In this podcast, Matthew Rothwell, author of Transpacific Revolutionaries: The Chinese Revolution in Latin America, explores the global history of ideas related to rebellion and revolution. The main focus of this podcast for the near future will be on the history of the Chinese Revolution, going all the way back to its roots in the initial Chinese reactions to British imperialism during the Opium War of 1839-1842, and then following the development of the revolution and many of the ideas that were products of the revolution through to their transnational diffusion in the late 20th century.
https://peopleshistoryofideas.com/
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 2 days 3 hours 35 minutes
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episode 114: The Party Center Attempts to Assert Control over the Red Army and Orders Mao and Zhu to Report to Shanghai
A close look at Zhou Enlai’s February 7, 1929, letter to Mao Zedong and Zhu De.
Further reading:
Pang Xianzhi and Jin Chongji, Mao Zedong: A Biography, vol. 1: 1893-1949
Stuart Schram, ed., Mao’s Road to Power, vol. 3: From the Jinggangshan to the Establishment of the Jiangxi Soviets, July 1927-December 1930
E. H. Carr, Foundations of a Planned Economy, vol...
episode 113: Mao’s March 20 Letter to the Central Committee, and the 5th Red Army’s Retreat from the Jinggangshan (January to April 1929)
Mao plans to expand guerrilla warfare, and meets up with Peng Dehuai in Ruijin.
Further reading:
Pang Xianzhi and Jin Chongji, Mao Zedong: A Biography, vol. 1: 1893-1949
Stuart Schram, ed., Mao’s Road to Power, vol...
episode 112: On the Experience of the National Bourgeoisie in the New Democratic Revolution
Some reflections on the experience of Shanghai capitalists after 1949 prompted by the ‘Notice to Merchants and Intellectuals’ that Mao issued after taking Changting in 1929.
Further reading:
Stuart Schram, ed., Mao’s Road to Power, vol...
episode 111: A New Communist Order in Changting (March 1929)
Looking at what Mao and Zhu De did to install a new Communist order after conquering Changting.
Further reading:
Pang Xianzhi and Jin Chongji, Mao Zedong: A Biography, vol. 1: 1893-1949
Agnes Smedley, The Great Road: The Life and Times of Chu Teh [Zhu De]
Stuart Schram, ed., Mao’s Road to Power, vol...
episode 110: Leaving Donggu, Taking Changting (February to March 1929)
How the Fourth Red Army spent their time in Donggu, and how they took the first city in the new base area in the Jiangxi-Fujian border region.
Further reading:
Pang Xianzhi and Jin Chongji, Mao Zedong: A Biography, vol...
episode 109: From Dabodi to Donggu: The Retreat from the Jinggangshan Continues (February 1929)
The Mao-Zhu Army raises funds in Ningdu and moves on to the Donggu base area for rest and recovery. Background on Donggu.
Link to map of Jiangxi province: https://www.chinamaps.org/china/provincemaps/jiangxi-province-map.html
Further reading:
Stuart Schram, ed., Mao’s Road to Power, vol. 3: From the Jinggangshan to the Establishment of the Jiangxi Soviets, July 1927-December 1930
Pang Xianzhi and Jin Chongji, Mao Zedong: A Biography, vol...
episode 108: Running for Their Lives: The Retreat from the Jinggangshan (January to February 1929)
Mao and the Fourth Red Army break the encirclement of the Jinggangshan and retreat across southern Jiangxi with the Guomindang in hot pursuit.
Link to map of Jiangxi province: https://www.chinamaps.org/china/provincemaps/jiangxi-province-map.html
Further reading/watching on the difficulties of finding good maps of China:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictions_on_geographic_data_in_China
https://www.reddit...
episode 107: Frameworks for Thinking about Tragic Historical Shortcomings of the Socialist Experience
Answering a listener question on the Great Leap Forward famine.
Further reading:
Mobo Gao, The Battle for China’s Past
United Nations, “Losing 25,000 to Hunger Every Day”
Minhaz Merchant, “Churchill’s Bengal Famine”
Karl Marx, Capital
Mike Davis, Late Victorian Holocausts
Frederick Engels, The Condition of the Working Class in England
episode 106: The End of the Sixth Congress
We wrap up our discussion of the Sixth Congress with a discussion of the political line coming out of the congress, and some related issues...
episode 105: Clashing Communists and Comintern Guidance: The 6th Congress Gets off to a Rocky Start
Qu Qiubai’s report and proposal are disputed, and the Comintern intervenes to restore order...