The Cambridge History of the People’s Republic of China, Volume One

The Cambridge History of China is one of several Cambridge history series. Each volume is edited by scholars specializing in the corresponding period of Chinese history, and each chapter is written by an expert in its subject, including scholars of Chinese history from around the world. To a certain extent, the series represents the state and direction of Western research on Chinese history, and it has had a significant influence in international academia. This translation, like the previous volumes, aims to remain faithful to the original. Readers are invited to assess the authors’ views and their selection and use of sources for themselves. This book is the first of the final two volumes of The Cambridge History of China, Volume 14. It describes the achievements and setbacks of the People’s Republic of China from 1949 to 1965 as it sought to address the challenges facing the country. Part One chiefly documents the new regime’s attempt to apply the Soviet model of development to China. Part Two outlines the efforts of Chinese leaders in the years that followed to find a national model of development that could resolve China’s problems more quickly and effectively. Both parts examine key issues and developments in five areas: politics, the economy, education, the Party and intellectuals, and foreign relations. The contributors are foreign experts who study this period. They show how these areas were interconnected and reveal how their relationship helped prepare the way for the Cultural Revolution of 1966.