How did Mao Zedong and Zhu De develop guerrilla warfare tactics?

Mao Zedong and Zhu De were instrumental in elevating guerrilla warfare from a minor tactical supplement to a primary strategic concept for revolutionary armies. Their approach was rooted in the necessity of operating as a highly mobile, flexible, and self-sufficient force within the countryside, where they secured the support of the rural population through discipline and responsiveness.1

Rather than engaging in costly pitched battles with massed troops, their strategy focused on the following principles:

• Attrition and Piecemeal Destruction: They prioritized destroying enemy forces incrementally through attrition rather than direct confrontation.1
• Rural Focus: They concluded that the revolution would be driven by rural peasants rather than an urban proletariat, making control of the countryside more vital than holding large cities.12
• Mobility: By maintaining a highly mobile force, they could effectively harass conventional military units, utilizing surprise and deception to apply political and military pressure.12

This perfection of large-scale guerrilla tactics allowed the Red Army to survive against superior Nationalist forces and eventually achieve victory during the Chinese Civil War.1