The People's Army

Without a people's army the people have nothing.

Source: "On Coalition Government" (April 24, 1945), Selected Works, Vol. III, pp. 296-97.

沒有一個人民的軍隊，便沒有人民的一切。

On Coalition Government — April 1945 political report to the 7th Congress; many quotations on party and masses come from it.

This army is powerful because all its members have a conscious discipline; they have come together and they fight not for the private interests of a few individuals or a narrow clique, but for the interests of the broad masses and of the whole nation. The sole purpose of this army is to stand firmly with the Chinese people and to serve them whole-heartedly.

Source: Ibid., p. 264.*

這個軍隊之所以有力量，是因為所有參加這個軍隊的人，都具有自覺的紀律；他們不是為著少數人的或狹隘集團的私利，而是為著廣大人民群衆的利益，為著全民族的利益，而結合，而戰鬥的。緊緊地和中國人民站在一起，全心全意地為中國人民服務，就是這個軍隊的唯一的宗旨。

The Chinese Red Army is an armed body for carrying out the political tasks of the revolution. Especially at present, the Red Army should certainly not confine itself to fighting; besides fighting to destroy the enemy's military strength, it should shoulder such important tasks as doing propaganda among the masses, organizing the masses, arming them, helping them to establish revolutionary political power and setting up Party organizations. The Red Army fights not merely for the sake of fighting but in order to conduct propaganda among the masses, organize them, arm them, and help them to establish revolutionary political power. Without these objectives, fighting loses its meaning and the Red Army loses the reason for its existence.

Source: "On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party" (December 1929), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 106.*

中國紅軍是一個執行革命的政治任務的武裝集團。特別是現在，紅軍決不是單純地打仗的，它除了打仗消滅敵人軍事力量之外，還要負擔宣傳群衆、組織群衆、武裝群衆、幫助群衆建立革命政權以至於建立共產黨的組織等項重大的任務。紅軍的打仗，不是單純地為了打仗而打仗，而是為了宣傳群衆、組織群衆、武裝群衆，並幫助群衆建設革命政權才去打仗的，離了對群衆的宣傳、組織、武裝和建設革命政權等項目標，就是失去了打仗的意義，也就是失去了紅軍存在的意義。

On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party — December 1929 Gutian resolution, the core source of Chapter 24.

The People's Liberation Army is always a fighting force. Even after countrywide victory, our army will remain a fighting force during the historical period in which classes have not been abolished in our country and the imperialist system still exists in the world. On this point there should be no misunderstanding or wavering.

Source: "Report to the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China " (March 5, 1949), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 362.

人民解放軍永遠是一個戰鬥隊。就是在全國勝利以後，在國內沒有消滅階級和世界上存在著帝國主義制度的歷史時期內，我們的軍隊還是一個戰鬥隊。對於這一點不能有任何的誤解和動搖。

We have an army for fighting as well as an army for labour. For fighting we have the Eighth Route and New Fourth Armies but even they do a dual job, warfare and production. With these two kinds of armies, and with a fighting army skilled in these two tasks and in mass work, we can overcome our difficulties and defeat Japanese imperialism.

Source: "Get Organized!" (November 29,), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 153.

我們有打仗的軍隊，又有勞動的軍隊。打仗的軍隊，我們有八路軍新四軍；這支軍隊也要當兩支用，一方面打仗，一方面生產。我們有了這兩支軍隊，我們的軍隊有了這兩套本領，再加上做群衆工作一項本領，那末，我們就可以克服困難，把日本帝國主義打垮。

Get Organized — November 1943, on organising the masses into mutual-aid production.

Our national defence will be consolidated and no imperialist will be allowed to invade our territory again. Our people's armed forces must be maintained and developed with the brave and steeled People's Liberation Army as their foundation. We will have not only a powerful army but also a powerful air force and a powerful navy.

Source: Opening address at the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (September 21, 1949).

我們的國防將獲得鞏固，不允許任何帝國主義者再來侵略我們的國土。在英勇的經過了考驗的人民解放軍的基礎上，我們的人民武裝力量必須保存和發展起來。我們將不但有一個強大的陸軍，而且有一個強大的空軍和一個強大的海軍。

Our principle is that the Party commands the gun, and the gun must never be allowed to command the Party.

Source: "Problems of War and Strategy" (November 6, 1938), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 224.

我們的原則是黨指揮槍，而決不容許槍指揮黨。

All our officers and fighters must always bear in mind that we are the great People's Liberation Army, we are the troops led by the great Communist Party of China. Provided we constantly observe the directives of the Party, we are sure to win.

Source: "Manifesto of the Chinese People's Liberation Army" (October 1947), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 152.

我全軍將士必須時刻牢記，我們是偉大的人民解放軍，是偉大的中國共產黨領導的隊伍。只要我們時刻遵守黨的指示，我們就一定勝利。