A Military History of China

Description

Gaining an understanding of China's long and sometimes bloody history can help to shed light on China's ascent to global power. Many of China's imperial dynasties were established as the result of battle, from the chariot warfare of ancient times to the battles of the Guomindang (KMT) and Communist regimes of the twentieth century. China's ability to sustain complex warfare on a very large scale was not emulated in other parts of the world until the Industrial Age, despite the fact that the country is only now rising to economic dominance. In "A Military History of China," Updated Edition, David A. Graff and Robin Higham bring together leading scholars to offer a basic introduction to the military history of China from the first millennium B.C.E. to the present. Focusing on recurring patterns of conflict rather than traditional campaign narratives, this volume reaches farther back into China's military history than similar studies. It also offers insightful comparisons between Chinese and Western approaches to war. This edition brings the volume up to date, including discussions of the Chinese military's latest developments and the country's most recent foreign conflicts. Contents List of Maps Preface to the Updated Edition Chronology Editors’ Note 1. Introduction 2. Continuity and Change 3. State Making and State Breaking 4. The Northern Frontier 5. Water Forces and Naval Operations 6. Military Writings 7. The Qing Empire 8. The Taiping Rebellion: A Military Assessment of Revolution and Counterrevolution 9. Beyond the Marble Boat: The Transformation of the Chinese Military, 1850–1911 10. Warlordism in Early Republican China 11. The National Army from Whampoa to 1949 12. The Sino-Japanese Conflict, 1931–1945 13. “Political Power Grows out of the Barrel of a Gun”: Mao and the Red Army 14. Always Faithful: The PLA from 1949 to 1989 15. China’s Foreign Conflicts since 1949 16. Recent Developments in the Chinese Military Chinese Place Names About the Contributors Index