Helen's Encounter with
Communist Leaders
共产党高 干部 接见海伦
When Helen arrived in China, little was known about communist leadership and the Red Army. In 1937, she left on a dangerous solo mission to Yan'an, the Communist base in the Northwest. Helen encountered and interviewed many important leaders of the Chinese Revolution, including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De. She gained valuable information other reporters did not get who stayed in safer cities.
"It had been at the peril of her life that she had escaped under the watch of several armed guards and managed to go behind Kuomintang lines to Yan'an." -Sheril Foster Bischoff, author and niece to Helen, in "Helen Foster Snow’s Contributions during the Sino-Japanese War." |
Helen interviewing the Mayor of Shanghai, Wu Tieh-cheng
Credit- Bridging: A Photo Essay on the Life of Helen Foster Snow |
Mao Zedong |
Helen was one of the few Americans to interview Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung). She learned that early communism’s ideals were to resist the corrupt KMT and that people would be, "very much surprised to see what eminently respectable young people [communists] you have been so unkindly labeling blood thirsty bandits for so long."
-Helen Foster Snow, in "China Treasures from BYU" |
A picture of Mao Zedong taken by Edgar Snow
Credit- China Daily |
"The communists were at a fairly rudimentary stage there. They had a very primitive lifestyle. There wasn't room for corruption, there was nothing to corrupt...The communism at that time was different from the communism that came later." -Robert Scalapino, in "Helen Foster Snow: Witness to Revolution"
Original letter written by Mao to Helen in 1973
Credit- Harold B. Lee Library |
"Both your letter and your book 'Inside Red China' have been received. The letter is well written, and I read the book long ago. Thank you very much...You will be welcome to visit China again if you wish."
-Highlights from Mao Zedong's letter to Helen, "China Treasures from BYU" Deseret News |
Zhou Enlai
Credit- Xinhuanet.com
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Helen learned about communism from her encounter with Zhou. She became familiar with its organization and history because of his constant loyalty to Mao.
"One of Helen's greatest accomplishments while in Yan'an was a feat no one before or after her managed; extracting biographical information from dozens of reticent communist leaders including Zhu De, the commander of the red armies and Zhou Enlai. Both men would be at Mao's side for the next four decades as they ruled China together. From these interviews came her books, Inside Red China, The Chinese Communists, Women in Modern China, and Historical Notes on China." -Sheril Foster Bischoff, in "Helen Foster Snow’s Contributions during the Sino-Japanese War." |
Zhu De
Zhu De,
Credit- Todayonhistory.com Due to Zhu's past military responsibilities, Helen was able to gather fascinating information about China. They remained close friends throughout the rest of their lives.
"Helen's reporting departed from the approach of almost all her foreign peers...At great personal risk, she instead ventured into the countryside to gain understanding of the growing popular support for Communism." -An Wei, friend and expert on Helen, author and Honorary Chairman of Edgar and Helen Snow Studies Center
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Zhu De was a Chinese general and founder of the Red Army. He is considered one of China's greatest military leaders. He and Mao Zedong created the Red Army. In one year he increased the number of troops from 5,000 to 200,000.
Helen with Zhu De, her lifelong friend
Credit- Bridging: A Photo Essay on the Life of Helen Foster Snow "Helen’s major contribution was to open a 'window' on the CCP, its history, and leaders. This was a major contribution to our understanding of the fledgling Chinese communist movement at the time. This was something very few in the U.S. government or media circles did." -Dr. Eric Hyer interview, Coordinator of Asian Studies at BYU
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