Speech at a Meeting Convened by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with the Participation of Responsible Persons from Various Units[1]

(August 9, 1937)

The Lugouqiao Incident marks the beginning of a large-scale, nationwide war of resistance against Japan in China. The Guomindang’s transformation has taken another major step forward, but it is still far from a thorough transformation. At present, there remains a serious crisis, namely that the rulers fear the masses rising up. Jiang Jieshi’s resolve to resist Japan was forced out of him by Japan; the doctrine of merely responding to war is dangerous, and in North China, it is in fact a step-by-step retreat.

Before today, the Red Army was preparing for mobilization; from today onward, it is to carry out mobilization. The Red Army should implement independent and autonomous command and dispersed guerrilla warfare. Only by maintaining independent and autonomous command can the Red Army’s strengths be brought into play; grouped operations are not feasible. At the same time, we must also take into account special circumstances—guard against others’ intentions, maintain vigilance, and ensure the development and expansion of the Red Army.

[1] This is part of a speech by Mao Zedong at a meeting convened by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China with the participation of responsible persons from various units.