那时（指一九二四——一九二七年第一次国内革命战争时期——编者）军队设立了党代表和政治部，这种制度是中国历史上没有的，靠了这种制度使军队一新其面目。一九二七年以后的红军以至今日的八路军，是继承了这种制度而加以发展的。 
——《和英国记者贝特兰的谈话》（一九五七年十月二十五日），《毛泽东选集》第二卷第三工零页
The system of Party representatives and of political departments, adopted for the first time in China, entirely changed the complexion of these armed forces. [1] The Red Army, which was founded in 1927, and the Eighth Route Army of today have inherited this system and developed it.
― "Interview with the British Journalist James Bertram" (October 25, 1937), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 54.

在人民战争的基础上，在军队和人民团结一致、指挥员和战斗员团结一致以及瓦解敌军等项原则的基础上，人民解放军建立了自己的强有力的革命的政治工作，这是我们战胜敌人的重大因素。
——《目前形势和我们的任务》（一九四七年十二月二十五日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一二四八页
The People's Liberation Army has developed its vigorous revolutionary political work, which is an important factor in winning victory over the enemy, on the basis of a people's war and of the principles of unity between army and people, of unity between commanders and fighters and of disintegrating the enemy troops.
― "The Present Situation and Our Tasks" (December 25, 1947), Selected Military Writings, 2nd ed., p. 350.

这个军队形成了为人民战争所必需的一系列的政治工作，其任务是为团结我军，团结友军，团结人民，瓦解敌军和保证战斗胜利而斗争。
——《论联合政府》（一九四五年四月二十四日），（毛泽东选集》第三卷第一零四零页
This army has built up a system of political work which is essential for the people's war and is aimed at promoting unity in its own ranks, unity with the friendly armies and unity with the people, and at disintegrating the enemy forces and ensuring victory in battle.
― "On Coalition Government" (April 24, 1945), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 265.*

政治工作是一切经济工作的生命线。在社会经济制度发生根本变革的时期，尤其是这样。
——《严重的教训》一文的按语（一九五五年），《中国农村的社会主义高潮》上册第一二三页
Political work is the life-blood of all economic work. This is particularly true at a time when the social and economic system is undergoing fundamental change.
― Introductory note to "A Serious Lesson" (1955), The Socialist Upsurge in China's Countryside, Chinese ed., Vol. I.

红军所以艰难奋战而不溃散，“支部建在连上”是一个重要原因。
——《井冈山的斗争》（一九二八年十一月二十五日），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第六八页
"The Party branch is organized on a company basis"; this is an important reason why the Red Army has been able to carry on such arduous fighting without falling apart.
― "The Struggle in the Chingkang Mountains" (November 25, 1928), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 84.

八路军的政治工作的基本原则有三个，即：第一、官兵一致的原则，这就是在军队中肃清封建主义，废除打骂制度，建立自觉纪律，实行同甘共苦的生活，因此全军是团结一致的。第二、军民一致的原则，这就是秋毫无犯的民众纪律，宣传、组织和武装民众，减轻民众的经济负担，打击危害军民的汉奸卖国贼，因此军民团结一致，到处得到人民的欢迎。第三、瓦解敌军和宽待俘虏的原则。我们的胜利不但是依靠我军的作战，而且依靠敌军的瓦解。
——《和英国记者贝特兰的谈话》（一九三七年十月二十五日），《毛泽东选集》第二卷第三六九页
The political work of the Eighth Route Army is guided by three basic principles. First, the principle of unity between officers and men, which means eradicating feudal practices in the army, prohibiting beating and abuse, building up a conscious discipline, and sharing weal and woe - as a result of which the entire army is closely united. Second, the principle of unity between the army and the people, which means maintaining a discipline that forbids the slightest violation of the people's interests, conducting propaganda among the masses, organizing and arming them, lightening their economic burdens and suppressing the traitors and collaborators who do harm to the army and the people - as a result of which the army is closely united with the people and welcomed everywhere. Third, the principle of disintegrating the enemy troops and giving lenient treatment to prisoners of war. Our victory depends not only upon our military operations but also upon the disintegration of the enemy troops.
― "Interview with the British Journalist James Bertram" (October 25, 1937), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 53.*

我们的军队必须在军民关系上、军政关系上、军党关系上、官兵关系上、军事工作和政治工作关系上、干部相互关系上，遵守正确的原则，决不可犯军阀主义的毛病。官长必须爱护士兵，不能漠不关心，不能采取肉刑；军队必须爱护人民，不能损害人民利益；军队必须尊重政府，尊重党，不能闹独立性。
——《组织起来》（一九四三年十一月二十九日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第九三七页
Our troops must observe the correct principles that govern relations between the army and the people, between the army and the government, between the army and the Party, between officers and men, and between military work and political work, and relations among the cadres, and must never commit the errors of warlordism. Officers must cherish their men and must not be indifferent to their well-being or resort to corporal punishment; the army must cherish the people and never encroach upon their interests; the army must respect the government and the Party and never "assert independence".
― "Get Organized!" (November 29, 1943), Selected Works, Vol. III, pp. 158-59.

对敌军、伪军、反共军的俘虏，除为群众所痛恶、非杀不可而又经过上级批准的人以外，应一律采取释放的政策。其中被迫参加、多少带有革命性的分子，应大批地争取为我军服务，其他则一律释放；如其再来，则再捉再放；不加侮辱，不搜财物，不要自首，一律以诚恳和气的态度对待之。不论他们如何反动，均取这种政策。这对于孤立反动营垒，是非常有效的。
——《论政策》（一九四零年十二月二十五日），《毛泽东选集》第二卷第七六四——七六五页
Our policy towards prisoners captured from the Japanese, puppet or anti-Communist troops is to set them all free, except for those who have incurred the bitter hatred of the masses and must receive capital punishment and whose death sentence has been approved by the higher authorities. Among the prisoners, those who were coerced into joining the reactionary forces but who are more or less inclined towards the revolution should be won over in large numbers to work for our army. The rest should be released and, if they fight us and are captured again, should again be set free. We should not insult them, take away their personal effects or try to exact recantations from them, but without exception should treat them sincerely and kindly. This should be our policy, however reactionary they may be. It is a very effective way of isolating the camp of reaction.
― "On Policy" (December 25, 1940), Selected Works, Vol. II, pp. 446-47.*

武器是战争的重要的因素，但不是决定的因素，决定的因素是人不是物。力量对比不但是军力和经济力的对比，而且是人力和人心的对比。军力和经济力是要人去掌握的。
——《论持久战》（一九三八年五月），《毛泽东选集》第二卷第四五九页
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. Military and economic power is necessarily wielded by people.
― "On Protracted War" (May 1958), Selected Works, Vol. II, pp. 143-44.

原子弹是美国反动派用来吓人的一只纸老虎，看样子可怕，实际上并不可怕。当然，原子弹是一种大规模屠杀的武器，但是决定战争胜败的是人民，而不是一两件新式武器。
——《和美国记者安娜·路易斯·斯特朗的谈话》（一九四六年八月），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一一九二页
The atom bomb is a paper tiger which the U.S. reactionaries use to scare people. It looks terrible, but in fact it isn't. Of course, the atom bomb is a weapon of mass slaughter, but the outcome of a war is decided by the people, not by one or two new types of weapon.
― "Talk with the American Correspondent Anna Louise Strong" (August 1946), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 100.

军队的基础在士兵，没有进步的政治精神贯注于军队之中，没有进步的政治工作去执行这种贯注，就不能达到真正的官长和士兵的一致，就不能激发官兵最大限度的抗战热忱，一切技术和战术就不能得着最好的基础去发挥它们应有的效力。
——《论持久战》（一九三八年五月），《毛泽东选集》第二卷第五零零页
Soldiers are the foundation of an army; unless they are imbued with a progressive political spirit, and unless such a spirit is fostered through progressive political work, it will be impossible to achieve genuine unity between officers and men, impossible to arouse their enthusiasm for the War of Resistance to the full, and impossible to provide an excellent basis for the most effective use of all our technical equipment and tactics.
― "On Protracted War" (May 1938), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 185.*

单纯军事观点在红军一部分同志中非常发展。其表现如：
（一）认为军事政治二者是对立的，不承认军事只是完成政治任务的工具之一。甚至还有说“军事好，政治自然会好，军事不好，政治也不会好”的，则更进一步认为军事领导政治了。
……
——《关于纠正党内的错误思想》（一九二九年十二月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第八七——八八页
The purely military viewpoint is very highly developed among a number of comrades in the Red Army. It manifests itself as follows:
1. These comrades regard military affairs and politics as opposed to each other and refuse to recognize that military affairs are only one means of accomplishing political tasks. Some even say, "If you are good militarily, naturally you are good politically; if you are not good militarily, you cannot be any good politically" - this is to go a step further and give military affairs a leading position over politics....
― "On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party" (December 1929), Selected Works, Vol. I, pp. 105-06.

掌握思想教育，是团结全党进行伟大政治斗争的中心环节。如果这个任务不解决，党的一切政治任务是不能完成的。
——《论联合政府》（一九四五年四月二十四日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第一零九五页
Ideological education is the key link to be grasped in uniting the whole Party for great political struggles. Unless this is done, the Party cannot accomplish any of its political tasks.
― "On Coalition Government" (April 24, 1945), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 315.*

在知识分子和青年学生中间，最近一个时期，思想政治工作减弱了，出现了一些偏向。在一些人的眼中，好象什么政治，什么祖国的前途，人类的理想，都没有关心的必要。好象马克思主义行时了一阵，现在就不那么行时了。针对着这种情况，现在需要加强思想政治工作。不论是知识分子，还是青年学生，都应该努力学习。除了学习专业之外，在思想上要有所进步，政治上也要有所进步，这就需要学习马克思主义，学习时事政治。没有正确的政治观点，就等于没有灵魂。……思想政治工作，各个部门都要负责任。共产党应该管，青年团应该管，政府主管部门应该管，学校的校长教师更应该管。
——《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》（一九二八年十一月二十五日），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第六六页
Recently there has been a falling off in ideological and political work among students and intellectuals, and some unhealthy tendencies have appeared. Some people seem to think that there is no longer any need to concern oneself with politics or with the future of the motherland and the ideals of mankind. It seems as if Marxism was once all the rage but is currently not so much in fashion. To counter these tendencies, we must strengthen our ideological and political work. Both students and intellectuals should study hard. In addition to the study of their specialized subjects, they must make progress both ideologically and politically, which means that they should study Marxism, current events and politics. Not to have a correct political point of view is like having no soul.... All departments and organizations should shoulder their responsibilities in ideological and political work. This applies to the Communist Party, the Youth League, government departments in charge of this work, and especially to heads of educational institutions and teachers.
― "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People" (February 27, 1957); 1st pocket ed., pp. 43-44.*

经过政治教育，红军士兵都有了阶级觉悟，都有了分配土地、建立政权和武装工农等项常识，都知道是为了自己和工农阶级而作战。因此，他们能在艰苦的斗争中不出怨言。连、营、团都有了士兵会，代表士兵利益，并做政治工作和民众工作。
——《井冈山的斗争》（一九二八年十一月二十五日），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第六六页
After receiving political education, the Red Army soldiers have all become class-conscious and learned the essentials of distributing land, setting up political power, arming the workers and peasants, etc., and they all know they are fighting for themselves, for the working class and the peasantry. Hence they can endure the hardships of the bitter struggle without complaint. Each company, battalion or regiment has its soldiers' committee which represents the interests of the soldiers and carries on political and mass work.
― "The Struggle in the Chingkang Mountains" (November 25, 1928), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 81.*

由于诉苦（诉旧社会和反动派所给予劳动人民之苦）和三查（查阶级、查工作、查斗志）运动的正确进行，大大提高了全军指战员为解放被剥削的劳动大众，为全国的土地改革，为消灭人民公敌蒋介石匪帮而战的觉悟性；同时就大大加强了全体指战员在共产党领导之下的坚强的团结。在这个基础上，部队的纯洁性提高了，纪律整顿了，群众性的练兵运动开展了，完全有领导地有秩序地在部队中进行的政治、经济、军事三方面的民主发扬了。这样就使部队万众一心，大家想办法，大家出力量，不怕牺牲，克服物质条件的困难，群威群胆，英勇杀敌。这样的军队，将是无敌于天下的。
——《评西北大捷兼论解放军的新式整军运动》（一九四八年三月七日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一二九二页
The correct unfolding of the movement for pouring out grievances (the wrongs done to the labouring people by the old society and by the reactionaries) and the three check-ups (on class origin, performance of duty and will to fight) greatly heightened the political consciousness of commanders and fighters throughout the army in the fight for the emancipation of the exploited working masses, for nationwide land reform and for the destruction of the common enemy of the people, the Chiang Kai-shek bandit gang. It also greatly strengthened the firm unity of all commanders and fighters under the leadership of the Communist Party. On this basis, the army achieved greater purity in its ranks, strengthened discipline, unfolded a mass movement for training, and further developed its political, economic and military democracy in a completely well-led and orderly way. Thus the army has become united as one man, with everybody contributing his ideas and his strength, an army fearless of sacrifice and capable of overcoming material difficulties, which displays mass heroism and daring in destroying the enemy. Such an army will be invincible.
― "On the Great Victory in the Northwest and on the New Type of Ideological Education Movement in the Liberation Army" (March 7, 1948), Selected Military Writings, 2nd ed., pp. 358-59.

差不多一切人民解放军的部队，在最近几个月内，都利用了战争的空隙，实行了大规模的整训。这种整训，是完全有领导地和有秩序地采用民主方法进行的。由此，激发了广大的指挥员和战斗员群众的革命热情，明确地认识了战争的目的，清除了存在于军队中的若干不正确的思想上的倾向和不良现象，教育了干部和战士，极大地提高了战斗力。这种民主的群众性的新式的整军运动，今后必须继续进行。
——《在晋绥干部会议上的讲话》（一九四八年四月一日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一三一零——一三一一页
In the last few months almost all the People's Liberation Army has made use of the intervals between battles for large-scale training and consolidation. This has been carried out in a fully guided, orderly and democratic way. It has therefore aroused the revolutionary fervour of the great masses of commanders and fighters, enabled them clearly to comprehend the aim of the war, eliminated certain incorrect ideological tendencies and undesirable manifestations in the army, educated the cadres and fighters and greatly enhanced the combat effectiveness of the army. From now on, we must continue to carry on this new type of ideological education movement in the army, a movement which has a democratic and mass character.
― "Speech at a Conference of Cadres in the Shansi-Suiyuan Liberated Area" (April 1, 1948), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 234.

抗大的教育方针是：坚定正确的政治方向，艰苦朴素的工作作风，灵活机动的战略战术。这三者是造成一个抗日的革命的军人所不可缺的。抗大的职员、教员、学生，都是根据这三者去进行教育，从事学习的。
——《被敌人反对是好事而不是坏事》（一九三九年五月二十六日），人民出版社版第三页
The educational policy of the college [the Anti-Japanese Military and Political College] is to cultivate a firm and correct political orientation, an industrious and simple style of work, and flexible strategy and tactics. These are the three essentials in the making of an anti-Japanese revolutionary soldier. It is in accordance with these essentials that the staff teach and the students study.
― "To Be Attacked by the Enemy Is Not a Bad Thing but a Good Thing" (May 26, 1939), 1st pocket ed., p. 3.

我们民族历来有一种艰苦奋斗的作风，我们要把它发扬起来。……共产党历来提倡坚定正确的政治方向，……这种坚定正确的政治方向，是与艰苦奋斗的工作作风不能脱离的，没有坚定正确的政治方向，就不能激发艰苦奋斗的工作作风；没有艰苦奋斗的工作作风，也就不能执行坚定正确的政治方向。
——《在延安庆祝五一国际劳动节大会上的讲话》（一九三九年五月一日），一九三九年五月十日《新中华报》
Our nation has always had a traditional style of hard struggle, which we should develop.... What is more, the Communist Party has always advocated a firm and correct political orientation.... This orientation is inseparable from a style of hard struggle. Without a firm and correct political orientation, it is impossible to promote a style of hard struggle. Without the style of hard struggle, it is impossible to maintain a firm and correct political orientation.
― "Speech at the Yen'an Rally in Celebration of International Labour Day" (May 1, 1939).

团结、紧张、严肃、活泼。
——为“抗大”制定的校训
Be united, alert, earnest and lively.
― Motto for the Anti-Japanese Military and Political College.

世界上怕就怕“认真”二字，共产党就最讲“认真”。
——《在莫斯科会见我国留学生和实习生时的谈话》（一九五七年十一月十七日），《毛主席在苏联的言论》人民日报出版社版第一五页
What really counts in the world is conscientiousness, and the Communist Party is most particular about being conscientious.
― "Talk at a meeting with Chinese students and trainees in Moscow" (November 17, 1957).