Revolutionary base area

Short description: Maoist military strategy

In Mao Zedong's original formulation of the military strategy of people's war, a revolutionary base area (Chinese: 革命根据地; pinyin: gémìng gēnjùdì), or simply base area, is a local stronghold that the revolutionary force conducting the people's war should attempt to establish, starting from a remote area with mountainous or forested terrain in which its enemy is weak.

Military

This kind of base helps the revolutionary conducting force to exploit the few advantages that a small revolutionary movement has—broad-based popular support, especially in a localized area, can be one of them—against a state power with a large and well-equipped army.^[1]^[2] To overcome a lack of supplies, revolutionaries in a base area may storm isolated outposts or other vulnerable supply caches controlled by the forces of an opponent.^[3]

Revolutionary base areas in China

Cultural policies

In 1940, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party issued its Instruction on Developing Cultural Movements, instructing that in "every large base area, a complete printing factory should be established. Existing printing factories should strive for improvement and expansion. The construction of a printing factory should be regarded as more important than building an army of ten thousand or even more. It's crucial to organize the distribution of newspapers, periodicals, and books, have specialized transport organizations and protective troops, and consider transporting cultural sustenance as important as transporting clothes and ammunition."^[4]^: 1

Feminist policies

In February 1943, the Communist Party issued its Decision of the Central Committee Concerning the Present Direction of Women's Work in Anti-Japanese Base Areas.^[5]^: 52 The Decision contended that efforts to mobilize women had been lacking in "mass perspective" and it was necessary to organize women in cooperative groups to effectively mobilize their labor power.^[5]^: 53 Establishing small cooperative weaving groups outside the home was a significant emphasis.^[5]^: 53

References

↑ Chakrabarti, Ashis (September 10, 2016). "Outside China, these places are where Maoism is alive and kicking". South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/2018040/outside-china-these-places-are-where-maoism-alive-and-kicking. "And, the Maoists' "base areas" and core support groups are mostly in forested outbacks where tribal people, the poorest of the poor in India, live away from the reach of the government and its laws."
↑ Goodman, David S. G. (2000). "Revolutionary Women and Women in the Revolution: The Chinese Communist Party and Women in the War of Resistance to Japan, 1937–1945". The China Quarterly 164 (164): 915–942. doi:10.1017/S0305741000019238. ISSN 0305-7410. https://www.jstor.org/stable/655920. "Wuxiang, Licheng and Liaoxian counties were at the heart of the Taihang Base Area both physically and organizationally. The high mountain area... was one of the most secure parts of any base area during the war... There were no Japanese or allied forces based here, and it was difficult for them to operate so far from their usual lines of communication and supply.".
↑ "The People's War" (in en). LIFE - Black Models Take Center Stage. 67. Time Inc.. October 17, 1969. pp. 58–80. https://books.google.com/books?id=JFAEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Revolutionary+base+area%22&pg=PA63. "With their base areas now solidly organized, the guerrillas can now carry war to the enemy... The rebels' most pressing need is for arms, ammunition, and equipment. These they may get from the enemy by lightning assaults on police stations or isolated military outposts."
↑ Li, Ying (2024). Red Ink: A History of Printing and Politics in China. Royal Collins Press. ISBN 9781487812737.
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 Kindler, Benjamin (2025). Writing to the Rhythm of Labor: Cultural Politics of the Chinese Revolution, 1942-1976. New York City, NY: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-21932-7.

External links

Mao Zedong: The Establishment of Base Areas
Communist Party of Peru: Line of construction of the three instruments of the revolution
Kishanji: To establish a liberated area
Museum of Revolutionary Base, Henan province
"New Light on CCP Base Areas". China Quarterly 140: 1000–1079. 1994. .

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[1] Chakrabarti, Ashis (September 10, 2016). "Outside China, these places are where Maoism is alive and kicking". South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/2018040/outside-china-these-places-are-where-maoism-alive-and-kicking. "And, the Maoists' "base areas" and core support groups are mostly in forested outbacks where tribal people, the poorest of the poor in India, live away from the reach of the government and its laws."

[2] Goodman, David S. G. (2000). "Revolutionary Women and Women in the Revolution: The Chinese Communist Party and Women in the War of Resistance to Japan, 1937–1945". The China Quarterly 164 (164): 915–942. doi:10.1017/S0305741000019238. ISSN 0305-7410. https://www.jstor.org/stable/655920. "Wuxiang, Licheng and Liaoxian counties were at the heart of the Taihang Base Area both physically and organizationally. The high mountain area... was one of the most secure parts of any base area during the war... There were no Japanese or allied forces based here, and it was difficult for them to operate so far from their usual lines of communication and supply.".

[3] "The People's War" (in en). LIFE - Black Models Take Center Stage. 67. Time Inc.. October 17, 1969. pp. 58–80. https://books.google.com/books?id=JFAEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Revolutionary+base+area%22&pg=PA63. "With their base areas now solidly organized, the guerrillas can now carry war to the enemy... The rebels' most pressing need is for arms, ammunition, and equipment. These they may get from the enemy by lightning assaults on police stations or isolated military outposts."

[4] Li, Ying (2024). Red Ink: A History of Printing and Politics in China. Royal Collins Press. ISBN 9781487812737.

[:Kindler2-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ^5.2 Kindler, Benjamin (2025). Writing to the Rhythm of Labor: Cultural Politics of the Chinese Revolution, 1942-1976. New York City, NY: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-21932-7.

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