First Preface to Upsurge of Socialism in China’s Cour
(September 25, 1955)

Source: Xuanji, V, pp. 218-221. Available English Translation: SW
235-237.

This is the original, ar first, preface that Mao wrote for a collection of reporiy,
operativization that would eventually be published under the title Zhongeue nongs
shebui zhuyi gaochao (Upsurge of Socialism in China’ x Countryside). Ag ind

this document, the title that was originally contemplated for the book was quite d
ent ~ Zenyang ban nongye shengchan hezwoshe (How ro Run Agricultural Pregl
Cooperatives) — and. one may surmise, in Mao’ s upinion, rather bland. Mac
took a tremendous personal interest in the preparation and publication of
and mentioned it several times in his speeches (particularly in the October 11, I
speech; see texts Oct. 11, 1955/1] ana [2}) and in hiy correspondence (see tat S
27, 1955). In the course of the editorial work on this book, which wok over t
months’ time, Maa wrote another preface. and the first, ive,, thix document here.
subsequently not published with the book itself, or with other collections of muer
the subject published at that time or in the years immediaiely thereafter. Far |
information on the publication of the book, see texts Dec. 27, 1955(1) and (2).

The general line of the Chinese Communist Party during the period of (hate
sition from capitalism to socialism is to basically accomplish the ind striae
tion of the country, and at the same time basically accomplish the soot
transformation of agriculture, handicraft industries, and capitalist indust
and commerce.' This period of transition will take approximately ¢
years, that is, three years of rehabilitation plus three five-year plans. |
Party everytxxly appears to agree on the formulation of this general
on the specification of its time span, but in reality differences of opin
At present, these differences of opinion find their expression mai .
issue of the socialist transformation of agriculture, that is, the issue of agnic
tural cooperativization. :

Some people say that in the last few years there seems w have emet
certain rule in connection with the question of agricultural cooperativizalte
namely, that expansion is advocated in winter, but when spring comes. $0?
people will oppose {it as being an| adventurist advance.’ There are rease
for holding this view, for they have witnessed opposition w tbe so-cal

— +
adventunst advance several times. For example, there was an expansion in the
winter of 1952, only to be followed by a [wave of] opposition to adventurist
ydvanee in the spring of 1953; again there was an expunsion in the winter of
954, and again it was followed by a [wave of] opposition to adventurist
advance in the spring of 1955. The so-called opposition to adventurist
advance did not merely mean halting the expansion but also meant forcibly
dissolving (also called “chopping off") batch after batch of cooperatives that
were already established, and this caused disaffectation among the cadres and
peasant masses.’ Same peasants were so angry that they refused (o eat, or
they lay down on their beds and refused to get up, or they stayed away from
work for more than a dozen days at a stretch. They said, “It's you who told us
to set up [the cooperatives], and it's also you who are telling us to dissolve
jthemn)."” Dissolving [the cooperatives] delighted the well-to-do middle peaswnts but saddened the poor peasants. When the poor peasants in Hubei Province heard the news about halting [the establishment of cooperatives) or dissolving them, they Were “chilled from the waist down,” but some middle
peasants said, “This is comparable to a pilgrimage to Mulan Hill,’ (There is
a Malan Hill in Huangpi xian, Hubei Province, on which stands Mulan Temple, where the peasants like to pay homage.)

Why do some comrades waver like this, a wavering which, in the eyes of
most people, is totally uncalled for? It is because they have been influenced by
some of the middle peasants. At the initial stages of cooperativization some of
the middle peasants, especially the well-to-do middle peasants among whom
there is a severe tendency to lean toward capitalism, held hostile sentiments
toward socialist transformation.” This has to do with the policy and the
method of work that the Party has pursued with respect to the middle peasants
in the cooperativization movement. Many middle peasants who have a relatively low economic status but whose political consciousness is relatively
high, which means primarily the lower-middle peasants among the new middle peasants, and the lower-middle peasants among the old middle peasants,’
are willing to join the cooperatives, provided that we pursue a policy that
brings mutual benefits to both strata, namely, the poor and the middle peasants, and that does not benefit the poor peasants exclusively while being detrimental to the middle peasants, and also provided that our method of work is
good. However, some middle peasants would still prefer to stay out of the
Cooperatives for the time being even if we carry out such a policy, so as to “be
free even if it just for a year or two.” This situation is completely understandable, because cooperativization will change the system of the peasants’
private ownership of the means of production and the entire mode of manage-
Ment. The change is a very fundamental one for them; it is natural that they
should want to give the matter careful consideration, and they may find it
difficult to make up their minds for some time. Some of our comrades did not
try to solve problems [in the area of] the Party's policy and its method of
work; as soon as the well-to-do middle peasants squealed and there were some
aberrations in our work, they panicked and went all oul against “adventurist
advance” and wanted to “chop off” cooperatives ut the slightest proyoou,

as if they were malignant tumors that would be fatal if not promptly
This is completely at odds with how things really ure. There are s] \
in our work, but the movement on the whole is healthy. The broud [m
poor and lower-middle peasants welcome the cooperatives. Lf some
middie peasants need to wait and see, we should let them do so. What's »
the well-to-do middle peasants, except for those who [are joining] ve
should be given a Jonger time to wait and see. At the moment, the rai
coming with regard to this question is that in many places the Party Jeg
has failed to catch up [with the movement), it has not grasped the Je,

of the whole movement in its hands; it does not have a complete plan
province, cach xian, each district or each xiang, but goes about its y
disjointed and piecemeal manner; [people in the leadership] lack a spy

tiative, enthusiasm, happiness, responsiveness, and all-out effort. A bi Pm ,

lem has therefore arisen. At the lower levels the movement IS very extensi,

but at the higher levels it is receiving inadequate attention; this is b

give rise to some trouble. In the face of these troubles, instead of trying
strengthen the leadership and improve the planning, we have adopted th
ative approach of trying to halt the progress of the movement or mi

“chop off” a number of cooperatives. This is wrong of course and i§ by
give mse to more trouble.

We have now compiled a book entitled How to Ran Agricultural P
Cooperatives.” A total of over 120 articles are collected in this ibe
are all factual examples from various provinces, municipalities, and.
mous regions. The far greater portion of the material is from {the pe

stele

-

between) January and August 1955, while » smaller portion ts ff om | he

second half of 1954, The bulk of the material was selected from the inl
Party publications of the various provinces, municipalities, or autonot

regions; a few articles were selected from newspapers; a few ¢ hers we

reports by lower-level Party committees or commides engn

[cooperativization] work to Party committees at higher levels; anid one WAS

transcript of a talk given by the director of a cooperative who had been
to Beijing.” We have only corrected some of the language of the mater
have kept the original contents intact. We have written notes for some

material. In order to differentiate our notes from the notes written for same ®

the material by the editors of the original publications, our notes are wrilte

under the title of “The Editors of This Volume.”'” We believe that aa we

points expressed by all the authors of this material are correct or
rect, From this material the readers will see the scope and direction of u
operativization movement throughout the country as well as the pro:

its development. The material shows that the movement is healthy. The F ,

where trouble occurred were ull places where the Party committees

(© provide good leadership. Once the Party committees caught up with the
mass movement) and gave il proper guidance according to the principles
down by the Center, the problems in these places were immediately 49

http://d
This material is very convincing; it will activate those who even up to now
pave had a passive attitude toward this movement; it will help those who still
do not know how fo run a cooperative find a way to run one; what is more, it
will make those who have been fond of “chopping off” cooperatives at the
slightest whim keep their mouths shut.

Carrying out the socialist transformation of agriculture among several hundred million peasants is a monumental task, Taking the country as a whole, it
has not been very long [since the movement started], and our experience is
still quite inadequate. In particular we have not yet carried out extensive and
effective propaganda work throughout the Party. As a result, many comrades
have not paid attention to this question and do not understand the principles,
policies, and methods for conducting this movement; thus there is still no
unity of will within the Party. The Sixth Plenum of our Party's Central Committee Will meet very soon to discuss this problem,"' and a new resolution on
it will be adopted before long. We should carry out extensive and effective

work in accordance with this resolution so as to achieve unity of
will within the whole Party. The publication of this book may be of some help
io this propaganda work.

Notes

| See wxt June 15, 1953, note |,

2. See text Aug. 12, 1953(1), note 22

2. See teat July 31, 1955, neve 1K.

4 This colloquial expression means utter disappointinent with a sudden unfavorable win of
events.

4. Mulan is « legendary heroine The story of Hua Mulan from the yes: (ballads) of the Han
dynasty (206 B.C.-205 A.D.) tells of a girl who disguised herself as a young man and enlisted in
the jrmty as a Substitute for her father, She retums home aller twelve Vears of service in the army
Wilhout ever being discovered. Hug Mulan has been tauded in theatrical works and worshiped in
folk religion in China for her courage and filial piety Mao i probably referring to the sense of
Futifity ant disappointinent rewulting from making an antuous pilgrimage and receiving nothing
Qngible in retum

6. See next Mar. 12, 1950, notes | ane 2

7. See text July 31, 1955, note 14,

3. “The book was renamed Socialint Upsurge in China's Countryside when it was published.”
(Note 1, SW, Vip wl)

9. This refers to Wang Zhigt, chief of the Donyehuankow agricultural producers’ cooperative
(0 Yintai xian, Hebei,

10, It should be noted that in our translation of these comments in this Volume (text Dee, 27,
1955(2)), we have given them the general title of “editor's notes.”

Il. The Sixth Plenum af the Seventh Central Committee of the CPC met on October 4-11,
1955, in Beijing. See K. Lieberthal (1976), p. 73-74


626 | MAO ZEDONG