Do not take a single needle or piece of thread from the masses.
  3. Turn in everything captured.

The Eight Points for Attention:

  1. Speak politely.
  2. Pay fairly for what you buy.
  3. Return everything you borrow.
  4. Pay for what you damage.
  5. Do not hit or swear at people.
  6. Do not damage crops.
  7. Do not take liberties with women.
  8. Do not ill-treat captives.

This combined with the Guomindang's policy of beheading captured troops and destruction and theft of civilian property caused the peasants to look to Mao as the protector of the masses. The U.S. became the main supplier of the Guomindang forces and the Guomindang became the main supplier of the CCP forces through defections, and capture. Mao's main supply of troops came from peasants and captured Guomindang troops (along with their weapons). Mao's stronghold in the south came under extreme pressure from Guomindang forces and on October 16, 1934 the breakout from encircling Guomindang forces, began. Zhou Enlai brilliantly coordinated the withdrawal strategy. Lin Biao commanded the First Army and Peng Dehuai the Third Army. Peng would go on to be the commander of the Chinese forces in Korea. This march would span 370 days and traverse some 6,000 miles and became one of the legends of Chinese history. Known as the "Long March" it became a rallying point for the next 58 years. Survivors of this march still enjoy a special status even today.

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