Why Fano Needs to Adapt Mao’s Strategy of Surrounding the Cities from the Countryside

Paulos Milkias, Ph.D.

There are many reasons that collectively shaped Mao’s approach to revolutionary success. He emphasized the importance of a strong, supportive rural base to eventually take control of urban centers. His strategy was crowned with victory not only in China but also later in Vietnam, Cuba, Algeria, Mozambique, and Angola, among others.

Mao’s strategy of surrounding the cities from the countryside was based on several key reasons:

1. Avoiding Urban Entanglements: Capturing cities first could lead to immediate urban entanglements and draw the revolutionary forces into protracted battles in unfamiliar territory.
2. Strength of Rural Base: Mao believed that the rural population is fundamentally the backbone of the revolutionary movement in the Third World. By focusing on the countryside, the Third World liberation forces could build strong support among peasants, who make up the majority of the Global South’s population.
3. To gain a guerrilla warfare advantage, remember that the countryside provides a more favorable environment for insurrectionary tactics. This approach allows smaller, mobile units to effectively challenge larger, less flexible urban forces.
4. Resource Accessibility: Rural areas are rich in resources that could be used to sustain the revolution, including food, manpower, and local support networks.
5. Gradual Isolation of Urban Centers: By surrounding cities and cutting off supplies, the revolutionary forces could weaken the urban strongholds without confrontation, leading to eventual capitulation.
6. Psychological Impact: A strategy of encirclement could demoralize urban defenders by demonstrating that they are isolated and surrounded, contributing to a loss of faith in their government.
7. Political Mobilization: Engaging with the peasantry allows for political education and mobilization, fostering loyalty and expanding the revolutionary base before attempting to capture cities.
8. Historical Precedent: Mao drew from historical examples of revolutions succeeding through rural mobilization, such as the Bolshevik Revolution, which also saw the countryside play a significant role.
9. Sustainability of Forces: A rural-based strategy allows for more sustainable military operations over time, as the forces could blend in with the local population and avoid confrontation until ready.
10. Long-term Vision: Mao’s strategy involved envisioning a protracted people’s war, the ultimate goal of which is not just to capture cities but to transform the entire society, which requires a broader base of support.

Paulos Milkias, Ph.D. Professor of Political Science, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada