English Speech丨Long March in our Memory

　　In September, 1933, Chiang Kai-shek launched the fifth “encirclement and suppression” campaign. Left Adventures Li De and Bo Gu insisted on the tactics of “blockhouse against blockhouse”. On April 28th, 1934, Guangchang ws falling. It was impossible for the Red Army to win the campaign against the KMT’s “encirclement and suppression”.Under such situation, the Red Army decided to make a strategic retreat. The Long March started.

Numerous soldiers died in the Battle of Xiang River and their blood dyed the green Xiang River red. It was such a cruel battle and horrible sight that local people had a saying that they would not eat fish out of this river for three years.

Tsunyi Conference brings about great changes to the war situation. Mao Zedong, with a series of overwhelming strategies, finally took the Red Army out of the encirclement of 400,000 Kuomintang troops. The Central Red Army realized the strategic objectives which is formulated during the Tsunyi Meeting.

Crossing Chishui River Campaign is the most thrilling and exciting military action of Central Red Army in the Long March, is the first major victory since the failure of "the fifth anti-encirclement campaign ". It reversed passive situation, and created good conditions for the forward to North. 

Twenty-two warriors of the No.4 Red Regiment formed a commando unit which stormed the smooth steel cable in a hail of fire. Soldiers following them each held a plank that they put back into place as they advanced， preventing Chiang Kai-shek’s intention of wiping out the Red Army on the banks of the Daduhe. We only have the name of five brave soldiers----Liao Dazhu, Wang Haiyun, Li Youlin, Li Jingshan and Liu Zihua----who took part in the storming of the bridge. Remember them and the other 17 unknown warriors, whose achievement and merit set a template for the military’s development.

18 heroes from the second company of the first battalion resolutely stepped out, and they leaded by the company leader Xiong Shanglin jumping onto the boat and rushing into violent wave, trying to reach the opposite boat under the fierce fire attack of enemy. As their boat sped swiftly towards the opposite boat, the enemy concentrated their fire on them. Only fearless soldiers have brave to stand this soul stirring moment/challenge.

The victory of the Long March was the triumph of the Chinese Communists’ ideals and the victory of the Chinese Communists’ beliefs. Hardship can destroy the human body, death can take away human life, but there is no power to shake the ideals and beliefs of the CPC. The long road on the road of suffering, twists and turns, death, test the ideal and beliefs of the Chinese Communists.

October 1936, three main Red Army successfully join forces in Huining Gansu Province, which symbolize the victory of the long march. It is the turning point of the Chinese revolution to victory. Since then, Chinese Red Army of workers and peasants form a fist, creating a new era of history.