Return to Comrade Wang Li, [2]. I have made some minor changes. Please ask the Small
Group [3] to make their decision.
Mao Zedong
May 18, 2:30 a.m
In socialist society, especially after the socialist transformation of the ownership of the
means of production is essentially complete, will classes and class struggle still exist? Will all
class struggles in society still be concentrated on the struggle for power? Is revolution still
necessary under the conditions of proletarian dictatorship? Who should be revolutionized?
How should revolution be carried out? These are a series of major theoretical questions that
Marx and Engels could not have addressed at the time. Lenin saw that after the proletariat
seized power, the defeated bourgeoisie would become even stronger than the proletariat,
periodically attempting a restoration. At the same time, small producers would constantly
foster new capitalism and the bourgeoisie, threatening the dictatorship of the proletariat.
Therefore, to counter and defeat these counterrevolutionary threats, the dictatorship of the
proletariat must be strengthened over a long period of time. There was no other way.
However, Lenin's untimely death in fact prevented a practical resolution of these issues.
Stalin, a great Marxist-Leninist, effectively dealt with a large number of counterrevolutionary bourgeois representatives who had infiltrated the Party, such as Trotsky,
Zinoviev, Kamenev, Radek, Bukharin, and Rykov. His shortcoming was his theoretical failure
to recognize the existence of classes and class struggle in society throughout the historical
period of the proletarian dictatorship. Without a final resolution of the victory and defeat of
the revolution, if things were not handled properly, there was a possibility of a bourgeois
restoration. A year before his death, he had already recognized this, stating that
contradictions existed in socialist society and, if not handled properly, could become
antagonistic. Comrade Mao Zedong, fully attentive to the experience of Soviet history,
correctly addressed this series of issues in his series of great works and directives, in this
great historical document, and in the great practice of the Great Proletarian Cultural
Revolution, which he personally initiated and led.
The current Cultural Revolution is only the first; it will inevitably be repeated many times.
Comrade Mao Zedong has often stated in recent years that the outcome of the revolution



will be determined over a very long historical period. If not handled properly, capitalist
restoration will be imminent. All Party members and people of the country, do not assume
that peace and tranquility can be achieved with one, two, three, or four Cultural
Revolutions. Be extremely vigilant and never let down your guard.

[1] "A Great Historical Document" is an editorial written by Red Flag and People's Daily in
response to the May 17, 1967, public release of the "Notice of the Central Committee of the
Communist Party of China" (also known as the "May 16 Notice") of May 16, 1966. The article
appeared in the People's Daily on May 18, 1967, and in the seventh issue of Red Flag,
published on May 20, 1967. Part I consists of comments on the revised draft of the article
submitted for review on May 17 by Chen Boda, head of the Cultural Revolution Group of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and editor-in-chief of Red Flag. Part II
consists of revisions to a paragraph in the draft, including text added and revised by Mao
Zedong, printed in italics. Part III consists of a paragraph added at the end of the draft.
[2] Wang Li was then a member of the Cultural Revolution Group of the CPC Central
Committee and deputy editor-in-chief of Red Flag magazine.
[3] Refers to the Cultural Revolution Group of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of China.