Mao Tse-Tung - Literature review Example

COMPARISON, ANALYSIS AND REVIEW OF EXCERPTS FROM MAO TSE-TUNG AND LIN PIAO by COMPARISON, ANALYSIS AND REVIEWOF EXCERPTS FROM MAO TSE-TUNG AND LIN PIAO Mao Tse-tung was a Chinese leader who led a revolution against the exploitation of the Chinese people by the Japanese. He used the peasants to fight a war that was called ‘the people’s war’ against the Japanese’s. Mao used three strategies to influence the peasants and wage a war against the Japanese. On the other hand, Lin Piao was a Chinese Communist military leader and a strong politician. He had a distinguished military career and was a loyal supporter of Mao Tse-tung’s principles, which formed the basis for his rise in Communist leadership. In his excerpt in the Voices of Terror, Piao supports the three strategies used by Mao to start a revolution in China. The two leaders were phenomenon in bringing a revolutionary leadership and political environment in China (Bennett, 2003). They led their people in great revolutionary wars against oppression by nations such as Japan. They used the people especially peasants to fight great battles using simple strategies that were well thought and planned. The two excerpts are similar in that they talk about fighting a people’s war to bring revolution in China. The two leaders wanted to address the injustices and oppression that the Chinese faced in the hands of the Japanese. Led by Mao, the Chinese people experienced victory in the national democratic revolution. Their greatest victory was in the socialist revolution. Mao’s aim was to start a revolution that would seize and consolidate political power for the Chinese people. Mao’s success lied in the fact that he integrated the truth of Marxism-Leninism with the concrete practice of the revolution. He enriched the truth in Marxism-Leninism by using his masterly in generalization, summation and experience gained during the protracted revolutionary struggle (Kau, 2005). His leadership background and religious principles contributed to his success in leading a group of peasants to fight a great battle and obtain great success. Both Lin Piao and Mao Tse-tung used the theory of the people’s war to fight for their people and obtain great success in battle and political influence. This theory, roved by the long practice of the Chinese revolution was in accordance with the law objectives of such wars. The war was valid for China and revolutionary struggle in other countries throughout the world. For example, Lin Piao in his excerpt argues that Mao’s strategies should be used in different cities to assert the war and amass vast political influence and power for the oppressed people (Laqueur, 2004). Both leaders argue that people are a great resource that can be used to fight great battles and obtain victory. Mao was quoted saying that great battles are won by people who make the right decisions and not the amount and power of the weapons used. Following this principles, he organised the peasants to fight a great revolution by use of three strategies that were implemented in different stages. Mao believed that man, who is a spiritual being can defeat weapons that are just materials made by men. He believed in giving people morale and will power to fight for freedom from oppression and change their situation for their own benefits. He said that material could be transferred from one side to the other to encourage his people to fight for what was theirs. He also asserted that man could increase his power and authority through ways that had not been exploited before (Lin & McKelvey, 2006). He argued that proper definition of a situation can lead to an appropriate focus to the major issues surrounding it especially seeking its solution. He used the initiative of never losing the battle by always being on the defensive side. Mao primarily defined power in spiritual terms and only used materials a secondary factor for victory. He empowered his people to believe that the three strategies he used could lead them to great victory. In using the three strategies, Mao provided his military force with one military war objective of preserving their lives and destroying the enemy. He provided the force with three types of warfare that were all related to the above objective. The stages had distinct roles/functions that incorporated guerrilla and personal war i.e. attack upon/defence of point geographic targets. Mao considered mobile war as a primary within the protracted war (Schram, 2001). Mobile war was prime in stages one and three because it had a role of destroying the enemy, which was the key reason for the revolution. Mao used the principle of doing unto others what they have done to you to destroy the Japanese. Mao considered guerrilla war to be a secondary element of the protracted war but it was primary in stage two because wit played two crucial roles. It can be combined with mobile war, guerrilla can provide regular forces to assist in annihilation/destruction of the enemy. However, due to its inherent limitations, when employed alone, guerrilla war can only play the role of attrition and gradual weakening of the enemy. During the second stage, Mao had to continue his military initiatives in order to sustain the revolution initiative. However, he had to proceed without causing too much trouble to arouse too much attention from his force. Too much trouble would have brought the still overwhelming power of their enemy upon them. The enemy would have destroyed the force before it had an opportunity to destroy the enemy’s superior strategy. Therefore, guerrilla war was suited for the second strategy/stage because the force would pounce on the enemy when they least expect and weaken the enemy’s defence. Lin Piao supported this strategy in his article. He argued that weakening the enemy was a superior strategy that Mao used to bring attrition to the enemy and assert political authority in all cities of China. Both leaders agreed that position war was only supplementary because it only played the role of attrition. They believed that position war was only useful in specific circumstances in which the revolutionaries had clear superiority and the political benefits of using it outweighed the military risks involved in its use (Schram, 2001). Lin Piao analysed the strategies used by Mao in the revolution and credited them to be superior and evolutional. Piao in his excerpt (encircling the cities of the world) supported Mao’s revolution efforts. He said that Mao answered, in the best way possible, the question of what an oppressed people can do to redeem themselves. Piao said that Mao studied the history of the Chinese and discovered that the imperialists had swords and were ready to kill. The people understood this and were ready to retaliate. Mao said that fighting a people’s war vas a tit-for tat struggle against the imperialists is what distinguished genuine revolutionaries (Lin & McKelvey, 2006). Piao’s excerpt argues that Mao called the imperialists paper tiger to eliminate the fear that the Chinese people had. Mao believed that the Chinese people could defeat the imperialists since battles are won by people and not the strength of the weapons used. Lin Piao endorsed Mao’s theory of establishment of rural revolutionary base areas and encirclement of towns and cities. Piao considered this theory as an outstanding concept with global practical importance for the present and future revolutionary efforts for all nations facing imperialist oppression. The theory was particularly important to nations and people in Asia, Africa and Latin America who were subjected to aggression, oppression and slavery by imperialists, led by the United States and its lackeys (Laqueur 2004). These countries face basic political and economic conditions that were faced by old china. The peasants constitute the greatest force to use in a war against imperialists and seek for a national democratic revolution. According to this theory, the country side alone cannot provide the forces required to win a war against the imperialists. Encircling all the cities, towns and country sides will involve all the people in starting a people’s war that will use Mao’s three strategies to weaken and destroy the enemy. Piao’s excerpt analysis argues that Mao’s three strategies involved strategically despising the imperialists and using tactics to weaken and destroy the enemy. Mao taught his force to gain enough courage to despise the enemy and dare to win in order to wage a revolution and win the people’s war. The forces had to take full account of the enemy, be prudent and pay attention to the art of struggle and adopt appropriate defence mechanisms (Kau 2005). Piao argued that the weak new born forces can triumph over powerful decadent forces. The reason for the success or victory of this strategy is that the new born force has the truth behind it and therefore, the mass supports their efforts. Mao used this concept to encourage his forces to attack the powerful imperialists. The people supported the initiative because it was guided by the truth and liberation of people from oppression and enslavement. The imperialists were afraid of Mao’s thesis that ‘imperialists were paper tigers’. They ridiculed the thesis but this did not diminish its importance. The two excerpts are well written and useful in studying the Chinese revolution and its impact to the rest of the world. Mao’s article narrates the three strategies used to fight a people’s war against imperialists. The excerpt explains in simple terms how the revolution started and the oppression that the Chinese people faced in the hands of imperialists. Lin Piao’s excerpt mainly supports the ideas of Mao and the three strategies he used to conquer his enemy (Bennett 2003). Students will find the excerpt very instrumental in explaining further, the strategies used by Mao to wage a war against imperialists. This excerpt gives elaborate explanations of the revolution and its impact. Piao uses illustrations to demonstrate efforts used by Mao to encourage his force of peasants to continue with the fight. In summary, both excerpts support the idea of people using the resources available to them to fight for their freedom. The two leaders were strong and very insightful. They were able to influence their subjects to fight for their rights, amass power and great political influence in China and the rest of the world. References Bennett, G. A. 2003. Chinas continuing revolution: will it be permanent?.Asian Survey, 2-17. Kau, M. Y. (Ed.). 2005. The Lin Piao affair: power politics and military coup. International Arts and Sciences Press. Laqueur, W. (Ed.). 2004. Voices of Terror: Manifestos, Writings, and Manuals of Al Qaeda, Hamas, and other Terrorists from around the World and throughout the Ages. Sourcebooks, Inc.. Lin, B., & McKelvey, D. 2006. Long Live the Victory of Peoples War. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Schram, S. R. 2001. Mao Tse-tung and the Theory of the Permanent Revolution, 1958–69. The China Quarterly, 46, 221-244. Schram, S., & Schram, S. R. 2009. The Thought of Mao Tse-Tung. Cambridge University Press. Read More