Eight entries on the 'three democracies': political, economic and military.
01
A proper measure of democracy should be put into effect in the army, chiefly by abolishing the feudal practice of bullying and beating and by having officers and men share weal and woe. Once this is done, unity will be achieved between officers and men, the combat effectiveness of the army will be greatly increased, and there will be no doubt of our ability to sustain the long, cruel war.
Source: "On Protracted War" (May 1938), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 186.
軍隊應實行一定限度的民主化，主要地是廢除封建主義的打罵制度和官兵生活同甘苦。這樣一來，官兵一致的目的就達到了，軍隊就增加了絕大的戰鬥力，長期的殘酷的戰爭就不患不能支持。
On Protracted War — May 1938, early in the Sino-Japanese War. Predicts a long war and a strategy of trading space for time.
02
Apart from the role played by the Party, the reason why the Red Army has been able to carry on in spite of such poor material conditions and such frequent engagements is its practice of democracy. The officers do not beat the men; officers and men receive equal treatment; soldiers are free to hold meetings and to speak out; trivial formalities have been done away with; and the accounts are open for all to inspect… In China the army needs democracy as much as the people do. Democracy in our army is an important weapon for undermining the feudal mercenary army.
Source: "The Struggle in the Chingkang Mountains " (November 25, 1928), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 83.
紅軍的物質生活如此菲薄，戰鬥如此頻繁，仍能維持不敝，除黨的作用外，就是靠實行軍隊內的民主主義。官長不打士兵，官兵待遇平等，士兵有開會說話的自由，廢除煩瑣的禮節，經濟公開。……中國不但人民需要民主主義，軍隊也需要民主主義。軍隊內的民主主義制度，將是破壞封建僱傭軍隊的一個重要的武器。
03
The policy for political work in our army units is fully to arouse the rank and file, the commanders and all working personnel in order to achieve three major objectives through a democratic movement under centralized leadership, namely, a high degree of political unity, better living conditions, and better military technique and tactics. The Three Check-ups and Three Improvements[1] now being enthusiastically carried out in our army units are intended to attain the first two of these objectives through the methods of political and economic democracy. With regard to economic democracy, the representatives elected by the soldiers must be ensured the right to assist (but not to bypass) the company leadership in managing the company's supplies and mess. With regard to military democracy, in periods of training there must be mutual instruction as between officers and soldiers and among the soldiers themselves; and in periods of fighting the companies at the front must hold big and small meetings of various kinds. Under the direction of the company leadership, the rank and file should be roused to discuss how to attack and capture enemy positions and how to fulfil other combat tasks. When the fighting lasts several days, several such meetings should be held. This kind of military democracy was practised with great success in the battle of Panlung in northern Shensi and in the battle of Shihchiachuang in the Shansi-Chahar- Hopei area. It has been proved that the practice can only do good and can do no harm whatsoever.
Source: "The Democratic Movement in the Army" (January 30, 1948), Selected Military Writings, 2nd ed., p. 353.
部隊內部政治工作方針，是放手發動士兵群衆、指揮員和一切工作人員，通過集中領導下的民主運動，達到政治上高度團結、生活上獲得改善、軍事上提高技術和戰術的三大目的。目前在我軍部隊中熱烈進行的三查、三整，就是用政治民主、經濟民主的方法，達到前兩項目的。關於經濟民主，必須使士兵選出的代表有權協助（不是超過）連隊首長管理連隊的給養和伙食。關於軍事民主，必須在練兵時實行官兵互教，兵兵互教；在作戰時，實行在火線上連隊開各種大、小會。在連隊首長指導下，發動士兵群衆討論如何攻克敵陣，如何完成戰鬥任務。在連續幾天的戰鬥中，此種會應開幾次。此項軍事民主，在陝北蟠龍戰役和晉察冀石家莊戰役中，都實行了，收到了極大效果。證明只有好處，毫無害處。
04
In the present great struggle, the Chinese Communist Party demands that all its leading bodies and all its members and cadres should give the fullest expression to their initiative, which alone can ensure victory. This initiative must be demonstrated concretely in the ability of the leading bodies, the cadres and the Party rank and file to work creatively, in their readiness to assume responsibility, in the exuberant vigour they show in their work, in their courage and ability to raise questions, voice opinions and criticize defects, and in the comradely supervision that is maintained over the leading bodies and the leading cadres. Otherwise, "initiative" will be an empty thing. But the exercise of such initiative depends on the spread of democracy in Party life. It cannot be brought into play if there is not enough democracy in Party life. Only in an atmosphere of democracy can large numbers of able people be brought forward.
Source: "The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War" (October 1938), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 204.
處在偉大鬥爭面前的中國共產黨，要求整個黨的領導機關，全黨的黨員和幹部，高度地發揮其積極性，才能取得勝利。所謂發揮積極性，必須具體地表現在領導機關、幹部和黨員的創造能力，負責精神，工作的活躍，敢於和善於提出問題、發表意見、批評缺點，以及對於領導機關和領導幹部從愛護觀點出發的監督作用。沒有這些，所謂積極性就是空的。而這些積極性的發揮，有賴於黨內生活的民主化。黨內缺乏民主生活，發揮積極性的目的就不能達到。大批能幹人材的創造，也只有在民主生活中才有可能。
The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War — October 1938, on the Party's role and discipline in the war.
05
Anyone should be allowed to speak out, whoever he may be, so long as he is not a hostile element and does not make malicious attacks, and it does not matter if he says something wrong. Leaders at all levels have the duty to listen to others. Two principles must be observed: (1) Say all you know and say it without reserve; (2) Don't blame the speaker but take his words as a warning. Unless the principle of "Don't blame the speaker" is observed genuinely and not falsely, the result will not be "Say all you know and say it without reserve".
Source: "The Tasks for 1945" (December 15, 1944).
不論什麼人，只要不是敵對分子，不是惡意攻擊，允許大家講話，講錯了也不要緊。各級領導人員，有責任聽別人的話。實行兩條原則：（一）知無不言，言無不盡；（二）言者無罪，聞者足戒。如果沒有「言者無罪」一條，並且是真的，不是假的，就不可能收到「知無不言，言無不盡」的效果。
06
Education in democracy must be carried on within the Party so that members can understand the meaning of democratic life, the meaning of the relationship between democracy and centralism, and the way in which democratic centralism should be put into practice. Only in this way can we really extend democracy within the Party and at the same time avoid ultrademocracy and the laissez-faire which destroys discipline.
Source: "The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War" (October 1938), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 205.*
必須在黨內施行有關民主生活的教育，使黨員懂得什麼是民主生活，什麼是民主制和集中制的關係，並如何實行民主集中制。這樣才能做到：一方面，確實擴大黨內的民主生活；又一方面，不至於走到極端民主化，走到破壞紀律的自由放任主義。
The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War — October 1938, on the Party's role and discipline in the war.
07
Both in the army and in the local organizations, inner-Party democracy is meant to strengthen discipline and increase combat effectiveness, not to weaken them.
Source: Ibid. In the sphere of theory, destroy the roots of ultra-democracy.
無論在軍隊或在地方，黨內民主都應是為著鞏固紀律和增強戰鬥力，而不是削弱這種紀律和戰鬥力。
08
First, it should be pointed out that the danger of ultrademocracy lies in the fact that it damages or even completely wrecks the Party organization and weakens or even completely undermines the Party's fighting capacity, rendering the Party incapable of fulfilling its fighting tasks and thereby causing the defeat of the revolution. Next, it should be pointed out that the source of ultra-democracy consists in the petty bourgeoisie's individualistic aversion to discipline. When this characteristic is brought into the Party, it develops into ultra-democratic ideas politically and organizationally. These ideas are utterly incompatible with the fighting tasks of the proletariat.
Source: "On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party" (December 1929), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 108.
從理論上剷除極端民主化的根苗。首先，要指出極端民主化的危險，在於損傷以至完全破壞黨的組織，削弱以至完全毀滅黨的戰鬥力，使黨擔負不起鬥爭的責任，由此造成革命的失敗。其次，要指出極端民主化的來源，在於小資產階級的自由散漫性。這種自由散漫性帶到黨內，就成了政治上的和組織上的極端民主化的思想。這種思想是和無產階級的鬥爭任務根本不相容的。
On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party — December 1929 Gutian resolution, the core source of Chapter 24.