On Mobilization for War and Methods of Work
Emergency Decision of the
Council of People's Commissars
(November 29, 1932)
The results of the recent investigation into the execution of the emergency mobilization order in all areas are extremely disappointing. Following upon the letter
from the Committee for Labor and War sent to all locations, in which [problems]
were enumerated one by one, the Council of People's Commissars more solemnly points out that the main reason for the occurrence of this phenomenon is
errors in political understanding.
1. Most commonly it is underestimating the seriousness of the enemy's massive attack and in a reflection of the most backward ideology prevalent among
the masses, that of being content with temporary peace and tranquility-going
about business as usual, banking on the fact that the enemy has not appeared yet.
This naturally makes it impossible to carry out urgent tasks.
2. In border areas, going into a panic when harassed by the enemy. This is a
failure to recognize that the current situation is favorable to the revolution, a lack
of self-confidence in the revolution, a defeatist attitude, which impedes the carrying out of mobilization work.
3. Erroneous understanding of offensive strategy, thinking that this is the task
of the Red Army alone, and that one can sit around waiting for Red Army
victories. In border areas even more dependence on the Red Army is displayed,
and people do not take any initiative to go out and attack the enemy. With this
kind of passive stance, it is impossible to carry out actively an offensive strategy
in its various aspects, and all emergency mobilization work is inevitably abandoned.
The Council of People's Commissars calls on governments at all levels and
local military leadership organizations to wage resolutely a relentless struggle
against these political errors; to oppose underestimation of the enemy's massive
attack, and especially the backward ideology of being content with temporary
peace and tranquility, and banking on the fact that the enemy has not yet arrived;
and to oppose resolutely the stance of panicking at enemy attacks and the conser-

vative wait-and-see attitude. All of this is most harmful to the progress of emergency mobilization work for smashing the enemy's all-out offensive.
The Council of People's Commissars solemnly urges governments at all
levels and local military leadership organizations to become deeply aware
that at present the enemy is actively building truck routes, organizing military
depots, establishing and expanding landlord armed forces, expanding anti-
Communist leagues and anti-Communist volunteer armies all around the soviet areas, collecting military funds on a large scale, and adding large
numbers of troops. In particular, he is escalating his attacks on the soviet
areas of Northeastern Jiangxi, the Hunan-Hupei-Jiangxi border area, and the
Hunan-Jiangxi border area. This is an indication that the enemy is planning even
more carefully for a general offensive against the Central Soviet Area, and is
preparing a long-term effort. It must be deeply understood that this counterattack
against the enemy's general offensive is a long-term struggle that will be the
toughest and most brutal struggle we have ever had, that it is a crucial moment in
the decisive class struggle, and that we must use all our strength to fight for
victory in this battle.
At the same time it should be pointed out that, although the enemy is stronger
militarily in this offensive as a result of direct imperialist aid, he is much weaker
politically and is facing much more serious internal problems than in the previous three campaigns. The enemy troops attacking the soviet areas are full of
discontent and hesitancy. At the same time, we are aided by the progress of
national revolution and the expansion and strengthening of the [Chinese] Soviet
Red Army. We can mobilize all resources to make sacrifices in the interest of the
war. We can win total victory in this campaign and achieve victory first in
Jiangxi.
In investigating the work of mobilization, we have discovered another serious
phenomenon, which is a workstyle divorced from the masses, marked by a
failure to rouse the masses politically and mobilize them organizationally, and by
relying entirely upon coercion of the masses and giving orders to the masses. At
the same time, the development of this style is closely related to the political
errors mentioned above:
1. Because of failure to recognize the seriousness of the enemy's general
offensive, naturally it is also impossible to recognize the importance of mobilizing the broad masses of workers and peasants, and there is failure to carry out
broad political mobilization work on the basis of mobilization of the masses.
2. The bureaucratic leadership style of leading organs at all levels toward
subordinates is merely to give orders or send down resolutions and plans, without giving any guidance or supervision as to concrete methods for carrying them
out, or the various measures for mobilizing the masses. Either people are simply
ordered to do things or they are subjected to punishment and threats. This in turn
leads to the common occurrence of the phenomenon of coercing the masses and
ordering them around at the lower levels.

3. There is a manifestation of an undisciplined and disorganized workstyle, in
which neither assemblies of voters, nor conferences of deputies, nor any of the
mass organizations are used to arouse the masses and strengthen the mobilization
of the masses. This inevitably leads to coercing the masses and ordering them
around.
4. With a bureaucratic workstyle, it is naturally impossible to do the painstaking work of mobilizing the masses and, for the sake of convenience, coercion
and giving orders are used instead.
These phenomena are quite widespread in the emergency mobilization. Most
obvious is the failure to respond to the Central Committee's emergency mobilization directive to summon assemblies of voters, deputies' conferences, or meetings of the Red Guard armies, Young Pioneers, and all mass organizations, to
make detailed reports and explanations, and to carry out thoroughly the work of
political mobilization. Until now, the vast majority of the masses still do not
understand the enemy's all-out offensive, and this naturally makes it impossible
to realize all mobilization efforts on the basis of mass initiative. For example, in
expanding the Red Army, it has been impossible to achieve what had been
planned, and it has been impossible to cause young men and women of the
worker and peasant masses to join the Red Guard armies and Young Pioneers
enthusiastically and voluntarily. Instead drills have been forced on them as a
form of punishment. Especially in collecting land taxes and issuing government
bonds, not enough political propaganda has been done beforehand so that each
worker and peasant element would understand why land tax was being collected
and the reasons for purchasing government bonds. When collecting [taxes] and
issuing [bonds], in turn, there has been failure to call various kinds of meetings
and to use urban and township deputies to encourage the masses to pay land
taxes and buy more bonds voluntarily. When doubts have arisen among the
masses, detailed explanations have not been offered. Instead, methods for coercing the rich peasants and capitalists have been applied to the masses of workers
and peasants, and this has led to a serious phenomenon of alienation from the
masses. All of this has actually added to the difficulties in collecting land taxes
and issuing government bonds, and affected the rest of the mobilization work.
What a serious problem this is!
This style of coercion and issuing orders is not only manifest in the emergency mobilization, but also permeates all types of work in the soviets. What
fosters the development of this sort of workstyle is that various leading organs
are guilty of severe bureaucratism in their leadership. In receiving and carrying
out orders from above, they either pass on the order as is or just leave it in the
envelope unopened. There are no meetings to work out concrete measures of
application based on detailed discussion of the local situation as a way of guiding
the work at the lower level. As for the results of application, there is never any
investigation and there is no concern for what is accomplished, only for going
through the motions. Application is carried out completely on the basis of simply

issuing commands. Whatever the time, whatever the task, work is done by force
of habit and meetings are held in a routine fashion. This is bureaucratism through
and through.
Bureaucratism alienates the masses, damages relations between the soviets
and the masses, and poses an enormous threat to the victory and development of
the soviets. Just going through the motions or paying lip service, coercion, and
issuing orders are major manifestations of bureaucratism, which absolutely must
not be allowed to exist in soviet governments. This sort of bureaucratism has
infested soviet governments:
1. because of contamination by semifeudal Chinese society and the bureaucratism of the Guomindang;
2. because of the scattered nature of the peasantry, and their lack of proletarian organization and discipline; and
3. because of a lack of the spirit of hard struggle and merely seeking short-term advantages, which causes bureaucratism to infest soviet organizations and
to flourish there day by day.
The Council of People's Commissars calls upon soviet organizations at all
levels and the broad masses of workers and peasants to wage a unified and most
determined struggle against bureaucratism, in order to eliminate bureaucratism in
the soviet organs and drive out hopelessly corrupt bureaucratic elements. In order to
consolidate the workers' and peasants' soviet political power, and at the same time
create a new soviet work style, it will be necessary to do the following:
I. All work should be based on the mobilization of the masses. Whoever
rejects mass mobilization work has inevitably alienated himself from the masses.
2. The application of legal decrees and resolutions should not be based only
upon giving orders. For the most part, it is better to rely upon raising the class
consciousness and enthusiasm of the masses to support the application of legal
decrees.
3. Mobilization of the masses should depend on thorough political propaganda and agitation.
4. As for ways in which to mobilize the masses, various sorts of soviet organizations should be called into play to rouse the masses, as well as all mass organizations. Urban and township deputies' conferences and voters' assemblies are tools to
rouse the masses directly. The workers' unions are pillars in mobilizing the masses.
5. Every decision should be realistic and feasible. To be opposed are all
empty, broad decisions that are not concrete, and holding meetings in a routine
fashion without any preparation or any results whatsoever.
6. In carrying out orders, attention should be paid to ways of rousing the
masses. At the same time, attention should be given to the opinions of the
masses, as reference in deciding upon methods of implementation.
7. Upon receipt of directives and decisions from above, meetings should
immediately be held to engage in detailed discussion and determine concrete
measures for carrying them out.

8. In carrying out orders, one's own work should be frequently examined as
to whether or not goals have been achieved and whether there are mistakes or
improprieties.
9. All work should be divided appropriately according to work relationships. Not only all departments and all comrades should do this, but even when
giving directions to lower levels, work should be assigned according to the
situation.
10. In giving guidance to lower levels, it should be specific, concrete, and
include numerous directives regarding methods.
11. Documents should not be issued lightly; rather give direction through
inspection more often. Inspection personnel should not view the flowers from
horseback or stand on the sidelines and criticize. Rather, they are to investigate
the work responsibly, and help their subordinates solve problems in their work.
12. Organize work teams to give direct assistance to lower levels in their
work. The responsibility of the work team is to get the work in that place done
well, not to criticize others without lifting a finger. The work team's method of
work is to concentrate its strength to improve the work in one place and then
move on to the next place. There should be a division of labor, with each person
in charge of one task, and getting the job done well in one place at a time.
13. Meetings should not be held lightly. There should be preparation before
meetings, and results, and things must actually get done.
14. In holding mass meetings, thorough preparations must be made beforehand. In every case, political agitation should suit the demands of the masses and
be tied to their own interests. Speeches should be simple and clear and have a
rousing effect.
The soviet workstyle is oriented toward the masses; is realistic, organized,
and disciplined; and involves the ability to endure hard struggle. All methods
divorced from the masses represent the style of bureaucratism.
The Council of People's Commissars calls on soviet organizations at all levels
to mobilize in an urgent fashion, to oppose all misunderstandings of and lax
behavior with regard to the enemy's all-out attack, to purge all soviet organizations of bureaucratism, and to strive toward the creation of a soviet workstyle
and the rapid accomplishment of all tasks prescribed by the emergency mobilization order.
All soviet organizations—from the province all the way to the township—
must, immediately upon receipt of this resolution, hold meetings to examine and
evaluate their own work, with a self-critical spirit expose all errors in the work,
lay down concrete measures for carrying out [the resolution], and report the
results of the discussion to the Central Committee.

Chairman Mao Zedong
Vice-Chairmen Xiang Ying
Zhang Guotao
--- Notes

This document was first published in Hongse Zhonghua, no. 43, December 5, 1932. We
have translated it from Mao Zedong ji, Vol. 3, pp. 163-68, which reproduces that version.