The fifth encirclement campaign against the Jiangxi Soviet was a series of military operations undertaken during the Chinese Civil War, spanning from September 1933 to October 1934. The conflict pitted the forces of Chiang Kai-shek's Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) against the Chinese Communists.
Unlike earlier attempts to crush the Chinese Soviet Republic, the fifth campaign was marked by a more methodical strategy. Chiang Kai-shek implemented a policy of gradual advance fortified by the construction of blockhouses, aiming to systematically isolate and annihilate Communist-controlled areas. This tactic ultimately proved effective in tightening the Nationalist stranglehold over the Jiangxi region.
Despite fierce resistance, the Communist forces—under increasingly constrained circumstances—suffered significant losses. By October 1934, the Nationalist Forces had succeeded in overrunning the principal Communist base areas. This defeat forced the Communist leadership to initiate a massive strategic retreat, later memorialised as the beginning of the Long March.
The campaign represented a turning point in the civil conflict, not only due to its military consequences but also for how it reshaped the Communist Party's internal leadership and strategic doctrine in the years that followed.
Prelude
Following the failure of the fourth encirclement campaign in the spring of 1933, Chiang Kai-shek promptly began preparations for a renewed offensive. In response, Nationalist troop mobilisation surged to over one million soldiers, the majority of whom were drawn from the armies of regional warlords. Among these, the most significant contribution came from the Guangdong warlord Chen Jitang, whose force of over 300,000 men constituted approximately 30% of the total Nationalist strength.
Chen's troops were tasked with blockading the southern frontier of the Jiangxi Soviet. However, many warlords displayed only lukewarm commitment to the campaign, driven by self-preservation and political pragmatism. Having already witnessed the failure of four prior encirclement attempts, most warlord leaders were reluctant to risk their own forces. Consequently, their armies largely assumed passive roles—serving as blockade units and occupying previously seized Communist territories—rather than engaging in front-line combat.
In contrast, it was Chiang Kai-shek's own Chinese Nationalist central forces that bore the brunt of the actual fighting during the campaign. This dynamic highlighted the ongoing tensions between the central Nationalist government and the semi-autonomous regional militarists who often prioritised local control over national unity.
Nationalist Forces
In July 1933, the Chinese National Revolutionary Army established a review committee to assess and correct errors made during earlier encirclement campaigns. At the divisional level, new training organisations were created to enhance operational readiness. Foreign advisors, most notably from the German Military Mission (Chinese: 德國顧問團), were further integrated into NRA operations. Their expertise was leveraged to modernise both tactics and strategy. The German advisors advocated for a more methodical and structured approach.
The revised strategy began with surrounding and isolating the Communist-controlled zones, thereby cutting off essential logistical supplies such as raw materials, rice, and salt. The next step involved the systematic construction of blockhouses made from concrete and other materials, forming fortified lines capable of delivering suppressive fire and halting breakout attempts by Communist forces. As the encirclement advanced, older blockhouses were abandoned and new ones were established progressively closer to the Communist core. Additionally, new roads were built in the rear areas to streamline supply lines. These methods had previously been employed inconsistently and with limited success, but were now unified under a broader strategic framework.
Within the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) ranks, there was a widespread belief that defeating the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was "70% political and 30% military" (Chinese: 三分軍事，七分政治). This idea was encapsulated in a popular slogan of the time. In line with this philosophy, the ancient Baojia system was revived. Under KMT direction, NRA forces reintroduced village security teams and reconstructed local administrative structures to assert Nationalist control.
The Nationalist fielded approximately 700,000 troops, organised into four main Task Forces and supported by five air groups from the Nationalist Air Force:
- The Northern Task Force, comprising 30 divisions consists mainly of the National Revolutionary Army, was deployed along the Jishui–Jinxi–Nankang–Li'an (黎安) front.
- The Southern Task Force included 11 divisions from Guangdong and one independent regiment, positioned along the Wuping–Anyuan–Ganxian–Shangyou line.
- The Western Task Force was composed of nine divisions from Hunan and three independent regiments, tasked with defending the Gan River and blocking any westward advance by Red Army forces.
- The Eastern Task Force, consisting of 14 divisions, guarded the Fujian–Jiangxi border in the wake of the Fujian Rebellion.
- Lastly, the Fujian–Jiangxi–Zhejiang Military Region Headquarters controlled 11 divisions and four security regiments to secure the northeastern sector.
This deployment resulted in a total force of 75 divisions and 8 independent regiments. Estimates place the main assault force at between 400,000 and 500,000 troops, with up to 1,000,000 personnel committed overall. The strength of the five Aviation Units was estimated to range from 200 to 270 aircraft.
Order of Battle (January 1934)
Source:
Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek
Northern Task Force (Chinese: 北路軍)
Commander-in-Chief: Gu ZhutongFrontline Commander: Chen Cheng
- 1st Route ArmyActing Commander-in-Chief: Gu ZhutongDeputy Commander and Garrison Unit Commander: Liu Xing (Chinese: 劉興)
- 3rd Route ArmyCommander-in-Chief: Chen ChengDeputy Commander: Luo Zhuoying
- 3rd Column: Fan Songfu
- 5th Column: Luo Zhuoying
- 8th Column: Zhou Hunyuan
- Garrison Unit: Mao Bingwen
- Reserve Unit
- 6th Route ArmyCommander-in-Chief: Xue Yue
- 6th Column: Liu Shaoxian (Chinese: 劉紹先)
- 7th Column: Wu Qiwei (Chinese: 吳奇偉)
- 26th Route ArmyCommander-in-Chief: Sun Lianzhong
- Zhejiang–Jiangxi–Fujian Border RegionSecurity Commander: Zhao Guantao
- General ReserveCommander: Qian Dajun
Eastern Task Force (Chinese: 東路軍)
Commander-in-Chief: Jiang Dingwen
- 2nd Route ArmyCommander-in-Chief: Jiang Dingwen
- 5th Route ArmyCommander-in-Chief: Wei Lihuang
- 9th Column: Liu Heding
- 10th Column: Tang Enbo
- General Reserve**
Western Task Force (Hunan) (Chinese: 西路軍)
Commander-in-Chief:** He Jian
- 1st Column: Liu Jianxu
- 2nd Column: Liu Yinggu (Chinese: 劉膺古)
- 3rd Column: Chen Jicheng
Southern Task Force (Guangdong) (Chinese: 南路軍)
Commander-in-Chief:** Chen Jitang
- 1st Army: Yu Hanmou
- 2nd Army: Xiang Hanping
- 3rd Army: Li Yangjing
Air Force (Chinese: 空軍)
- 1st Bomber Group
- 2nd Bomber Group
- 3rd Reconnaissance and Bomber Group (Provisional)
- 4th Reconnaissance and Bomber Group (Provisional)
- 5th Reconnaissance and Bomber Group (Provisional)
- Aircraft Operated: Vought O3U/V-92C, Douglas O-2MC, Breguet 273 and other types.
Communist Forces
The Chinese Red Army had made limited preparations for the fifth encirclement campaign, having prioritised the recruitment of a large standing force for conventional warfare. By late October 1933, the Red Army had grown to approximately 100,000 soldiers. However, this number placed a significant strain on the logistical capacity of the Chinese Soviet Republic, which lacked the infrastructure to support such a large force. Notably, systematic revenue and supply collection had only commenced in August 1933.
Other sources estimate the Red Army's strength at this time to have been either 150,000 or as low as 70,000.
Order of Battle (October 1933)
Source:
Military Commission of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (Chinese: 中共中央軍事委員會)*Chairman: Zhu De*Vice Chairman: Zhou Enlai
- Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army**
- Commander-in-Chief: Zhu De
- Political Commissar: Zhou Enlai
- Director of the Political Department: Wang Jiaxiang
First Front Army
- Commander: Zhu De
- Political Commissar: Zhou Enlai
- Chief of Staff: Ye Jianying
- 1st Army Group – Lin Biao
- 3rd Army Group – Peng Dehuai
- 5th Army Group – Dong Zhentang
- 7th Army Group – Xiao Jinguang
- 12th Army
Regional Military Commands
- Jiangxi Military District – Chen Yi
- Hunan–Hubei–Jiangxi Military District – Kong Hechong (Chinese: 孔荷寵)
- Hunan–Jiangxi Military District – Cai Huiwen (Chinese: 蔡會文)
- Fujian Military District – Luo Binghui
- Zhejiang–Jiangxi–Fujian Military District – Tang Caigang (Chinese: 唐在剛)
Independent Unit
The Campaign
The campaign officially commenced on 25 September 1933, when the first Nationalist Army assault on Communist positions was launched. Just three days later, the Communists lost control of Lichuan. Although Communist forces managed to halt the Nationalist advance southwest of Lichuan, subsequent operations proved disastrous. On 9 October 1933, the 24th Division of the Red Army attempted to capture Siaoshi Township (Chinese: 懷寧縣小市鎮), but the town remained firmly in Nationalist hands. Over the following days, Communist troops were forced to withdraw, sustaining heavy casualties in the process.
Witnessing this success, Chiang Kai-shek issued a new directive on 17 October 1933, instructing his forces to adopt the principle of tactical defence, strategic offence in order to perfect the Blockhouse Strategy. In contrast, the Communist leadership failed to revise their tactical approach and continued launching ineffective frontal assaults on NRA blockhouses. Between 25 September and mid-November 1933, the Red Army failed to achieve any major victories, suffering significant losses not only from combat, but also due to defection and disease.
The Blockhouse Doctrine
As commander-in-chief of the Nationalist forces, Chiang Kai-shek established his headquarters in Nanchang. Alongside the mobilisation of regional warlord troops, Chiang adopted a strategy of systematic encirclement of the Jiangxi Soviet through the use of fortified blockhouses. This strategy—commonly referred to as the Blockhouse Doctrine (Chinese: 堡壘戰術)—sought to apply gradual, methodical pressure on Communist-held territories through static defence and incremental territorial gains.
Although this approach is often attributed to German military advisers such as Hans von Seeckt and Alexander von Falkenhausen, later analysis suggests the strategy was a synthesis of both foreign guidance and domestic planning. In early 1933, General von Seeckt recommended to Chiang that the Red Army be targeted not through rapid offensives, but by avoiding direct confrontation and instead advancing slowly with strong defensive support. He advised that even if only one kilometre were gained per day, the Communist Central Revolutionary Base Area could be fully subdued within a year.
At a military strategy conference held in Nanchang in June 1933, Chiang officially endorsed this approach. The plan proposed by Nanchang Headquarters staff officer Liu Weiyuan (Chinese: 柳維垣) was adopted, advocating a shift from rapid offensives to a block-by-block advance, with fortifications and roads constructed en route. A special section for blockhouse construction was established under Liu's direction.
By July, Chiang expanded the initiative with a formal officer training programme at Lushan, where the tactical doctrine was further refined to compress and gradually erode the Jiangxi Soviet:
"Blockhouses were to be constructed in a grid, like pattern, advancing cautiously with a focus on area denial, Advance one step, then hold one step." (Chinese: 務期星羅棋布……以守為攻，乘機進剿，對峙則守，得隙則攻……進得一步，即守一步)
Between 1933 and the autumn of 1934, the Nationalist Army reportedly constructed 14,294 blockhouses across the front, with the highest concentration around Fuzhou. A defensive line was formed stretching some 400 kilometres from the eastern boundary of Lichuan to the western approaches of Ji'an and Jizhou, sealing off key transport routes into the Jiangxi Soviet. In eight counties alone— Yihuang, Nancheng, Le'an, Lichuan, Jinxi, Chongren, Zixi, and Nanfeng—over 2,000 blockhouses were established.
The Red Army, suffering from severe shortages of artillery and ammunition, with some units limited to only ten rounds per soldier, was unable to effectively breach the fortifications. This strategy of fortified containment inflicted devastating pressure on the Communist forces, marking a turning point in the Campaign.
Under the strategic direction of a three-man Communist committee—Bo Gu, Zhou Enlai, and Otto Braun—the Red Army launched repeated offensives against these fortified positions. However, these attacks resulted in severe losses and little tactical gain. Over the course of 1933–1934, the territory of the Jiangxi Soviet was drastically reduced. By the end of the campaign, only a small number of towns and cities remained under Communist control.