Chapter 67 Some Opinions on the Political Work of the Eighth Route Army

(August 13, 1940) Peng, Yang, Luo, Lu, Nie, Peng, Zhu[1]: Your meeting[2] should discuss in detail the Central Committee’s July 7th decision[3] and various recent instructions from the Central Committee and the General Administration, we also have the following opinions: (1) Political work in the army led by the Communist Party should have its independence during the war of resistance.This independence is based on the party's policy and the independence of the Communist Party in the national struggle.Therefore, it is wrong to blur the principle of the independence of our political work and ignore the bad influence of the traditions and practices of the Kuomintang army on us.However, the so-called independence of political work does not mean that we copy all the practices during the civil war. On the contrary, we should determine specific policies in all aspects of political work according to the environment of the national war. powerful weapon of policy.

(2) Military political organs and military cadres at all levels, especially military and political cadres, must understand and master the party's policies and strategies.It should be admitted that the understanding and mastery of the party's policies and strategies by military cadres is very insufficient, so it is necessary to strengthen the strategy education among cadres and make it the most important item in cadre education.The military must have the strictest discipline over the population.Where political power and local parties have not yet been established, military political organs should be fully responsible for establishing political power and local parties, and the party's policies must be strictly implemented in the process of establishment.In areas where the political power and the local party are well established, the military should not interfere with the work of the local political power and the party, but should respect them and become a model of obeying the law.Strict struggle should be waged against behaviors in the army that violate the discipline of the residents, lack of love for base areas, waste of manpower and material resources, disrespect for the government and the local Party, and any behavior that deviates from the Party's policies.

(3) In order to persevere in the arduous struggle in the enemy's rear, it is necessary to unite the cadres of the whole party, so it is necessary to clearly define the following relations: A. In the relationship between the military party and the local party, the military party should be more and more strictly required to be responsible, and in case of disputes, the military party should be blamed more. B. In the relationship between non-local cadres and local cadres, more demand and blame should be given to non-local cadres. C. In the relationship between old cadres and new cadres, more demands should be placed on and blame on old cadres.

D. In the relationship between the regular army and the local armed forces, and in the relationship between the old army and the new army, more demands and blame should be placed on the regular army and the old army. (4) Considering the dispersed environment of the troops and the current situation of political work, attention should be paid to the leadership and working methods of political work: A. Generality.Oppose partial interests and egotism. B. Advancement.Do more research, make more conclusions, and oppose conservatism without seeking progress. C. Complexity, diversity.Oppose simple formulaism when things happen, and perfunctory.

D. Planning and organization.Against impatience and blind turmoil, let's have a meal. E. Unity.In order to make decentralization and concentration, automaticity and order consistent. Self, practicality.Oppose not focusing on reality, extravagance and exaggeration. G, fineness.Against superficial carelessness. Xin, fighting.In order to truly adapt political work to the combat environment. (5) The general administration has already telegraphed the work of the enemy and puppet troops to eradicate rape. (6) Regarding cadre work, the pro-democracy movement, publicity and education, etc., the General Administration will send telegrams one after another.

Mao, Zhu, Wang, Tan[4] August 13th Printed from transcripts kept at the Central Archives. -------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ note [1] Peng, referring to Peng Dehuai, who was the deputy commander-in-chief of the Eighth Route Army at the time.Yang, referring to Yang Shangkun, then Secretary of the Northern Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.Luo, referring to Luo Ruiqing, who was then the director of the Field Political Department of the Eighth Route Army.Lu, referring to Lu Dingyi, born in 1906 in Wuxi, Jiangsu, was the deputy director of the Field Political Department of the Eighth Route Army at that time.Nie, referring to Nie Rongzhen, was then the commander and political commissar of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region of the Eighth Route Army.Peng, referring to Peng Zhen, who was then secretary of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Branch of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.Zhu, refers to Zhu Liangcai (1900-1989), a native of Rucheng, Hunan, who was then the deputy director of the Political Department of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region of the Eighth Route Army.

[2] Refers to the Eighth Route Army Field Political Work Conference. [3] Refers to the "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Concerning the Current Situation and the Party's Policies" dated July 7, 1940. According to the international and domestic situation at that time, the "Decision" proposed 17 important policies to overcome difficulties, overcome the danger of surrender, and strive for a better situation. [4] Zhu, refers to Zhu De.Wang, refers to Wang Jiaxiang, who was then vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China and director of the General Political Department.Tan, refers to Tan Zheng (1907-1988), a native of Xiangxiang, Hunan, who was then the deputy director of the General Political Department of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China.