ABSTRACT
In a classic passage written in 1920, Lenin forecast the spirit and rationale of the military doctrine to be adopted by Communist leaders everywhere: To tie one's hand beforehand, openly to tell the enemy, who is at present better armed than we are, whether and when we shall fight him, is stupidity and not revolutionariness. Mao's father was a tyrant who ran his business with a firm hand, maltreating, humiliating, and punishing anyone who disobeyed him. His harshness did not spare even Mao, who came to resent his father and rebelled against him. As a result, Mao's childhood was highlighted by a long series of family conflicts. Simultaneously, he observed in microcosm and at first hand the plight of the Chinese peasant.
