The Chinese Civil War

This second edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Chinese Civil War studies the longer, broader war and its chronology carefully tracks the major events. The introduction then provides a broad overview, describing the contending forces, and showing how the Communists come out on top. The details, and these are crucial, are laid out in over 200 cross-referenced dictionary entries dealing with the opposing forces and parties, the major campaigns and battles, the Long March, and of course the leadership on both sides. This book, one of few such in English, provides a very solid basis for study, but that can be accomplished more effectively by consulting the titles listed in an extensive bibliography.

"Though the book highlights the military aspects of the war, it also shows how these took place alongside profound changes in Chinese politics, society, and culture - changes that ultimately contributed as much to the character of today's China as did the major battles. By analyzing the war as an international and not simply a domestic conflict, the author explains why so much of the present legitimacy of the Beijing government derives from its successes during the late 1940s, and reveals how the antagonism between China and the United States, so important to current international affairs, was born."--BOOK JACKET.

A new social history of China's Civil War, 1945-9, which brought dramatic political and social revolution to China.

In this fully illustrated introduction, Dr Michael Lynch provides a concise overview of the Chinese Civil War, a defining conflict in world history. Between the end of World War II and the dawn of the Cold War, one of the most important conflicts in modern history reached its climax. In this illustrated history, bestselling historian Dr Michael Lynch examines how the long struggle between Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists and Mao Zedong's Communists exploded into an intense, brutal and ruthlessly fought civil war. Delving into the political background and complex ramifications of the conflict, he assesses Mao and Chiang's millions-strong armies, their strategies and commanders, and the critical campaigns that won and lost China. By 1949 the Nationalist government was defeated and in exile in Taiwan, and the new People's Republic of China was ready to emerge as a major Cold War power. Updated and revised for the new edition, with full-colour maps and new images throughout, this is a concise study of one of the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century and its significant repercussions, the issues around which remain unresolved today.

Essay from the year 2010 in the subject Orientalism / Sinology - Chinese / China, grade: "-", , language: English, abstract: "One of the best Chinese Civil War books of all time" - BookAuthority The Chinese civil war is one of the key events of 20th century. The victory of the Communists over the Nationalists determined the Chinese history over several generations and defined international relations in East Asia throughout the Cold War era and after. The civil war in China represents not only the clashes of armies, but also of nations and classes. As all civil wars it represents furthermore a traumatic and painful process within a people with atrocities on both sides and horrendous suffering of combatants and civilians. The civil strife between the Nationalists and Communists on mainland China had begun in the 1920s, coming to a head right after the end of World War II in 1945, when the Communists began the successful drive that won them final control over China in October 1949. From then on China was under the rule of Mao’s Communist Party with one exception: Taiwan. The island southeast of mainland China was ruled by Chiang Kai-shek. Since 1949 the world has dealt with two Chinese states: the People’s Republic of China or PRC in mainland China under the Communists and the Republic of China or ROC in Taiwan under the Nationalists.

Emphasizes the influence of the association of Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek, and Mao Tse-tung on the Chinese Civil War.

Many books have tried to analyze the reasons for the Chinese communist success in China's 1945-1949 civil war, but Suzanne Pepper's seminal work was the first and remains the only comprehensive analysis of how the ruling Nationalists lost that war--not just militarily, but by alienating the civilian population through corruption and incompetence. Now available in a new edition, this authoritative investigation of Kuomintang failure and communist success explores the new research and archival resources available for assessing this pivotal period in contemporary Chinese history.

Many books have tried to analyze the reasons for the Chinese communist success in China's 1945_1949 civil war, but Suzanne Pepper's seminal work was the first and remains the only comprehensive analysis of how the ruling Nationalists lost that war_not just militarily, but by alienating the civilian population through corruption and incompetence. Now available in a new edition, this authoritative investigation of Kuomintang failure and communist success explores the new research and archival resources available for assessing this pivotal period in contemporary Chinese history. Even more relevant today given the contemporary debates in Hong Kong and Taiwan over the terms of reunification with a communist-led national government in Beijing, this book is essential reading for anyone seeking a nuanced understanding of twentieth-century Chinese politics.