The Long March (长征, Chángzhēng) refers to a massive military retreat carried out by the Chinese Red Army (the armed forces of the Chinese Communist Party at that time) between 1934 and 1936.
The Red Army was encircled by the much larger Nationalist (Kuomintang) forces during the Chinese Civil War.To avoid total destruction, around 80,000–100,000 soldiers broke out and began a desperate retreat. They marched over 9,000 kilometers (about 5,600 miles) across some of the harshest terrain in China: swamps, mountains, snow-covered passes, and raging rivers. The march took them through 11 provinces and lasted more than a year. By the time they finally reached their new base in northern China, only about 8,000–9,000 soldiers survived.
Why It's Famous
The Long March wasn't just a military retreat, it became a legendary symbol of endurance, sacrifice, and revolutionary spirit in Chinese culture. The Red Army soldiers overcame impossible odds, often marching on empty stomachs, barefoot in freezing conditions. Iconic battles and feats, like the Crossing of the Luding Bridge (泸定桥), became almost mythical stories of bravery. Politically, it was during the Long March that Mao Zedong rose to leadership of the Communist Party.
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The Red Army usually refers to the armed forces of the Soviet Union during its early years.
Originally, it was called the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (formed after the Russian Revolution in 1918). It fought in the Russian Civil War (1918–1922), then became the main military force of the Soviet Union. During World War II, it was the Red Army that fought Nazi Germany on the Eastern Front, and later helped defeat them in 1945. In 1946, it was officially renamed the Soviet Army, but people often still called it the Red Army.
In Chinese history, the term Red Army also refers to the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (中国工农红军- Zhōngguó gōngnóng hóngjūn), the military force of the Communist Party of China during the 1920s–1930s, before it was reorganized into the People's Liberation Army (PLA).