In 1964, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) made a momentous policy decision. In response to rising tensions with the United States and Soviet Union, a top-secret massive military industrial complex in the mountains of inland China was built, which the CCP hoped to keep hidden from enemy bombers. Mao named this the Third Front. The Third Front received more government investment than any other developmental initiative of the Mao era, and yet this huge industrial war machine, which saw the mobilization of fifteen million people, was not officially acknowledged for over a decade and a half. Drawing on a rich collection of archival documents, memoirs, and oral interviews, Covell Meyskens provides the first history of the Third Front campaign. He shows how the militarization of Chinese industrialization linked millions of everyday lives to the global Cold War, merging global geopolitics with local change.

An examination of how economic development and everyday life intersected with the temperature of Cold War geopolitics in Mao's China.

About the Author
Covell Meyskens is Assistant Professor in the National Security Affairs Department at the Naval Postgraduate School.

Reviews
'... the Third Front still has potential for further research and this book has laid the groundwork for future efforts.' Youngjune Chung, Pacific Affairs



Book Information
ISBN 9781108489553
Author Covell F. Meyskens
Format Hardback
Page Count 292
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 600g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 160mm * 18mm