Mao Zedong, Lun Chi Jiu Zhan / On Protracted War, 1938

The present lot is a rare and important early edition of one of Mao’s most influential works of military and revolutionary theory. On Protracted War stands as a cornerstone of Chinese Communist military doctrine, outlining Mao Zedong’s strategic vision for a drawn-out war of resistance against the Japanese invasion. Delivered as a series of lectures in Yan’an in May–June 1938 and published later that year, On Protracted War refuted both the pessimistic “theory of national subjugation” and the overly optimistic “theory of quick victory.” Mao’s analysis emphasized the strategic inevitability of a prolonged conflict and outlined a phased approach—strategic defense, stalemate, and counteroffensive—which would become the guiding model for Communist resistance and, ultimately, the foundation of Maoist military thinking.