The Long March
The Communist army during their trek and while fighting
- The Long March lasted exactly one year, from October 1934 to October 1935
- It was a historic journey of 6,000 miles
- The Nationalist army used guerrilla tactics and caused the Communist amry to leave their bases in Jiangxi Province in southern China
- Led by Chiang Kai-shek, ( formally led by Sun Yat-sen) the Nationalist army surrounded the Communist army
- About 80,000 soldiers of the Red Army escaped and went north
- Of those 80,000 soldiers, only 8,000 soldiers survived the trek
- The trek ended in a new Communist base in Yan'an
- The Long March became inspiration for Red Guads on their new long marches
- The Long March was the first of its kind
- It was a manifesto, proclaiming that the Red Army was an army of heroes
- It was a propaganda force, announcing to some 200 million people that the road of the Long March is the road to liberation
- Around this time, Chinag Kai-shek set up the New Life Movement, which attempted to counter communism ideology with a mix of traditional Confuciansim
- Chiang felt like he should try to go back to the traditional ways of life