Editing Long March (section)

===The Fourth Red Army===
In June–July 1935, the troops under Mao united with the Fourth Red Army, led by Zhang Guotao, which had retreated west from [[Henan]]. Zhang had taken a different route of evacuation, and arrived at Lianghekou with 84,000 troops in relatively good condition. The fact that he had control of superior forces gave him the power to challenge the authority of Zhou and Mao, whose power was based largely on the Party's support. Zhang demanded that one of his own generals, [[Chen Changhao]], take over Zhou's position as political commissar of the entire Red Army, and suggested that Zhang himself replace Zhu De on the Military Commission.  Zhang argued that such a reorganization would create a more "equal" army organization.  On July 18, Zhou relinquished his position as political commissar, and several leading positions were taken over by generals of the Fourth Red Army.{{sfn|Barnouin|Yu|2006|p=61}}

These changes had no long-term significance because Zhang and Mao disagreed with the direction of the army. Zhang insisted on going southwest, while Mao insisted on going northwards, towards Shaanxi. No agreement was reached, and the two armies eventually split, each going their separate ways.{{sfn|Barnouin|Yu|2006|p=61}}

Zhang Guotao's Fourth Red Army took a different route than Mao, travelling south, then west, and finally north through China. On the way Zhang's forces were largely destroyed by the forces of Chiang Kai-shek and his Chinese Muslim allies, the [[Ma clique]]. The remnants of Zhang's forces later rejoined elements of the Second Red Army before eventually linking up with Mao's forces in Shaanxi.<ref name="Fourth Front Army">New Long March 2: [http://www.newlongmarch2.com/Why_en.asp Fourth Front Army] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928070907/http://www.newlongmarch2.com/Why_en.asp |date=September 28, 2007 }} (Retrieved November 23, 2006)</ref>