A Military History of China

Armed conflict has always played an important role in Chinese history. Most of China's imperial dynasties were established as a result of success in battle, and the same may be said of the Guomindang (KMT) and Communist regimes in the 20th century. This volume offers a basic introduction to the military history of China from the second millennium B.C.E. to the present, and is intended to be accessible to non-specialists. The book's sixteen chapters, organized along both thematic and chronological lines, deal with such topics as "Continuity and Change," "Military Writings," "Warlordism in Early Republican China," "The Sino-Japanese War," and "Recent Developments in Chinese Military." An Introduction to Chinese Military History focuses on recurring issues, problems, and patterns of conflict rather than traditional campaign narratives, and each chapter includes suggestions for further reading.