On Protracted War

Author: Mao Zedong

Published: 1938

Notable quote: "The object of war, namely, the preservation of oneself and the destruction of the enemy, is the essence of war and the basis of all war activities, an essence which pervades all war activities, from the technical to the strategic."

On Protracted War was written by Mao Zedong (1893–1976), the founder of the People's Republic of China and military strategist. The work is composed of a series of speeches delivered by Mao in 1938 at the Yenan Association for the Study of the War of Resistance Against Japan. In the book, Mao stated that it's vital to take the strategy of protracted war when the enemy is superior or the conditions are not favorable. The purpose of avoiding large confrontations on the battlefield is to attain self-preservation for later counterattack. He also unveiled the three stages in the Anti-Japanese War and corresponding forms of fighting and elaborated the CPC's principles on a protracted war with all Chinese people united to final victory.

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