June Fourth: The Tiananmen Protests and Beijing Massacre of 1989

Description

The Tiananmen protests and Beijing massacre of 1989 were a major turning point in recent Chinese history. In this new analysis of 1989, Jeremy Brown tells the vivid stories of participants and victims, exploring the nationwide scope of the democracy movement and the brutal crackdown that crushed it. At each critical juncture in the spring of 1989, demonstrators and decision makers agonized over difficult choices and saw how events could have unfolded differently. The alternative paths that participants imagined confirm that bloodshed was neither inevitable nor necessary. Utilizing a wide range of previously untapped sources and examining how ordinary citizens throughout China experienced the crackdown after the massacre, this ambitious social history sheds fresh light on events that continue to reverberate in China to this day. Contents Figures Preface Chronology Abbreviations Part One. China’s 1980s 1 Happy 2 Angry 3 China’s 1980s: Alternative Paths Part Two. The Tiananmen Protests 4 The Tiananmen Protests as History 5 Demands and Responses 6 Backed into Corners 7 Workers and Citizens 8 Protests: Alternative Paths Part Three. Massacre 9 The Beijing Massacre as History 10 Authorized Force: Preparing to Clear the Square 11 Permission to Open Fire 12 Where Bullets Flew 13 Inside the Square 14 Victims 15 The Massacre Continues 16 Quiet Reckonings 17 Massacre: Alternative Paths Part Four. Nationwide 18 Han versus Non-Han 19 Outside In 20 Inside Out 21 Rage 22 Rural Actions and Reactions 23 Alternative Paths Nationwide Part Five. The Aftermath 24 The Purge as History 25 “ Rioters” 26 Don’ t Call It a Yundong 27 Going through the Motions 28 Falsehoods and Defiance 29 Aftermath: Alternative Paths 30 The Future of June Fourth Further Reading Index Series page