To Deng Xiaoping and Others

(February 6, 1948)

Xiaoping, and the Rear of the Field Army, Chen, Xie, Su, Chen, Tang:

In the newly occupied areas after the great counteroffensive, the struggle strategy and organizational forms should both differ from those in the old areas before the Japanese surrender and the semi-old areas during the two-year period from the Japanese surrender to the great counteroffensive. In terms of struggle strategy, it seems appropriate to divide it into two stages: In the first stage, narrow the scope of attack, neutralize the rich peasants, and concentrate solely on the landlords; this should also be divided into two steps—attacking the big landlord stratum and attacking the entire landlord class. During this stage, because the middle peasants are in a wait-and-see attitude and the poor peasants, who account for 70 percent of the rural population, are the most active, the peasant association should in practice take the poor peasants as its main body. It seems possible not to organize poor peasant leagues, and the name "peasant association" also seems appropriate as the designation for the peasant association. In the second stage, carry out equal distribution of the land of all feudal classes; the rich peasants should only be touched at this time. At this stage, poor peasant leagues should be organized to serve as the leading backbone of the peasant association or peasant association. Whether this is more appropriate, please telegraph your opinions within a few days. The above opinion differs from some of the opinions in Xiaoping's reply to the six inquiries, and especially does not conform to the situation described in a certain telegram from the Rear of the Field Army stating that organizing poor peasant leagues has achieved results. Is it because the Hubei-Henan-Anhui area was once an old Soviet area that the above opinion is not applicable, while it is applicable in completely new areas? Which is ultimately more appropriate? Please, Xiaoping, analyze, compare, and telegraph a reply. Also request the Rear of the Field Army, Su, Chen, and Tang, and Chen and Xie, the three parties, to consider and telegraph a reply. On zi yang day, I drafted a telegram replying to Su Yu on the strategy of struggle in new areas. Because the above issues and several other points have not yet been determined, it is still necessary to gather opinions from Shaoqi and you for revision before it can be sent. Also, regarding the timing of land reform, a few months ago I thought it could be accelerated. Later, based on the experience of Chen and Xie in the Shaanxi-Lingbao-Wenxiang area and the experience of old areas such as Jin-Sui and Shaan-Gan-Ning, I feel that we must not be overly hasty and should take the maturity of conditions as the principle. For an entire contiguous region, only with □□□□□□□□□□ time can the problem be thoroughly resolved. Excessive haste will inevitably lead to problems. This point is also to be considered.

Mao Zedong

Chou yu