Comment on the Directive on Party Rectification Work in the Armed Forces[1]
(June 16, 1950)

Distribute to the party committees of all military regions for reference.
Since the Central-South Military Region is able to carry out demobilization work on one hand and conduct party rectification on the other, other military regions may also proceed accordingly, without having to wait until after autumn.

General Political Department of the Military Commission
June 16

[1] This is a comment written by Mao Zedong on the directive forwarded by the General Political Department of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People’s Government regarding the party rectification work directive of the Party Committee of the Central-South Military Region of the CPC.

[2] The main contents of the directive of the Party Committee of the Central-South Military Region of the CPC:
(1) After the victory in the war, the ideological sentiments of claiming credit for oneself, slackness and negligence, and the craving for pleasure and comfort that have arisen among cadres have further fostered the growth of such undesirable work styles as arrogance and self-satisfaction, lack of desire for progress, disrespect for local authorities, non-observance of policies, lack of care for the masses, and indifference toward subordinates and soldiers. If such ideological work styles are not prevented and eliminated, it will be difficult to raise our armed forces to a higher level from their existing foundation and build them into a modern, regularized national defense force. At the same time, it would also be inconceivable for them to properly participate in the land reform work and carry out the tasks of work teams. For this reason, under the unified leadership of the Central Committee and the Central-South Bureau, it is of extremely great significance to carry out a universal, well-led, and step-by-step rectification movement, through which we can effectively rectify the ideological work style of our armed forces, first and foremost the ideological work style of the cadres. (2) The basic content of the rectification is, first, to overcome the post-war growth of the mentality of claiming credit for oneself and individualistic heroism; second, to overcome the post-war growth of slackness, negligence, and lack of forward progress; and third, to overcome the post-war growth of the craving for pleasure and comfort. (3) The focus of rectifying ideology, rectifying work style, and rectifying policy and discipline shall first be placed on leading cadres at the regimental level and above, and then through them, guide the rectification study of cadres below the regimental level and the ideological education of the broad masses of soldiers. (4) The success or failure of the rectification study lies in whether various undesirable ideological sentiments can be overcome and whether the work style and leadership style can be properly rectified.