Red_Army

Red Army Hope As the song goes, “Without the Communist Party, there would have been no New China.” The same may be said for the Red Army: without the dedicated Red Army, the Communist Party would have collapsed. The Red Army symbolized the root of Communism in China. The Red Army was formed when Mao led his followers into the mountains on the Hunan-Jiangxi border; during the Chinese Revolution fought between the Nationalist Party KuoMingTang and the Communist Party KungCh’anTang . These Red Army soldiers were organized by peasants and farmers who sought a better living for their family and wanted a unified China. Mao’s movement to fight the warlords, end imperialism and defeat the KuoMingtang presented the poor peasants with a promising future. In Edgar Snow’s “Red Star over China”, the Red Army was portrayed as proud soldiers with great dignity. The Red Armies were led by some of the most outstanding radical activists such as Mao ZeDong and Chou EnLai. Under their commands and influences the Red Armied became moderately educated in literature, mechanics and military tactics to fight. The Red Army is the symbolic new role models for china formed under the command of the founding fathers Mao, Chou and other activists. Hence, the rise of the Red Army under the Communist regime with key elements of pride and dignity resolved the hope and victory for a new era, New China. The Red Army of Kung Ch’anTang China stood for “the poor people’s army” and was an ideal image of a safety net for the poor. The idea that “the Red Army helps the poor,” encouraged many young peasants to join so that they would be able to feed their family. Others joined to fight off the masters that caused their starvation. One commented that he joined “to fight for the revolution, which would free the poor.” From the interviews of these youngsters, it clearly showed that the Red Army evolved from the experience of poor to fight for a brighter future. And it was with the encounter of such suffers that the Red Army were willing to sacrifice their life to pursue a future for their families. Edgar Snow was a journalist who traveled half the globe to China to explore and interview Mao and the Communist party during the Chinese Revolution. His first hand experience with the soldier was described under a friendly atmosphere treated with respect. He described a sense of pride that exists within the Red Army’s character. He further explained it, when a young Vanguard was called “Wei” which commonly means “Yo”, he felt that disrespected and thus ignored the request asked by Edgar Snow. Through his observation, it showed that even the youngsters who willingly volunteered to serve the Communist Party as future Red Army also expressed a strong character of dignity and pride for their people. The behavior of these mighty “little devils” demonstrated a loyal, passionate and energetic spirit that allowed you to foresee a bright victory in fighting the imperialists and capitalists. Dignity is the key to victory for the Red Army. Dignity gave the soldiers the power to overcome obstacles on their Long March to Jiangxi. Their dignity created a “strong iron-man” Red Army so powerful that it helped them survived the purge brought upon by the KuoMingTang army. For the Long March, eighty thousand of the red army was formed but in the end only four thousand survived, but these four thousand Red Army soldiers never gave up and continued their march until they reached their destination. Even when they were all hungry and tired the Red Armies still continued because they have a goal to accomplish and a future to fight for that provoked their undefeated ability to survive. The village people welcomed the “Red-bandits” or Red Army and felt terrified of the “white bandits” or the Whampoa Academy army, which showed that the Red Army treated the farmers and peasants as their own family with respect and equality. Therefore, they were welcomed in villages. One local poor peasant expressed that they favored the Reds because “it is good to us, and we are never beaten.” Local communities in Hunan did not see the Red Army as a threat. It was this unexpected treatment that converted many to the Communists. It also led to a big increase in the number of people who wanted to join the Red Army which was one of the key reason to their success in this revolution. The dignity and respect carried through by the Red Army were influenced by the act of their leaders. Chou EnLai, a former nationalist revolutionary commander, joined the Communists and fought alongside the Red Army to reinforce a new China, one that created more equality amongst the rich, poor and middle class people. His contribution of radio technology enhanced the communication process that led China into a new technological Era. The “Red-bandits” were poor uneducated young soldiers who knew nothing other than hard work and farming. It was because of “insurrectionist” Chou EnLai that taught a lot of the Red army how to read, write, operate a radio and aim a rifle straight; these new skills widened the Red Armies intelligence. The works and methods he studied while aboard in Russia transformed the Red Armies into well educated and intelligent individuals. The Red Army became the new generation of hopes for a New China in process. Mao ZeDong the “saviour” of China, offered a future to the Red Army. He was the political leader that ordered his followers, the Red Army, not to harm the peasants. Mao taught the Red Army respect. Mao was the son of a “rich” peasant in Hunan, so he lived a good life and received a good education. However, he never once looked down on his Red Army or poor peasants. He treated everyone of them as an equal. He showed no strict authority over those under his command and lived “very much like the rank and file of the Red Army.” His personality and way of treating his comrades made everyone respect him even more and voted him their Chairman of Communist China. He was a good role model for the Red Army and established the first basic principle for the new generation to follow through. When you ask the peasants “what is a Communist'” They will automatically answer, “he is a citizen who helps the Red Army fight the White-bandits and the Japanese.” “He helps fight the landlords and the capitalists.” In other words, a Communist is someone that helps make a difference for the poor to have the opportunity for a better future. An army of Communist created the proud Red Army that fought to achieve equality and unity for China. Without the Red Army there would be no new China. The Red Army’s pride and dignity is like an inflamed forest where the fire is unstoppable that led to their survival of the extermination campaign brought upon by the Nationalist Party. The success in creation of the Chinese Communist Party began at the foot of the Red Army’s Long March with Mao ZeDong. The characteristic of Mao, Chou and other communist leaders created the Red Army. They stood the ideal Communist follower. It was the passion and belief that the Red Army showed for their leaders that gave them the force to push for the extreme and became the survival of the fittest group of communist. Their dignity resembled their undefeatable fate and hope to a new life and new future under the New China. As an end result, Chinese Communist Party came to victory in 1949, pushed out the KuoMingTang and Chiang Kai Shek fled to Taiwan. New China was formed under the Communist Party and hope was lit for the poor to a greater future. -------------------------------------------- [ 1 ]. Edgar Snow, “Part Two: The Road to the Red Capital, Red Companions” in Red Star over China. (England: Penguin Books, 1973), 65. [ 2 ]. Snow, “Part Two”, 65. [ 3 ]. Snow, “Part Two: The Road to the Red Capital, The Insurrectionist” in Red Star over China. (England: Penguin Books, 1973), 48. [ 4 ]. Rana Mitter, Modern China a Very Short Introduction (New York: Oxford, 2008),48-49. [ 5 ]. Snow, “Part Two, Red Companions,” 65. [ 6 ]. Snow, “Part Two, The Insurrectionist,” 51. [ 7 ]. Snow, “Defended Peace,” 71. [ 8 ]. Edgar Snow, “In “Defended Peace”, Soviet Strong Man,” in Red Star over China. (England: Penguin Books, 1973), 75. [ 9 ]. Snow, “Part Two,” 67-68. [ 10 ]. Mitter, Modern China, 55.