In times of difficulty we must not lose sight of our achievements, must see the bright future and must pluck up our courage.

What we need is an enthusiastic but calm state of mind and intense but orderly work.

We must thoroughly clear away all ideas among our cadres of winning easy victories through good luck, without hard and bitter struggle, without sweat and blood.

This army has an indomitable spirit and is determined to vanquish all enemies and never to yield. No matter what the difficulties and hardships, so long as a single man remains, he will fight on.

Give full play to our style of fighting - courage in battle, no fear of sacrifice, no fear of fatigue, and continuous fighting (that is, fighting successive battles in a short time without rest).

Be resolute, fear no sacrifice and surmount every difficulty to win victory.

If [we] spend [our] whole lives sitting indoors and never go out to face the world and brave the storm, what good will [we] be...? We....ought to face the world and brave the storm

A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.

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

If we have a correct theory but merely prate about it, pigeonhole it and do not put it into practice, then that theory, however good, is of no significance.

Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive factor; it is people, not things that are decisive. The contest of strength is not only a contest of military and economic power, but also a contest of human power and morale.

The seizure of power by armed force, the settlement of the issue by war, is the central task and the highest form of revolution.

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

Historically, all reactionary forces on the verge of extinction invariably conduct a last desperate struggle against the revolutionary forces, and some revolutionaries are apt to be deluded for a time by this phenomenon of outward strength but inner weakness failing to grasp the essential fact that the enemy is nearing extinction while they themselves are approaching victory.

The commanders and fighters...absolutely must not relax in the least their will to fight; any thinking that relaxes the will to fight and belittles the enemy is wrong.

Just because we have won victory, we must never relax our vigilance against the frenzied plots for revenge...Whoever relaxes vigilance will disarm himself politically and land himself in a passive position.

Every comrade must be helped to understand that as long as we rely on the people, believe firmly in the inexhaustible creative power of the masses and hence trust and identify ourselves with them, we can surmount any difficulty, and no enemy can crush us while we can crush any enemy.

However active the leading group may be, its activity will amount to fruitless effort by a handful of people unless combined with the activity of the masses.

Our duty is to hold ourselves responsible to the people. Every word, every act and every policy must conform to the people's interests, and if mistakes occur, they must be corrected - that is what being responsible to the people means.

We...are like seeds and the people are like the soil. Wherever we go, we must unite with the people, take root and blossom among them.

If there is to be revolution, there must be a revolutionary party.

Guard against arrogance. For anyone in a leading position, this is a matter of principle and an important condition for maintaining unity. Even those who have made no serious mistakes and have achieved very great success in their work should not be arrogant.

New things always have to experience difficulties and setbacks as they grow. It is sheer fantasy to imagine that [it] is all plain sailing and easy success, without difficulties and setbacks or the exertion of tremendous efforts.
Quotations from Mao Tse Tung