The U.S. Crusade in China, 19381945

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Torn between Japanese aggression and a bloody civil war, China presented a complex challenge to American policymakers from 1938 until the end of World War II. This account explores the Americans who traveled to China, both openly and covertly, and their influence on the U.S. decision to reject Chinese Communist overtures and support Chiang Kai-shek's regime. Michael Schaller illustrates how the surge of U.S. interest in Chinese politics led to a situation few Americans grasped. The mission, initially aimed at bolstering Chiang's Kuomintang against Japan, evolved into a web of conflicting personalities and unclear motivations. Schaller critiques the diplomatic approaches of Presidents Roosevelt and Truman, who misjudged the rapid power shifts in China, viewing the civil war as a struggle between Soviet-inspired revolution and nationalism, despite Mao Tse-tung's rising influence and Chiang's regime's corruption. American officials, including General Joseph Stilwell, sought to maintain U.S. influence by forming alliances with various factions. The narrative also details American covert operations in wartime China, including plans for air attacks on Japan and attempts to assassinate Chiang. Schaller reveals how these covert strategies distorted the competition among Chinese factions for U.S. support, ultimately leading to increased backing for Chiang and entrenching the U.S. in a prolonged struggle for control in Asia.