The Enemy Is Strong and We Are Weak, So
We Must Prepare for a Protracted Struggle1
(October 25, 1946)
To the Northeast Bureau:
We received your October 22 telegram. Your appraisal is correct; the Chinese
and American reactionaries’ policy of wiping out the Liberated Areas will not
change. Our Party comrades should never be deluded into thinking that peace
will be bestowed upon us. A temporary ceasefire will only be possible after we
have eliminated a large part of the enemy’s effective strength, crushed various
enemy attacks, and enabled the development of the Liberated Areas. Throughout
the country and the Northeast, the enemy is strong and we are weak. In order to
change this situation, we must be prepared for a protracted and arduous struggle.
The Central Committee
Our source for this telegram is Mao Zedong junshi wenji, Vol. 3, p. 529, where it is
reproduced from Mao’s handwritten manuscript preserved in the Central Archives.
1.  Mao Zedong drafted this telegram on behalf of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
DOI:  10.4324/9781315719511-238