Speaking bitterness: Political education in land reform and military training under the CCP, 1947-1951.
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Issue Date
2014-04-26
Authors
Wu, Guo
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Keywords
land reform , speaking bitterness , suku , Peng Dehuai , Yu Qiuli , PLA , People's Liberation Army
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Abstract
In breaking the dividing line of 1949, this paper provides a historical account of the speaking-bitterness movement in the countryside and in the People’s Liberation Army from the 1940s through the 1950s. It demonstrates the Party’s motivations, techniques, and effects in organizing and controlling the speaking-bitterness movement as a campaign of political education and ideological transformation. The paper argues that when confronted with widespread, passive resistance and skepticism of the Communist revolution, the Party used speaking bitterness to mobilize poor peasants to participate in Land Reform, and to join the People’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA). PLA soldiers also went through speaking bitterness as an important step of politicization. Speaking bitterness became a significant political ritual of self-education and mutual education. It successfully turned an individual’s experience of trauma and suffering into collective experience, and cut across the traditional identities of lineage and neighborhood.
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History
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On institutional repository or subject-based repository after 18 month embargo. Publisher's version cannot be used. Must acknowledge publication source and link to publisher's website.
Citation
Wu, G. (2014). Speaking bitterness: Political education in land reform and military training under the CCP, 1947-1951.
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Final manuscript post peer review, without publisher's formatting or copy
editing (postprint)
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis