Routledge The Chinese Military System: An Organizational Study Of The Chinese People's Liberation Armysecond Edition, Revised And Updated

Product Description To understand the Chinese military, and thereby the dynamics of China’s peacetime army, one must understand its organizational system. To that end, Harvey Nelsen has written a book that examines in detail the entire organization of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Dr. Nelsen studies the PLA from top to bottom. Throughout, he challenges the widely held theory that military politics in China are largely determined by personal relations among officers and that the PLA is more a civic-action army than are most military organizations. Important as a purely military study, this book is valuable also for the light it sheds on the whole of Chinese bureaucratic politics. This second edition has been revised to reflect changes that have occurred since the death of Chairman Mao as well as to incorporate new information about the Chinese military and political system during Mao’s reign. About the Author Harvey W. Nelsen is currently an associate professor in the International Studies Program at the University of South Florida. He holds a doctorate in modern Chinese history from George Washington University and has published numerous articles in the field of contemporary Chinese military affairs.