The Final Triumph of Chiang Kai-shek (Book Review of "The Generalissimo")

WaPo ^ | 4/26/2009 | Laura Tyson Li

[mojito]

Chiang Kai-shek ranks as one of the most despised leaders of the 20th century. Famously derided as "Peanut" and "General Cash-My-Check," the leader of China's Nationalist government bedeviled the Allied war effort in World War II with his lackluster defense of his country. His corrupt and brutal regime squandered billions of dollars in American aid and drove the Chinese into the arms of the communists. He died in exile a deluded despot, relegated to a footnote in modern Chinese history. Or so the conventional story goes.

Now, however, Jay Taylor's new biography, "The Generalissimo: Chiang Kai-shek and the Struggle for Modern China," challenges the catechism on which generations of Americans have been weaned. Marshaling archival materials made newly available to researchers, including about four decades' worth of Chiang's daily diaries and documents from the Soviet era, it torpedoes many of that catechism's cherished tenets. This is an important, controversial book.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

That would certainly be news to those who were there.

[SuperLuminal]

When Nixon brought two pandas back from Peking after visiting Mao, Rep. John G. Schmitz (R-Calif.) remarked that he didn't think the pandas were a fair exchange for Taiwan.

Yep! Nixon began putting the finishing touches on a job started by Johnson & McNamara.

Then the history revisionists began their work in earnest with reenforcement and support from the Dept of Government Schools and the leftist-controlled teachers union.

By the time the 90's rolled around, the job was complete.

[Do the math]

Old Vinegar Joe Stillwell, was one of the best generals in WWII. He fought bravely against the Japs with hardly any supplies. His job was to beat the Japs. I do not blame Stillwell for this situation, he was just a soldier doing his job. I blame Roosevelt. Roosevelt was blind to the commie threat. Patton saw the writing on the wall, he knew that the war in Europe was not over with the defeat of the Germans. He told us to continue the fight against the commies. He warned us of what was to come and we are in trouble today because we did not heed his advise.

Chiang Kai-shek was caught between two enemies at the same time. Chiang could have defeated Mao, if he had help from the US. Unfortunately, The US did not take the commies seriously until it was to late.

[Mr Rogers]

Chiang’s men were bad. The communists were worse. And Chiang DID have the ability to beat the Communists, except communist sympathizers in our government withheld aid...because Mao ‘cared more’ about the poor.

[Clemenza]

For a TRULY great Chinese leader (albeit in the diaspora), may I suggest you look up Lee Kwan Yew sometime. Far superior to anyone associated with the KMTG.

[Cicero]

I believe that Stillwell was given orders from FDR to favor Mao. FDR was the guy who was doing the will of Stalin and cozying up to Mao.

Finally, FDR went too far, and Chang demanded that Stillwell withdraw from China. But Stillwell was only doing what FDR commanded him to do—the last straw being the demand that Chang should hand over all of his forces to Stillwell.

[iowamark]

Nixon didn't end recognition or abrogate the treaty with Taiwan, Carter did. And the US has not totally abandoned them yet. 30 years later, Taiwan is still free.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

To understand how awful Chiang was in regard to his fellow Chinese on mainland China, consider the fate of the native Taiwanese after Chiang & his army arrived on the island in 1949. Taiwanese from that era say you could flip a coin as to who was worse, Chiang or the Imperial Japanese Army.
The Nationalists had given up the fight against Japan early on in the war and history records the officer corps' focus was almost completely on what they could steal, dismantle and carry off for their own account. Virtually every reference on the China-Burma-India Campaign makes mention of this. My dad was a Hump pilot and never had a good word to say about Chiang or his wife the Dragon Lady (if anyone remembers who financed her it was the United states congress.) Pointlessly, American money flushed through the Chiang family and made them royalty in Formosa. Very limited benefit came to the US as a result.

[Mr Rogers]

My Dad met Chiang in the 60s. He had nothing good to say about him either - but Chiang didn’t kill millions of Taiwanese!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

That's true. He just took over a country that was not his or even the same race of Asiatics.

[Mr Rogers]

He didn’t have a lot of other options, besides just dying.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

He was an old man, born in 1887. All the dollars from the United States couldn't keep him alive but our money did propel Madame Chiang around for a few more years, if you remember.

[aculeus]

The left destroyed his reputation.

[tophat9000]

“That would certainly be news to those who were there.”

The friction between Stilwell on one side and Chang Kai-Shek and Claire Chennault on the other is pretty well known

Strange Bedfellows: Chiang and Stilwell
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/world_war_2/89860

Antithetic American Experiences in China: Stilwell and Chennault
http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1972/jan-feb/pickler.html

[hobbitslikepotatoes]

This book is too fond of Chiang Kai-Shek. In my opinion, Chiang was mostly another terrible dictator in China's history , though much less terrible than his rival Mao. But the fact is both the course of Chiang and Mao's rising to power were manipulated by Soviet Union. Chiang once was just a warlord in south China, with and only with the providings of equipments and fundings from communist, he launched a war and successfully overthrowed the half-democratic government in that time and became the sovereign of China. Somehow later on, Soviet Union decided to abandon Chiang and raise another pet instead, which was the Chinese Communist Party.

Though Chiang made him an allie to US in WWII, but I don't think US like him very much. Because when he was on the edge of defeat in war against Mao, Truman's government refused to give him a hand, they just stood by an watched whole China turned red. Not like the similiar situation in Korean about 3 years later.