Bruce A. Elleman - A History of the Modern Chinese Navy, 1840–2020

This book provides a comprehensive history of the modern Chinese navy from 1840 to the present. Beginning with a survey of naval developments in earlier imperial times, the book goes on to show how China has since the mid-19th century four times built or rebuilt its navy: after the Opium Wars, a navy which was sunk or captured by the Japanese in the war of 18941895; during the 1920s and 1930s, a navy again sunk or lost to Japan, in the war of 19371945; in the 1950s, a navy built with Soviet help, which stagnated following the Sino-Soviet split in the early 1960s; and finally the present navy which absorbed its predecessor, but with the most modern sections dating from the 1990sa navy which continues to grow and prosper. The book also shows how the underlying strategic imperative for the Chinese navy has been the defense of Chinas coasts and major rivers; how naval mutiny was a key factor in the overthrow of the Qing and the Nationalist regimes; and how successive Chinese governments, aware of the potent threat of naval mutiny, have restricted the growth, independence, and capabilities of the navy. Overall, the book providesat a time when many people in the West view China and its navy as a threata rich, detailed, and realistic assessment of the true nature of the Chinese navy and the contemporary factors that affect its development.

Bruce A. Elleman is William V. Pratt Professor of International History at the US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, USA.

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Edited by Ivan Sablin and Egas Moniz Bandeira

For a full list of available titles please visit: www.routledge.com/Routledge-Studies-in-the-Modern-History-of-Asia/book-series/MODHISTASIA

Bruce A. Elleman

First published 2021
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2021 Bruce A. Elleman

The right of Bruce A. Elleman to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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ISBN: 978-0-367-68544-7 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-68555-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-13807-5 (ebk)

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Chinas modern naval development is linked to its long history of relying on a strong maritime strategy to keep foreigners at bay. In particular, Chinese maritime strategy has been linked to coastal defense, which in turn have been based on three cardinal rules: (1) the absolute control over the territory of the Chinese empire provided by a strong central government; (2) the defensive value of retaining control over offshore islands, including Taiwan, to act as a security buffer; and (3) the resulting ability to repel foreign invaders before they can penetrate far inland. Only in the 19th century would China face the need for developing a more complex maritime strategy that would allow her navies to extend sea control beyond Chinas immediate coastal regions.