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

150 MAO TSE-TUNG
carry out the stratagem of “making a strong defense by emptying
the countryside”. We hide the food, stores, fuel, grain, pots and
other utensils, etc., in order to cut off the enemy’s food supply.
Moreover, as regards the popular masses of the area in question,
with the exception of old men, women, and children, who are left
behind to provide reconnaissance information, we lead all ablebodied
men to hiding places. Thus, the enemy has no one to serve
as porters, guides, and scouts. At the same time, we send a few
men to the enemy’s rear communication lines, to cut off his supplies,
capture his couriers, and cut or sabotage his communications
facilities.
FROM MARX
TO MAO
16. MEETING A SUPERIOR ENEMY
⋆
(1) When the enemy advances, we retreat. If the enemy’s forces
were weaker than ours, he would not dare advance and attack us.
So, when he advances toward us, we can conclude that the enemy is
certainly coming with a superior force and is acting according to
plan and with preparation. It is, therefore, appropriate for us to evade
his vanguard, by withdrawing beforehand. If we meet with the enemy
in the course of our march and either do not have clear infor-
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mation regarding him or know that his army is stronger than ours,
we should, without the slightest hesitation, carry out a precautionary
withdrawal.
As to the place to which we should withdraw, it is not appropri-
ate to go long distances on the main roads, so that the enemy follows
us to the end. We should move about sinuously in the nearby
area, winding around in circles. If the enemy appears ahead of us,
DISTRIBUTION
we should circle around to his rear, if the enemy is on the moun-
tains, we should descend into the valleys; if the enemy is in the
middle, we should retreat on the two sides; if the enemy in on the
left bank of the river, we should retreat on the right bank; if the
enemy is on the right bank, we should retreat on the left bank.
Moreover, in withdrawing, when we come to a crossroads, we
can deliberately leave some objects in the branch of the road we do
not take or send a small fraction of our men and horses that way, in
order to leave some tracks or write some notices or symbols. Or we
can write some distinguishing marks on the road we do take to indicate
that it is closed. Thus, we induce the enemy to direct his pur-