Since the establishment of the Red Army in 1927, China's
military has responded to profound changes in Chinese society,
particularly its domestic politics, shifting economy, and evolving
threat perceptions. Recently tensions between China and Taiwan and
other east Asian nations have aroused great interest in the
extraordinary transformation and new capabilities of the Chinese
army. In A History of the Modern Chinese Army, Xiaobing Li, a
former member of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), provides a
comprehensive examination of the PLA from the Cold War to the
beginning of the twenty-first century that highlights the
military's central function in modern Chinese society. In the
1940s, the Chinese army was in its infancy, and many soldiers were
rural conscripts and volunteers who had received little formal
schooling. The Chinese military rapidly increased its mobility and
weapon strength, and the Korean War and Cold War offered intense
combat experience that not only allowed soldiers to hone their
fighting techniques but also helped China to develop military
tactics tailored to the surrounding countries whose armies posed
the most immediate threats. Yet even in the 1970s, the completion
of a middle school education (nine years) was considered
above-average, and only 4 percent of the 224 top Chinese generals
had any college credit hours. However, in 1995 the high command
began to institute massive reforms to transform the PLA from a
labor-intensive force into a technology-intensive army. Continually
seeking more urban conscripts and emphasizing higher education, the
PLA Reserve Officer Training and Selection program recruited
students from across the nation. These reservists would become
commissioned officers upon graduation, and they majored in atomic
physics, computer science, and electrical engineering. Grounding
the text in previously unreleased official Chinese government and
military records as well as the personal testimonies of more than
two hundred PLA soldiers, Li charts the development of China's
armed forces against the backdrop of Chinese society, cultural
traditions, political history, and recent technological
advancements. A History of the Modern Chinese Army links China's
military modernization to the country's growing international and
economic power and provides a unique perspective on China's
esttablishment and maintenance of one of the world's most advanced
military forces.
General
Imprint: |
The University Press of Kentucky
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
August 2009 |
First published: |
July 2009 |
Authors: |
Xiao-Bing Li
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 30mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Unsewn / adhesive bound
|
Pages: |
432 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8131-9240-6 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
Warfare & defence >
General
|
LSN: |
0-8131-9240-4 |
Barcode: |
9780813192406 |
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