Li Lisan
On July 13, 1930, the "de facto" leader of the Communist Party of China, Li Lisan, issued a general order for communist units around China to "conquer one provincial capital" as a signal for a "nationwide revolutionary storm." Peng took those general orders seriously and launched an attack on Hunan's capital, Changsha, on July 25 with 17,000 soldiers under his command and with the support of another 10,000 guerillas. Changsha was then defended by general Ho Chien, Peng's former superior. Peng's forces broke through the Kuomintang lines on July 28 and occupied Changsha proper on July 30, which Ho hastily evacuated. On August 1, Peng declared the establishment of a "Hunan Provincial Soviet Government," with Li Lisan, who lived in the French concession area in Shanghai, named chairman and Peng himself as vice-chairman. On August 5, Ho counterattacked with a force of 35,000 men. Peng suffered 7,500 casualties, and was forced to withdraw to Jinggangshan. On September 1, Peng again attempted to capture Changsha, but the attack was halted on the outskirts of the city with heavy casualties. Mao and Zhu kept their own forces from assisting Peng during his attempts to take Changsha, and Peng withdrew his forces into the Jiangxi Soviet in late 1930.