“It is important to emphasize that guerrilla warfare is a war of the masses, a war of the people. The guerrilla band is an armed nucleus, the fighting vanguard of the people. It draws its great force from the mass of the people themselves.”
- June 14, 1928 – October 9, 1967
- Born in Argentina
- Revolutionary, doctor, writer, politician
- He led the Cuban Revolution to success and is known as an international symbol of anti-imperialistism.
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Quote
“It is important to emphasize that guerrilla warfare is a war of the masses, a war of the people. The guerrilla band is an armed nucleus, the fighting vanguard of the people. It draws its great force from the mass of the people themselves.”
Explanation
In this quote, Che Guevara highlights the essential relationship between guerrilla warfare and the masses—the ordinary people whose support and active participation are crucial for the success of a revolutionary movement. Guevara argues that guerrilla warfare is not just the work of a small group of armed fighters, but rather the vanguard of a much larger social and political struggle. The guerrilla band, while it may be an armed nucleus, gains its strength from the support and involvement of the masses. This support can come in the form of logistical aid, intelligence, and moral backing. For Guevara, the guerrilla fighter is not an isolated hero, but a representative of the people’s larger revolutionary will, tasked with leading them towards victory against oppressive forces.
Guevara’s experience in Cuba showed him that the success of guerrilla warfare depends not only on military tactics, but on the ability to mobilize popular support. During the Cuban Revolution, the mountain-based guerrilla units led by Fidel Castro, and later Guevara himself, were able to thrive because they maintained close ties with rural communities, organizing the masses into active participants in the revolution. This concept of “war of the people” was central to Guevara’s belief that revolutions must have deep grassroots involvement, and that any movement seeking to overthrow a government or oppressive system must first build broad-based support among the people who will ultimately sustain it. This is in contrast to an elitist or top-down model of revolution, where a small group of leaders try to dictate change without the support of the wider population.
In modern terms, this quote speaks to the continued importance of popular mobilization in revolutionary movements, whether those movements are fighting for political reform, economic justice, or social rights. Guerrilla tactics are not confined to military operations but can be adapted to nonviolent struggles, where the masses are still the key to success. Whether in the context of labor strikes, civil rights movements, or environmental activism, the principle remains that genuine power comes from the people themselves, and that any effective movement must tap into the collective strength of ordinary citizens. Guevara’s words are a reminder that revolutionary change is ultimately a people’s struggle, and that militant action must be supported and sustained by the widespread participation of those seeking a better, more just society.
