The Long March (1934–35) occupies a central place in modern Chinese history and has been interpreted differently by various traditions of history writing. It was a strategic retreat undertaken by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Red Army after the Nationalist forces under Chiang Kai-shek launched encirclement campaigns against Communist bases in Jiangxi. Approximately 80,000–100,000 Red Army soldiers began the march, but only a fraction completed the journey to Shaanxi after traversing nearly 9,000 kilometres across some of the most difficult terrain in China. Traditional nationalist historians often viewed the Long March as a military defeat that forced the Communists to abandon their strongholds. According to this interpretation, the retreat reflected the superior strength of the Nationalist government and the weakness of the Communist position in south China. The emphasis is placed on the destruction of Communist bases and the heavy losses suffered during the march. Marxist and Communist historians, however, transformed the Long March into a revolutionary epic. In official CCP historiography, it represented a heroic struggle of the proletarian vanguard against reactionary forces. The march symbolized perseverance, sacrifice, discipline, and ideological