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V. War and Peace
War is the highest form of struggle for resolving contradictions,
when they have developed to a certain stage, between classes, nations,
states, or political groups, and it has existed ever since the emergence
of private property and of classes.
--- "Problems of Strategy in China's Revolutionary War" (December
1936), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 180.
"War is the continuation of politics." In this sense war is politics
and war itself is a political action; since ancient times there
has never been a war that did not have a political character. .
. . But war has its own particular characteristics and in this sense
it cannot be equated with politics in general. "War is the continuation
of politics by other . . . means." When politics develops to a certain
stage beyond which it cannot proceed by the usual means, war breaks
out to sweep the obstacles from the way. . . . When the obstacle
is removed and our political aim attained, the war will stop. But
if the obstacle is not completely swept away, the war will have
to continue till the aim is fully accomplished. . . . It can therefore
be said that politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics
with bloodshed.
---"On Protracted War" (May 1938), Selected Works, Vol. II, pp.
152-53.
History shows that wars are divided into two kinds, just and unjust.
All wars that are progressive are just, and all wars that impede
progress are unjust. We Communists oppose all unjust wars that impede
progress, but we do not oppose progressive, just wars. Not only
do we Communists not oppose just wars, we actively participate in
them. As for unjust wars, World War I is an instance in which both
sides fought for imperialist interests; therefore the Communists
of the whole world firmly opposed that war. The way to oppose a
war of this kind is to do everything possible to prevent it before
it breaks out and, once it breaks out, to oppose war with war, to
oppose unjust war with just war, whenever possible.
--- ibid., p. 150.
Revolutions and revolutionary wars are inevitable in class society
and without them, it is impossible to accomplish any leap in social
development and to overthrow the reactionary ruling classes and
therefore impossible for the people to win political power.
--- "On Contradiction" (August 1937), Selected Works, Vol. I, p.
344.
Every Communist must grasp the truth, "Political power grows out
of the barrel of a gun."
--- "Problems of Strategy in China's Revolution- ary War" (December
1936), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 224.
Without armed struggle neither the proletariat, nor the people,
nor the Communist Party would have any standing at all in China
and it would be impossible for the revolution to triumph. In these
years [the eighteen years since the founding of the Party] the development,
consolidation and bolshevization of our Party have proceeded in
the midst of revolutionary wars; without armed struggle the Communist
Party would assuredly not be what it is today. Comrades throughout
the Party must never forget this experience for which we have paid
in blood.
--- "Introducing The Communist " (October 4, 1939), Selected Works,
Vol. II, p. 292
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