1932: Playing with the Japanese Communist Party with a doll

"The Red Army is not simply engaged in warfare... It also undertakes the important tasks of educating the masses, organizing them, arming them, helping them establish revolutionary power, and even building Communist Party organizations."

"Right, right, right, right! I didn't expect Comrade Shiwu to have read this!"

"Haha, I've actually read most of the documents about the Red Army since its founding..."

As the two talked and chatted, they soon arrived at their destination, the base of a part of the Red 5th Army.

Soon, Dong Zhentang, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Red 5th Army and Commander of the 13th Army, and others came out to greet the instructor and UMP45 warmly, not concealing the admiration, gratitude, and respect in their eyes:

"Hello, Chairman! Hello, Commissioner Matt!

Of course, there is a reason for this attitude.

红5军团是去年12月14日“宁都暴动”后加入红军的新兵团，前身是国民党军第26路军，更早则是冯玉祥麾下的西北军第5路军。

Therefore, this unit has a lot of people from the Northwest, a lot of them use big knives and blades, and they are strong and have amazing arm strength.

In the "Ganzhou Campaign" that was forced to end some time ago after a brief start, it was Li Desheng who, against all odds, sent the untrained and completely untrustworthy Red 5th Army Corps to fight.

This group of men from the northwest rushed into Chen Cheng's pursuing troops wielding broadswords, hacking away at flesh and blood, and managed to rescue the First Red Army, which had been caught off guard because of its untimely retreat.

At this point, the Red 5th Army Corps was truly integrated into the Red Army.

Therefore, they are extremely grateful and respectful to Li Desheng who promoted all this.

Their feelings towards UMP45 are even purer.

A dozen men wielding broadswords and blades were unable to defeat a "little girl" and were all "stabbed to death" within two minutes. You would have to admit that if it were you. Most Northwest men are straightforward, and the one who can beat them down is their boss.

"Okay, we are the Red Army, don't do these empty formalities, take us to see your training situation." "Yes!"

Dong Zhentang immediately brought the two men, along with He Zizhen's attendants and guards, to the vicinity of the meeting venue. At that moment, a man wearing glasses and looking like a cadre was giving a speech on the stage: "...Comrades, today, I will tell you again what the Communist Party and communism are... Well, our Communist Party is the party of the poor..."

He then went on to discuss the history of social development, the differences between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, the contrast between the two societies and the two armies, China's future, the Kuomintang reactionaries' traitorous dictatorship and the civil war they launched, and so on. Well, strictly speaking, everything he said was correct, and his theoretical foundation was quite solid; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to work in this kind of political propaganda.

“..."

Li Desheng, in the corner, quietly observed UMP45's profile, trying to tell if she was satisfied or not. He eventually gave up and asked directly, "Comrade Shiwu, do you have any suggestions for the CCP's method of reforming the military?"

"I.…."

UMP45 paused for a few seconds, staring at the large group of officers and soldiers who were clearly distracted and definitely not listening, and sighed:

"If this is how you recruit new soldiers, I can only say that it's slightly better than the Kuomintang and the bandit warlords' practice of directly recruiting without screening..." Before he finished speaking, the cadre on the stage finished his speech, clapped his hands, and said loudly:

Okay, starting today, we will start to discuss in small groups, with each class forming a group, to discuss what communism is! And how can we become a Red Army soldier or even a Communist Party member!

….."

For a long time, there was complete silence. The cadre asked curiously:

"Speak up! Why don't you discuss it?"

There was still no sound from below.

After a while, a former 26th Army officer cautiously raised his hand: "Sir..."

"I'm not the boss!"

"Oh...oh...that...comrade, what do you mean by...'discussion'?"

"? ? ?"

The Red Army political cadres had barely recovered from the confusion on their faces when the others began to chatter: "Yeah, yeah! What do you mean by discussion? I've only heard of 'begging for food' and 'asking for rewards,' but what is discussion?" "What do you mean by 'discuss...wheel...'?"

"That shouldn't be the case. Why would we need that thing?" "That's right..."

After a while of humming, everyone seemed to realize that this was wrong and gradually quieted down. The political cadre's face turned pale.

I'd thought of every possibility, but I never expected there would be such a question. You know, the person who just spoke was basically an officer!

The officers didn't understand what "discussion" meant, let alone the soldiers who had even less cultural literacy!

So, he explained the meaning of "discussion" in the simplest and most understandable language possible, which then caused even greater confusion: "What are we discussing?"

"Yes! Sir...Comrade, can't you just tell us?"

"We are just a bunch of soldiers. We have to obey the orders of our superiors. It's called... Soldiers should... obey orders..." "It is our first duty to obey orders!"

"Right, right, right! What's the point of discussing this? Can't we just do what the higher-ups say?"

".…."

The discussion that the cadres wanted did not occur, but instead this kind of "discussion sound" was heard, and it was very heated.

Now, the cadres were a little confused about what to do. They could only continue to talk stiffly about things like "the Red Army's policies", which seemed dry and they couldn't go on for a while.

The officers and soldiers of the Red 5th Army Corps did not deliberately make things difficult for this cadre. They really did not understand what "discussion" was, what to discuss, or why they had to discuss it. They even felt that it was a bit redundant; but they did not have any complaints about it.

At least in the Red Army, everyone ate and dressed the same, their superiors treated them kindly, there was no beating or scolding, and they discussed matters together. There were even occasional parties and performances... Honestly, compared to all that "communism," the "officers don't beat or scold soldiers" mentality was the biggest reason the officers and soldiers of the 5th Red Army were willing to "loyal" to the Red Army. Furthermore, they felt the Red Army was quite similar to the Northwest Army, so they adapted quickly.

(Note: Compared to other units of the Nationalist Army, Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army was poor, but it was relatively equal, with clear promotion rules and adequate food supplies.) (Hu Zongnan once envied the Northwest Army - "Everything was outdated back then, but every soldier had a ruddy complexion and a strong physique, so they were famous for their defensive skills.")

(This is also one of the important reasons why the Northwest Army dared to fight hand-to-hand combat, a war of attrition, and repeatedly fight for positions with the enemy, including the Japanese army)

Li Desheng, who was watching all this, did not show much disappointment or anger on his face, because this was the norm in the Red Army's political work.

The transformation of the old army has always been a key and difficult task. Only through "slow and steady work" to slowly "motivate" and "educate" the old soldiers can they gradually become Red Army soldiers. The instructions that this cadre was reading on the stage, such as the "Three Major Disciplines and Six Points for Attention" and the "Resolution of the Gutian Conference," are just some of the many tools for transformation.

Even so, political and ideological work is still extremely difficult - because it is impossible to open other people's minds to see whether what is taught has been implemented.

"Comrade Shiwu, what do you think we should do?"

"That's it."

UMP45 walked up to the stage, motioned for the officer to step aside, and took her place in the center. She announced, "Today, we're holding a grievance meeting."

116 The first step of the grievance conference!

"...a grievance conference!"

What?

What conference?

complain?

What is complaining?

苦?

What suffering?

In contrast to the bewildered crowd, Li Desheng's eyes lit up. He quickly pulled out his notebook and motioned for his wife, He Zizhen, and the political officer to follow suit. UMP45 paced back and forth with her hands behind her back, gazing at the hundreds of silent people below for a long moment before suddenly calling out to a soldier:

"Comrade! You! Come! Yes! You! Stand in front! I want to ask you a few questions!" "Ah... Oh oh..."

The soldier cautiously ran onto the stage. Despite his size, he twisted his fingers like a woman, looking uneasy under everyone's gaze. "Don't be nervous, little brother. I'm just asking you a few questions about your family. I'm not a cannibal, am I?"

UMP45 changed her address, composed her expression, and asked kindly:

"What's your name? Where are you from?"

"Um... my name is Zhang Ergou, and I'm from... from Shaanxi."

Upon hearing the accent, UMP45 immediately switched to authentic Shaanxi dialect: "Wei! Wow, it's quite far away! Where in Shaanxi are you from?"

".."

Hearing the local accent, the soldier's eyes widened and he immediately relaxed a lot: "Uh...Uh, I'm from Zhangjia Village in Xi'an."

"Zhangjia Village? Is it..."

"Oh, yes, yes! Ma..."

"Just call me Secretary... By the way, speak louder so everyone can hear you, at least as loud as me, okay?" "Okay! Okay! Secretary!"

"Hmm...how many people are there in your family? What do they do?"

"My father died early, so my mother, sister, and brother...we all farm." "There are quite a lot of people in my family...so why did you join the army?"

"I eat too much, and my family can't support me... Marshal Feng... Feng... General Feng was recruiting soldiers, so I signed up..." At this point, the Northwestern man scratched the back of his head in a simple and honest manner, and said proudly:

"I'm a strong guy. I'm good at doing horizontal bar curls, swings, and handstands. Marshal Feng even gave me a red bronze medal personally!"

The Communist Party’s political cadre’s face changed.

I've told you so many times not to address me as "Marshal," but why do you still make the mistake?! Also, what's so great about bragging about your past in the military?

Seeing that the situation was not good, Dong Zhentang quickly interrupted and changed the subject:

"Secretary Ma, this red bronze badge is..."

"I know. Flexion, twist, handstand... if you can meet the standard for three sets, you get a red badge. Two sets, you get a yellow badge. The rest, no badges." UMP45 waved her hand, signaling no one to interrupt her, and continued.

"How was your time in the Northwest Army? For example... eating."

"Hmm... I can barely eat enough. Marshal Feng is a good man. He shouldn't deduct our food."

"..."

Li Desheng frowned slightly.

The soldier's condition clearly reflects a situation:

He had no political awareness and would follow whoever paid him and fed him. Of course, Li Desheng wasn't angry, because this was the norm in the military. Similar things happened in the early Red Army, not to mention the old army.

To be honest, even the current Red 5th Army Corps still faces the risk of being pulled away by Feng Yuxiang, so it's understandable that the Party Central Committee has always been worried about them. "Oh, how does that compare to the current Red Army?"

“The food wasn’t that good, and I wasn’t very full…”

The silly-looking fellow seemed to notice the gazes of his superiors and added a few more words:

"But here, we all eat the same food, so I have nothing to complain about. The officers are kind and don't hit people." "Hit people? How do they do it in the Northwest Army?"

"My squad leader and platoon leader just hit me on the head and kicked me in the ass..." "What about the others?"

"Others... well, I heard some of them beat people harshly, using whips and sticks, but Marshal Feng was a good man and didn't let his officers beat them too harshly."

“..."

There was a buzzing sound from the crowd.

UMP45 didn't stop the crowd from whispering, but instead asked loudly, "Is there anyone who wasn't originally from the Northwest Army? Raise your hand!"

“…”

After a while, a soldier below raised his hand timidly.

UMP45 asked almost the same question again, and after receiving the answer, she confirmed, "So, your unit commander often beats people?"

"Beat him! Why not? Beat him so hard!"

Perhaps because he'd relaxed from the previous conversation, perhaps because of UMP45's friendly attitude and familiar dialect, or perhaps because there wasn't a superior in front of him, the soldier gestured boldly and said, "We beat them really hard! We hang them up and beat them with sticks this thick! We won't let go until we break at least one stick!"

"Is anyone hurt? Are you hurt?"

"Of course!"

At UMP45's signal, the soldier unbuttoned his coat and lifted the hem underneath, revealing the numerous scars on his body.

"Look, I was still good. I kept begging him, so he only broke one of my bones and whipped me a few times, and then he stopped. Many people had their hands, feet, and legs broken!" "Then...what happened to those who had their hands and feet broken in the end?"

"..."

When asked this question, the soldier fell silent. After a long while, he muttered, "What else can we do? We'll just die!"

"Dead? Did you see them dead?"

"Some were beaten to death on the spot, some were thrown into ditches half-dead, some had their limbs broken and were driven out... They're all definitely dead." "Are there any of your friends or fellow villagers here?"

This time, the soldier was silent for a longer time. He clenched his fists and choked slightly.

"Yes, a childhood friend of mine was beaten to death. His body was fed to dogs, and his ears were cut off and hung on the wall." "Why did they do that?"

"Because... because... because my childhood friend and I were both captured, and he escaped and was discovered by the company commander, who beat him to death... beat him to death..." The soldier gradually began to lose control of his emotions, tears streaming down his face.

"I'll always remember that the company commander...beat him to death and told us that from now on...anyone who dares to escape will be dealt with in the same way!"

".."

The wind whistled past, and the playground was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the occasional rustling of a kiln. UMP45's expression turned serious.

"Besides being beaten or even killed for running away, are there any other reasons? Tell me." "Yes! Because the wine I bought for the company commander wasn't tasty, because the butt of the rifle hit the company commander's horse, or... " As UMP45 guided them step by step and each crime was revealed, the soldiers became increasingly agitated:

"Ten of my fellow villagers were drafted. Three were shot, one was thrown off a cliff, one was trampled to death by a horse, and one... one..." "What happened to one? Take your time, don't be impatient."

"He... because he didn't ask for leave to relieve himself and even dared to talk back to the company commander, he was skinned alive by him. Uwaa ...