 1993 centenary reprint of the 1966 bilingual edition, published by the People's Republic of China Printing Office | |
| Editor | People's Liberation Army Daily |
|---|---|
| Author | Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung) Hou Bo (photographer) |
| Original title | 毛主席语录;Máo Zhǔxí Yǔlù |
| Translator | Central Compilation and Translation Bureau |
| Language | Chinese |
| Publisher | People's Liberation Army General Political Department (initial releases) People's Press (officially and massively since 1965) |
Publication date | 5 January 1964 |
| Publication place | People's Republic of China |
| Media type | Print (Hardback andPaperback) |
| ISBN | 978-0-8351-2388-4 |
| OCLC | 23380824 |
| Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 毛主席语录 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 毛主席語錄 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Chairman Mao Quotes" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 红宝书 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 紅寶書 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Treasured Red Book" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Quotations from Chairman Mao (simplified Chinese:毛主席语录;traditional Chinese:毛主席語錄;pinyin:Máo Zhǔxí Yǔlù, commonly known as the "红宝书"pinyin:hóng bǎo shū during the Cultural Revolution[1]), colloquially referred to in the English-speaking world as theLittle Red Book,[2] is acompilation book ofquotations from speeches and writings byMao Zedong (formerlyromanized as Mao Tse-tung), the formerchairman of the Chinese Communist Party, published from 1964 to 1979 and widely distributed during theCultural Revolution.
Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung was originally compiled by an office of thePLA Daily (People's Liberation Army Daily) as an ideological handbook.[3]: xiii It developed out ofLin Biao's practice of incorporating the study of Mao's texts and model soldiers likeLei Feng into daily drills.[4]: 2 Lin's approach became known as the "lively study, lively application" ofMao Zedong Thought.[5]: 29 In 1961, Lin had required PLA Daily to publish a Mao quote each day to emphasise the central theme of the day's editorial.[5]: 29 To facilitate this,PLA Daily editors used aTianjin Daily index of Mao's quotes arranged by topic.[5]: 29 The daily Mao quote became a popular feature andPLA Daily's use of theTianjin Daily index became the core ofQuotations from Chairman Mao.[5]: 29
In December 1963, a deputy editor-in-chief of thePLA Daily proposed compiling a selection of Mao's quotations in a book for use by the PLA.[5]: 29 The response at aGeneral Political Department work conference was strongly positive, and the initial draft was prepared as200 Quotations from Chairman Mao.[5]: 29 It was revised several times over the next few months based on input from conference participants and PLA units that piloted the study of the text.[5]: 29
In May 1964, the General Political Department released the internal publicationQuotations from Chairman Mao,[4]: 2 adding a half title page with the slogan "Workers of the world, unite!" (全世界无产者，联合起来！) in bold red letters, and endorsement leaves written byLin Biao, Mao's chosen successor, that included three lines from the diary of model Lei Feng. This version had 30 topics under which 355 quotations were grouped.[5]: 30 Following discussions that expanded the book twice more. The definitive 1965 version contained 33 thematic chapters of 427 total quotations excerpted from Mao's speeches and writing over the period 1929–1964.[3]: xiii As of August 1965, new copies of the book had their distinct red vinyl covers (as opposed to the previously used white paper binding) to increase durability for fieldwork.[5]: 30
Demand for the book increased sharply including for use outside the military and in August 1966People's Publishing House took over the work of printingQuotations.[5]: 34 It was made available to the public throughXinhua Bookstores.[5]: 34
TheMinistry of Culture held special study meetings to develop a production and distribution plan. It sought assurances that the book would receive publishing priority and that there would be sufficient paper, ink, and printing presses available. The goal was for "ninety-nine percent (of the population of China to) read Chairman Mao's book", according to a catalogue of publication records of the People's Publishing House.[citation needed] Provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions across China were ordered to build hundreds of new printing houses to publish theQuotations during the second half of 1966, which pushed the limits of the Chinese printing industry.[citation needed]
This disrupted plans for publishing any new volumes ofThe Complete Works of Marx and Engels that was already in progress. It also halted distribution of other ideological works. As late as 1970, more than 8 million copies of the 4-volume set ofSelected Works of Marx and Engels that had already been printed (both in cloth hardcover and paperback) remained undistributed in storage warehouses on the grounds that other works "should not interfere with learningQuotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung".[citation needed]
On the other hand, several other works by Mao had very large printings during the same period, even though these editions were not produced in the large numbers ofQuotations from Chairman Mao. These includeSelected Works of Mao Zedong (in four volumes, 2.875 million copies in 14 languages),Selected Articles of Mao Zedong (various editions totalling 252 million copies), single article books, and works of poetry.[6]
The emphasis onQuotations started decreasing after the9th Party Congress in April 1969.[5]: 39
On 12 February 1979, thePublicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party ordered a halt to publishingQuotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung.[7][5]: 40 The department stated thatQuotations was a distortion of Mao Zedong Thought and had a "widespread and pernicious influence".[5]: 40
Earlier versions and predecessors of the compilation book featured blue or white covers and sleeves.[8]
The most widely produced editions of theQuotations of Chairman Mao were published with a printed redvinyl cover wrapper over cardboard with pages bound in 64 folios that included photos of Mao. Other editions of the book were covered in cloth, silk, leather, paper, and other materials.[citation needed]
Most editions were produced in a functional, compact size that fit into a pocket, were easy to carry, and could be taken out at any time "for practice, learning, application." It was published in 32 other common sizes, allegedly the largest format printed on only four pages as large as the newspaperReference News, and the smallest format the size of amatchbox.[citation needed]
Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung consists of 427 quotations, organized thematically into 33 chapters.[3]: xiii It is also called "Thoughts of Chairman Mao" by many Chinese. The quotations range in length from a sentence to a few short paragraphs, and borrow heavily from a group of about two dozen documents in the four volumes of Mao'sSelected Works.[citation needed]
Usually the quotations are arranged logically, to deal with one to three themes in the development of a chapter. The table below summarizes the book.
| Chapter | Number of quotations | Title | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | The Communist Party | TheChinese Communist Party is the core of theChinese revolution, and its principles are based onMarxism–Leninism. Party criticism should be carried out within the Party. |
| 2 | 22 | Classes and Class Struggle | The revolution, and the recognition ofclass andclass struggle, are necessary forpeasants and the Chinese people to overcome both domestic and foreign enemy elements. This is not a simple, clean, or quick struggle. |
| 3 | 28 | Socialism and Communism | Socialism must be developed in China, and the route toward such an end is a democratic revolution, which will enable socialist andcommunist consolidation over a length of time. It is also important to unite with the middle peasants, and educate them on the failings ofcapitalism. |
| 4 | 16 | The Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People | There are at least two basic kinds of contradiction: the antagonistic contradictions which exist between communist countries and their capitalist neighbors and between the people and theenemies of the people, and the contradictions among the people themselves, people unconvinced of China's new path, which should be dealt with in a democratic and non-antagonistic fashion. |
| 5 | 21 | War and Peace | War is a continuation of politics, and there are at least two types: just (progressive) and unjust wars, which only servebourgeois interests. While no one likes war, we must remain ready to wage just wars against imperialist agitations. |
| 6 | 10 | Imperialism and All Reactionaries Are Paper Tigers | U.S. imperialism, European and Chinese reactionary forces represent real dangers, and in this respect are like real tigers. However, because the goal of ourCommunism is just, and reactionary interests are self-centered and unjust, after struggle, they will be revealed to be much less dangerous than they were earlier perceived to be. |
| 7 | 10 | Dare to Struggle and Dare to Win | Fighting is unpleasant, and the people of China would prefer not to do it at all. At the same time, they stand ready to wage a just struggle of self-preservation against reactionary elements, both foreign and domestic. |
| 8 | 10 | People's War | China's masses are the greatest conceivable weapon for fighting againstJapanese imperialism and domestic reactionaries. Basic strategic points for war against theKuomintang are also enumerated. |
| 9 | 8 | The People's Army | ThePeople's Army is not merely an organ for fighting; it is also an organ for the political advancement of the Party, as well as of production. |
| 10 | 14 | Leadership of Party Committees | Internal life of the Party is discussed. Committees are useful to avoid monopolization by others, and Party members must demonstrate honesty, openness in discussing problems, and the ability to learn and multitask. |
| 11 | 22 | The Mass Line | The mass line represents the creative and productive energies of the masses of the Chinese population, which are potentially inexhaustible. Party members should take their cue from the masses, and reinterpret policy with respect to the benefit of the masses. |
| 12 | 21 | Political Work | It is necessary for intellectuals, students, soldiers and the average peasant to pay attention and involve themselves with political work. This is particularly true in wartime. |
| 13 | 7 | Relations Between Officers and Men | Non-antagonistic and democratic relations between officers and men make for a stronger army. |
| 14 | 6 | Relations Between the Army and the People | An army that is cherished and respected by the people, and vice versa, is a nearly invincible force. The army and the people must unite on the grounds of basic respect. |
| 15 | 8 | Democracy in the Three Main Fields | Democracy and honesty play roles in the reform of the army, as well as in the life of the Party, and of cadres. "Ultra-democracy", which is defined as anindividualisticbourgeois aversion to discipline, is to be avoided. |
| 16 | 9 | Education and the Training of Troops | Education must have a practical and political basis for the army, Party and cadres. Along democratic lines, it will also be possible for the officers to teach the soldiers, for the soldiers to teach the officers, and for the soldiers to teach each other. |
| 17 | 9 | Serving the People | It is the duty of the cadres and the Party to serve the people. Without the people's interests constantly at heart, their work is useless. |
| 18 | 7 | Patriotism and Internationalism | Thepatriotism of acommunist nation and aninternationalist sympathy for just struggles in other countries are in no way exclusive; on the contrary, they are linked deeply, ascommunism spreads throughout the world. At the same time, it is important for a country to retain modesty, and shun arrogance. |
| 19 | 8 | Revolutionary Heroism | The same limitless creative energy of the masses is also visible in the army, in their fighting style and indomitable will. |
| 20 | 8 | Building Our Country Through Diligence and Frugality | China's road to modernization will be built on the principles of diligence and frugality. Nor will it be legitimate to relax if, 50 years later, modernization is realized on a mass scale. |
| 21 | 13 | Self-Reliance and Arduous Struggle | It is necessary for China to becomeself-reliant in the course of the revolution, along the usual lines of class struggle. At the same time, it is a mistake for individuals to only see the good or the bad in a system, to the exclusion of all else. The section ends withThe Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains (1945), which is the only text reproduced in full inQuotations.[4]: 4 |
| 22 | 41 | Methods of Thinking and Methods of Work | Marxistdialectical materialism, which connotes the constant struggle between opposites in an empirical setting, is the best method toward constant improvement. Objective analysis of problems based on empirical results is at a premium. |
| 23 | 9 | Investigation and Study | It is necessary to investigate both the facts and the history of a problem in order to study and understand it. |
| 24 | 15 | Correcting Mistaken Ideas | Arrogance, lack of achievement after a prosperous period, selfishness, shirking work, andliberalism, are all evils to be avoided in China's development. Liberalism is taken to mean that one may avoid conflict or work in order to be more comfortable for the moment, while the problem continues to grow. |
| 25 | 5 | Unity | Unity of the masses, the Party and the whole country is essential. At the same time, criticism may take place along comradely lines, while at the same time a basic unity is felt and preserved. This is the dialectical method. |
| 26 | 5 | Discipline | Discipline is seen not to be exclusive to democratic methods. Basic points of military conduct are also enumerated. |
| 27 | 15 | Criticism and Self-Criticism | Criticism is a part of the Marxist dialectical method which is central to Party improvement; as such, communists must not fear it, but engage in it openly. |
| 28 | 18 | Communists | A communist must be selfless, with the interests of the masses at heart. He must also possess a largeness of mind, as well as a practical, far-sighted mindset. |
| 29 | 11 | Cadres | Cadres, the instrument for uniting with and working for the people, must be leaders versed in Marxist–Leninism. They must have both guidance and the freedom to use their creative initiative in solving problems. Newer cadres and older cadres must work together with a comradely respect, learning from each other. |
| 30 | 7 | Youth | The Chinese Youth represent an active, vital force in China, to be drawn upon. At the same time, it is necessary to educate them, and for theYouth League to give special attention to their problems and interests. |
| 31 | 7 | Women | Women represent a great productive force in China, andequality among the sexes is one of the goals of communism. The multiple burdens which women must shoulder are to be eased. |
| 32 | 8 | Culture and Art | Literature andart are discussed with respect to communism, in anorthodox fashion. (Principally consisting of quotations fromTalks at the Yenan Forum on Literature and Art.) |
| 33 | 16 | Study | It is the responsibility of all to cultivate themselves, and study Marxism–Leninism deeply. It is also necessary for people to turn their attention to contemporary problems, along empirical lines. |
The book was known as the "Treasured Red Book" (simplified Chinese:红宝书; traditional Chinese:紅寶書; pinyin:hóng bǎoshū)[9] or "Little Treasure Book" in China.[10] From the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s, it was the most printed book globally.[3]: xiii It has produced a wide array of sales and distribution figures. Some sources claim that over 6.5 billion printed volumes have been distributed in total,[11] others contend that the distribution ran into the "billions",[12][3]: xiii and others cite "over a billion" official volumes between 1966 and 1969 alone as well as "untold numbers of unofficial local reprints and unofficial translations."[3]: xiii [13]
The initial print run was distributed only within the PLA, with 4.2 million copies printed.[5]: 30
During the Learn from the People's Liberation Army campaign, the book became hugely popular among the revolutionary youth.[4]: 2
Demand grew so high that the PLA Publishing House's printing resourced became over extended, and after September 1964, printing moulds were provided to civilian printing presses at times to relieve the pressure.[5]: 30 Twelve million copies had been printed by August 1965.[5]: 30
During the early phase of theCultural Revolution, copies of quotations were frequently donated to those deemed the revolutionary masses.[5]: 36 OnNational Day in 1966, one million copies were handed out toRed Guards who traveled to Beijing.[5]: 36
Outside China the work was called the "Little Red Book" due to the red cover of its most widely printed version.[8]
The Foreign Affairs Department of the State Council issued a March 1966 circular requesting any foreigners who had obtained a copy ofQuotations to return it, stating that the book was for internal education and study only and was not a complete description ofMao Zedong Thought.[5]: 35 This proved not practical and the next month the Central Propaganda Department stated that copies already distributed should not be recalled and that foreign experts and exchange students could request copies to borrow or buy.[5]: 35
In 1966, thePublicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party approvedQuotations from Chairman Mao for export. To meet overseas requirements, the editors of the ChineseForeign Languages Press made revisions necessitated by the situation. They added a "second edition preface" endorsement byLin Biao, dated 16 December 1966 (which was torn out followingLin Biao's death andpublic disgrace in September 1971). On the last page, they listed the names of the publisher (PLA General Political Department) without anISBN, the printer and distributor (bothXinhua Bookstore), and the publication year.[citation needed]
By May 1967, bookstores in 117 countries and territories around the world—including theUnited Kingdom,France,Spain,Japan, theSoviet Union,West Germany,Italy,Nepal,Indonesia,Philippines,Burma,Iran, variousArab andAfrican nations and others—were distributing Mao'sQuotations. It was translated into more than 50 languages.[3]: xiii
After the 12 February 1979 directive withdrawingQuotations from circulation, foreigners seeking copies ofQuotations were instead to be offered Mao'sSelected Works.[5]: 40
During the 1960s, the book was the single most visible icon in mainland China, even more visible than images of Mao himself. In posters and pictures created by CCP's propaganda artists, nearly every painted character, whether smiling or looking determined, was seen with a copy of the book in his or her hand.[14] During the Mao era, when people swore oaths, they would often do so onQuotations.[15]: 49 After the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976 and the rise ofDeng Xiaoping in 1978, the importance of the book waned considerably, and the glorification of Mao's quotations was considered to beleft deviationism and acult of personality.[citation needed]
Quotations continues to be a symbol ofMao Zedong Thought in China today. In certain situations, the book is given as a gift, for example, when public funds are involved, or when personal events arise, such as congratulating newlyweds.[citation needed]
Today in China,Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung is mostly seen as a piece ofnostalgia. It is difficult to find in bookstores.[9] Rare and unusual printings can command extremely high prices from collectors. A 1964 version of the book was sold for US$15,000 bySotheby's.[16][9]
In Africa,Quotations helped inspire political texts includingQuotations from President Karume andAxioms of Kwame Nkrumah.[17]: 108
Assessing its legacy in the French Maoist context,Alain Badiou concludes that "Mao'sLittle Red Book has been our guide, not, as fools say, in the sense of a dogmatic catechism, but on the contrary, so that we can clarify and invent new behaviors in all sorts of disparate situations that were unfamiliar to us."[18]: 241
In the United States,Quotations was particularly popular among African American and Asian American radicals, who often viewed the text as a welcome departure from what they regarded as a typically Eurocentric body of theory.[19]: 246
According toBobby Seale, in 1967 he andHuey P. Newton obtained copies ofQuotations from the Chinese Book Store in San Francisco to sell atUniversity of California, Berkeley.[19]: 245 With the proceeds, they purchased weapons to armBlack Panther Party members for self-defense against police brutality.[19]: 245
TheRevolutionary Action Movement modeled its Code of Cadres on the "Three Main Rules of Discipline" section ofQuotations.[19]: 258
In India,Quotations gained popularity following the 1967Naxalbari uprising and the beginning of theNaxalite Movement.[20]: 117 The leader of the first phase of the Naxalite Movement,Charu Majumdar, placed major emphasis on the text, requiring it to be studied and to be read aloud to illiterate peasants.[20]: 117 During this phase of the Naxalite Movement,Quotations was popular among both movement participants and those who sympathized with it.[20]: 118 TheIndian government bannedQuotations beginning in the mid-1970s.[20]: 118
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