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The Third Chinese Revolutionary Civil War, 1945-49: An Analysis of Communist Strategy and Leadership. By Christopher R. Lew. New York: Routledge, 2009. ISBN 978-0-415-77730-8. Maps. Notes. Bibliography. Index. Pp. xv, 204. $160.00.
The overarching theme of this book is that the study of war is important. There is, the author states, "a disturbing pattern whereby historians marginalize the impact of human decision and war on the course of history" (p. 151). This work is his antidote for what he sees as the following of this pattern in studies of how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came to power in China. For Lew, "far from being a sideshow in a theatre of socioeconomic or political change," the Third Chinese Revolutionary Civil War "was the main event in China during the 20th century" (p. 134). Furthermore, he takes the position that a superior ability to wage war was the key determinant in deciding the outcome of the struggle between CCP revolutionaries and the national government controlled by the Nationalist Party (Guomindang/GMD). In his view, "Social, economic, and political factors played a role, but they pale in comparison with critical military decisions that took place at the high levels of command" (p. 140). "It was," he concludes, "the CCPs ability to formulate strategy, seize the initiative, and outthink the GMD that won them the war, not GMD corruption or socioeconomic conditions" (p. 134).
Lew builds his argument by developing three themes. First, the CCP victory was not predetermined. Second, the CCP...