Guerrilla Warfare Themes

Guerrilla Warfare Themes

Guerilla as social reformer

One of the key themes that run through all of Che's work on guerilla warfare is the need for the guerilla fighter to be both a combatant and a social reformer. This idea is bound up with the realities of actual guerilla warfare as well as with Che's unique ideas about communist revolution. According to traditional Marxists-Leninist theory, communist revolution can only occur in societies that have developed a substantial market economy, enough to generate a large urban working class. This large urban working class will, because of certain necessities of history will eventually become so oppressed that they will instigate a revolution. Of course, underdeveloped societies like Cuba do not large working class populations so the revolution must be led by a vanguard of dedicated revolutionaries and guerilla warriors who will create the conditions for revolution. To this end, Che advocates training the peasantry...
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