The Longish March

For millions of Chinese, the Long March is a seminal historic event. In 1934, the more-than-80,000-strong Red Army, having been routed by Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists, retreated from its base in southeast China on a harrowing yearlong slog that killed 9 out of 10 soldiersbut ultimately, by saving the core cadre to fight another day, set the stage for the Communists' victory, launched a nation and turned a little-known guerilla fighter named Mao Zedong into a hero.

Mao said his troops wandered roughly 12,000 kilometers through the hinterlands, and that's what most of the history books say. But two...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!