The search for Modern China by Jonathan Spence
The book, “The search for Modern China” by Jonathan Spence offers insightful information on the history and existence of China. The book covers the detailed history from the 17th to 20th century. There are various developments and changes that have shaped the complex nation of China. Spence focuses on the internal matters, trends, philosophical and sociological foundations. The book portrays some of the notable personalities such as Deng Xiaoping and Mao Zedong based on their contribution to the baffling political climate of China. Initially, I did not have adequate knowledge of China history and some of the aspects that have widely contributed to shaping the nation.
Role of the Soviet Union in modernizing China
From the book’s excerpt, it is clear that the Soviet Union played a significant role in the modernization of China. In the early 20th century, China was struggling to mobilize their resources with an objective of improving their power in Asia. Moreover, there was a strong influence from western nations such as Britain and the United States (U.S.). As a result, China under the leadership of Mao had to seek assistance from Soviet Union (Spence 469). At the period, Soviet Union was led by Stalin who had a considerable internal and external influence on the broader Asia due to the resources of the country. The Soviet Union supported China in the Korean War through the provision of military materials (Spence 476). The approach was possible because China was loyal to the Soviet bloc. The primary objective of the strategy can be attributed to the elimination of the Western imperialism in the Asian region. Modern China was developed with the assistance from the Soviet Union. The power supplies, communication networks, and industries were designed with the help of Soviet Union (Spence 523). I believe that Spence wanted the readers to understand the role played by the Soviet Union in the creation of the People Republic of China.
Work Cited
Spence, Jonathan D. The search for modern China. WW Norton " Company, 2014.
