Lin Biao, Enlai, and fellow Cultural Revolution Group members:
This document seems suitable for nationwide circulation and reference. The military should
implement military training for senior grades in universities, middle schools, and elementary
schools in phases and batches, and participate in the work of reopening schools,
reorganizing organizations, establishing leadership bodies combining the three elements and
implementing struggle, criticism, and transformation. Pilot programs should be conducted
first, experience gained, and then gradually expanded. Students should also be persuaded to
adhere to Marx's teaching that only by liberating all of humanity can the proletariat
ultimately liberate itself. Teachers and cadres who have made mistakes should not be
excluded from military training. With the exception of the elderly and the sick, these
individuals should be allowed to participate to facilitate their transformation. All of these
problems, if addressed diligently, will not be difficult to resolve.
Mao Zedong
March 7

[1] Lin Biao, then Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party
of China, was re-elected to the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC
Central Committee at the 11th Plenary Session of the 8th CPC Central Committee and was
soon named Vice Chairman of the CPC Central Committee. Enlai, refers to Zhou Enlai.
[2] This refers to a report submitted by Zheng Sansheng, Commander of the Tianjin Garrison
Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and others on March 6, 1967, to the
Beijing Military Region and the Cultural Revolution Group of the entire army regarding their
experiences in achieving school-wide unity based on classroom teaching and rectifying,
consolidating, and developing the Red Guards at Tianjin Yan'an Junior High School. The
report stated that before the troops arrived at Tianjin Yan'an Junior High School, attendance
was low, the organization was numerous and disorganized, and there were instances of
armed conflict. After a month of military and political training, this situation was
transformed. School-wide unity based on classroom teaching was achieved, a provisional
revolutionary committee combining "three elements" was established, and the Red Guard
organization was rectified, consolidated, and developed. After classes resumed on March 1,
a new high tide of promoting revolution and promoting education was set off. On March 8,
the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China forwarded this report, along with
Mao Zedong's comments, to the Party committees of all military regions and at all levels. On



March 8, 1968, the People's Daily published Mao Zedong's comments in full, titled
"Chairman Mao's Instructions on the Great Strategic Deployment of the Great Proletarian
Cultural Revolution." Because this comment was written on March 7, 1967, it is also referred
to as the "March 7" Directive.