Strategic planning, military system, military competition

Author: Zhou Longshu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Professor Zhou Longshu's book "Strategies of War · Military Systems · Military Contests" is an important outcome of his dedicated academic career. Most of the book consists of research papers, rich in content and filled with insightful observations, demonstrating a high academic level. The articles are logically structured, well-organized, and written in a fluent style. Although it is an academic work, it is highly readable. Since I have read some of the papers in the book before, the author asked me to write a preface for his collection of military essays. However, writing a formal preface is not an easy task. As an alternative, I will share some reflections on the book instead.
First, after reading this work, I believe the author has devoted significant effort to military theory and military history research. The book deeply explains the dialectical materialism and historical materialism of Marxist war theory, as well as the strategic and tactical principles derived from dialectical materialism. It also clarifies how Mao Zedong creatively applied and developed Marxist-Leninist military theory in China's revolutionary wars. Due to the author's strong theoretical foundation, his analyses of numerous battle cases (military contests) are comprehensive and insightful, offering a high-level perspective. His ability to dissect key and challenging issues with ease is evident. For example, "The Jiangxi Theater in the Northern Expedition War" received praise for this approach. The book's research on the history of Chinese military systems expands the historical scope of general history, revealing certain inherent patterns of dynastic change during China's long feudal development. After reading it, the three-dimensional feel of historical scenes becomes vivid. For instance, after finishing "An Analysis of Song Dynasty Military Policies," I was immediately transported to the tragic scene described by the Southern Song poet Zhu Dunru in his poem "Xiang Jian Huan":
"On the western tower of Jinling City, leaning against the clear autumn,
Ten thousand miles of sunset stretch to the ground, the Yangtze flows.
The Central Plains are in chaos, the gentry scatter, when will it end?
Let the mournful wind carry tears past Yangzhou."
The Song Dynasty maintained a large military force but failed to protect itself. What was the reason? At that time, Zhu Dunru could only weep, unaware when the chaos would end. Today, we can provide a scientific answer. I believe these insights will greatly benefit young and middle-aged readers in understanding Chinese history.
Second, I believe it is essential to have a comprehensive and clear understanding of the current world situation and international environment. People say this is a period of peace, and people live in harmony. This is one aspect of the situation. The other aspect is: "Although the overall world situation is trending toward ( is Chinese and should be translated), the world is still far from peaceful. The imbalance of international power is severe, and hegemonism and power politics persist and even develop in the fields of international politics, economy, and security. Military interventionism is on the rise, and negative factors and uncertainties affecting the security of the Asia-Pacific region cannot be ignored."… Therefore, the ancient adage "Be vigilant in times of peace and prepare for adversity" is worth remembering. In this context, publishing a book like "Strategies of War · Military Systems · Military Contests" is not redundant—it is precisely what the reality demands and fully aligns with the spirit of the National Defense Education Law of the People's Republic of China [2]. "National defense education is the foundation for building and consolidating national defense, an important way to enhance national cohesion and improve the quality of the entire population." The National Defense Education Law stipulates that schools at all levels should incorporate national defense education into relevant courses or establish dedicated national defense education courses, combining classroom teaching with activities in junior military academies or military training. It is worth noting that junior military academy activities are not widespread, and national defense education in schools is relatively weak. Among young people, the of neglecting the study and mastery of essential military knowledge and skills must be corrected. Since ancient times, heroes have emerged in youth, and "revering literature and valuing martial arts" is an excellent tradition of the Chinese nation.
Lastly, I would like to mention an issue raised by the author in the Preface: the value of ancient and modern military theories and combat methods in the face of today's highly advanced military technology. I agree with the author's ( is Chinese and should be translated). I believe that studying the war experiences and military theories, as well as strategic and tactical principles of predecessors, requires balancing inheritance and innovation. In this regard, Mao Zedong is the best role model. Mao Zedong loved reading and learning. In addition to studying Marxist-Leninist theoretical works, he placed great emphasis on and enjoyed researching the history of China and the world, drawing wisdom from the experiences and lessons of rulers and military strategists throughout history. He often regretted starting his study of The Art of War late; his humble learning stories during the Yan'an period—listening to Fan Wenlan lecture on Chinese history, taking notes while listening to He Siqing translate and explain Clausewitz's On War—have long been celebrated. However, the purpose of learning is application, and application must be practical. Solving the problems of the Chinese revolution required starting from China's actual conditions. Mao Zedong not only proposed but also practiced the revolutionary path of "encircling the enemy and attacking from all sides" to seize national power with armed struggle, which was a creative application and development of Marxist-Leninist principles.
This book is divided into three parts: Strategies of War, Military Systems, and Military Contests, and includes over ten related articles. They respectively explain and discuss the military theories, strategic thoughts, military principles, and operational strategies of the great Marxist military thinker Engels, Mao Zedong, and the outstanding ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu. The book focuses on elaborating and analyzing the origins, development, changes, characteristics, and lessons of the Chinese military system.