Red Army’s Struggle Against Encirclements Campaign

The struggle against the counter-revolutionary "encirclement" launched by the KMT against the revolutionary bases in the south. The presence and growth of the Red Army and the revolutionary base areas shocked and panicked the ruling KMT authorities. After the Great War in the Central Plains, Chiang Kai-shek mobilized his troops to launch a counter-revolutionary “encirclement” against the Red Army's revolutionary bases in the south.

In February 1931, the KMT authorities mobilized another 200,000 troops to carry out a second “encirclement” of the Central Revolutionary Base Areas by adopting the tactic of “advance gradually and entrench at every step”. Under Mao Zedong's command, the Red Army still adhered to the policy of “leading the enemy deep into an ambush” concentrating its forces and annihilating them individually. In mid to late May, five consecutive battles were won, and the enemy's second “encirclement” was crushed.

In June 1931, Chiang Kai-shek himself became the commander-in-chief, accompanied by British, Japanese, and German military advisors, and led 300,000 troops to attack the central revolutionary base in three directions, relying on heavy troops and using “drive straight in” tactics. The Red Army still used the strategic principle of “leading the enemy deep into an ambush” and “avoid the enemy's main forces and strike at his weak spots”. Over the course of three months, Red Army annihilated 30,000 enemies, successfully crushing the enemy's third “encirclement”. At this time, the revolutionary base areas of Hubei, Henan, Anhui, Hunan, and Western Hubei also won the struggle against the “encirclement”, which enabled the Red Army and the bases to develop greatly.

In July 1932, Chiang Kai-shek mobilized 300,000 troops and launched an attack on the base areas of Hubei, Henan, and Anhui provinces. Due to Zhang Guotao's wrong leadership, the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army was forced to evacuate the base due to several unfavorable battles. At the same time, the 100,000 troops of the KMT launched an attack on the western Hunan-Hubei base area. Under the misguided command of Xia Xi and others, the Third Red Army Corps suffered heavy casualties and was forced to move to the east of Guizhou Province.

At the end of 1932, the KMT mobilized 30 divisions and launched the fourth “encirclement” campaign to the central revolutionary base in three directions. Under the command of Zhou Enlai and Zhu De, the Red Army, in accordance with Mao Zedong's strategic idea of active defense, adopted the operational policy of attacking the west by sounding the east, ambushing large regiments, concentrating superior forces, and resolutely besieging and annihilating them. They eliminated three enemy divisions and achieved victory in the Fourth Counter-“Encirclement” Campaign.

In October 1933, Chiang Kai-shek mobilized one million troops and more than 200 planes to launch the fifth “encirclement” of the revolutionary bases, using the policy of “30% military and 70% political”. For the Central Base Area, Chiang Kai-shek used 500,000 troops to “encircle” the Central Red Army in different directions. Under the influence of Wang Ming's “Left” dogmatism, Bo Gu, Li De, and others pursued a “military adventurist” strategy, emphasizing the Red Army's all-out attack to “defend the country from the enemy” and treating the Fifth Counter-“Encirclement” Campaign as a “struggle for the complete victory of the Soviets in China”.

After the defeat of Guangchang in 1934, they practiced conservatism in military defense operations, emphasizing the idea of bastion against bastion, “short assaults”, position warfare, and war of attrition with the enemy. It caused heavy casualties to the Red Army and shrinking bases. In October 1934, the main force of the Central Red Army was forced to withdraw from the Central Revolutionary Base, break out and move. It was the beginning of the Long March.