In January 1935, following the Battle of the Xiangjiang River, the Red Army arrived in Zunyi, Guizhou Province. There the CPC held a meeting that would prove to be historic, at which Mao Zedong was restored to the military leadership. In the course of the next two months Mao, in an effort to confuse the enemy, directed his forces to weave backwards and forwards in a highly mobile and flexible series of maneuvers that saw them cross the Chishui River four times. In this way they succeeded against all the odds in breaking out of the enemy encirclement - a feat of courage and ingenuity that has earned a proud place in the history of warfare.