K. This is the 1st working draft of vol. VI. It still ... - From Marx to Mao

144 MAO TSE-TUNG
2. POINTS OF SPECIAL ATTENTION
After from this, we must pay special attention to the present
war on the national level, which has become cruel beyond our
imagination and has also lasted a long time. We must not, because
we are undergoing the suffering of a war more cruel than any seen
in the past, immediately capitulate; nor must we, under the influence
of a long war, suddenly lose our endurance and give way to
lassitude. We must inspire ourselves with the most resolute spirit
of unyielding struggle, with the most burning patriotic sentiments,
and with the will to endurance, and carry out a protracted struggle
against the enemy. We must know that, although the circumstances
FROM MARX
TO MAO
and the duration of the war are cruel and protracted, this is noth-
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ing compared to what would happen if the war were lost; if our
country were destroyed and the whole of our people reduced to a
position of irretrievable ruin, the suffering would be even more
cruel and would never come to an end. Therefore, however cruel
the war may be, we must absolutely and firmly endure until the
last five minutes of struggle. This is especially the case with our
present enemy, who finds his advantage in a rapid decision in the
war, whereas our advantage is to be found in the strategy of a protracted
war.
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3. WE MUST NOT FEAR THE ENEMY
When we see the enemy, simply because he has a weapon in his
hands, we must not be frightened to death like a rat who sees a cat.
We must not be afraid of approaching him or infiltrating into his
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midst in order to carry out sabotage. We are men; our enemies are
also men; we are all men, so what should we fear? The fact that he
has weapons? We can find a way to seize his weapons. All we are
afraid of is getting killed by the enemy. But when we undergo the
oppression of the enemy to such a point as this, how can any one
still fear death? And if we do not fear death, then what is there to
fear about the enemy? So when we see the enemy, whether he is
many or few, we must act as though he is bread that can satisfy our
hunger, and immediately swallow him.