Key facts
- The Long March was a strategic military shift that lasted two years.
- The Zunyi Conference established leadership represented primarily by Mao Zedong.
- The Red Army's numbers dropped from 86,000 to over 30,000 during the Battle of the Xiangjiang River.
A Monday article published by the Communist Party's mouthpiece argued that the Long March demonstrated the necessity of a strong core leadership within the party. The piece emphasized that historical events underscore the importance of unity and authority for effective execution of party directives. The author, Xie Chuntao, vice-president of the Central Party, wrote that history shows "only with a core can the party unite as one, and only with authority can its orders be effectively carried out." The Long March, a two-year strategic military shift in the 1930s, is described as a monumental event that rescued the young Communist Party of China (CPC) from an existential crisis and profoundly influenced China's historical trajectory. The article noted that the Zunyi Conference in January 1935 marked a turning point, ending the dominance of "Left-leaning" dogmatism and effectively establishing a central leadership represented primarily by Mao Zedong. This conference signaled the party's political maturity and laid a foundation for the revolution's victory. The Long March is also credited with preserving and tempering the core of the revolution, weeding out the weak-willed and leaving behind hardened individuals.