The Origins of the August 1st Army Day, the First Military Parade, and That Immortal Oath

Today is the PLA Founding Day. Throughout the People’s Army’s 98-year history, whenever the motherland and the people have needed it, we have always seen the brave and fearless image of the People’s Liberation Army.

Looking back on history and forging ahead with determination, today we take stock of… The origins of the August 1st Army Day, the first military parade held in the Central Soviet Area, and that “Oath of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army,” which bears engraved the original aspiration— From the crack of rifles at the Nanchang Uprising, we sense the power of faith; from the solemn ceremonies in Ruijin Square, we feel the warmth of the unity between the military and the people; and through resolute oaths, we come to understand the People’s Army’s enduring pledge: “To fight for the people.”

I. The Origin of the August 1st Army Day

On August 1, 1927, the Communist Party of China led the Nanchang Uprising, firing the first shot in armed resistance against the Kuomintang reactionaries. This act proclaimed the CPC’s unwavering resolve to defy tyranny and uphold the revolutionary cause, marking the beginning of the Party’s independent leadership of revolutionary warfare, the founding of the People’s Army, and the armed seizure of political power.

As armed uprisings swept across the country and the Red Army’s importance became increasingly apparent, The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China gradually came to recognize the profound significance of the Nanchang Uprising in the founding of the People’s Army.

In June 1933, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission issued an order designating August 1 as the anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. It is pointed out: “On August 1, 1927, the Nanchang Uprising, led by the proletarian party—the Communist Party—took place. This uprising marked the beginning of the anti-imperialist land revolution and served as the source of the valiant Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. Throughout years of arduous warfare, the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army has repelled the successive offensives of the imperialist Kuomintang, fundamentally shaking the latter’s rule in China. It has become one of the principal levers driving the revolutionary upsurge, the organizer of the revolutionary struggle of the toiling masses of China, and the main force carrying through the national revolutionary war to the end.” This committee, in commemoration of the Nanchang Uprising and the founding of the Red Army, hereby resolves that, beginning in 1933, August 1 shall be observed annually as the Founding Day of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army.

From that time on, the People’s Army has had a unified, fixed commemorative day.

After the founding of New China, the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army Memorial Day was renamed the Founding Anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

On July 2, 1933, the newspaper Red China published “The Central Bureau’s Decision on the ‘August 1’ International Anti-War Struggle Day and the Commemoration of the Founding of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army.”

II. The Central Soviet Area’s The first “August 1” military parade

On July 16, 1933, the First Front Army of the Red Army issued the “Measures for the Commemoration of August 1,” deciding to solemnly hold celebrations marking the founding of the People’s Liberation Army. The program comprised five main components: a military parade, an oath‑taking ceremony, a medal‑presentation ceremony, a flag‑awarding ceremony, and a review‑of‑troops parade. The commemorative event was held on August 1 at the Artillery Square in southern Ruijin.

Starting on July 17, the troops designated to participate in the parade began training. To prevent the parade from being detected and bombed by Kuomintang aircraft, the Red Army set up a dummy parade ground in Changting, Fujian, more than 40 kilometers from Ruijin, in order to mislead the enemy.

At around 3:00 a.m. on August 1, the soldiers and civilians of the Soviet area converged from all directions, torches in hand, bathing the Artillery Square in brilliant light. By approximately 4:00 a.m., the military parade officially began to the resounding blasts of ceremonial cannon fire and the stirring, rousing strains of military music.

As they were poised to enter combat at any moment, the parade‑forming units consisted primarily of four representative infantry regiments and direct‑subordinate formations of the Front Army. The parade commander was Xu Yangan, commander of the Red 2nd Division. The parade’s principal commanders were Red Army Commander-in-Chief Zhu De and Chief Political Commissar Zhou Enlai. Party, government, and military leaders—including Bogu, head of the CPC Central Committee; Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic; and Xiang Ying, acting Chairman of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission—also attended the ceremony.

During the parade, the reviewing troops maintained an excellent combat posture and high morale: all rifles were fitted with bayonets, and bolt-action rifles were equipped with wooden rifle stocks, which were uniformly slung over the right shoulder; all officers and soldiers wore belts and leg wraps.

The military parade was conducted in five stages. The first item is the commander’s review. The reviewing troops lined up at their designated positions in accordance with their organizational structure. Leaders including Zhu De and Zhou Enlai entered the parade ground one by one. As Zhu De stepped to the head of the formation, the squad leader gave the command “Attention,” whereupon the officers and soldiers, rifles in hand, rendered the salute.

The second item is the oath. All the officers and soldiers, led by Zhu De, solemnly took the oath in unison: “We are the sons of the workers and peasants; we have voluntarily joined the Red Army to fulfill the glorious mission entrusted to us by the Soviet government, and we will fight to the very end for the liberation of the workers and peasants…”

The third item is the awarding of medals. The Central Revolutionary Military Commission issued an award decree, conferring the “August 1” Red Star Medals of the first and second classes upon their respective recipients.

The fourth item is the presentation of the military flag. At this commemorative rally, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission presented honorary flags to the various units of the Red Army, “to commend their achievements in combat.” After Zhou Enlai read the Central Revolutionary Military Commission’s proclamation, each regiment dispatched three representatives to line up and receive the flags.

The fifth item is the march-past. The military band struck up, and the four regiments being reviewed, in sequence and formed into company-sized contingents, marched past the reviewing stand in close order with rifles at the shoulder in salute, shouting the slogan "Fight for Soviet power!" They held their regimental flags aloft and carried their arms proudly, receiving the inspection with a bold, spirited bearing that greatly inspired the people of the Soviet area.

III. The “Oath of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army”: A Testament to Our Original Aspirations

During this celebration, all officers and soldiers recited the “Oath of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army,” It is the first officially promulgated oath of revolutionary soldiers in the history of the People’s Army. It is now treasured at the Ruijin Memorial Hall of the Central Revolutionary Base Area (collected from local residents in 1954).

In July 1933, in the face of the Kuomintang army’s impending Fifth Encirclement Campaign, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission specially compiled and promulgated this oath to boost morale and unite the troops.

Following the military parade, all officers and soldiers, led by Commander-in-Chief Zhu De, solemnly took the following oath: “We are the sons of the workers and peasants; we have voluntarily joined the Red Army to fulfill the glorious mission entrusted to us by the Soviet. We will fight to the very end for the liberation of the working people. We are Red soldiers; we pledge to ensure that ourselves and our comrades strictly observe and obey all decrees of the Soviet, setting an exemplary standard in both thought and action. We will strive to master political and military knowledge, cherish the interests of the workers and peasants, and safeguard our weapons from damage or theft. We are the pillars of the Soviet; we swear to devote our very flesh and blood to developing the national revolutionary war, carrying out the land revolution, overthrowing the Kuomintang, defending the Soviet, defeating imperialism, securing China’s liberation, arming ourselves in support of the Soviet Union, completing the democratic revolution, and fighting for the future of socialism. At this moment, the enemy is launching a massive offensive. We must stand united, wielding our bayonets and artillery in a life‑and‑death struggle against the foe, offering our heads and our blood to win a new Chinese Soviet. For the sake of our class interests, we will abide by revolutionary discipline and obey the orders of our superiors. Should we violate these principles or prove disloyal, we willingly accept the sanctions of revolutionary discipline and submit to the criticism of our comrades. So we solemnly swear.”

This oath not only stands as a precious testament to the very first Founding Day of the People’s Army, but also serves as a vivid embodiment of the armed forces’ unwavering political stance and their spirit of fearlessness in the face of sacrifice.

The “Oath of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army” on display at the Memorial Hall of the Central Revolutionary Base Area in Ruijin.

These red memories are both a tribute to history and a solemn declaration for the future: no matter how times may change, the People’s Army will always remain the iron wall of trust and reliance for the Party and the people.

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