没有一个人民的军队，便没有人民的一切。
——《论联合政府》（一九四五年四月二十四日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第一零七四页
Without a people's army the people have nothing.
― "On Coalition Government" (April 24, 1945), Selected Works, Vol. III, pp. 296-97.

这个军队之所以有力量，是因为所有参加这个军队的人，都具有自觉的纪律；他们不是为着少数人的或狭隘集团的私利，而是为着广大人民群众的利益，为着全民族的利益，而结合，而战斗的。紧紧地和中国人民站在一起，全心全意地为中国人民服务，就是这个军队的唯一的宗旨。
——《论联合政府》（一九四五年四月二十日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第一零三九页
This army is powerful because all its members have a conscious discipline; they have come together and they fight not for the private interests of a few individuals or a narrow clique, but for the interests of the broad masses and of the whole nation. The sole purpose of this army is to stand firmly with the Chinese people and to serve them whole-heartedly.
― Ibid., p. 264.*

中国红军是一个执行革命的政治任务的武装集团。特别是现在，红军决不是单纯地打仗的，它除了打仗消灭敌人军事力量之外，还要负担宣传群众、组织群众、武装群众、帮助群众建立革命政权以至于建立共产党的组织等项重大的任务。红军的打仗，不是单纯地为了打仗而打仗，而是为了宣传群众、组织群众、武装群众，并帮助群众建设革命政权才去打仗的，离了对群众的宣传、组织、武装和建设革命政权等项目标，就是失去了打仗的意义，也就是失去了红军存在的意义。
——《关于纠正党内的错误思想》（一九二九年十二月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第八八页
The Chinese Red Army is an armed body for carrying out the political tasks of the revolution. Especially at present, the Red Army should certainly not confine itself to fighting; besides fighting to destroy the enemy's military strength, it should shoulder such important tasks as doing propaganda among the masses, organizing the masses, arming them, helping them to establish revolutionary political power and setting up Party organizations. The Red Army fights not merely for the sake of fighting but in order to conduct propaganda among the masses, organize them, arm them, and help them to establish revolutionary political power. Without these objectives, fighting loses its meaning and the Red Army loses the reason for its existence.
― "On Correcting Mistaken Ideas in the Party" (December 1929), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 106.*

人民解放军永远是一个战斗队。就是在全国胜利以后，在国内没有消灭阶级和世界上存在着帝国主义制度的历史时期内，我们的军队还是一个战斗队。对于这一点不能有任何的误解和动摇。
——《在中国共产党第七届中央委员会第二次全体会议上的报告》（一九四九年三月五日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一四二七页
The People's Liberation Army is always a fighting force. Even after country-wide victory, our army will remain a fighting force during the historical period in which classes have not been abolished in our country and the imperialist system still exists in the world. On this point there should be no misunderstanding or wavering.
― "Report to the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China" (March 5, 1949), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 362.

我们有打仗的军队，又有劳动的军队。打仗的军队，我们有八路军新四军；这支军队也要当两支用，一方面打仗，一方面生产。我们有了这两支军队，我们的军队有了这两套本领，再加上做群众工作一项本领，那末，我们就可以克服困难，把日本帝国主义打垮。
——《组织起来》（一九四三年十一月二十九日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第九三一页
We have an army for fighting as well as an army for labour. For fighting we have the Eighth Route and New Fourth Armies but even they do a dual job, warfare and production. With these two kinds of armies, and with a fighting army skilled in these two tasks and in mass work, we can overcome our difficulties and defeat Japanese imperialism.
― "Get Organized!" (November 29, ), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 153.

我们的国防将获得巩固，不允许任何帝国主义者再来侵略我们的国土。在英勇的经过了考验的人民解放军的基础上，我们的人民武装力量必须保存和发展起来。我们将不但有一个强大的陆军，而且有一个强大的空军和一个强大的海军。
——《在中国人民政治协商会议第一届全体会议上的开幕词》（一九四九年九月二十一日），一九四九年九月二十二日《人民日报》
Our national defence will be consolidated and no imperialist will be allowed to invade our territory again. Our people's armed forces must be maintained and developed with the brave and steeled People's Liberation Army as their foundation. We will have not only a powerful army but also a powerful air force and a powerful navy.
― "Opening address at the First Plenary Session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference" (September 21, 1949).

我们的原则是党指挥枪，而决不容许枪指挥党。
——《战争和战略问题》（一九三八年十一月六日），《毛泽东选集》第二卷第五三五页
Our principle is that the Party commands the gun, and the gun must never be allowed to command the Party.
― "Problems of War and Strategy" (November 6, 1938), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 224.

我全军将士必须时刻牢记，我们是伟大的人民解放军，是伟大的中国共产党领导的队伍。只要我们时刻遵守党的指示，我们就一定胜利。
——《中国人民解放军宣言》（一九四七年十月），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一二三九页
All our officers and fighters must always bear in mind that we are the great People's Liberation Army, we are the troops led by the great Communist Party of China. Provided we constantly observe the directives of the Party, we are sure to win.
― "Manifesto of the Chinese People's Liberation Army" (October 1947), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 152.