People's History of Ideas

How the Fourth Red Army spent their time in Donggu, and how they took the first city in the new base area in the Jiangxi-Fujian border … [Read more...] about Episode 110: Leaving Donggu, Taking Changting (February to March 1929)

The Mao-Zhu Army raises funds in Ningdu and moves on to the Donggu base area for rest and recovery. Background on Donggu. Link to map of Jiangxi … [Read more...] about Episode 109: From Dabodi to Donggu: The Retreat from the Jinggangshan Continues (February 1929)

Mao and the Fourth Red Army break the encirclement of the Jinggangshan and retreat across southern Jiangxi with the Guomindang in hot pursuit. Link … [Read more...] about Episode 108: Running for Their Lives: The Retreat from the Jinggangshan (January to February 1929)

Answering a listener question on the Great Leap Forward famine. Further reading:Mobo Gao, The Battle for China’s PastUnited Nations, “Losing 25,000 … [Read more...] about Episode 107: Frameworks for Thinking about Tragic Historical Shortcomings of the Socialist Experience

Potentially explosive guidance arrives in the Jinggangshan from the 6th Party Congress of the Communist Party, and plans are laid to break out of the … [Read more...] about Episode 100: The Bailu Conference: Suppressing Orders from the Party Congress and Preparing to Leave the Jinggangshan (January 1929)

The national Guomindang center takes note of the Communists’ resilience, and takes charge of organizing a new suppression campaign, which is preceded … [Read more...] about Episode 99: The Base Area under Economic Blockade and Unification with the Fifth Red Army (End of 1928)

A close reading of a couple portions of Mao’s November 25, 1928 report to the Central Committee. Further reading:Stephen Averill, Revolution … [Read more...] about Episode 98: Vagrants, Mercenaries, and Rich Peasants (November 1928)

Finishing our close reading of the resolution of the Border Area Party Congress of October 4 to 6, 1928. Also, the reorganization and purge of the … [Read more...] about Episode 97: Transforming, Building, and Purging the Party (September to November 1928)

A discussion of the concept of opportunism as it developed in the international communist movement, and a close reading of the self-critical portion … [Read more...] about Episode 96: Opportunism and Self-Criticism: The Jinggangshan Party Congress Resolution of October 1928

A close reading of the portion of the resolution of the Border Area Party Congress of October 4 to 6, 1928, which later became a key early text in the … [Read more...] about Episode 95: “Why Is It that Red Political Power Can Exist in China?” (October 1928)

The Communists fight to regain lost territory, and ethnic tensions explode among the peasants in the base area. Further reading:Stephen … [Read more...] about Episode 94: The August Defeat (Part 2): The Communists Strike Back (August to November 1928)

The 29th Regiment goes against Mao’s orders and decides to stay in Hunan, with disastrous results for the Communists. Further reading:Stephen … [Read more...] about Episode 93: The August Defeat (Part 1)

Mao explains his refusal to comply with orders from the Hunan Provincial Committee. Further reading:Stephen Averill, Revolution in the Highlands: … [Read more...] about Episode 92: The Yongxin Joint Conference and Mao’s July 4, 1928 Report to the Hunan Provincial Committee