Dear Readers,
It has been the better part of a decade since the Nationalist party under Chiang Kai-shek’s leadership has taken power in the country. It seems to me that despite the success that the Nationalists enjoyed in their Campaigns against the warlords at the beginning of their Northern Expedition, much remains unchanged in the general state of the nation. The lack of effective changes since that campaign makes me worry that, despite the fervor with which the Nationalists pursued it, the change was in some way a lie or mirage thrown up to disguise the true intentions of those currently in power. The Current regime was victorious against the Warlords that stood between Guangzhou and Beijing but, has since proven to be either ineffective in its attempts to dislodge the others or else is unwilling to move against them. Indeed, it would seem to a casual observer that the true spirit of the revolution, and of the Northern Expedition, was derived from the Communist portion of the United Front and since the massacre at Shanghai it has been absent from the primary wing of the Nationalist party. If anything could demonstrate this shift in spirit, I believe it to be the campaigns that the Chiang’s forces have fought unsuccessfully against the recently formed Jiangxi Commune, where the armies that had so easily driven north are now being torn apart. Following the last failed attempt to destroy the communists, I joined an old army friend of mine on a tour of the region in question and am now as I’m writing this in the area, having spoken with a number of the locals. I have omitted a great number of names so as to ensure the safety of those who have taken the risk to speak with me, but I shall convey their words as accurately and truthfully as I am able.
These wars are not being fought in the manner with which I am accustomed, granted my experience is limited. Where I had seen great defensive works and scarred battlefields, here the fighting seems to have passed almost unnoticed to those without the eyes to see its marks due to the tactics and stratagems employed by the defenders to draw the Nationalist troops into traps and destroy them. I have met few men in my time here that are not soldiers, and most of those that aren’t are far too young or else far too old to be of much use in battle. Indeed, there are few men to be met anywhere in the province so far as I can tell, they all are off fighting, and this has made a great impact on the people here. The women have taken up the lion’s share of the field labor in the province, they are in the camps, and I have even met a few young women that have been in combat. It seems that the Communist party has had to call on the women of its territories to carry on the struggle and it has rewarded them. If the women of other provinces knew of the things which are already law in Jiangxi, I believe there would be a flood of volunteers to the cause. Here, women have been granted a great deal of equality in return for their service, they have been granted property rights, equal pay for their labor, and have been granted the right to select their husbands. The sale and purchase of wives has been outlawed and a great deal of legal protections have been put in place to allow for divorce and ensure the protection of widows and their heirs. I believe this to be part of the reason that the spirit of the revolution has not died here the way it has in other parts of the country. Here, despite lacking the class and criteria of the Marx and Engels’ ideals, despite being effectively feudal, and despite the general lack of knowledge as to what communism and revolution is supposed to be (one woman I spoke to admitted as much to me and that she only joined to escape an undesirable marriage), the people have touched upon the very essence of the revolution. That is, they have seen an injustice in their society, and they have taken steps to reverse that injustice in such a way that the whole population might benefit.
My friends, I shall write more when I am able, but I have been informed another band of soldiers is coming through in a months’ time and I wish to send this letter off before then.
As you state, revolution is on its way. I believe that based on the information you wrote about, this revolution is already in its early stages. The open resistance shown by the members of the Jiangxi Commune constitutes the beginning of the revolution as the Nationalists are so keen to wipe them out as fast as possible to prevent the spread of these revolutionary ideas. I agree that if women outside of Jiangxi knew about what was happening, they would join the cause in massive numbers. Spreading this knowledge will be the key to the success of this movement.
From what you have written it seems that this Communist revolution has embedded itself deeply into Jiangxi. The drastic changes to women’s rights itself are signs of an early stage of revolution. It is of no surprise that the Nationalist intend to exterminate all reminisce of this Communist revolution as it will bring an end to everything the Nationalists hold dear. The future is clearly upon us and I agree that if this news spreads, woman will be fighting to volunteer for this new regime.
Wow! To imagine my sisters in soldiers uniforms and potentially in battle with the Nationalists! I do not wish they go to war but before I was born, both of my older sisters had helped my father in the fields and from what my parents tell me, they were not weak women by any means. The CCP’s promised reforms are sure to bring justice and equality for the peasants and workers, both women and men alike.
Please be safe on your trip.