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# The Long March This document discusses the Long March, a significant event in Chinese history. It details the positive and negative aspects of the march, including its impact on the Communist Party (CCP). ## Positive Aspects * **Propaganda and Martyrs:** The Long March served as excellent propa...

# The Long March This document discusses the Long March, a significant event in Chinese history. It details the positive and negative aspects of the march, including its impact on the Communist Party (CCP). ## Positive Aspects * **Propaganda and Martyrs:** The Long March served as excellent propaganda, creating martyrs for the communist cause, promoting the ideal of comradeship and self-sacrifice. * **Leadership Confirmation:** Mao's position as leader was solidified. Other key Communist leaders (Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, and Liu Shaoqi) emerged as veterans of the march. * **New Base and Theory Development:** The Communists established a new base in Yan'an, allowing them to develop their theory of Chinese communism. They remained there for the next 12 years. ## Negative Aspects * **Survival Myth:** The Long March was transformed into a survival myth, but in reality, it started as a desperate act of retreat. Only a small fraction of the initial 80,000 marchers survived the experience. * **Inadequate Conditions:** The journey was marred by extremely harsh conditions. Food supplies were incredibly insufficient and there were no battle plans. Maps were absent and this further added to the difficulty of the journey. * **Low Survival Rate:** Only around 10,000 of the initial 80,000 marchers survived. * **Nationalist Control:** During the march, Nationalist control of China seemed to be secure, as Chiang's government was recognized by the West and the Soviet Union. The CCP faced difficulties during this period. ## Extract A An account of a portion of the Long March, by a Chinese historian, describes the extremely challenging conditions. The march started under severe limitations: inadequate food supplies, insufficient baggage, and nonexistent battle plans. Li Teh, in charge of the escape from the Kuomintang, had the limited understanding of strategy as he believed a straight line was the best method, despite no maps being available. Exhaustion and a lack of resources took their toll resulting in countless deaths, with a count up to 25,000 for the Red Army.