The Political Orientation for the General Mobilization of the National Spirit

#PUBLICATION NOTE

This edition of The Political Orientation for the General Mobilization of the National Spirit has been prepared and revised for digital publication by the Institute of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism under the Central Committee of the Communist Party in Switzerland on the basis of the following editions:

Quotation in the Quotations From Chairman Mao Zedong, First English Edition, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, 1967.
The Political Direction for the General Mobilization of the National Spirit, in Mao's Road to Power, First English Edition, Vol. 7, M.E. Sharpe, Armonk and London, 2005.

#INTRODUCTION NOTE

This is a speech delivered by Comrade Mao Zedong at a rally in Yan'an, Shaanxi, China celebrating International Workers' Day of Struggle on the 1st of May, 1939. It was first published in the Jiefang, No. 71 (15th of May, 1939).

#Workers and oppressed people of the world, unite!

#THE POLITICAL ORIENTATION FOR THE GENERAL MOBILIZATION OF THE NATIONAL SPIRIT

#SPEECH DELIVERED AT THE YAN'AN RALLY CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WORKERS' DAY OF STRUGGLE

#Mao Zedong

#1st of May, 1939

#★

Comrades!

Today, all circles in Yan'an are attending this grand rally in order to carry out a general mobilization of the national spirit. Today is also the 1st of May, International Workers' Day of Struggle, and the fact that we are holding this grand rally to celebrate it is of great significance.

Today is the 1st of May. Today, all the proletarians and all the working people of the whole world are staging demonstrations wherever possible. Comrades! Against whom are they demonstrating? Against the Fascists! Against the aggressors! Today, all the oppressed people and oppressed nations of the world are staging marches and demonstrations everywhere, and are holding meetings against the Fascists and against the aggressor bandits!

Here in China on this day, the whole of the working class and the working people, wherever possible, are all without exception holding rallies in celebration of the 1st of May protesting against Japanese imperialist aggression. At the same time, everywhere throughout China, the people of the whole country — workers, peasants, merchants, students, soldiers, political parties, politicians, military people, civilians, all political parties and factions — are responding to President Jiang Jieshi's call for the general mobilization of the national spirit. They all vow to oppose the traitors, support the War of Resistance, and concentrate their strength and will! To what end? To overthrow Japanese imperialism. [Applause.] To save our China from peril and transform it into a New China. [Applause. Shouts of «Down with Japanese imperialism!» «Long live New China!»] This is the first point I want to make regarding the significance of today's rally.

Second, why is it necessary to mobilize the national spirit? Why did President Jiang propose the general mobilization of the national spirit? Because our enemies, in order to achieve their goals and realize their ideas, want to destroy all of China. The Japanese Fascist warlords are engaged in mobilizing all of Japan's national strength to continue the Fascist war of aggression, to continue this bandit war, which slaughters the Chinese people. Moreover, right now, the bad elements, consisting of the Chinese scoundrel Wang Jingwei and his disciples and followers, are conducting activities which aid Japanese imperialism, and are favourable neither to the War of Resistance, the country, nor the nation. They are conducting activities to «overthrow Jiang Jieshi and oppose Communism». In Xianggang and Shanghai, they have organized the so-called «Anti-Communist National Salvation League», headed by Wang Jingwei, and aim to set up a puppet government which will capitulate to Japanese imperialism. Because Japan and these Chinese traitors are running wild in this way, we need to mobilize the national spirit in the whole country and call on all of the 450'000'000 Chinese people to unite in the spirit of resistance to the end. We must oppose Japanese imperialism, oppose the Chinese traitors, oppose Wang Jingwei, and oppose the Trotskijites and all other gangs of scoundrels. We must support President Jiang, support the National Government, support Nationalist-Communist cooperation, fight to the end, mobilize all forces, and win final victory! How far shall we carry our struggle? We must fight until we have reached the banks of the Yalu River! [Applause.] We must recover all our lost territories! [Applause.] We will never stop without achieving our goals. This is why President Jiang has launched the general mobilization of the national spirit, and why the Communist Party of China has supported President Jiang's call and the general mobilization of the national spirit. Today, all circles in Yan'an, all the political, military, and people's institutions, and all the schools are meeting here to swear that they will carry out the orientation for the general mobilization of the national spirit, and that, in order to achieve these same goals, they will assuredly defeat our enemies and build a New China! [Applause, followed by shouts of «Let the people of the whole country unite!» «Support President Jiang!» «Carry out the general mobilization of the national spirit!» «Support the Nationalist Party of China!» «Support the Communist Party of China!» «Support protracted Nationalist-Communist cooperation!» «Down with the Chinese traitor Wang Jingwei!» «Down with the Trotskijites!» «Down with Japanese imperialism!» «Long live the national liberation of China!»]

Third, I will talk about the problem of the State and the nation. Our State is the State of the people of the whole country, the State of the workers, peasants, soldiers, students, and merchants. It belongs to all the patriotic people, and does not belong to the Japanese bandits, the Chinese traitors, Wang Jingwei's followers, nor the Trotskijites. Our country wants to expel Chinese traitors like Wang Jingwei. There are still some individuals who do not understand our righteous cause; either they are preparing to become Chinese traitors, or spiritually, they have been captured by the traitors. If they definitely want to follow Wang Jingwei, we will also expel them. For several thousand years, our nation has been an independent and self-respecting nation. This nation cannot coexist with Japanese imperialism. Within our State and nation, we allow only an anti-Japanese government to exist; we will absolutely not tolerate any puppet government. We want to defend our homeland; we want to liberate the Chinese nation completely. Japanese imperialism has violated the independence of our State and jeopardized the existence of our nation; we must overthrow it. We must also overthrow all those traitors and collaborators who have sold out the interests of the State and the nation. This is what is meant by the slogan: «The State is supreme, the nation is supreme.» [Shouts of «Defend our homeland, shed our last drop of blood in defence of our homeland!» «Long live the national liberation of China!» «Down with the Chinese traitors and collaborators!»]

Fourth, in order to succeed in defending our homeland and in liberating the Chinese nation, we must win victory in the War of Resistance. The Communist Party of China has consistently advocated that resistance to Japan comes first, that everything else should be subordinated to resistance to Japan, and that we must mobilize all forces, so as to win final victory. What does this mean? It means that military action comes first, that victory comes first. To win victory is our only criterion. Whatever it takes to help us win the war, whatever is conducive to the War of Resistance, we will do and we will support; whatever hinders victory, whatever obstructs the War of Resistance, we will not do and we will oppose. We will oppose all the actions of Wang Jingwei's faction, the Trotskijites, the wreckers, the Right-wingers, and the conspirators. We will destroy all those who are wrecking the War of Resistance! [Applause. Shouts of «Resistance to Japan comes first!» «Everything is subordinated to resistance to Japan!» «Mobilize all forces!» «Fight to win final victory!» «Military action comes first!» «Victory comes first!» «Oppose compromise and capitulation!» «Oppose the traitors and collaborators!»]

Fifth, if we aim to reach the goal of final victory, to fight all the way to the banks of the Yalu River, and to recover all our lost territory, we must unite and concentrate the thoughts, will, and strength of the people of the whole nation. This requires in turn that we implement, strengthen, and expand the Anti-Japanese National United Front, or, in the words of President Jiang's appeal: «Concentrate our will and our strength.» All our will should focus on winning final victory. Could we focus on any other point? Could we reach a peaceful compromise with Japan? Absolutely not! We must fight to win final victory — we must reach this point. All of our forces must be concentrated on the single aspect of the anti-Japanese united front. Can we concentrate on some other aspect? Absolutely not! Wang Jingwei wants to concentrate all our forces on his united front of Chinese traitors and on capitulation to Japan. Would this do? Absolutely not! There are some troublemakers and «friction-mongers» who do not unite our forces, but, on the contrary, disperse them. Is this good? Absolutely not! Therefore, all our will should be focused on final victory, and all our forces should be entirely concentrated on the single aspect of the Anti-Japanese National United Front. We should absolutely not violate this orientation. Those who violate it we will oppose, overthrow, and regard as Chinese traitors. [Shouts of «Concentrate all our will on winning final victory!» «Concentrate all our forces on the anti-Japanese united front!»]

Sixth, in order to win final victory, in order to strengthen and expand the Anti-Japanese National United Front, we must transform the spirit of the citizens of the whole country, and get rid of all the bad and wrong things. Selfishness, cravenly clinging to life instead of braving death, corruption, debasement, dejection, apathy — are these good things? [The audience shouts: «No!»] These things have to be done away with. This is precisely what we mean by our repeated calls for a style of hard struggle. Our nation has always had a traditional style of hard struggle, which we should develop. We must make a fundamental change in the practices of cravenly clinging to life instead of braving death, of corruption and debasement, of dejection, and of apathy, which are currently so widespread among many people. What is more, the Communist Party has always advocated a firm and correct political orientation. During the War of Resistance, we need to correct all mistaken ideas that are harmful to the War of Resistance. First, there are the traitorous ideas of the Wang Jingwei faction and the Trotskijites. Such idea, hostile to the State and the nation, must be corrected. All other ideas harmful to the War of Resistance must also be corrected. For example, some people say: «Marxism is not a good friend of the ‹Three People's Principles›.» Is this saying correct? Absolutely not! Dr. Sun Yixian clearly pointed out: «Marxism is a good friend of the ‹Three People's Principles›.» Now, these people have turned their backs on Dr. Sun Yixian's instructions, saying that these two ideologies are not good friends. Such an idea goes against the united front; it goes against the ideas of more than 90% of the working people and against the ideas of the nation. All these wrong ideas must be completely corrected and liquidated, for only thus can we have a firm and correct political orientation. This orientation is inseparable from a style of hard struggle. Without a firm and correct political orientation, it is impossible to promote a style of hard struggle. Without the style of hard struggle, it is impossible to maintain a firm and correct political orientation. [Applause. Shouts of «Fight against selfishness!» «Fight against clinging to life and fearing death!» «Fight against corruption and debasement!» «Fight against wrong ideas!» «Adhere to a firm and correct political orientation!» «Vigorously enforce the style of plain living and hard struggle!»]

Seventh and last, let us talk about our current overall political orientation — the overall political orientation of armed resistance and national reconstruction — the «Three People's Principles». The «Three People's Principles» are the political basis of the Anti-Japanese National United Front, and they should be completely carried out in the course of armed resistance and national reconstruction. The Principle of Nationalism means that we must overthrow Japanese imperialism; the Principle of Democracy means that the people of the whole country will enjoy freedom; and the Principle of People's Livelihood means that the people of the whole country will have clothes to wear, food to eat, and work to do. These things are all very good and indispensable, and we must resolutely carry them out. From this day on, the people of the whole country must truly carry out the «Three People's Principles»! We must not simply talk about them, but also get to work to apply them. There are many people who profess to believe in the «Three People's Principles», but the way I see it, they do not really believe in them. Because if they believed in the Principle of Nationalism, then they would have to fight to the end against Japan; but in fact, they are prepared to compromise and capitulate. Wang Jingwei is one of the people who have already capitulated. To believe in the Principle of Democracy means that you cannot oppress the common people, but some people are unwilling to grant the common people democratic rights. To believe in the Principle of People's Livelihood means to pay attention to the problem of clothing and feeding the common people, and yet some people have absolutely no intention of improving the people's livelihood. Can such people be called believers in the «Three People's Principles»? [The audience shouts: «No, they cannot!»] Can such people be called faithful disciples of Dr. Sun Yixian? [The audience shouts: «No, they cannot!»] Only those who wage the War of Resistance to the end, until we reach the Yalu River and recover all our lost territories, never surrendering, and never betraying the country, can be called true believers in Dr. Sun Yixian's Principle of Nationalism. Only those who offer the common people the democratic right to freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and association, do not oppress the common people, and «mobilize the masses of the people» in accordance with Dr. Sun Yixian's Testament, can be called true believers in Dr. Sun Yixian's Principle of Democracy. Only those who strive to alleviate the suffering in the lives of the majority of the people, for example, by carrying out Dr. Sun Yixian's policy of «Land to the tillers», and by carrying out the movement for production, so that everyone has clothes to wear, food to eat, and work to do, can be called true believers in Dr. Sun Yixian's Principle of People's Livelihood. Comrades! Let us all be true believers in the «Three People's Principles» and faithful disciples of Dr. Sun Yixian. We must absolutely not be unfaithful disciples or false believers. We must not simply pay lip-service to the «Three People's Principles», but actually carry them out completely in practice. What do we call people who talk about this, but who do not do it? We call them false believers in the «Three People's Principles». We now call on the people of the whole country to set their hands to carrying out the «Three People's Principles». Let us all be true believers in the «Three People's Principles». I hope that all the people of the whole country will carry out the Principle of Nationalism by overthrowing Japanese imperialism and liberating the Chinese nation; carry out the Principle of Democracy by helping the common people, mobilizing them, and giving them democratic rights; and carry out the Principle of People's Livelihood by giving the common people clothes to wear, food to eat, and work to do. What needs to be carried out at present in our whole country is this set of «Three People's Principles», the genuine «Three People's Principles». We must fight to the end for the realization of the genuine «Three People's Principles»! [Applause. Shouts of «Let the whole country carry out the ‹Three People's Principles›!» «Fight against the false believers in the ‹Three People's Principles›, that is, those who talk about them, but who do not actually believe in them!»]

These are the matters about which we are meeting today. They are also the objectives of the general mobilization of the national spirit. In sum, we want to thoroughly carry out the genuine «Three People's Principles»! We must mobilize all forces to win final victory, fight until we reach the banks of the Yalu River, and recover all our lost territories. We must absolutely drive Japanese imperialism out of China and establish a completely new Republic of China! [Enthusiastic, prolonged applause.]