Collected Writings of Chairman Mao: Politics and Tactics: Volume 2 - Politics and Tactics: 1

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 Peoples 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: Mao was an accomplished poet writer and historian a profound thinker and a superb military strategist. He crushed the US-backed Nationalists 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 Chinas military power... Maos aides dared not tell him millions were starving. Red Emperor Mao was prodigal with his peoples 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 enemys 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.