Hunan–Jiangxi Soviet

The Hunan–Jiangxi Soviet (Chinese: 湘赣苏维埃; pinyin: Xiāng-Gàn Sūwéiāi) was a constituent part of the Chinese Soviet Republic, an unrecognised sovereign state that existed from November 1931 to 1935 (arguably continuing on from its new capital at Yan'an). Before that declaration of overarching statehood, the area was known as the Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base (Chinese: 湘赣革命根据地; pinyin: Xiāng-Gàn Gémìng Gēnjùdì).

Government & Geography

The Revolutionary Base headquarters and later constituent Soviet administrative centre was at Lianhua County in the present-day Pingxiang municipal region.

Lianhua lies in the Luoxiao Mountains, running roughly north-south between the two provinces. The range also nestled the famous Jinggangshan redoubt of the anti-Rightist troops of the abortive Autumn Harvest Uprising of 1927.

Civil War Battles

The Hunan–Jiangxi Soviet's main armed force was known as the South-Eastern Hunan Red Army Independent Division. Until March 1931 it had been known as the Eastern Hunan Red Army Independent Division.

The Soviet successfully defended itself against a series of Nationalist Government attacks from January 29 to March 24, 1931, known as the Encirclement Campaign against Hunan-Jiangxi Soviet.

Moving out in August 1934, the Soviet's military (by now designated Sixth Army Group) crossed the Xiang River and climbed into the Miao-nation (Hmong-nation) mountain homeland, there to join in October the forces of the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Soviet. The combined force under general He Long was redesignated the Second Front Red Army.