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Zunyi Conference Wikipedia

As a well-organized and highly disciplined party, the Communist Party of China made important decisions and enforced its policies by holding different meetings. As a result, keystone meetings composed the history of CPC, among which one of the most important was the Zunyi Conference.

After the CPC-KMT(Kuomintang)'s alliance split in 1927, the CPC suffered great loss had to change its operation into secrecy under this "white terror". However, it was more unfortunate for CPC that its leader succeeded Chen Duxiu who was sack by Comintern for his disobedience and as a scapegoat, Qu Qiubai, Li Lisan and then Wang Ming with his associates of 28 Bolsheviks all preferred the extremism and leftism way of revolution, which brought more damage to
CPC than ever.

Especially under the direction of Bo Gu, who succeeded Wang Ming as paramount leader of CPC after Wang went to Moscow for medical treatment in 1931, CPC was unable to survive in the cities. So the headquarter and its senior leaders including Bo Gu, Zhou Enlai, and other members of 28 Bolsheviks such as Zhang Wentian, Wang Jiaxiang had transferred to Soviet Territory in Jiangxi, CPC 'base in countrysides. With the support from Comintern, Bo Gu and military advisor of Comintern Otto Braun or Li De in Chinese name, took the military command from Mao Zedong, who was chairman of Interim Central Soviet Goverment of China at that time. Bo, Li and Zhou Enlai found a three-men team to direct the war agaist Chiang Kai-shek's 5th "Suppression" on Soviet Territory.Under this team's command,the CPC Red Army abandoned its expert bushfighting and waged a full-face war against KMT army disregarding the fact that it was undermanned and poorly equipped compared to German training and equipped KMT army, thus the Red Army's failure was unavoidable.

The heavy blow in 1934 forced three-men team making decisions to go on a strategic diversion, which was later called Long March. But actually it was a big escape in disorder for without any destination and careful plan at first. And it was no surprise they fell into rattrap again very soon. During the Red Army's effort to cross the Xiang River, it was besieged by KMT elite troops and lost half of its troops for more than 40,000 casualties in this massacre.

Discontent was piled up and desperation palgued the army. Nobody knew what his furture was.At this time, Mao used his talent in alliance. He contacted with generals such as Zhu De,Peng Dehuai, Lin Biao who used to be loyal to him, and at the same time he disintegrated the camp of 28 Bolsheviks by convincing Wang Jiaxiang and then Zhang Mintian there would only be disaster were there no change.When secret actions took effects, now it was time for action.

In Jan 1935,after Red Army took over the city Zunyi, a town of military importance in Guizhou ,Southwest China, the extended meeting of politburo of CPC was held on Jan 15th.The conference lasted for three days , among the attendees were:
member of politburo: Mao, Zhou, Zhu De, Chen Yun, Liu Shaoqi, Zhang Wentian, Bo Gu.
altenate member of politburo: Wang Jiaxiang; Deng Fa, the notorious boss of secret police for CPC; Kai Feng(He Kequan), leader of CY.

Generals: Liu Bocheng, Chief of Staff of Red Army; Li Fuchun, acting director of political department of Red Army(acting General Commissar);Lin Biao, commander of 1st Field Army ; Nie Rongzhen, Lin's commissar ;Peng Dehuai, commander of 3rd Field Army; Yang Shangkun,Peng's commissar and another member of 28 Bolsheviks;Dong Zhentang, commander of 5th Field Army; Li Zhouran, Dong 's commissar.

Secretariat and chief editor of CPC newspaper Red Star Deng Xiaoping.

Li De and his interpreter Wu Xiuquan.

The main agenda of this conference was to sum up the lessons from the anti 5th"suppression".Bo Gu gave the first speech, lack in the taking blame for the defeat ,instead he still defended for his policy for unknowing the clear and present danger facing his team.Then Zhou expressed some kind of repentence and apologies for his incompetence in military command and criticized Bo Gu and Li De as well, moreover, he proposed Mao lead Red Army because he was the only hope to lead others to break away from this desperate situation.Zhou's speech gave Mao and his suppoters golden opportunity.Then Zhang Wentian announced his defection from the 28 Bolsheviks camp by heavily criticized Bo Gu and his leftism although Zhang used to be an active advocate of leftism.It was time for Mao to conclude the game.In his long speech Mao pointed out the fundamental mistakes Bo Gu and Li De had made in military and implied now it was time for change.Mao's suppoters suggest there be reshuffle of leadership both in military and party.Under the principle of democracy for majority, the secretariat of Central Committee and Central Revolution &Military Committee of CPC were reelected. The three-men team's command over military was discharged and replaced by a new three-men team comprising Mao, Zhou and Wang Jiaxiang. Bo Gu's title of General Secretary of CPC was replaced by Zhang Mintian as a reward for his defection.But with Mao back in the field he was expert in and had so many powerful supporters, Mao won his status as the paramount leader step by step.Lucky for Zhou, because as an old CPC member unlike Bo Gu who just came back from Moscow being arrogant and immature, Zhou had good relation with many senior leaders and was smooth and slick , that was the secret for his survival in rounds of power struggle.

After the Zunyi Conference, CPC turned its way from 28 Bolsheviks' leftism and extremism by adopting Mao and his supporters' way which was more flexible and compatible with the reality of China. And in military Red Army regained its power, survived and flourished in Yanan and defeat KMT at last by sticking with guerrilla strategy. More importantly, in this conference CPC walked out of the shadow of Comintern and did sth in its own will for the first time. It could be seemed as a victor for those old CPC members who had their roots in China, on the contrary ,it was a great loss for those CPC members such as 28 Bolsheviks who studied in Moscow and trained by Comintern and Soviet Union and could be regarded as proteges or agents of Comintern accordingly. After the Zunyi Conference, the influence and involvement of Comintern in CPC affairs was greatly reduced.
Thus Mao, who used to be an independent Chinese revolutionist in the first place, and skeptic of foreign master, could spare no effort to lead Chinese revolution and set up his cult in a free way.

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Category:History of China
Category:History of the People's Republic of China

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Last Modified:   2005-11-04