Long March Begins

Setting the scene

The Long March began on October 16, 1934, when the Chinese Communist Party's Red Army broke out of Nationalist encirclement in Jiangxi province and began a strategic retreat. The Communists, led by Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De, had established the Jiangxi Soviet in 1931, but Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist government launched five encirclement campaigns to destroy them. The fifth campaign, using German advisors and blockhouses, succeeded in surrounding the Communists, who faced annihilation.

What happened

The Red Army, about 86,000 strong, broke through Nationalist lines and began a 6,000-mile march through some of China's most difficult terrain—mountains, swamps, and deserts—over 370 days. They crossed 18 mountain ranges and 24 rivers, including the famous crossing of the Dadu River at Luding Bridge in May 1935, where 22 volunteers crawled across chains under fire. The march went through western China to Shaanxi province, ending in October 1935. Only about 8,000 survived the journey.

Why it still matters

The Long March was a military defeat that became a political victory. It allowed the Communists to survive, established Mao as the undisputed leader after the Zunyi Conference in January 1935, and created the myth of Communist heroism and endurance. The marchers spread communist ideas to peasants along the route. The Long March became the founding myth of the People's Republic of China, taught to every schoolchild. It demonstrated the Communists' resilience and turned near-destruction into eventual victory in 1949. The march remains a powerful symbol of perseverance against overwhelming odds.

Background

Mao Zedong rose in party leadership.