Classes struggle, some classes triumph, others are eliminated. Such is history; such is the history of civilization for thousands of years.

The quote “Classes struggle, some classes triumph, others are eliminated. Such is history; such is the history of civilization for thousands of years.” comes from Mao Zedong, the Chinese revolutionary leader and founding father of the People’s Republic of China. In this statement, Mao emphasizes the central role of class struggle in shaping the course of history. His words reflect a Marxist interpretation of civilization, where social and economic conflicts between classes drive change and transformation across eras.

The meaning of the quote lies in its stark depiction of history as a battlefield of competing classes. According to Mao, the progress of civilization is inseparable from the conflict between the oppressed and the oppressors. Some classes rise to dominance while others are destroyed or absorbed, and this cycle repeats itself over thousands of years. In this view, class struggle is not an exception but the very engine of historical development.

The origin of this perspective is rooted in Marxist theory, particularly the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who described history as the story of class struggles between masters and slaves, lords and serfs, capitalists and workers. Mao adopted and extended this idea to fit the Chinese context, using it as a theoretical foundation for the Chinese Communist Revolution. For him, recognizing the inevitability of class struggle justified the overthrow of feudal and capitalist systems in favor of a socialist state.

Ultimately, Mao’s words reflect both an analysis of history and a call to action. By framing human civilization as a series of class conflicts, he positioned the revolutionary struggle of workers and peasants as the next step in that historical pattern. His quote embodies the conviction that true social transformation can only occur when oppressed classes rise up, ensuring that the cycle of history continues toward a new stage of civilization.