Mao Tse Tung at the Wilderness Tavern
Abstract
This essay presents a fictitious conversation between Mao Tse-Tung, the Chinese peasant who would rise to become the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, and Carl von Clausewitz, the great Prussian military strategist. The conversation focuses on whether Mao was or was not a military genius. Clausewitz brings up what in his mind are the two most important characteristics of military genius: an outstanding temperament and an outstanding intellect. Mao reviews his life and military-political career with Clausewitz as they discuss whether Mao possesses the specific qualities of an outstanding temperament (i.e., boldness, determination, acceptance of responsibility, ambition, self-control, character, and pragmatism) and of an outstanding intellect (i.e., judgment, insight, presence of mind, vision, inquisitiveness, and sense of place). Since insight is an especially crucial aspect of intellect, the two discuss in detail its components: will of the people, relationship between strategy and tactics, blurring of the distinction between the political and the military, and the power of contradictions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 02, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA442526
Entities
People
- Jane A. Fitzgibbons
Organizations
- National War College