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Collected Writings: Politics and Tactics
Mao Zedong (also known as Mao Tse-tung) is regarded as one of the most controversial figures in modern world history. Having conquered the country, he ruled the People's Republic of China from its establishment as a Communist state in 1949 until the time of his death in 1976. Brilliant and ruthless, his legacy includes guerrilla warfare tactics, violent cultural revolutions, and enduring Communist propaganda. He was named one of the 100 most influential figures of the 20th century by Time Magazine . Eric Margolis, of the Huffington Post writes of Chairman "Mao was an accomplished poet, writer and historian, a profound thinker, and a superb military strategist. He crushed the US-backed Nationalist's 4.3-million strong armies in a series of titanic battles, forcing his rival, Chiang Kai-shek, to flee to Taiwan... The Great Helmsman united fractured, war-torn China, restoring its pride and self-confidence after two centuries of humiliation. Mao thwarted both Soviet and U.S. efforts to turn China into a client state, and built up China's military power... Mao's aides dared not tell him millions were starving. Red Emperor Mao was prodigal with his people's lives, and, according to aides who were close to him, was shockingly indifferent to their suffering. Mao horrified even brutal Soviet leaders by saying he was prepared to lose half his people to emerge victorious from a nuclear war... The first volume in this special collection contains six important lectures and essays by Chairman Mao. *Part 1 - Basic Tactics
*Part 2 - On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party
*Part 3 - The Chinese Revolution and the Chinese Communist Party
*Part 4 - The Role of the Chinese Communist Party
*Part 5 - The Orientation of the Youth Movement
*Part 6 - Win the Masses Excerpt from "Collected Writings of Chairman Mao - Politics and Tactics" by Mao Zedong.
Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. WE MUST ORGANIZE THE MASSES AND UNITE WITH THEM Modern warfare is not a matter in which armies alone can determine victory or defeat. Especially in guerrilla combat, we must rely on the force of the popular masses, for it is only thus that we can have a guarantee of success. The support of the masses offers us great advantages as regards transport, assistance to wounded, intelligence, disruption of the enemy's position, etc. At the same time, the enemy can be put into an isolated position, thus further increasing our advantages. If, by misfortune, we are defeated, it will also be possible to escape or to find concealment. Consequently, we must not lightly give battle in places where the masses are not organized and linked to us. WE MUST NOT FEAR THE ENEMY When we see the enemy, simply because he has a weapon in his hands, we must not be frightened to death, like a rat who sees a cat. We must not be afraid of approaching him or infiltrating into his midst, in order to carry out sabotage. We are men; our enemies are also men; we are all men, so what should we fear? The fact that he has weapons? We can find a way to seize his weapons. All we are afraid of is getting killed by the enemy. But when we undergo the oppression of the enemy to such a point as this, how can anyone still fear death? And if we do not fear death, then what is there to fear about the enemy? So when we see the enemy, whether he is many or few, we must act as though he can satisfy our hunger, and immediately swallow him.
*Part 2 - On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party
*Part 3 - The Chinese Revolution and the Chinese Communist Party
*Part 4 - The Role of the Chinese Communist Party
*Part 5 - The Orientation of the Youth Movement
*Part 6 - Win the Masses Excerpt from "Collected Writings of Chairman Mao - Politics and Tactics" by Mao Zedong.
Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. WE MUST ORGANIZE THE MASSES AND UNITE WITH THEM Modern warfare is not a matter in which armies alone can determine victory or defeat. Especially in guerrilla combat, we must rely on the force of the popular masses, for it is only thus that we can have a guarantee of success. The support of the masses offers us great advantages as regards transport, assistance to wounded, intelligence, disruption of the enemy's position, etc. At the same time, the enemy can be put into an isolated position, thus further increasing our advantages. If, by misfortune, we are defeated, it will also be possible to escape or to find concealment. Consequently, we must not lightly give battle in places where the masses are not organized and linked to us. WE MUST NOT FEAR THE ENEMY When we see the enemy, simply because he has a weapon in his hands, we must not be frightened to death, like a rat who sees a cat. We must not be afraid of approaching him or infiltrating into his midst, in order to carry out sabotage. We are men; our enemies are also men; we are all men, so what should we fear? The fact that he has weapons? We can find a way to seize his weapons. All we are afraid of is getting killed by the enemy. But when we undergo the oppression of the enemy to such a point as this, how can anyone still fear death? And if we do not fear death, then what is there to fear about the enemy? So when we see the enemy, whether he is many or few, we must act as though he can satisfy our hunger, and immediately swallow him.
- GenresWar
205 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
12 people are currently reading
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About the author
Mao Zedong
713 books560 followersMao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung, and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, statesman and leader of the Chinese Revolution. He was the architect and founding father of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from its establishment in 1949, and held control over the nation until his death in 1976. His theoretical contribution to Marxism–Leninism, along with his military strategies and brand of policies, are collectively known as Maoism.
Mao rose to power by commanding the Long March, forming a Second United Front with Kuomintang (KMT) during the Second Sino-Japanese War to repel a Japanese invasion, and later led the Communist Party of China (CPC) to victory against Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's KMT in the Chinese Civil War. Mao established political and military control over most of the territory formerly contained within the Chinese Empire and launched a campaign to suppress counterrevolutionaries. He sent the Communist People's Liberation Army into Xinjiang and Tibet but was unable to oust the remnants of the Nationalist Party from Taiwan. He enacted sweeping land reform by using violence and terror to overthrow landlords before seizing their large estates and dividing the land into people's communes. The Communist Party's final victory came after decades of turmoil in China, which included the Great Depression, a brutal invasion by Japan and a protracted civil war. Mao's Communist Party ultimately achieved a measure of stability in China, though Mao's efforts to close China to trade and market commerce, and eradicate traditional Chinese culture, have been largely rejected by his successors.
Mao styled himself "The Great Helmsman" and supporters continue to contend that he was responsible for some positive changes which came to China during his three decade rule. These included doubling the school population, providing universal housing, abolishing unemployment and inflation, increasing health care access, and dramatically raising life expectancy. A cult of personality grew up around Mao, and community dissent was not permitted. His Communist Party still rules in mainland China, retains control of media and education there and officially celebrates his legacy. As a result, Mao is still officially held in high regard by many Chinese as a great political strategist, military mastermind, and savior of the nation. Maoists promote his role as a theorist, statesman, poet, and visionary, and anti-revisionists continue to defend most of his policies.
Mao rose to power by commanding the Long March, forming a Second United Front with Kuomintang (KMT) during the Second Sino-Japanese War to repel a Japanese invasion, and later led the Communist Party of China (CPC) to victory against Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's KMT in the Chinese Civil War. Mao established political and military control over most of the territory formerly contained within the Chinese Empire and launched a campaign to suppress counterrevolutionaries. He sent the Communist People's Liberation Army into Xinjiang and Tibet but was unable to oust the remnants of the Nationalist Party from Taiwan. He enacted sweeping land reform by using violence and terror to overthrow landlords before seizing their large estates and dividing the land into people's communes. The Communist Party's final victory came after decades of turmoil in China, which included the Great Depression, a brutal invasion by Japan and a protracted civil war. Mao's Communist Party ultimately achieved a measure of stability in China, though Mao's efforts to close China to trade and market commerce, and eradicate traditional Chinese culture, have been largely rejected by his successors.
Mao styled himself "The Great Helmsman" and supporters continue to contend that he was responsible for some positive changes which came to China during his three decade rule. These included doubling the school population, providing universal housing, abolishing unemployment and inflation, increasing health care access, and dramatically raising life expectancy. A cult of personality grew up around Mao, and community dissent was not permitted. His Communist Party still rules in mainland China, retains control of media and education there and officially celebrates his legacy. As a result, Mao is still officially held in high regard by many Chinese as a great political strategist, military mastermind, and savior of the nation. Maoists promote his role as a theorist, statesman, poet, and visionary, and anti-revisionists continue to defend most of his policies.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
abandoned-but-may-pick-up-later
September 25, 2022Notes:
I. Study of Physical Education:
- “They do not know the true meaning of physical education”
-- “No wonder they produce no result. To make physical education effective, we must promote subjective awareness[;]
-- once there is awareness, the particulars of physical education will become clear without need of explanation”
--- “The static cannot move by itself. There must be something to make it move. To move is due to interest”
- “Physical education is [should be] the way to foster life[:][...] Chuang-Tzu learned from the cook; Confucious pursued archery and charioteering[; fencing;][...] Japan has its samurai and [...] judo”
- “Alas, the students seem to hate their own life and wish to destroy and sacrifice it! [...] Man's only worry is not to have a body. [...] Once the body is sound, everything else follows.”
-- implies that physical education is most important as it should be teaching what can keep you alive: e.g. forestry/bushcraft, martial art. Thenafter comes the studying.
-- “In the beginning of the Ch'ing dynasty, Yen Hsi-Chai and Ki Kang-Chu were scholars and warriors simultaneously”
- “The action of man, when regulated, is physical education”
- “[S]ome people can study science diligently because of its close relationship with themselves”
-- implying people will do what feels right for them
-- “One method will serve the purpose” & “99 out of 100 exercises can be discarded”
II. Inaugural Statement of 'Hsiang-Chiang P'ing-Lun':
-- “The bureaucratic educators [...] consider the school a jail and the students prisoners”
I. Study of Physical Education:
- “They do not know the true meaning of physical education”
-- “No wonder they produce no result. To make physical education effective, we must promote subjective awareness[;]
-- once there is awareness, the particulars of physical education will become clear without need of explanation”
--- “The static cannot move by itself. There must be something to make it move. To move is due to interest”
- “Physical education is [should be] the way to foster life[:][...] Chuang-Tzu learned from the cook; Confucious pursued archery and charioteering[; fencing;][...] Japan has its samurai and [...] judo”
- “Alas, the students seem to hate their own life and wish to destroy and sacrifice it! [...] Man's only worry is not to have a body. [...] Once the body is sound, everything else follows.”
-- implies that physical education is most important as it should be teaching what can keep you alive: e.g. forestry/bushcraft, martial art. Thenafter comes the studying.
-- “In the beginning of the Ch'ing dynasty, Yen Hsi-Chai and Ki Kang-Chu were scholars and warriors simultaneously”
- “The action of man, when regulated, is physical education”
- “[S]ome people can study science diligently because of its close relationship with themselves”
-- implying people will do what feels right for them
-- “One method will serve the purpose” & “99 out of 100 exercises can be discarded”
II. Inaugural Statement of 'Hsiang-Chiang P'ing-Lun':
-- “The bureaucratic educators [...] consider the school a jail and the students prisoners”
December 16, 2021
He complains about demands for "ultra-democracy" with "democratic centralism from the bottom to the top" where "the lower levels discuss all problems first, and then let the higher levels decide" saying there is "reluctance to carry out Party decisions". He continues this anti-Socialist nonsense saying that they want to "destroy the roots of ultra-democracy" which is a "danger" as "it damages or even completely wrecks the Party organisation and weakens or even completely undermines the Party's fighting capacity ... causing the defeat of the revolution". He calls democracy "the petty bourgeoisie's individualistic aversion to discipline" saying that "these ideas are utterly incompatible with the fighting tasks of the proletariat".
Looks like all that talk of people power and proletarian Socialist management and ownership of the means of production were just hot air.
He then complains about equality calling it "absolute equalitarianism" listing ridiculous examples which I doubt actually happened, adding that "it hinders the struggle"
After this performance he has the gall to act suprised that "Some immature Communists think that our task is confined to the present [Capitalist] revolution and does not include the future Socialist revolution".
Next he outlines his ridiculous rules on party discipline: "the individual is subordinate to the organisation", "the minority is subordinate to the majority", "the lower level is subordinate to the higher level" and "the entire membership is subordinate to the central Committee". Again, this doesn't exactly scream people power so much as obey us, we the beurocrats are your new Capitalist benevolent masters.
It's a shame really because the first half about guerilla warfare tactics was pretty good, vastly superior to his book with that title. That is the only reason this book didn't get a 1 or 2 star review.
Looks like all that talk of people power and proletarian Socialist management and ownership of the means of production were just hot air.
He then complains about equality calling it "absolute equalitarianism" listing ridiculous examples which I doubt actually happened, adding that "it hinders the struggle"
After this performance he has the gall to act suprised that "Some immature Communists think that our task is confined to the present [Capitalist] revolution and does not include the future Socialist revolution".
Next he outlines his ridiculous rules on party discipline: "the individual is subordinate to the organisation", "the minority is subordinate to the majority", "the lower level is subordinate to the higher level" and "the entire membership is subordinate to the central Committee". Again, this doesn't exactly scream people power so much as obey us, we the beurocrats are your new Capitalist benevolent masters.
It's a shame really because the first half about guerilla warfare tactics was pretty good, vastly superior to his book with that title. That is the only reason this book didn't get a 1 or 2 star review.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews