The Chinese Red Army : a socio-political and institutional analysis

Includes bibliographical references.The anti-Japanese war ended in 1945. But only four years later the Chinese Communist Party took over the whole mainland China, and it is the Chinese Red Army that has been the most important factor in the success of the Communist movement. The purpose of this study is to find out the relationship between the Red Army and Chinese society. Questions will be asked, such as: How could the Communists have succeeded in such a short period of time? What was the role of the Red Army in Chinese society? What were the organizational characteristics of the Army in terms of its social origin social status, military profession, and ideology? What were the civil-military relations in Chinese society? In answering these questions, we will discover the influence of the Chinese military on society and the impact of society upon the Army. Many scholars have already examined the nature of the Chinese communist movement and the organization of the Red Army. However, the previous studies are primarily historical and political in nature. In the present thesis an effort will be made to examine the Chinese Red Army within a sociological framework.M.A. (Master of Arts