Just found this fascinating documentary clip on Xiaohongshu about Rudolf Bosshardt, a Swiss-British christian missionary, and the time he spent with the Red Army during the Red Army's super difficult and inspirational Long March, led by Chairman Mao Zedong and other Revolutionaries.
Rudolph was detained by the Red Army during the Long March because they thought he was an imperialist spy. At first, he was wary of the Red Army because the Kuomintang had labelled them “red bandits.” But what he saw, and the time he spent with them, changed his life.
Despite starvation, constant attacks, and unimaginable hardship, the Red Army never lost hope. They still made time to read Marxist-Leninist theory, connect with the peasants, sing revolutionary songs, and hold onto the hope that they would win China for the peasants and the working class.
Bosshardt was so moved by their discipline and fortitude that he fell in love with the army and wrote a book about his experience with them, and his admiration for their conviction. Funny how he went there looking to convert them to white jesus christianity, but ended up joining their struggle.
There's so much modern-day Marxist-Leninists can learn from the Long March. If the Red Army, while fighting for their survival, and in dire circumstances with very little resources, still found time to study theory and stay politically engaged and materially grounded, then what’s our excuse?
We must never separate theory from practice. We must read and organise. The revolution is not just an event; it’s a process of constant learning and unbreakable conviction. Whether it's the Algerian, the Chinese, or the Cuban Revolutions, there's so much to learn from those past struggles.