Description
Book SynopsisCasts light on how the outcome of the battle has been interpreted to suit the needs of competing visions of China's past and future
Trade ReviewTanner, a professor at the University of North Texas, provides a well-organized and excellently researched work on one of the civil war's crucial battles at the city of Siping in 1946. This case study of decisive battles is important not only for students of Chinese society and history but also for general military history scholars.
* H-War *
Steeping himself in the extensive Chinese-language literature on the battle for Manchuria that has become available over the past quarter century, Tanner makes a notable and accessible contribution to understanding of the struggle for control of what both sides correctly viewed as perhaps the key region in the complicated chessboard of conflict. . . . This fine book belongs in both libraries and history classrooms.
* The China Quarterly *
In short, Tanner's book raises the military and political history of the crucial battles fought in Manchuria in 1946 to a new level. For understanding the military complexities of the civil war and the swings back and forth on and off the battlefield, it is strongly recommended.
* American Historical Review *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
A Note on Chinese Names
1. Siping, 1946: Decisive Battle or Lost Opportunity?
2. The Manchurian Chessboard, August-September 1945
3. The Communist Retreat, October-December 1945
4. George Marshall's Mission, December 1945-March 1946
5. The Second Battle of Siping: Phase One—From Outer Defense to Stalemate, March-April 1946
6. The Second Battle of Siping: Phase Two—From Defense to Retreat, April-May 1946
7. The Chase and the Cease-Fire, May-June 1946
8. Visions of the Past and Future
Bibliography
Index
