People's History of Ideas Podcast

How the Chinese revolution came to the Jinggangshan, and how the revolution and counter-revolution developed up until Mao’s arrival in October 1927.Further reading:Stephen Averill, Revolution in the Highlands: China’s Jinggangshan Base AreaSome names from this episode:Long Chaoqing, important early Communist in Jinggangshan areaXiao Guohua, Communist women’s movement activist in NanchangYuan Wencai, bandit leader who joined with Mao ZedongWang Zuo, bandit leader who joined with Mao ZedongZhu De, leading Communist military figureYin Daoyi, conservative elite in GuanbeiOuyang Luo, Yongxin Communist cadreHe Yi, Yongxin Communist cadreHe Zizhen, the “Two-gunned Girl General”Wang Xinya, Communist military officerLiu Zuoshu, Yongxin Communist cadreHe Minxue, Yongxin Communist cadreSupport the show

The stories of Wang Zuo and Yuan Wencai before they joined up with Mao Zedong.Further reading:Stephen Averill, Revolution in the Highlands: China’s Jinggangshan Base AreaSome names from this episode:Wang Zuo, Bandit leader who joined with Mao ZedongYuan Wencai, Bandit leader who joined with Mao ZedongZhu Kongyang, Warlord army officer turned banditXie Guannan, Patriarch of the local tyrant Xie family in the area around MaopingSupport the show

A closer look at the phenomenon of banditry in the Jinggang Mountains, because of the importance that banditry and other forms of collective violence had on how the revolutionary movement developed.Further reading:Stephen Averill, Revolution in the Highlands: China’s Jinggangshan Base AreaNames from this episode:Qu Qiubai, Named head of new provisional politburo at August 7, 1927 Emergency ConferenceZhu Kongyang, Warlord army officer turned banditSupport the show

With particular emphasis on the geographical divisions between valleys and mountainsides, and ethnic divisions between Han and Hakka.Further reading:Stephen Averill, Revolution in the Highlands: China’s Jinggangshan Base AreaStuart Schram, ed., Mao’s Road to Power, vol. 3: From the Jinggangshan to the Establishment of the Jiangxi Soviets, July 1927-December 1930Name from this episode:Zhu Beide, Governor of Jiangxi provinceSupport the show

As Mao’s troops arrive in the Jinggangshan region, a revolutionary reorganization of the people’s army is begun. Also, a tangent on Mao’s leadership style and nuclear war with a jump 30 years into the future.Further reading:Pang Xianzhi and Jin Chongji, Mao Zedong: A Biography, vol. 1: 1893-1949Stephen Averill, Revolution in the Highlands: China’s Jinggangshan Base AreaMao Zedong, “Speech at a Meeting of the Representatives of 64 Communist and Workers’ Parties”Some names from this episode:Lu Deming, Leader of the Lu Deming RegimentHe Long, One of the Communist leaders of the Nanchang UprisingYuan Wencai, Communist ‘social bandit’ leaderChen Muping, Yuan Wencai’s secretary and graduate of the peasant training instituteSupport the show

The first days of Mao Zedong’s long career of armed struggle.Further reading:Marcia Ristaino, China’s Art of Revolution: The Mobilization of Discontent, 1927 and 1928Roy Hofheinz, “The Autumn Harvest Insurrection”Pang Xianzhi and Jin Chongji, Mao Zedong: A Biography, vol. 1: 1893-1949C. Martin Wilbur, The Nationalist Revolution in China, 1923-1928Elizabeth Perry, Anyuan: Mining China’s Revolutionary TraditionSome names from this episode:Lu Deming, Leader of the Lu Deming RegimentZhang Fakui, Guomindang general close to Wang JingweiQu Qiubai, Named head of new provisional politburo at August 7, 1927 Emergency ConferenceZhang Guotao, Leading Communist Support the show

Mao doesn’t budge on his military line in the face of pressure from the Party Center, and then gets arrested.Further reading:Marcia Ristaino, China’s Art of Revolution: The Mobilization of Discontent, 1927 and 1928Tony Saich, The Rise to Power of the Chinese Communist PartyRoy Hofheinz, “The Autumn Harvest Insurrection”Pang Xianzhi and Jin Chongji, Mao Zedong: A Biography, vol. 1: 1893-1949Stuart Schram, ed., Mao’s Road to Power, vol. 3: From the Jinggangshan to the Establishment of the Jiangxi Soviets, July 1927-December 1930Elizabeth Perry, Anyuan: Mining China’s Revolutionary TraditionC. Martin Wilbur, The Nationalist Revolution in China, 1923-1928Edgar Snow, Red Star Over ChinaSome names from this episode:Qu Qiubai, Named head of new provisional politburo at August 7, 1927 Emergency ConferenceBesso Lominadze, New Comintern head in China starting in July 1927Peng Gongda, Leading Communist in HunanYang Kaihui, Mao’s wifeTang Shengzhi, Leader of Guomindang Left military forcesMao Anlong, Mao’s youngest sonMao Anqing, Mao’s three-year-old sonMao Anying, Mao’s four-year-old sonSupport the show

The planning and execution of the Autumn Harvest Uprising in southern Hubei province.Further reading:Marcia Ristaino, China’s Art of Revolution: The Mobilization of Discontent, 1927 and 1928Tony Saich, The Rise to Power of the Chinese Communist PartyRoy Hofheinz, “The Autumn Harvest Insurrection”Timothy Cheek’s Introduction to Pang Xianzhi and Jin Chongji, eds., Mao Zedong : A Biography, vol. 1Some names from this episode:Feng Yuxiang, Christian warlord“Scarlet Rays” Huang, Member of South Hubei special committeeLiu Pu-I, Leader of “People’s Self-Defense Army”Hsieh I-huan, Member of South Hubei special committeeFu Hsiang-i, Member of South Hubei special committeeSupport the show

Background on Qu Qiubai before he became Communist leader in 1927.Further reading:Tsi-an Hsia, The Gate of Darkness: Studies on the Leftist Literary MovementJonathan Spence, The Gate of Heavenly Peace: The Chinese and Their RevolutionPaul Pickowicz, Marxist Literary Thought in China: The Influence of Ch'u Ch'iu-paiSteve Smith, A Road Is Made: Communism in Shanghai, 1920-1927Some names from this episode:Qu Qiubai, Named head of new provisional politburo at August 7, 1927 Emergency ConferenceWang Shouhua, President of the General Labor UnionLi Dazhao, Co-founder of the Chinese Communist PartyMikhail Borodin, Comintern agent and head of Soviet mission to aid the GuomindangBesso Lominadze, New Comintern head in China starting in July 1927Support the show

Mao takes a critical position on the military line pursued by the Comintern and the Politburo. Also, the issue of scapegoating individuals as a way of dealing with repudiated party policies.Further reading:Marcia Ristaino, China’s Art of Revolution: The Mobilization of Discontent, 1927 and 1928C. Martin Wilbur, The Nationalist Revolution in China, 1923-1928Tony Saich, The Rise to Power of the Chinese Communist PartyStuart Schram, ed., Mao’s Road to Power, vol. 3: From the Jinggangshan to the Establishment of the Jiangxi Soviets, July 1927-December 1930Zhou Enlai, Selected Works of Zhou Enlai, vol. 1Some names from this episode:Qu Qiubai, Named head of new provisional politburo at August 7, 1927 Emergency ConferenceBesso Lominadze, New Comintern head in China starting in July 1927Tang Shengzhi, Leader of Guomindang Left military forcesMikhail Borodin, Comintern agent and head of Soviet mission to aid the GuomindangTan Pingshan, Communist representative in Wuhan governmentChen Duxiu, Former General Secretary of the Communist PartyZhou Enlai, Member of temporary standing committee of Communist Politburo appointed in July 1927Support the show