Routledge After Mao What?: Army Party and Group Rivalries in China

This Routledge history examines the power dynamics and factional struggles within China's Communist Party and People's Liberation Army during Mao Tse-tung's four decades of dominance. Beginning with the pivotal 1935 Tsunyi Conference where Mao secured his leadership position, the book traces his ongoing challenges to authority and the tensions between Party control and military influence that shaped China's political landscape. The analysis explores critical periods when Mao's grip on power appeared vulnerable, investigating threats ranging from warlordism to potential military dictatorship and hierarchical party rule. This scholarly work provides essential context for understanding the internal rivalries and institutional conflicts that defined Chinese politics under Mao's rule, offering readers insights into how competing groups within the Party and PLA competed for influence and how these struggles affected China's trajectory during this transformative era.