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Shu Guang Zhang

Mao's Military Romanticism: China and the Korean War, 1950-1953 (Modern War Studies (Hardcover)) Hardcover – November 28, 1995

by Shu Guang Zhang (Author)

6 ratings

This is the first English-language military history of what the People's Republic of China called the "War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea." Based upon a vast array of recently available Chinese sources, it provides a revealing new look at the far-reaching influence of Mao Zedong's political and military thought on China's conduct of the war.

As Shu Guang Zhang reminds us, many observers in 1950 thought it foolhardy for this young and underdeveloped communist nation to engage in yet another war. Coming so soon after its costly civil war with the Nationalists, the Korean crisis presented China with the uninviting prospect of fighting a technologically superior (and nuclear-armed) opponent on foreign terrain.

Mao, however, was convinced from more than a decade of fighting against the Japanese and the Nationalists that political gain and warfare were inseparable. ("Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun," he'd declared as early as 1927.) Zhang argues that war in Korea offered Mao yet another opportunity to expand and consolidate his political power at home, while at the same time uniting the Chinese proletariat against Yankee imperialism and proving to the international community that China had arrived as a major world power.

As Zhang shows, Mao's decision to go to war against the United States was guided by a devoutly romantic belief that human forces would always triumph over modern technology. Victory, according to Mao, did not necessarily go to those who had bigger and better guns. It was reserved instead for those who possessed an unwavering commitment to a superior cause.

Merging the martial thought of both Clausewitz and Sun-Tze with Marx's concept of class struggle, Mao galvanized China's military and citizenry at every level to fight a people's war against Yankee imperialism. Fueled by Mao's call to safeguard China and East Asia from American invasions, the Chinese showed how a relatively outgunned but inspired fighting force could deprive a technologically superior opponent of victory in a limited war. As Zhang concludes, subsequent conflicts in Vietnam and elsewhere have proven the value of that lesson.

Print length

352 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University Press of Kansas
Publication date

November 28, 1995
Dimensions

6 x 0.94 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0700607234
ISBN-13

978-0700607235
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"An important addition to the body of literature on the Korean War."--Journal of Military History

"[The book's] greatest strength is its detailed and comprehensive coverage of China's military activities which allows readers to draw their own conclusions."--H-Net Reviews

"This is the most comprehensive account of Chinese policy towards the Korean war to have appeared."--War in History

"This extraordinary study is a significant contribution to Korean War literature."--American Historical Review

"An important addition to the Korean War literature."--Choice

"Mao's Military Romanticism breaks both new conceptual and new empirical ground in analyzing China's decision to enter the war and its subsequent struggle to hold its own against the world's most powerful nation. This book should stand for some time as the standard comprehensive treatment of China in the Korean War."--William Stueck, author of The Korean War: An International History

"A splendid book with valuable observations about the contrasting ways in which Chinese and American forces fought. Zhang is an excellent storyteller, as well as a skilled interpreter of historical data."--Akira Iriye, author of Power and Culture: The Japanese-American War, 1941-1945

"This book provides the best account yet of how Mao fought his war with the Americans and their allies. It also offers provocative insights into Mao's thinking about strategy, tactics, and the human costs of warfare. Highly recommended."--John Lewis Gaddis, author of The Long Peace: Inquiries into the History of the Cold War

"Zhang's conceptual framework, 'military romanticism,' provides a new and useful angle for understanding Mao's decision-making. This is a great contribution to the history of the Korean War and to China studies."--Litai Xue, coauthor of Uncertain Partners: Stalin, Mao, and the Korean War

"Offers fresh insights on Communist China's role in the Korean conflict."--D. Clayton James, coauthor of Refighting the Last War: Command and Crisis in Korea

From the Back Cover

This is the first English-language military history of what the People's Republic of China called the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. Based upon a vast array of recently available Chinese sources, it provides a revealing new look at the far-reaching influence of Mao Zedong's political and military thought on China's conduct of the war. Zhang argues that war in Korea offered Mao yet another opportunity to expand and consolidate his political power at home while at the same time uniting the Chinese proletariat against Yankee imperialism and proving to the international community that China had arrived as a major world power. Fueled by Mao's call to safeguard China and East Asia from American invasions, the Chinese showed how a relatively outgunned but inspired fighting force could deprive a technologically superior opponent of victory in a limited war. As Zhang concludes, subsequent conflicts in Vietnam and elsewhere have proved the value of that lesson.

Publisher : University Press of Kansas; First Edition (November 28, 1995)
Language : English
Hardcover : 352 pages
ISBN-10 : 0700607234
ISBN-13 : 978-0700607235
Item Weight : 1.5 pounds
Dimensions : 6 x 0.94 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #713,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #132 in North Korean History
- #352 in Korean War History (Books)
- #1,565 in Chinese History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
6 ratings

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Eric

Poor printing quality

Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2020

Verified Purchase

The contents of the book are fine. But the copy I received has poor printing quality and the maps cannot be read clearly.

Helpful

Christian Potholm

The High Price of Romantic Military Notions"

Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2013

A very useful look at the way the Chinese made war during this period and the extent to which Mao's often muddled and romantic notions ("men can beat weapons") cost the Chinese 390,000 casualties, including 148,000 dead. His refusal to understand American air power, logistical requirements and the rudiments of Clausewitzian strategy cost the Chinese dearly, even though the Korean War effort did vaunt Chinese power and prestige globally. Points out that the Chinese commitment of troops lasted until 1958. Especially good on the Chinese Third, Fourth and Fifth Phase offenses and how they came to naught following the "nothing fails like success" dictum as Mao was convinced the U.S. was going to evacuate the peninsula. Ultimately, Mao would commit 20 infantry armies (60 divisions) as well as 10 artillery, 4 tank and 10 air force divisions to his failed effort. There is an excellent order of battle at the end of this work. An important analysis of the Chinese efforts throughout the war.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Insights into Mao's military thinking

Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2003

Along with Jian Chen 1994 book on what drew Communist China into the Korean conflict, Prof. Zhang's book provides valuable insights on how Mao and the PLA "volunteer" army conducts its warfare against the much better equipped U.S. military. Red China paid a very high price to defend the North Koreans, and Prof. Chen explores the root motivation for this "sacrifice." Prof. Zhang's book focuses on the how of the war, from the Chinese view point. Working with previously classified Chinese documents, the book details how Mao and his military commanders (led by Peng Te-huai, who was purged three years after the Armstice) differed on the strategies and tactics, with Mao coming across as an incompetent bureaucrat who placed zero value on the lives of his soldiers. While there are many mistakes in this book concerning the movements of the U.S. forces (likely because Prof. Zhang is quoting from Chinese military memos -- but it would have been nice if he caught them and corrected them), this book is a must-read for every American who has not forgotten the Forgotten War and the hundreds of thousands of U.S. casualties.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

PPP

The Korean War: The Forgotten Chinese Victory.

Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2014

China was outgunned and yet was able to stalemate the superpowers like britain and america. The chinese has no ships no tanks no planes and yet gave America hell. The chinese made the american invaders pay. The chinese were willing to sacrifice and willing to go the distance. Brave and courages Chinese fought well and are heroes.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

robert guertin

A Marine who was there

Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2000

Shu Guang Zhang provides an in depth perspective to the Chinese motivation for intervention in the Korean War, and a critical analysis of the strategy employed. Much can be learned of the battlefield strategy and political machinations of this most formitable foe, including the tactics of both the battlefield and the negotiation table.

6 people found this helpful

Helpful