Speech to the Graduating Class of the First, Second, and Sixth Battalions of the Fourth Session of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University
(August 2, 1938)

China is a semi-colonial and semi-feudal country; it lacks independence externally and democracy internally. Based on this characteristic, the Chinese revolution must prioritize war and military affairs above all else—this has already been proven by Chinese history since the Opium War. The gun holds the key to establishing peasant associations, trade unions, political power, and even the Communist Party; in short, everything springs from the gun. This is an undeniable truth. When we emphasize that the gun comes first, we do so within the political framework of the revolution, meaning that military force must be subordinate to revolutionary politics.

Throughout Chinese history, there have always been two distinct lines in terms of political and organizational policies: one legitimate and the other illegitimate. Wise rulers appoint officials based on merit, while incompetent ones favor their relatives and cronies. Therefore, great care must be taken in selecting cadres. All matters in the world are straightforward and honest; hence, we should be truthful and speak according to the facts. We must reject both arrogance—the belief that one is unparalleled—and self-deprecation—the tendency to undervalue oneself.

[1] This is part of Mao Zedong’s speech to the graduating class of the First, Second, and Sixth Battalions of the Fourth Session of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, addressing the issues of “war first” and “being honest.”