The iron chain bridge over the Dadu River in Luding County. The Long March (1934-1936) was a massive military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China, the forerunner of the People's Liberation Army, to evade the pursuit of the Kuomintang army. The Long March began the ascent to power of Mao Zedong, whose leadership during the retreat gained him the support of the members of the party.