First encirclement campaign
Part of the Chinese Civil War
Location of Jiangxi
Date November 1930, January 3, 1931 Location Jiangxi Result Red Army victory
Belligerents
Nationalist China	Chinese Red Army
Commanders and leaders
Chiang Kai-shek Lu Diping Zhang Huizan (POW)	Mao Zedong Zhu De
Strength
100,000	40,000
Casualties and losses
9,000 killed 6,000 captured	Unknown

The first encirclement campaign (Chinese: 第一次围剿) against Jiangxi Soviet was a series of battles launched by the Chinese Nationalist Government intended to annihilate the Chinese Red Army, and destroy the Soviet. The communists later responded with the first counter-encirclement campaign at Central Soviet (Chinese: 中央苏区第一次反围剿), also called by the communists as the first counter-encirclement campaign at Central Revolutionary Base (Chinese: 中央革命根据地第一次反围剿), in which the Red Army successfully defended the Soviet Zone in the southern Jiangxi province against Nationalist attacks from November 1930 to January 3, 1931.

Prelude

The planning of the campaign was already in process in mid August 1930, as Chiang Kai-shek had directed He Yingqing, the commander of Wuhan headquarters, to hold a conference at Hankou on how to suppress the communists in Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces. A decision was made to concentrate on military rather than political strategies, and to launch multiple attacks on the main communist base in Jiangxi Soviet. The plan was temporarily interrupted by the Central Plains War, but when Chiang's victory in this theatre was certain by October 1930, he immediately redeployed his troops in preparation for engaging the communists.

First phase

Zhu De, the commander-in-chief of the Chinese Red Army, led the 3rd Legion, together with Mao. The 4th Army and the 12th Army of the 1st Legion crossed the Gan River, moving eastward to Xingan, Eternal Abundance, Chongren, and Yihuang, allowing the nationalists to occupy Qingjiang, Xingquan, Yellow Earth Street, Luofang, Xinyu, and Fenyi by early November 1930. Only the 3rd Army of the Chinese Red Army remained in the former communist region to harass the enemy, using guerrilla warfare, while Mao and Zhu De moved their troops toward Zhangshu and Linchuan. Fearing Zhangshu and Linchuan would be lost to the communists, Lu Diping ordered the 3rd Column to continue the attack on the western shore of Gan River, while the 1st and the 2nd Columns crossed the Gan River in pursuit of the major communist force.

After crossing the Gan, the nationalists succeeded in taking Xingquan, Chongren, Southern Town, Southern Abundance, Jishui, Lukou, Oil Field, Donggu and Dragon Hill by mid November 1930. From November 18–20, the nationalists took Ji'an, Jishui, Eternal Abundance, Yuean, Yihuang and Southern Town. By early December, the nationalist force was overstretched and halted their offensives to regroup and re-supply. Meanwhile, the communists planned their next move and also regrouped and re-supplied, first at Yellow Slope, Little Cloth and Luokou, and then moved to Pingtian, Firewood Gathering Hill, and Anfuyu by mid December. At the same time, the 20th Army of the Chinese Red Army acted as decoy in the Rich Field, Donggu and Dragon Hill regions to distract the enemy. A Communist counter-attack defeated the Nationalist force and drove them back. A stalemate ensued, with both sides using this period to plan and prepare for the next phase.

Second phase

The stalemate ended on December 16, 1930, when the nationalists began the 2nd phase of their offensive. The 5th Division (later renamed the 28th Division) and the 18th Division reached Donggu on December 19 and December 20 respectively. However, heavy fog and poor communication prevented adequate coordination between the nationalist forces and the divisions mistook one another for the enemy, with both using artillery against the other. It was not until December 21 when the fog dissipated that the nationalists realized their mistakes, and by this time both sides had suffered hundreds of casualties.

From December 24–28, the communist forces managed to halt most of the nationalist advance:

• The nationalist 50th Division was stopped at Zhaoxie
• The nationalist 60th Division was stopped at Wangan
• The nationalist 61st Division was stopped at Taihe
• The nationalist 24th Division was stopped at Caotaigang
• The nationalist 8th Division was stopped at New Abundance
• The nationalist 28th Division (renamed 5th Division) was stopped at Triple Craters
• The nationalist 18th Division was stopped at regions near Yinfu and Nanlong

After the initial setback, the nationalist 50th Division continued their push, reaching River Origin, and prepared to take Little Cloth. Realising this, the communists attempted an ambush of the nationalist 50th Division twice, once on December 25, and again two days later. Both attempts failed – the nationalist troops refused to be drawn from their fortified positions on River Origin. The communists were forced to withdraw.

Third phase

On December 28, 1930, Lu Diping ordered the five nationalist divisions within the heart of Jiangxi Soviet to launch a general offensive toward the Yellow Slope, Little Cloth and Matian regions north of Ningdu. The nationalist 18th Division, under the command of Zhang Huizan, pushed toward Dragon Hill from Donggu. The communists attempted to incite local militia to stop the nationalist 50th Division at River Origin, the nationalist 24th Division at Luokou and the nationalist 8th Division at Head Slope, with the main force engaging the 18th Division.

On December 29, as the Chinese Red Army was on its way, the news of the fall of Dragon Hill to the nationalist 18th Division reached the communists. They devised a plan to trap the advancing nationalists with a pincer manoeuvre.

Fourth phase

On the morning of December 30, 1930, the 18th Division of the nationalist 9th Route Army began their push toward Five Gates Ridge from Dragon Hill, headed by the 52nd brigade. Around 09:00, the most important battle of the first counter-encirclement campaign began at Short Separation, east of Dragon Hill, with elements of the Chinese Red Army firing the first shot.

Fifth phase

The 50th Division of the nationalist 9th Route Army became the communists' next target as it began its retreat toward Dongshao from Southern Regiment on January 2, 1931. The communist leaders decided on the same day to pursue the enemy in three directions:

• Left wing: The 3rd Legion of the Chinese Red Army would push to Head Slope, attacking Dongshao from the north.
• Right wing: The main force of the 3rd Army of the Chinese Red Army would push to Tianying to engage the 24th Division of the nationalist 6th Route Army, preventing it from reinforcing the 50th Division of the nationalist 9th Route Army at Dongshao, while a portion of the 3rd Army of the Chinese Red Army would attack Dongshao from the east.
• Central: The 12th Army of the Chinese Red Army would push to Southern Regiment and Linchi, attacking Dongshao from the west. The 4th Army of the Chinese Red Army would act as a strategic reserve, following the 12th Army.

The headquarters of the Chinese Red Army would move forward to Longtan to command the upcoming battle.

Outcome

The communist victory decimated four nationalist brigades totalling more than 15,000 troops, capturing more than 12,000 guns and artillery pieces. The success of the communist campaign marked the Chinese Red Army's transition from guerrilla warfare to mobile and conventional warfare, setting the pattern for the next three successful counter encirclement campaigns.

See also

• Second encirclement campaign
• Third encirclement campaign
• Fourth encirclement campaign
• Fifth encirclement campaign