China s Civil War. in this web service Cambridge University Press.

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1 China s Civil War China s Civil War is the first book of its kind to offer a social history in English of the Civil War in that brought the Chinese Communist Party to power. Integrating history and memory, it surveys a period of intense upheaval and chaos to show how the Communist Party and its armies succeeded in overthrowing the Nationalist government to bring political and social revolution to China. Drawing from a collection of biographies, memoirs, illustrations and oral histories, gives a voice to those who experienced the war first-hand, exemplifying the direct effects of warfare the separations and divisions, the exiles and losses, and the social upheaval that resulted from the conflict. Lary explores the long-term impact on Chinese societies on the Mainland, Taiwan and Hong Kong, which have all diverged far from pre-war Chinese society. DIANA LARY is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

2 New Approaches to Asian History This dynamic new series publishes books on the milestones in Asian history, those that have come to define particular periods or to mark turning points in the political, cultural and social evolution of the region. The books in this series are intended as introductions for students to be used in the classroom. They are written by scholars whose credentials are well-established in their particular fields and who have, in many cases, taught the subject across a number of years. Books in the series 1 Judith M. Brown, Global South Asians: Introducing the Modern Diaspora 2, China s Republic 3 Peter A. Lorge, The Asian Military Revolution: From Gunpowder to the Bomb 4 Ian Talbot and Gurharpal Singh, The Partition of India 5 Stephen F. Dale, The Muslim Empires of the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals 6, The Chinese People at War: Human Suffering and Social Transformation, Sunil S. Amrith, Migration and Diaspora in Modern Asia 8 Thomas David DuBois, Religion and the Making of Modern East Asia 9 Susan L. Mann, Gender and Sexuality in Modern Chinese History 10 Tirthankar Roy, India in the World Economy: From Antiquity to the Present 11 Robin R. Wang, Yinyang: The Way of Heaven and Earth in Chinese Thought and Culture 12 Li Feng, Early China: A Social and Cultural History 13, China s Civil War: A Social History,

3 China s Civil War A Social History, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

4 University Printing House, Cambridge CB2 8BS, United Kingdom Cambridge University Press is part of the University of Cambridge. It furthers the University s mission by disseminating knowledge in the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. Information on this title: / This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2015 Printed in the United Kingdom by Clays, St Ives plc A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Lary, Diana. China s civil war : a social history, /, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. pages cm. (New approaches to Asian history) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN (hbk) ISBN (pbk) 1. China History Civil War, China History Civil War, Social aspects. 3. China Social conditions I. Title. DS L dc ISBN Hardback ISBN Paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

5 This book is dedicated to the many Chinese who believed in progress and change for the country they loved, but, after the Civil War, were denied the chance to contribute their talents. They were persecuted in China, or forced to leave or to stay away from the country.

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7 Contents List of figures List of tables List of maps Acknowledgements page viii ix x xi Introduction 1 1 The social background to the Civil War 22 2 Ending one war, beginning another: August 1945 June Turning points: July 1946 June All-out war: July 1947 June Nearing the end: July 1948 January The end game: February December Immediate outcomes: the early 1950s Social outcomes of the Civil War 217 Conclusion 239 Glossary 265 Index 276 vii

8 Figures 1 Comparative military strengths page 7 2 Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong 11 3 Comparative military strengths 1946, Column Zhou Zuoren 64 5 A traitor 72 6 Winter campaign 83 7 CCP propaganda 87 8 Wounded soldier, Feng Zikai 95 9 Jiang Qing, Comparative military strengths , Column a & b Destroyed tracks New PLA recruits Jovial PLA soldier The PLA enters Beiping Comparative military strengths 1949, Column CCP control, mid Pu Yi as emperor of Manzhouguo Happy young woman Officer sewing 233 viii

9 Tables 0.1 Selected regions of China page Prominent Chinese prosecuted for treachery Military materiel seized from the Japanese armies by the GMD Military materiel seized from the Japanese armies by the USSR Fabi to US dollar and wholesale price index at Shanghai, Rise in the wholesale price index and the cost of living at Shanghai, The rapidly increasing government deficit Changchun: population shifts PLA victories, January GMD troop losses, January Captured GMD generals Beiping currencies, late The colour red: symbolic uses Political campaigns in the early PRC 234 C.1 Ghosts and spirits in Chinese 252 C.2 Chinese identities 256 C.3 Traditional and simplified characters 258 ix

10 Maps 1 CCP-controlled and influenced areas, late 1945 page 40 2 Shandong Peninsula and Liaodong Peninsula 58 3 Manchuria CCP-controlled areas in Shandong, mid Manchuria Besieged Changchun HuaiHai Campaign Beiping and the Western Hills China, December x

11 Acknowledgements I have had the idea of this book in my mind for a long time, ever since I first realised what an enormous impact the Civil War had had on Chinese society. But the war was so complicated, and so full of contradictions, that it has taken me until the last stage of my career to feel able to write it. Over that long time many people have helped me with the writing, by telling me of their own experiences, and by helping me with the research for it. I have learnt most of all from my beloved teacher Jerome Ch en (Chen Zhirang ), whose own life was so influenced by the war. I will never be able to thank him enough for all the help he has given me. As a scholar and as someone who lived through the war his knowledge and insights have been invaluable to me. In Beijing in , several people whose lives were changed by the Civil War gave me my earliest understanding of the effects of the war: Cao Richang, Selma Vos Tsao, Peng Ping, Pi Ge, Tang Kai, Yang Xianyi, Gladys Yang. These people were devoted to the creation of the new China, and paid very high prices for their devotion. All of them were cruelly victimised in the Cultural Revolution. Over many years in Beijing and in Haadchao Samaran, Endymion Wilkinson has been a wonderful source of knowledge and the most perceptive and challenging person with whom to discuss ideas. In Beijing over the past three decades many people have helped me. Wang Bingsheng introduced me to chengyu, a field in which he is a master. Li Zongyi, who died much too young, and Qi Wenxin have given me deep insights. Yang Tianshi has been a constant help and advisor. In Hong Kong, Hai Chi-yuet, David Jones, C.C. Kwong, Kenzie Kwong, Willy Lam, Gianni Mok and Elizabeth Sinn have all given me help and helped me to an understanding of Hong Kong s experience during and after the Civil War. In Fujian, Li Minghuan and Wang Lianmao have helped me to understand the impact of the Civil War on Overseas Chinese. xi

12 xii Acknowledgements In Vancouver, Alison Bailey, Phoebe Chow, Chu Shao-kang, Peter Eng, Colin Green, Jing Zhichun, Judy Lam Maxwell, Jing Liu, Joanne Poon, Shaun Wang, Alexander Woodside, Wu Yang, Dominic Yang, Helen Yu, Henry Yu, John Yu and Eleanor Yuen have all helped me in different, invaluable ways. In Cambridge, Marigold Acland and Lucy Rhymer, at Cambridge University Press, have been the most astute and helpful of editors. I give all these people my deepest thanks. My thanks go too to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, whose financial support made this project possible.