Chinese Revolution quotes
16 quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
"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."
"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."
"The people, and the people alone, are the motive force in the making of world history."
"Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy."
"Chairman Mao's greatest contribution was that he applied the principles of Marxism-Leninism to the concrete practice of the Chinese revolution, pointing the way to victory. It should be said that before the sixties or the late fifties many of his ideas brought us victories, and the fundamental principles he advanced were quite correct."
Explore further
Browse quotes that often appear alongside chinese revolution — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
Quote collection
Follow a thought to its author, or read the full quote page.
"War can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to take up the gun."
"Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed."
"If you want to know the theory and methods of revolution, you must take part in revolution."
"The arrow of Marxist-Leninism must be used to hit the target of the Chinese Revolution."
"I have witnessed the tremendous energy of the masses. On this foundation it is possible to accomplish any task whatsoever."
"We must always remember that the Chinese revolution was not a peasant's revolution, but one of the extreme Right."
"It is quite clear that the German and Chinese revolutions in case of victory would have changed the face of Europe and Asia, and perhaps of the whole world."
"How is Marxist-Leninist theory to be linked with the practice of the Chinese revolution? To use a common expression, it is by "shooting the arrow at the target". As the arrow is to the target, so is Marxism-Leninism to the Chinese revolution. Some comrades, however, are "shooting without a target", shooting at random, and such people are liable to harm the revolution."
"After the countrywide victory of the Chinese revolution and the solution of the land problem, two basic contradictions will still exist in China. The first is internal, that is, the contradiction between the working class and the bourgeoisie. The second is external, which is the contradiction between China and the imperialist countries. Consequently, after the victory of the people's democratic revolution, the state power of the people's republic under the leadership of the working class must not be weakened but must be strengthened."
"In 1925 - 27 the revolution in China was destroyed by the false revolutionary strategy of the Stalinist faction. To this last question I consecrate my book, Problems of the Chinese Revolution (issued by the Pioneer Publishers, New York 1932)."
