The Juche Idea (Series 8)

We have dealt with the Juche philosophical world outlook on and the Juche view of social history, the major component part of the Juche philosophy.

In this series, we will study the Juche outlook on the revolution, another important component of the Juche philosophy.

If a philosophy is to fulfil its mission to show the basic way of shaping man's destiny, it should clarify the outlook on the revolution as well as the philosophical world outlook and the view of social history.

As is known, the supreme matter of concern for man is the matter of destiny that is shaped through the revolution. This means that the question of man's destiny is precisely the question of revolution and that the revolution is indeed the supreme matter of concern for man.

Since man's destiny is shaped through the revolution, a philosophy should not confine itself to clarifying the philosophical world outlook and socio-historical view but go further to clarify the outlook on the revolution. Only then, can a philosophy fulfil its mission to show the way of shaping man's destiny.

The Juche philosophy defines the outlook on the revolution as its independent component and gives a new and overall solution to it. By so doing, the Juche philosophy could have a perfect component system and contents as a new revolutionary philosophy that contributes to the revolution and become a powerful ideological and theoretical instrument for shaping people's destiny.

What is, then, the Juche outlook on the revolution and what are its contents?

The Juche outlook on the revolution is, in nutshell, the Juche-oriented concept and attitude of the masters of revolution towards the revolution. In other words, it is the people-centred viewpoint on and attitude towards the revolution and the revolutionary spirit of serving the people.

The major contents of the Juche outlook on the revolution are the Juche-oriented viewpoint of revolution, the basic stand and principle in the revolution and the viewpoint on and attitude towards the motive force of revolution.

The viewpoint on and attitudes towards the motive force of revolution have the revolutionary outlook of the leader, the outlook on organization, the outlook on the masses and the outlook on morality as its major contents.

For our convenience, we will study them in two parts, Outlook on Revolution (1) and (2).

Juche Outlook on Revolution (1) deals with the Juche-oriented viewpoint of the revolution, namely, what is the revolution, why does it occur, what are the fundamental factors of the victory of revolution and the fundamental stand and principle of the revolution.

Juche Outlook on Revolution (2) deals with the viewpoint on and attitude towards the motive force of revolution.

1. The Fundamental Principle of Revolution

Some readers may have doubt of why the fundamental principle of revolution is dealt with first in the Juche outlook on the revolution.

Concerning this, it is necessary to make clear the position of the fundamental principle of revolution in the Juche outlook on the revolution.

In general, the outlook on the revolution shows the principle and methodology of revolution. There are, however, lots of principles and methodologies clarified by the outlook on the revolution.

The basic principle that conditions other principles of the revolution is called the fundamental principle of revolution. The fundamental principle of revolution, therefore, decides other principles and methodologies of revolution. Therefore, the fundamental principle of revolution serves as the basic and starting principle in evolving and systematizing the contents of the Juche outlook on the revolution.

Herein lies the reason why the fundamental principle of revolution is dealt with first in the outlook on the revolution.

What is, then, the fundamental principle, the basis of the Juche outlook on the revolution?

The great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung said.

"The Juche idea propounded the basic principle of revolution that the masses are masters and the motive force of the revolution and construction and, on this basis, rendered it possible to evolve new revolutionary theories required by our time."

The fundamental principle of revolution clarified by the Juche philosophy is that the masses of the people are masters of the revolution and construction and they are also the motive forces of the revolution and construction.

The fundamental principle of revolution has two contents.

- One of the essential contents of the fundamental principle of revolution is that the masses of the people are masters of the revolution and construction.

What does this mean?

First, this means that the revolution and construction are for the people themselves.

The major goal of making the revolution and construction is to lead an independent life free from all sorts of subjugation and fetters.

In the exploiter society, the masses of the people, being deprived of their dignity, have been the target of maltreatment, humiliation, exploitation and oppression by the exploiter class.

In slave-hold society, the working masses had been treated not as humans but like animals by slave-holders.

In feudal society, they had lived poor life through generations, being bind to land and the caste system.

What is their status in capitalist society, the last exploiter system?

As is clear, in capitalist society, money controls everything.

What is different between the status of the have-nots in capitalist society and the status of slaves in slave-hold society and that of the peasants in feudal society?

Powerless and moneyless people are always miserable in capitalist society.

The revolution aims at overthrowing the exploiter class society which tramples down upon human dignity and forces maltreatment, humiliation, exploitation, oppression and ignorance; It also aims at building the people's society where the working masses become masters of the state power and the means of production.

The revolution is also to liquidate the old that subordinates the people's independence in all spheres of ideology, technique and culture after the establishment of the society where the people are masters and to accomplish the cause of human emancipation. The revolution is doubtlessly for the masses of the people.

Secondly, this means that the revolution and construction should be carried out by the people themselves.

Since the revolution and construction are for the people, they are directly responsible for them. Nobody can substitute the people in the revolution and construction.

In history, there have been some people who had persuaded the masses of the people to entrust their destiny upon God and some who had prayed the exploiter class for "goodness". There also have been some people who had expected the appearance of such heroes as legendary "heroes" in Greek mythology to save their destiny. However, reality tells that either God or "heroes" can never save the people and that expecting "goodness" from the exploiter class is a wild dream.

As a matter of fact, no one was and could be responsible for the destiny of the people. Only through their struggle, can the people lead an independent life as masters of their destiny free from subjugation.

As is studied above, the principle that the people are masters of the revolution and construction means that the revolution and construction are for the people and by the people.

- Another essential content of the fundamental principle of revolution is that the people are also the motive forces of revolution and construction.

This means that the revolution and construction advance victoriously by the decisive role of the people.

That the people are masters of the revolution and construction is the clarification of the position of the people in the revolution and construction and that they are the motive forces of revolution and construction is the clarification of their role.

・ The people are powerful beings who have inexhaustible creative strength and revolutionary ability to carry out the revolution and construction.

Enormous social wealth created in the whole process of development of human society have all been created by their creative wisdom and strength. Who had created the cultures of Ancient Egypt, India, Ancient Greece and Rome that had left clear traces in human history of culture? All those great culture are permeated with the blood and sweats of the working masses. The people's creative wisdom and strength are indeed the source of the development of modern science and technology and modern civilization.

It is the people who have played decisive role not only in the struggle to harness nature but in the revolutionary struggle to transform society.

History knows the revolution that overthrew slave-holder society, the bourgeois revolution that replaced feudal society, the socialist revolution that liquidated the exploitation and oppression of the capital and the revolution that aims to fully realize the independence of man after removing the remnants of old societies. All of these revolutions took place with a large participation of the popular masses that played decisive role in them, no matter on what scale they were conducted and what result they brought about.

For instance, the bourgeois revolution brought about the replacement of the feudal society, because the broad masses rose in the bloody struggle against the feudal oppression and caste subjugation, under the banner of "freedom" and "equality".

・ The more the people's strength is fostered and given full play, the more victorious the revolution and construction will be.

The people become the beings with inexhaustible strength, only when they are ideologically and mentally awakened and united. When the simple and plain people are awakened in revolutionary way and united organizationally, they display really powerful strength. It is, therefore, possible to successfully advance the revolution and construction even in difficult conditions when the people are ideologically awakened and organizationally mobilized.

The principle that the people are the driving forces of the revolution and construction clarifies that they are the most powerful beings and that the strength of the people is the key to the solution of all problems arising in the revolution and construction.

- The two aspects of the essential contents of the fundamental principles of revolution, namely, the people's position and role in the revolutionary struggle are closely interrelated.

The position of the people as masters of the revolution and construction defines their role. As they are masters of the revolution and construction, they play decisive role in advancing them.

The people's role in the revolution and construction ensures their position as masters. When the people play the role as masters in the revolution and construction, they can defend and enhance their position.

The fundamental principle of the revolution clarified by the Juche philosophy gives the people conviction that the revolution and construction are the just cause for themselves and advanced by their inexhaustible power, thus making the people have awareness and responsibility as masters to propel the revolution and construction.

The Juche philosophy gives a new and overall understanding of the revolution on basis of the principle that the people are masters and the motive forces of the revolution and construction.

2. The Essence of the Revolution

Now, we study what the revolution is.

The great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung said.

"The destiny of the people in society is hewed out in the process of the revolution. The revolution is essentially an organized struggle for defending and realizing the independence of the masses. It transforms and changes the old social relations and social system and enhances the social positive and role of the popular masses."

The question of what is revolution is the question of what is the difference between the revolution and other forms of social movement.

- The revolution is a struggle to defend and realize the people's independence.

Whether a social movement is revolution or not is decided by its fundamental purpose.

History knows many examples that the imperialists rallied the anti-government forces in the newly emerging independent countries which follow the road of independence and made coup d'etat to overthrow the democratic government in the sacred name of "revolution". Democracy was oppressed, national economy destroyed, national consciousness of independence faded away and the people suffer from political non-right, poverty and ignorance in all those countries in which puppet governments were set up.

It is a mockery to put the hat of "revolution" on military terrorism which infringed upon the people's independence.

In exploiter society, there take place coups and reforms that do not bring about fundamental change in social system, but the social phenomena of any form which are irrelevant with the realization of the people's independence has nothing to do with the revolution.

The revolution is the struggle to defend and realize the people's independence. In other words, the revolution is the social movement whose fundamental purpose is to defend and realize the people's independence.

If the people are to defend and realize their independence, they should remove the obstacles in realizing their independence and create the factors favorable for it. The factors which go against independence are the old, whereas the factors which ensures it are the new. If the old is removed and the new is created, the people's independence is defended and realized. In this context, the revolution is the work to remove the old and create the new.

When the old that subordinates the people's independence is removed and the new that ensures the people's independence is created through the revolution, the people's social position and role are enhanced. In this context, the revolution is a social change that enhances the social position and role of the people.

- The revolution is also an organized struggle of the people.

The first aspect of the essence of revolution above mentioned is the formulation of the essence of revolution in the context of purpose of social movement. Namely, the revolution is the struggle to defend and realize the people's independence.

The Juche philosophy formulated the standard of judging whether or not a social movement is the revolution not only in terms of purpose but also in terms of the mode of struggle. In other words, it gave an answer to the question that a social movement, whose purpose is to defend and realize the people's independence, can become the revolution when it is combined with what kind of mode of struggle.

The long history of humanity is the concatenation of the people’s struggle for independence which has recorded many of forms of modes of struggle such as individual terrorism against oppressors who trampled upon down the independence, unorganized struggle, etc. Such modes of struggle, however, could not escape from setbacks, failing to advance the struggle to defend and realize the people's independence.

For instance, in the morning of October 26, 1909, An Jung Gun, a Korean patriot who advocated the will of the Korean nation against the colonial rule of the Japanese imperialists, assassinated in Harbin, China, Duke Ito Hirobumi, Chairman of Japanese Privy Council, the ringleader of Korean invasion, who went there to meet V. N. Kokovtsev, Russian Treasurer, who was sent to Siberia by Tzar Government.

This was an important event which gathered the world's attention in the early 20th century when the continents of the world had been divided into colonies and semi-colonies by a few imperialist powers and when the people had been suffering under the barbarous colonial rule of the imperialists.

An Jung Gun's assassination of Ito Hirobumi was successful but his desire, the independence of Korea, was not realized. Embarrassed by this event, Japan increased army, police and other oppressive instruments instead of giving up her colonial rule over Korea and enforced barbarous military rule over the Korean people, turning the whole Korea into barless prison and living hell.

So were the results of other social movements which took place spontaneously, though assuming mass character.

Having reviewed the people's struggle for independence, the Juche philosophy clarified that the social movement with the purpose of defending the people's independence can be successful when it is combined with the organized struggle of the people and that such social movement can be genuine revolution which shapes the destiny of the people.

Organized struggle of the people means the struggle which takes place under the unified leadership of the organization around which the broad working masses are united.

Since the revolution is the organized struggle of the people, its success depends on the vitality and militancy of the organization. In other words, the revolution led by the organization with the ability of defending the interests of the people can be a thorough-going and genuine revolution.

Such revolution is the organized struggle of the masses of the people who are led by working-class party.

Examples are the Socialist October Revolution in Russia, the revolution for national liberation against colonialism, people's democratic revolution and the socialist revolution in Korea.

Only the working-class party which is able to defend the people's interests can set the revolutionary purpose of overthrowing the old social system and liberating the working masses from all sorts of subjugation. And such a party can unite the masses and lead them to build a new society as masters.

So far, we’ve studied that the revolution is, in essence, the organized struggle of the people for independence and that it is different from other social movements.

This is, however, not enough to have full understanding of the essence of the revolution.

The Juche philosophy newly clarified the main contents of the revolution, thus giving profound understanding of the essence of the revolution.

The main contents of the revolution are decided by the people's organized struggle to remove the factors that hinder the people's independence and create the factors that ensure their independence.

The great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung said.

"It is claimed by some people that revolution means merely overthrowing the old social system and establishing a new one, but we do not share their opinion. Replacing the old with the new in the fields of ideology, technology and culture is also a revolution."

- One of the main contents of the revolution is to set up a new social system after overthrowing the old one.

Everybody lives and acts in a certain social system and is influenced by the system. Everybody exercises his rights and fulfils his obligations within the framework permitted by the social system he belongs to.

In other words, the people's position and role in a society are decided by the social system.

For instance, in exploiter social system the idling exploiter class lords it over, but in socialist social system the people who create everything necessary for social life become masters.

As the social system is the main factor that defines the people's social position and role, it is imperative to overthrow the old social system and set up a new one in order to enhance their social position and role.

- Another main content of the revolution is to replace the old with the new in the field of ideology, technology and culture.

It is imperative to replace the old social system with the new one for the independence of the people but its replacement cannot completely realize their independence. In socialist society where the people's social and political independence is realized, the ideological, technical and cultural backwardness are the main factors that hinder the people's independence. Although a new social system ensures the people the position as masters of society, they can not fulfil the responsibility and role as masters if they are ideologically, culturally and technically backward, with the result that they cannot realize their independence to the full.

When the people have the advanced ideology, culture and technology that masters of society must possess, they can take the position as master, fulfil the responsibility and role as such and completely realize their independence. Herein lies the reason why the replacement of the old with the new in the fields of ideology, technology and culture becomes one of the main contents of the revolution.

The revolution of replacing the social system and the three revolutions which are the main contents of the revolution are common in that they are the organized struggle for the people's independence but different to some extent.

First, there is difference in the contents of realizing the people's independence. The revolution of replacing the old social system with the new one is the struggle to realize social and political independence of the masses of the people, whereas the three revolutions are the struggle to realize their independence by liberating the people from the fetters of old ideology, culture and nature.

Secondly, there is difference in the target of struggle.

The target of revolution which replaces the social system is the reactionary exploiter class that is interested in keeping the old social system and stands in the way of social development. But the target of the three revolutions is the old ideology and backward culture and technology left over by the old exploiter society.

Thirdly, there is difference in the method of revolution.

The ways and means of violence are applied in the revolution to replace the social system. But the three revolutions are carried out by non-violent method. The three revolutions--ideological, technical and cultural--are carried out by the method of educating the people and removing the old and creating the new in the ideological, technical and cultural fields.

Fourthly, there is difference in their period.

The people's revolutionary struggle to replace the social system starts from the struggle to overthrow the old social system and ends with the victory of socialist revolution and the establishment of socialist system. But the three revolutions partially start when the people seize the power and begin to build a new society and are in full swing after the establishment of socialist system. The three revolutions that are to completely realize the independence of man are carried on through the whole period of building socialism and communism.

So far we’ve studied the Juche view of the essence of revolution.

What is, then, the originality of this view?

Marxism viewed the revolution as the social change which solves the contradiction between the productive forces and production relations through class struggle. According to Marxism, the solution of the contradiction between the productive forces and production relations is the fundamental purpose of revolution, and revolution wins victory when social system is replaced with the change of the old mode of production with the new one. Like this, Marxism understood only the replacement of social system as revolution.

The Marxist view of the essence of revolution has limitations. By observing the essence of revolution centring on the mode of production, it set the purpose of revolution as to solve the contradiction between the productive forces and production relations and develop the productive forces.

The purpose of doing the revolution, whose aim is to replace social system, is to free the people from social bondage, exploitation and oppression and realize their independence. Therefore, it is not correct to find the essence of revolution in social change which is to develop the productive forces by solving the contradiction between the productive forces and the production relations.

Another limitation is that it viewed the establishment of socialist system as the end of the revolution as it understood only the replacement of social system as revolution.

In case of viewing the revolution as only the replacement of the old social system with the new one, it cannot raise the question of continuing the revolution after the establishment of socialist system. If the revolution is not carried on after the establishment of socialist system, it is neither possible to consolidate and develop the already established socialist system, nor build socialism and communism but will result in the failure of socialism as in the former Soviet Union and east European countries.

The Juche-oriented view of revolution is an original understanding that overcame the limitations of the Marxist understanding of the revolution.

The Juche philosophy clarified that the revolution is, in essence, an organized struggle of the popular masses to defend and realize their independence. So, it overcame the limitation of the Marxist view that considered the essence of revolution with the main stress on the mode of production. In addition, it made it possible to understand the revolution by focussing on the masses who are its masters and enabled them to be aware of their interests in the revolution and turn out to the revolutionary struggle.

In the light of fully realizing the peoples' independence, the Juche philosophy elucidated that it is too the revolution to change the old with the new in the fields of ideology, technology and culture. It overcame the limitations of the Marxist view that regarded that the replacement of social system only is the revolution and that the revolution ends with the establishment of socialist system, thus indicating the correct way to fully realize the peoples' independence.

3. The cause of revolution

Having a correct understanding of the cause of revolution is of great significance in terms of both theory and practice.

As every thing and phenomenon has the cause of its birth, the revolution has its cause, too.

If we do not know the cause of revolution, we can neither say that we know well about the revolution nor carry out the revolution properly.

The Juche philosophy gives a new understanding of the cause of revolution by focussing on the popular masses.

Since the social movement is caused by man himself, the revolutionary movement which is a high form of social movement is inevitably caused by the masses of the people.

Then, let's see about this in detail.

- The breaking out of the revolution is attributable to the aspiration of the masses of the people for independence who won’t tolerate the infringement and restriction of independence.

The respected Comrade Kim Il Sung said.

"Where there are exploitation and oppression, there will always be revolutionary struggle on the part of the people."

So long as the independence is violated and restricted, the revolution breaks out inevitably.

Since the popular masses are social beings with the independence as their life and soul, they don't want to tolerate that their independence is trampled down and restricted. For this reason, so long as there exist exploitation, aggression, subjugation, outdated ideas and fetters of nature, the masses of the people wage the revolutionary struggle against them. Violation and restriction of the people’s independence and their aspiration for independence are indeed the main cause of the social movement, the revolution.

・ The revolution breaks out in the exploiter society because the independence of the popular masses is trampled upon down by the exploitation and oppression of the exploiting class.

Exploitation and oppression are the products of the exploiter system and also

the mode of existence of the exploiting class.

Exploitation and oppression of the exploiting class violate the independence of the popular masses in the exploiter society and give rise to the revolution to overthrow the old society.

・ The reason why the revolution continues to go ahead in socialist society lies in that the remnants of the exploiter society restrict the independence of the popular masses.

When the socialist revolution is carried out and the socialist system is established, the exploiting class is liquidated as class and the exploiter system is overthrown, but there still remain the old remnants of the exploiter society in the socialist society. Such remnants of the old society in socialist society restrict the independence of the masses of the people, and, for this reason, the masses of the people wage the revolutionary struggle to realize ultimately their independence.

It is inevitable that the revolutionary struggle of the masses to defend and realize the independence is waged, as long as their independence is violated and restricted.

- The direct cause of the revolution is a high degree of consciousness of independence and political preparation of the people.

Violation and restriction of independence give rise to the revolutionary struggle, but, for all that, the revolution never breaks out by itself at any time.

The revolution breaks out and emerges victorious only when the masses of the people have a high degree of consciousness to lead an independent life free from all kinds of subordination and fetters and when they have the revolutionary ability to realize their aspiration.

・ The revolution breaks out as the level of the consciousness of independence of the people, its masters, is raised.

That the people have a high degree of consciousness of independence means that they are awakened ideologically. If the popular masses fail to have the consciousness of independence and are not aware of their social and class position and their strength, they cannot turn out to the struggle purposefully and consciously.

Only when they have a high degree of consciousness of independence, can the people set the realization of their demand for independence and their interests as the aim of their action and rise in the struggle for independence. Whether or not the revolution breaks out depends, after all, on whether or not the masses of the people are armed with a high degree of consciousness of independence.

・ The revolution also breaks out and wins its victory only when the popular masses, its masters, are fully ready politically.

That the people are ready politically means that they are firmly united in an organized way with a high degree of political awareness.

Only when the popular masses acquire the ideological consciousness of independence to have a high degree of political awareness and are firmly united into an organized force, can the revolution break out and make a victorious advance.

The revolution is promoted by the united strength of the popular masses, its masters.

Why is it so?

The revolution is the showdown between the new and the old, the revolutionary forces and counter-revolutionary forces. Therefore, if the revolution to overthrow the old social system and establish a new one is to win a victory, the strength of the people must be fortified to defeat counter-revolutionary violence of the reactionary exploiting class. Only by the powerful revolutionary force of the people who are firmly united with one ideology, is it possible to knock down the counter-revolutionary forces that make desperate efforts to maintain the old social system and to establish a new one.

The revolution to change the old with the new in the fields of ideology, technology and culture is also successful when the people not only call for the revolution but be prepared politically and ideologically.

The reason why the revolution does not break out in the developed capitalist countries is that revolutionary ideas failed to penetrate into the popular masses, the level of their consciousness of independence is not high and the political forces, revolutionary forces are not ready to defeat the counter-revolutionary forces.

The understanding of the cause of revolution clarified by the Juche philosophy is original.

As a matter of fact, the question of the cause of revolution was argued as an important one and some clarification of this was made in the preceding revolutionary theories of the working class.

As is well known, the preceding revolutionary theories of the working class considered that the cause of revolution is the contradiction between the productive forces and the production relations. The Marxist understanding of the cause of revolution, without doubt, made a contribution to overcoming the wrong views of analyzing the cause of social movement idealistically and inspiring the working class and other popular masses to the struggle for overthrowing the capitalist system at that time.

It, however, has limitations.

When we look back the revolutionary practice of our time, we can know about this clearly.

If the cause of revolution is in the contradiction between the productive forces and the production relations, the revolution should have broken out in the developed capitalist countries ahead of other countries. But the revolution broke out and emerged victorious first in a less developed capitalist country and backward colonies and semi-colonies.

And the revolution should no longer take place in the socialist society where the contradiction between the productive forces and the production relations is cleared away due to the victory of the socialist revolution. History, however, witnessed the revolution which is uninterrupted even in the socialist society. In fact, socialism that gave up the revolution and stressed only the enhancement of productive forces, taking a dogmatic attitude towards the established theories, finished its existence today, but socialism which continued the revolution not only exits but wins victory after victory.

All facts show that only with the contradiction between the productive forces and the production relations, it is impossible to fully explain why the revolution breaks out.

The Juche philosophy, for the first time in history, clarified newly the cause of revolution by focussing on the popular masses.

It is none other than the people that develop the productive forces, improve the production relations and eliminate the contradiction between the both.

The cause of revolution, by all means, is in the masses of the people who carry it out.

For what reason did the socialist revolution break out and win its victory first in a backward capitalist country and colonies and semi-colonies, not in the capitalist countries where the productive forces were highly developed?

Historical realities show that the view of the cause of revolution on which the Juche philosophy threw a fresh light is most scientific and original, indeed.

4. Key to victory in the revolution

Does the revolution always register victory?

It is not so. History recorded such revolutions as the Paris Commune and the Spain revolution that failed. It also witnessed not only the triumphant Korean revolution which is making a vigorous advance towards communism, its ultimate target but the revolution which ended with failure in the course of its development like socialism in east European counties.

The great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung said.

"We must always seek the key to victory in the revolution and construction in the subject, not in the objective conditions, and seek the basic method and means of promoting the revolution and construction in strengthening the subject and enhancing its role."

The question of the key to victory in the revolution is the question of which is more decisive, the motive force of revolution or the objective conditions.

- The objective conditions influence the revolutionary movement.

・ One of the objective conditions is the state of the object of revolution.

In the revolution to change the social system, the state of the counter-revolutionary forces that have interests in maintaining the old social system becomes the objective conditions of revolution. The political and economic crisis and the weakening of the reactionary forces become favourable objective conditions which enable the revolution to break out and win its victory, but the strong force of the counter-revolutionary forces which is able to maintain the old exploiting system becomes unfavourable objective condition.

In the three revolutions of ideology, technology and culture too, the state of outdated ideology, culture and technology, the objects that should be eliminated in these revolutions constitutes the objective condition. The outdated idea of the working people, their cultural backwardness and low level of technological progress make more difficult the performance of the three revolutions.

・ One of the objective conditions is also the material and technical means.

Preparation of material and technical means and the development of productive forces to a certain degree are favourable objective conditions that enable to establish, maintain and consolidate a new social system. Only when the productive forces, material conditions are prepared to provide the masses of the people with the position and role as masters, is it possible to establish a progressive socialist system and display its advantages.

・ The social system, too, is an objective condition.

Since the social system is a solid system of social order that regulates the social position and role of the people, it has an important influence on the start and advance of the revolution by the popular masses. Reactionary and anti-popular social system is an objective condition unfavourable for the popular masses to give rise to the revolution and advance it triumphantly.

・ The international situation of the revolution, too, is an objective condition.

Active support of the international revolutionary forces to the revolution of a country is a condition favourable for breaking out the revolution and ensuring its victory. Either a trifling support of the international reactionaries to the counter-revolutionary forces or the international isolation of the latter are conditions unfavourable for the reactionary exploiting class, but favourable to the revolution.

・ In the revolutionary movement, there are other objective conditions such as natural and geographical environment, which exerts influence to a certain extent upon the victory of revolution.

Since the objective conditions have a great influence upon the revolutionary struggle, it is necessary to calculate the objective conditions correctly and make use of them in order to lead the revolution to victory. The objective conditions that influence upon the revolution, however, are not the key to victory in the revolution.

- The key to victory in the revolution lies in the motive force of the revolution.

Why? It is because victory or defeat of the revolution is totally depends on how the subject of revolution is prepared and acts, not on the objective conditions.

・ If the subject of revolution is not prepared, the revolution cannot escape from failure, however favourable the objective conditions may be.

Looking back history, in 1936 in Spain, the People's Front won its victory and the republic was established, but soon the revolution suffered a setback. One of the main causes of its failure was that the subject of revolution was not prepared well.

With the establishment of the republic and the backing of the state, the Spanish People's Front waged a revolutionary war against Franco counter-revolutionary forces that were in collusion with the imperialist allied forces while receiving assistance from the international revolutionary. At that time, the former Soviet Union supported the Spanish people with aid amounting to 417 million rouble and heavy weapons such as planes and tanks, and also sent military advisers and volunteers. International Coordinating Committee for Aid to Spain was formed in Paris, on August 1938. The committee collected and sent the fund of 300 million franc and a lot of food, clothes and medicines over two-year period. In addition, there held a conference of communist parties of 17 countries of Europe and international campaign to support the fighting Spanish people. The number of volunteers amounted to over 1 million including 35 thousand of volunteer soldiers from 54 countries.

However, the Spanish People's Front failed to check the counter-revolutionary advance of Franco fascist clique and lost the reins of government.

What is the reason? Treacherous conspiracy of the imperialist powers and, in particular, open armed intervention of fascist Germany and Italy played an important part.

But, considering that the international support and encouragement to the Spanish revolution were very active, the main cause that the Spanish People’s Front failed to defend the gains of revolution to the end was that a strong internal revolutionary forces had not been prepared.

The Spanish revolution ended in failure because its subject was not prepared well and it failed to make a good use of favourable objective conditions.

・ When the subject of revolution wages an active struggle, it can win victory in the revolution while changing unfavourable objective conditions into favourable ones.

As is well known in the history of national liberation struggle in colonies, the Korean revolution for national liberation was waged by means of guerrilla warfare with no state backing or assistance of regular army. However, under the leadership of the respected Comrade Kim Il Sung, the Korean people maintained firmly the Juche-oriented stand, strengthened the internal revolutionary force, fought fiercely to overcome unfavourable conditions and thus won victory at last.

Today, even under the unfavourable conditions that socialism was frustrated in several countries in the world and that it has to fight against the imperialist allied forces alone, the D.P.R.K. is firmly defending socialism because the subject of revolution have been well prepared.

- Since the key to victory in the revolution lies in the subject of revolution,

the basic way to win in the revolution also lies in strengthening the subject of revolution and enhancing its role.

Strengthening the subject of revolution means consolidating firmly the unity and cohesion of the leader, the party and the masses, the subject of revolution.

The might of subject lies just in the might of unity. How solid is the unity and cohesion of the leader, the party and the masses determines the might of subject.

To enhance the role of the subject of revolution means to actively encourage the revolutionary zeal and creative initiative of the popular masses to the struggle for the revolution and construction under the leadership of the party and the leader.

Strengthening of the subject of revolution is the premise for enhancing its role. To what extent the subject display its role in the revolution and construction depends on how strong power it has. The role of subject is enhanced in line with the strengthening of its power. However, the power of the subject is not enlisted to maximum and given fullest play in the revolution and construction, no matter how its might is strengthened. Therefore, the strengthening of the subject of revolution and the enhancement of its role should be pushed ahead in a uniform way so as to make a victorious advance in the revolution and construction.

When the subject of revolution is strengthened and its role is enhanced, one should not wait for favourable conditions to be created, but wage an energetic struggle to create and make more effective use of them with a view to carry out the revolution victoriously. At the same time, one should overcome difficulties and trials although objective condition is immatured and unfavourable, and struggle for the victory of revolution, converting the unfavourables into the favourables, misfortune into fortune.

It is the law of victory of the revolution that the revolution advances and achieves victory when the subject of revolution is strengthened and its role is enhanced.

5. The Fundamental Stand and Principle That Should Be Maintained in the Revolution and Construction

We’ve studied above that the basic factor deciding the victory of the revolution and construction is in the subject of revolution, not in objective condition.

What the subject of revolution should do in order to emerge victorious in the revolution?

On what stand and with what principle the subject of revolution should approach and solve the questions arising in the revolution and construction?

The revolutionary struggle of the popular masses to realize independence is a difficult and complicated struggle as it has to break through untrodden path. Various ways and methods can be applied in the revolutionary struggle. But there are the stands and principles that must be adhered to in the revolution and construction.

The independent and creative stands, and the principle of placing main stress on ideology are the fundamental stands and principle that the subject of revolution must maintain in the revolution and construction.

The independent stand is the stand that the subject of revolution should have in order to hold its position as master of the revolution and construction: the creative stand is the stand that the subject of revolution should have in order to fulfil its role as master of the revolution and construction: the principle of placing main stress on ideology is the principle that guarantees the two stands, i.e., the principle ensuring the position and role of the subject as master.

The above mentioned stands and principle are derived from the fact that the subject of revolution is a social being with independence, creativity and consciousness and that the social movement, revolutionary movement is an independent, creative and purposeful movement.

Now, let us study their contents in detail.

- The independent stand

The great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung said.

"An independent stand is a revolutionary stand to defend one’s right as the master of the revolution and construction and discharge one’s responsibility to the full.”

・ The independent stand is, first of all, the stand to exercise the rights as master of the revolution and construction.

This means that the masses of people deal with all problems of the revolution and construction in their interests according to their own judgement and decision.

For it is the stand to exercise the rights as master, it requires one to reject categorically any foreign pressure and interference.

Looking up to and following others without having one’s own view or acting according to the tune of others or failing to solve problems in conformity with one’s own interests and by one's own decision, being subjugated to others, are all contrary to the independent stand.

・ The independent stand is also the stand to fulfil the responsibility as master of the revolution and construction.

This means that the popular masses solve questions in the revolution and construction on their own efforts. It is, in essence, to maintain the principle of self-reliance.

Self-reliance is, in a nutshell, the spirit of living on one's own efforts.

Self-reliance is a firm revolutionary stand to carry out the revolution of one’s country by relying on internal force; and it is an independent stand to build the country with one’s own labour and wealth.

The master of the revolution and construction of each country is the party and the people of their own country. Therefore, it is quite evident that nobody can be responsible for and carry out other country's revolution.

The party and the people of each country should believe their own strength to break through all difficulties and ordeals in the revolution and construction, creating the new and finding out what is lack of.

As the independent stand is the stand to fulfil the responsibility as master of the revolution and construction, it strongly rejects the tendency of shielding one’s responsibility or of looking for others.

The independent stand requires to establish Juche in ideology and to maintain independence in politics, self-sufficiency in the economy and self-reliance in defence.

To establish Juche in ideology means having the consciousness that one is the master of the revolution and construction, thinking and doing everything with the revolution of one's own country at centre and having the viewpoint and attitude of solving all questions with one's own talents and strength.

Maintaining independence in politics means upholding national independence and sovereignty of one's people, defending their interests and conducting politics by relying on them.

To realize self-sufficiency in the economy means building an economy that is free from dependence on others and stands on its own feet, an economy which serves one's own country and develops by relying on the resources and efforts of one's country and people.

Implementing self-reliance in defence means defending one's country by one's own efforts.

- The creative stand

The great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung said.

"Maintaining a creative stand implies solving all problems of the revolution and construction in an original way in conformity with the prevailing conditions of one's country by mobilizing the creative power of the working people."

First of all, the creative stand is the stand to enlist the creative power of the popular mass actively in the revolution and construction.

The popular masses are the decisive force of the revolution and construction, so only when one depends on them, will one be able to solve all difficult questions successfully and push forward the revolution and construction.

The popular masses are masters of creation that transform nature and society and create history. They are the possessors of inexhaustible strength and wisdom. No one is more talented than the popular masses; and nothing is more powerful than the strength of the popular masses. It is only the popular masses who are able to transform nature and create material wealth; and it is none other than the popular masses who overthrow the old and reactionary social system and establish a new and progressive system and society.

Therefore, in order to transform nature and society and propel the advance movement of social history, one should always give full play to the masses' revolutionary enthusiasm and creative initiative of the popular masses, the master of creation.

The creative stand is indeed the stand to give full play to the revolutionary enthusiasm and creative initiative of the masses.

The stand to give an active stimulus to the creative power of the masses is the stand to believe the masses' inexhaustible strength and find the key to all problems in giving the fullest play to the masses’ revolutionary enthusiasm and creative talents. It is also the stand to reject strongly the technology-first idea which

stresses material and technical means only, neglecting the creative power of the masses, and conservatism and passivism which go against innovation and progress.

・The creative stand is the stand to solve all problems in original way in the revolution and construction in accordance with the specific reality of one's country.

The revolution advances with the country and nation as a unit. Each country has social and historical conditions and national characteristics which are different from each other.

Different are the aspiration and interests, the level of consciousness and organization of the popular masses, and the stage of development of history and revolution.

The reality of the revolutionary struggle does not remain unchanged but develops continuously. The motive force and the object of the revolutionary struggle change, so are the aspiration, demand and the degree of preparedness of the masses, the master and the performer of the revolution, and the specific condition of the revolution.

The creative stand requires one to make a deep analysis of the complicated and diversified reality and deal with everything proceeding from the conclusion therefrom.

Since the revolution and construction progress in ever changing specific reality, there can never be a fixed principle of action or method nor a ready-made prescription or a standard that can be copied mechanically.

It is also the stand to approach critically the existing theory and experience of other countries and introduce only valuable and useful things in conformity with one’s own condition.

Of course, others’ theory and experience can be helpful in the revolution construction. But they reflect the requirement of the then revolutionary development and the specific condition of a particular country. Therefore, it cannot be accepted to other circumstances and condition as they are.

The creative stand is contrary to dogmatism which does not consider one’s reality but implies or swallows mechanically others’ theory and experience.

- The principle to place the main stress on ideology

The great leader Comrade Kim Jong Il said.

"Grasping man's thinking as the main thing in the revolution and construction means solving all problems by attaching decisive importance to the ideological factor, and enhancing the role of ideological consciousness."

Both ideological and material factor functions in the revolutionary movement, out of which the ideological factor is basic.

Of course, the material factor, too, plays an important role in the revolutionary movement. The greater material means are, the more favourable the possibilities are for accelerating the transformation of nature, society and man. However, the existence of material condition itself does not give rise to and propel the revolutionary movement. The point is in the subject of revolution. We have studied it above.

The active role of the subject of revolution is determined by ideological consciousness.

Ideological consciousness determines and regulates all actions of man.

The person who has no ideological consciousness of independence thinks his position of life as a given destiny and lives passively without any purpose. But the person who has ideological consciousness of independence struggles actively and purposefully to change his social and economic status and material condition of life.

Therefore, the principle to place the main stress on ideology, i.e., the principle to attach decisive importance to ideological factor and solve everything by enhancing the role of ideological consciousness becomes the essential principle of the revolution and construction. It is the essential content of the principle to give priority to the ideological work, i.e., the political work which is aimed at remoulding ideology of people and giving rise to their enthusiasm and creativity.

The principle to place the main stress on ideology is fundamentally different from the stand and attitude which pay primary attention to material factor and create and mature ideological factor by depending on the former. At the same time, it has nothing in common with technocratic or administrative method of solving questions in the revolution and construction.