“Great themes run through this book: local differentiation and societal integration, reform and revolution, innovation and renewal, conservatism and radicalism, tradition and modernity. All relate to the fascinating dialectic of Chinese history.” This comment by G. William Skinner aptly describes this pioneering volume in which twelve specialists in Chinese history discuss the great questions of history in the dramatic context of the “New China” of the early twentieth century. The work of young scholars from seven countries who have had access to Chinese, British, and French archives opened only in recent years, the book provides new findings that presage not only a reinterpretation of the Revolution of 1911 itself but also of the dynamic links between Imperial China and both the communist revolution of 1927-49 and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution of today. "An outstanding example of historians’ inquiries is this collection of essays by 12 authorities, brilliantly edited by Mary Wright of Yale. Brilliant because unlike most such cooperative endeavors, the studies in this volume focus on a single major topic, China in the years around the revolution of 1911. The papers vary in scope, from a general interpretation of the origins of the warlord armies, which were to dominate Chinese political life until the mid-twenties, to a fascinating reconstruction of events hour-by-hour during the first week of the revolution in the city where it began, Wuchang. . . . This important work is bound to have a great impact on our understanding of modern China, and will surely stimulate further research in the period."—New York Times Book Review "Will set a style for ten to twenty years hence by all scholars of the subject."—John K. Fairbank.

Analyzes the internal pressures and social crises that fostered the beginnings of the Chinese Revolution

First Published in 1990. Written at a new juncture in the study of the Chinese revolution. A new generation of scholarship is emerging which promises to resolve old debates, bridge old dichotomies, and join formerly separate strands of analysis. Several of the essays in this volume are based on papers presented at a workshop on Chinese Communist base areas held at Harvard University's Fairbank Center for East Asian Research. These papers chronicle the varied approaches to China's revolution.

This book, a study of revolution in China, considers movements of Western origin, such as Christianity or Communism, only as they appear in the Chinese context, treating them as integral factors in the Chinese revolutionary situation.

In 1949 Mao Zedong hoisted the red flag over Beijing's Forbidden City. Instead of liberating the country, the communists destroyed the old order and replaced it with a repressive system that would dominate every aspect of Chinese life. In an epic of revolution and violence which draws on newly opened party archives, interviews and memoirs, Frank Dik�tter interweaves the stories of millions of ordinary people with the brutal politics of Mao's court. A gripping account of how people from all walks of life were caught up in a tragedy that sent at least five million civilians to their deaths.

The Chinese Revolution is long in the making, an unfolding process that has spanned most of the twentieth century. This comprehensive and ready-reference guide will help students and interested readers to understand the process and the events that have contributed to the ongoing revolution in the most populous nation on earth. Seven essays provide information and analysis of the revolution from the first decades of this century through 1998. Ready-reference components include lengthy biographical sketches of the seventeen most important and influential leaders in twentieth-century Chinese history, and the text of nine primary documents provides direct access to their words, which shaped the Revolution. A timeline of significant events, a glossary of selected terms, and an annotated bibliography of suggested reading for students add value to the guide. The first essay puts the Chinese Revolution into the context of Chinese culture and practice, especially in light of Confucian teaching, and examines national and international events that contributed to the Revolution. Five essays examine specific aspects of the Chinese Revolution: the thought of Mao Zedong; the political philosophy of Deng Xiaoping; the multiethnic character of China; China's relations with the United States and the Soviet Union; and China's interest in Hong Kong and Taiwan. A concluding essay assesses the consequences of the Chinese Revolution. The essays, biographical sketches, primary documents, timeline, and annotated bibliography all contribute to this comprehensive yet accessible student's guide.