Part 1: The Long March (1934–1935) — How Specific Events Boosted Mao

Context:

Before the Long March, Mao was not yet the undisputed leader of the CCP. Power was
mainly with the "28 Bolsheviks," young Communists trained in Moscow who tended to
favor Soviet-style orthodox Marxism.

Mao’s earlier military ideas (like guerrilla warfare) were considered unorthodox
compared to Soviet doctrines.

Key Incidents During the March That Helped Mao:

Zunyi Conference (January 1935):

A critical turning point. The CCP leadership met in the town of Zunyi after suffering
heavy losses to Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist forces.

During the conference, Mao criticized the leadership’s rigid military tactics
(especially Otto Braun, the German Comintern advisor).

Outcome: Mao was elevated to a senior position within the military command
structure. Although not yet sole leader, he gained major influence over strategy.

This was the moment Mao really began taking control.

Split with Zhang Guotao:

Zhang Guotao, another major CCP commander, wanted to head south instead of
north. Zhang commanded a much larger force, but Mao successfully argued for
heading north to establish a new Communist base in Shaanxi (Yan'an area).

Mao’s group survived; Zhang’s forces were mostly wiped out by Nationalists and
warlords.

Outcome: Mao was vindicated and Zhang’s prestige collapsed — a huge win for
Mao’s authority.

The Myth-Making Element:

The hardships endured — crossing the Snowy Mountains, crossing the Grasslands,
repeated battles with the KMT — were used later to build a heroic narrative around Mao.
 Example: "The soldiers would eat leather shoes but continue marching" — an
exaggerated but powerful symbol of determination under Mao's leadership.

Why the Long March Helped Mao:

Military credibility: Mao's flexible guerrilla tactics saved the Red Army.

Political consolidation: His rivals either died, lost prestige, or were discredited.

Propaganda: The March became a "founding myth" of the new CCP centered around
Mao's heroism.

Part 2: The Yan'an Rectification Movement (1942–1944) — Why It Was Needed and
What Happened

Why Was It Needed?

Factionalism: Even after the Long March, different factions remained inside the CCP:

"Returned students" from the Soviet Union (the so-called 'Internationalists') favored
following Stalinist orthodoxy. Rural communists, like Mao, believed in adapting
Marxism to China's conditions (peasants, guerrilla war, etc.).

Threat of Moscow: Stalin and the Comintern still expected Chinese Communists to
obey Moscow's orders. Mao wanted the CCP to become independent of Soviet control.

Preparation for Leadership: With the Second Sino-Japanese War raging (1937–45), it
was becoming clear that the CCP would eventually compete with the Nationalists for
ruling China after the Japanese left. Mao needed absolute unity and ideological loyalty
to win.

What Happened During Rectification:

Intensive "Study Campaigns":

Cadres had to study Mao’s writings and confess past mistakes (even if they hadn’t
made any).

Texts like On Practice and On Contradiction became compulsory reading.

"Self-Criticism" and "Thought Reform":

 Party members held criticism and self-criticism sessions where they were expected
to expose their own ideological failings.

Leaders accused of "dogmatism" (i.e., blindly following Soviet-style communism)

were humiliated and sometimes tortured.

Purge of Rivals:

Important figures like Wang Ming (a Moscow-trained Bolshevik) were discredited

and politically sidelined.

Mao ensured that "Mao Zedong Thought" was the only correct ideology within the
Party.

Consolidation of a Cult of Personality:

Mao’s image was carefully glorified, preparing for the later development of Maoism
as a quasi-religious movement.

Event Impact on Mao

Gave Mao military prestige,

exposed rivals' weaknesses, and
Long March
allowed the creation of a heroic
myth around him.

Mao gained real leadership over

Zunyi Conference
military strategy.

Mao proved his strategic wisdom,

Split with Zhang Guotao
Zhang was discredited.

Mao eliminated ideological

rivals, enforced loyalty to himself
Rectification Movement personally, and positioned himself
as the only legitimate leader of
the CCP.

Impact on
Date Event Details
Mao's Position

Mao Mao rose to

Zunyi criticized military
Jan 1935
Conference previous leadership and
leaders' began
military consolidating
Event Impact on Mao

failures and political

gained a authority.
top
leadership
role.

Red Army
crossed
under
heavy KMT
fire, using
Became a
chains and
heroic legend
rafts over a
symbolizing
broken
Crossing Mao’s
bridge
May 1935 the Dadu leadership and
(Luding
River Red Army
Bridge). A
bravery. Used
heroic
heavily in
assault by
propaganda.
lightly
armed
soldiers
saved the
army.

Clever
feint: Mao
misled KMT
forces into Showed Mao’s
defending strategic
Crossing the wrong brilliance and
Mid 1935 the Jinsha locations, helped prevent
River allowing the destruction
Red Army of the Red
to cross Army.
without
major
fighting.
Event Impact on Mao

Dangerous
crossing of
Reinforced
a massive
Mao’s image as
Crossing river in
a leader who
the Yarlung Tibet using
could endure
Mid 1935 Tsangpo makeshift
extreme
(Yarlu) rafts. Harsh
hardship and
River conditions,
keep the army
starvation,
together.
and
drownings.

Not a river,
but
relevant:
soldiers
Further
crossed
Crossing mythologized
deadly
the Mao’s
marshes,
Aug 1935 Grasslands leadership
facing
(marshes during extreme
starvation
of Sichuan) suffering and
and
survival.
disease. No
clear
paths;
many died.

Mao chose
to move
north to Mao’s strategic
Shaanxi; thinking fully
Split with Zhang vindicated,
Late 1935 Zhang wanted to and he
Guotao head outmaneuvere
south. d internal
Mao’s path rivals.
succeeded,
Zhang’s
forces were
Event Impact on Mao

crushed.

What Happened to
Name Role
Them

Leader and initiator

of the movement.
Mao Used it to establish
Chairman of the CCP
Zedong Mao Zedong Thought
as the CCP’s guiding
ideology.

Main target. Accused

of "dogmatism" (rigid
Soviet-trained CCP
Wang Soviet orthodoxy).
leader ("Returned
Ming Forced to confess
Bolshevik")
ideological errors.
Lost all influence.

Survived carefully.
Publicly supported
Zhou Senior CCP figure, Mao, adapted to the
Enlai skilled diplomat new ideological line,
and remained
important in the CCP.

Played a major role in

organizing purges,
conducting
Kang Mao’s secret police
interrogations, and
Sheng chief
overseeing "thought
reform" (often
brutally).

Participated loyally in
the movement,
Deng
helping implement
Xiaopin Young rising cadre
rectification at lower
g
levels. Gained Mao’s
trust.
Event Impact on Mao

Supported the
movement, but
Peng would later fall out
Top Red Army general
Dehuai with Mao in the 1950s
(not during
rectification).

Supported Mao and

Economic planner, helped root out "non-
Chen
important future Maoist" thinking in
Yun
leader Party economic
discussions.

Criticized aspects of
Party sexism and
bureaucratic elitism
Ding Famous woman during the
Ling writer Rectification
campaign; faced
backlash but
survived.

 Wang Ming was probably the biggest loser.

 He had been a major leader earlier (especially connected to the Comintern), but
Mao sidelined him brutally.

 Forced to engage in self-criticism and blamed for past CCP errors.

 Kang Sheng deserves special attention.

 He created an atmosphere of fear, informants, and surveillance inside Yan'an.

 The Rectification became in part a terror campaign: thousands were imprisoned,

tortured, or "re-educated".

 Zhou Enlai is important because he shows that not everyone fought Mao.

 He adapted to survive, showing political skill that kept him important all the way
until his death in 1976.

 Younger figures like Deng Xiaoping emerged more firmly aligned with Maoism.

 Deng would later famously challenge Mao’s policies after Mao's death (but
during Yan'an he was fully loyal).