Protracted people's war - Revision history

Wisconcom at 23:29, 9 August 2026

2026-08-09T23:29:54Z

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	[[File:5añosposterpcp.png\|right\|thumb\|[[Shining Path\|Communist Party of Peru (Shining Path)]] propaganda poster celebrating 5 years of people's war in [[Peru]].]]		[[File:5añosposterpcp.png\|right\|thumb\|[[Shining Path\|Communist Party of Peru (Shining Path)]] propaganda poster celebrating 5 years of people's war in [[Peru]].]]
	'''Protracted people's war''' ('''PPW'''), also known simply as '''people's war''', is a military strategy developed by [[Mao Zedong]], chairman of the [[Communist Party of China]]. Its initial implementation in [[China]] in the early-to-mid 20th century saw the mobilization of the [[peasantry]] to encircle the cities from the countryside in a protracted [[Guerilla warfare\|guerilla]] struggle. It has been applied by various [[Maoism\|Maoist]] parties outside of China, notably the [[Shining Path\|Communist Party of Peru (Shining Path)]].		'''Protracted people's war''' ('''PPW'''), also known simply as '''people's war''', is a military strategy developed by [[Mao Zedong]], chairman of the [[Communist Party of China]]. Its initial implementation in [[China]] in the early-to-mid 20th century saw the mobilization of the [[peasantry]] to encircle the cities from the countryside in a protracted [[Guerilla warfare\|guerilla]] struggle. It has been applied by various [[Maoism\|Maoist]] parties outside of China, notably the [[Shining Path\|Communist Party of Peru (Shining Path)]].
			{{Maoism sidebar}}
	==Theory==		==Theory==
	People's war contains three stages: the strategic defensive, stalemate, and offensive.		People's war contains three stages: the strategic defensive, stalemate, and offensive.

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Criticism

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	==Criticism==		==Criticism==
	People's war has been critiqued as [[Adventurism\|adventurist]] and [[Terrorism\|terroristic]]. Others support its implementation in 20th century China but are skeptical of its potential outside of the country. [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania\|Albanian]] leader [[Enver Hoxha]], in his criticism of Mao, attacked people's war as a theory which "absolutizes" the role of the peasantry and undermines the [[Proletariat\|proletariat's]] role as the vanguard. He was also critical of the thesis that the peasants should encircle the cities from the countryside.<ref>Enver Hoxha (1978). [https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hoxha/works/imp_rev/imp_ch6.htm ''Imperialism and the Revolution'', Part II. Ch. III, "Mao Tsetung Thought — An Anti-Marxist Theory"]. Available on the Marxists Internet Archive.</ref>		People's war has been critiqued as [[Adventurism\|adventurist]] and [[Terrorism\|terroristic]]. Others support its implementation in 20th century China but are skeptical of its potential outside of the country. [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania\|Albanian]] leader [[Enver Hoxha]], in his criticism of Mao, attacked people's war as a theory which "absolutizes" the role of the peasantry and undermines the [[Proletariat\|proletariat's]] role as the vanguard. He was also critical of the thesis that the peasants should encircle the cities from the countryside.<ref>Enver Hoxha (1978). [https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hoxha/works/imp_rev/imp_ch6.htm ''Imperialism and the Revolution'', Part II. Ch. III, "Mao Tsetung Thought — An Anti-Marxist Theory"]. Available on the Marxists Internet Archive.</ref>

			==Further reading==
			* [https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-2/mswv2_09.htm ''On Practiced War''] (1938) by [[Mao Zedong]]. Available on the [[Marxists Internet Archive]]

	==See also==		==See also==

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			[[File:5añosposterpcp.png\|right\|thumb\|[[Shining Path\|Communist Party of Peru (Shining Path)]] propaganda poster celebrating 5 years of people's war in [[Peru]].]]
	'''Protracted people's war''' ('''PPW'''), also known simply as '''people's war''', is a military strategy developed by [[Mao Zedong]], chairman of the [[Communist Party of China]]. Its initial implementation in [[China]] in the early-to-mid 20th century saw the mobilization of the [[peasantry]] to encircle the cities from the countryside in a protracted [[Guerilla warfare\|guerilla]] struggle. It has been applied by various [[Maoism\|Maoist]] parties outside of China, notably the [[Shining Path\|Communist Party of Peru (Shining Path)]].		'''Protracted people's war''' ('''PPW'''), also known simply as '''people's war''', is a military strategy developed by [[Mao Zedong]], chairman of the [[Communist Party of China]]. Its initial implementation in [[China]] in the early-to-mid 20th century saw the mobilization of the [[peasantry]] to encircle the cities from the countryside in a protracted [[Guerilla warfare\|guerilla]] struggle. It has been applied by various [[Maoism\|Maoist]] parties outside of China, notably the [[Shining Path\|Communist Party of Peru (Shining Path)]].

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	==Internal debate==		==Internal debate==
	Maoists debate the universality and applicability of protracted people's war. Supporters of the line of the [[Communist Party of the Philippines]] are generally opposed to its universality and view it as restricted in scope to agrarian and semi-[[feudal]] conditions. However, [[Gonzalo Thought\|"Gonzaloists"]] and other followers of the PCP-SL believe it is universally applicable. [[Chairman Gonzalo]] himself held this position.<ref>[https://redlibrary.info/works/pcp/interview-with-chairman-gonzalo.html ''Interview with Chairman Gonzalo''] (1988). Available on Red Library.<blockquote>"People’s War is universally applicable, in accordance with the character of the revolution and adapted to the specific conditions of each country."</blockquote></ref>		Maoists debate the universality and applicability of protracted people's war. Supporters of the line of the [[Communist Party of the Philippines]] are generally opposed to its universality and view it as restricted in scope to agrarian and semi-[[feudal]] conditions. However, [[Gonzalo Thought\|"Gonzaloists"]] and other followers of the PCP-SL believe it is universally applicable. [[Chairman Gonzalo]] himself held this position.<ref>[https://redlibrary.info/works/pcp/interview-with-chairman-gonzalo.html ''Interview with Chairman Gonzalo''] (1988). Available on Red Library.<blockquote>"People’s War is universally applicable, in accordance with the character of the revolution and adapted to the specific conditions of each country."</blockquote></ref>

			==Criticism==
			People's war has been critiqued as [[Adventurism\|adventurist]] and [[Terrorism\|terroristic]]. Others support its implementation in 20th century China but are skeptical of its potential outside of the country. [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania\|Albanian]] leader [[Enver Hoxha]], in his criticism of Mao, attacked people's war as a theory which "absolutizes" the role of the peasantry and undermines the [[Proletariat\|proletariat's]] role as the vanguard. He was also critical of the thesis that the peasants should encircle the cities from the countryside.<ref>Enver Hoxha (1978). [https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/hoxha/works/imp_rev/imp_ch6.htm ''Imperialism and the Revolution'', Part II. Ch. III, "Mao Tsetung Thought — An Anti-Marxist Theory"]. Available on the Marxists Internet Archive.</ref>

	==See also==		==See also==

Wisconcom: Created article.

2026-08-07T18:13:43Z

Created article.

New page

'''Protracted people's war''' ('''PPW'''), also known simply as '''people's war''', is a military strategy developed by [[Mao Zedong]], chairman of the [[Communist Party of China]]. Its initial implementation in [[China]] in the early-to-mid 20th century saw the mobilization of the [[peasantry]] to encircle the cities from the countryside in a protracted [[Guerilla warfare|guerilla]] struggle. It has been applied by various [[Maoism|Maoist]] parties outside of China, notably the [[Shining Path|Communist Party of Peru (Shining Path)]].

==Theory==
People's war contains three stages: the strategic defensive, stalemate, and offensive.
#'''Strategic defensive:''' the revolutionary forces are weaker than the bourgeois forces
#'''Strategic stalemate:''' the revolutionary forces are comparable in strength to the bourgeois forces
#'''Strategic offensive:''' the revolutionary forces are stronger than the bourgeois forces

==Internal debate==
Maoists debate the universality and applicability of protracted people's war. Supporters of the line of the [[Communist Party of the Philippines]] are generally opposed to its universality and view it as restricted in scope to agrarian and semi-[[feudal]] conditions. However, [[Gonzalo Thought|"Gonzaloists"]] and other followers of the PCP-SL believe it is universally applicable. [[Chairman Gonzalo]] himself held this position.<ref>[https://redlibrary.info/works/pcp/interview-with-chairman-gonzalo.html ''Interview with Chairman Gonzalo''] (1988). Available on Red Library.<blockquote>"People’s War is universally applicable, in accordance with the character of the revolution and adapted to the specific conditions of each country."</blockquote></ref>

==See also==
* [[Chinese Revolution]]
* [[Guerilla warfare]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Maoism]][[Category:Military theory]]