The “National Movement Public Books” Bibliography, 1926. On May 19, 1926, at the Second Plenary Session of the Second Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang, a plan drafted personally by Mao Zedong was adopted to compile and publish the “National Movement Public Books” (see “Records of the Fifth Day, No. 5, of the Second Plenary Session of the Second Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang”). In this compilation plan, Mao Zedong first proposed: “Change the compilation method—replacing the original approach of ‘assigning specific individuals to collate and edit’ with ‘determining topics and soliciting contributions separately.’” He suggested inviting well-known scholars and experts based in Shanghai to contribute, and establishing a submissions office in Shanghai, then a major intellectual center in China. To facilitate the collection of materials, the solicitation of special contributions, and the printing and distribution of the series, it was also decided to set up an additional “Shanghai Office for the Compilation of the Series,” directly under the leadership of the Central Propaganda Department, appointing Shen Ma Bing as the resident editor-in-charge, responsible for “collecting manuscripts for the series.”

The “series” would comprise sixty works, to be published in five volumes, twelve titles per volume. Each book was to contain between eight thousand and twelve thousand characters, and individual titles within the series could also be divided into separate installments for publication. In his “Plan for Printing the National Movement Public Books” and “Methods for Editing the National Movement Books,” Mao Zedong stated that the books “should not only be distributed free of charge to Party members (of the Kuomintang) but also sent to all provinces, and sold nationwide at the lowest possible prices.” He further laid out ten highly specific regulations concerning the printing, print run, costs, and other editorial aspects of the series.

Among these editorial guidelines, Mao Zedong clearly specified that the nature of the books should be categorized into five main types: (1) International Politics and Economics; (2) The World Revolutionary Movement (including the Peasants’ Movement); (3) Our Party’s Principles and Tactics; (4) Studies on Soviet Russia; and (5) Domestic Politics, Economics, and Various Mass Movements.

“National Movement Books” Bibliography

Volume One: (1) An Outline History of the Kuomintang, written by Wang Jingwei (already completed). (2) A Brief History of China Over the Past Century (to be compiled). This work should focus on diplomatic failures and the development of national consciousness, avoiding mere political recitations akin to a dynastic chronicle. (3) Nineteenth-Century European Political Issues (to be compiled). (4) The Industrial Revolution (to be compiled). (5) From Primitive Communism to Feudal Society: Based on a Russian-authored text employing solely the materialist conception of history to explain past events, originally conceived as a single volume titled “A General History of the World,” it is now proposed to divide it into three volumes under three distinct headings, allowing for both combined and separate editions; a subheading such as “Part One of a General History of the World” might be added. (6) A Short History of the Women’s Liberation Movement (to be compiled), using German author Bebel’s “Woman and Socialism” as a reference. (7) The History of Imperialist Aggression Against China (to be compiled). (8) Revolution (to be compiled): A short story by American writer Jack London, renowned for its depiction of social issues. (9) A Brief History of the Russian Socialist Revolution (to be compiled). (10) The Significance of the Great German Revolution (to be compiled). (11) The Peasant Movements of the World (one title pending translation), which collectively represent different nations. (12) A Record of the Rise and Fall of the First Seventeen Movement (to be compiled).

Volume Two: (1) The Mission of the Kuomintang (to be compiled). (2) The First Decade After the World War (to be compiled). (3) Socialism, Religion, and Art (translation required). (4) The First National Congress of the Kuomintang (to be compiled). (5) From Medieval Free Citizens to the Industrial Revolution: Part Two of “A General History of the World” (to be compiled). (6) The Turkish National Revolution (to be compiled). (7) The Soviet System (translation needed). (8) Soviet Foreign Policy (translation required), based on the original work by Soviet Foreign Minister Chicherin. (9) The Peasant Movements of the World (one title pending compilation). (10) The Occupation of Ruhr and the Dawes Plan (to be compiled). (11) The Revolutionary Movements of Black Peoples (to be compiled). (12) The Events Before and After the May Thirtieth Incident (to be compiled).

Volume Three: (1) Sun Yat-sen’s Doctrine. (2) Marx’s Historical Methodology (translation required). (3) The Beginning of the Labor Movement up to the Russian Socialist Revolution: Part Two of “A General History of the World” (to be compiled). (4) The International Situation Following the Washington Conference (to be compiled). (5) Revolutionary Literature (to be compiled). (6) An Analysis of the European Security Pact (to be compiled). (7) The Concentration of Capital and the Disappearance of the Middle Class (translation required). (8) The Peasant Movements of the World, Volume Three (to be compiled). (9) Soviet Education (to be compiled). (10) The Red Army (to be compiled). (11) The Jewish National Liberation Movement (to be compiled). (12) The Moroccan War (to be compiled).

Volume Four: (1) Nationalism and Statism (to be compiled). (2) The Locarno Conference (to be compiled). (3) The Paris Commune (to be compiled). (4) May Day (to be compiled). (5) Marx on the Revolutionary Movements of Eastern Nations (translation required). Three papers recommended by Comrade Bo are of particular importance. (6) Soviet Art (to be compiled). (7) The Peasant Movements of the World, Volume Four (to be compiled). (8) The Egyptian National Liberation Movement (to be compiled). (9) The Syrian War (to be compiled). (10) Future International Wars (to be compiled): This work will compare the military strengths of the imperialist powers with those of the Soviet Union and examine new forms of warfare, drawing upon the views of the Soviet Military Commissar Voroshilov. (11) The History of the Failed Hungarian Socialist Revolution of 1917 (to be compiled). (12) The Balkans Under Reactionary Forces (to be compiled).

Volume Five: (1) The Chinese National Revolution and the World Revolution (to be compiled). (2) The Shaanxi Massacre and the Guangzhou-Hong Kong Strike (to be compiled). (3) International Women’s Day (to be compiled). (4) War and Peace Under Capitalism (to be compiled). (5) Fascism (to be compiled). (6) The Mexican Revolution (to be compiled). (7) The Persian Question (to be compiled). (8) The Mosul Oil Fields (to be compiled). (9) The Conflict of British and American Interests on the International Stage (to be compiled). (10) The Post-War Global Women’s Movement (to be compiled). (11) Recent Revolutionary Movements in Colonial Territories (to be compiled). (12) The Disarmament Conference (to be compiled).

In addition to the aforementioned sixty titles, four more works were subsequently proposed by the Propaganda Committee under Mao Zedong’s leadership: the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations, the Problem of Chinese Peasants, and the Movement of Chinese Workers. Thus, the complete bibliography comprises sixty-four entries. From this list, it is evident that, while actively promoting the New Democratic Revolution and championing the revolutionary liberation movements of oppressed peoples and nations, Mao Zedong continued to uphold the October Revolution and, taking advantage of the favorable conditions provided by the First United Front between the KMT and the CPC, tirelessly disseminated Marxism to the Chinese people from the standpoint of the proletariat. Consequently, the compilation style of the “Public Books” exhibits a distinctive character. Book Research Newsletter, Issue Four, 1982. Tang Jianlin compiled Mao Zedong’s “National Movement Books” bibliography:

Bibliography of the “National Movement Public Books,” Number 187