Rana Mitter is a distinguished professor of modern Chinese history at the University of Oxford. His scholarship delves into the pivotal moments and dynamics of China's evolution, analyzing its political, social, and cultural transformations. He offers profound insights into the nation's past, illuminating its contemporary challenges and trajectory. Through his analytical approach and accessible style, Mitter has become a respected voice on international affairs and history.
Once sidelined from public memory, World War II is now a historical touchstone in China. Rana Mitter links reassessment of the war to China's rising nationalism. At home, Chinese use the war to shape conflicted identities; abroad the war with Japan is now treated as a Chinese victory, a founding myth for a people destined to shape the global order.
"Rana Mitter's updated guide describes with flair and authority China's often tortuous, sometimes triumphant pursuit of "modernity", what it has meant for the Chinese people, and what we can expect it to mean in future - for all of us." Graham Hutchings, Oxford Analytica. "Now updated to bring the story of modern China up into the era of Xi Jinping, this slim, accessible, and lively volume offers an appealing mix of information and argument. The first edition proved popular with students as a classroom text, so I look forward to putting this 2.0 version to use in future courses." Jeff Wasserstrom, author of China in the 21st Century : What Everyone Needs to Know.
China today is never out of the news: from human rights controversies and the continued legacy of Tiananmen Square, to global coverage of the Beijing Olympics, and the Chinese 'economic miracle'. This Very Short Introduction provides an accessible guide to why China looks the way it does today, and how it got there.
China today is poised for a significant role on the world stage, but the early twentieth century presented a starkly different scenario. In this compelling examination of modern China, Rana Mitter revisits a pivotal moment in its history to reveal the roots of its challenging transition from pre-modernity to modernity. He highlights May 4, 1919, as a crucial turning point, when outrage over the Paris peace conference sparked a massive student protest, leading to the May Fourth Movement. Just seven years prior, the 2,000-year-old imperial system had fallen, paving the way for a new wave of urban intellectuals who began to reject Confucianism and traditional culture as barriers to progress against imperialism, warlordism, and social injustices. This "New Culture movement" embraced modernity and individualism, influencing critical decades to come: the 1940s, marked by the war against Japan and the civil conflict between Nationalists and Communists; the chaotic 1960s under Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution; and the 1980s, characterized by a semi-market economy amidst single-party rule and rising inequality. The themes of May 4 have persisted through these eras, reflecting China’s ongoing quest for a new narrative about its identity and future.