The Long March Period

In the period of the Long March, the Red Army travelled 6,000 miles, crossing 24 rivers and climbing over 18 mountain ranges (often with the GMD army in hot pursuit) before arriving in the Yan’an area. After early failure, Mao was fairly easily able to convince the leadership group of his relative qualifications to lead them at a meeting that occurred towards the beginning of this period. He was supported in his criticism of Braun, especially, by Zhou En-lai, who was to remain a long-term ally. Bo Gu, a supporter of Braun’s ideas, was demoted from political leadership.

Only an estimated 5 to 10% of the original force made it to the Yan’an area making the Long March a serious disaster but legends of all of the survivors (maybe 10,000 out of 100,000 starters). Mao, their leader in the final stages, had now also gained a reputation for great kindness to his subordinates in these extreme circumstances and a kind of messiah status. He in turn later compared the survivors to refined gold while the process had made the CCP stronger. The Long March ended in 1935.