Dream of a Red Factory : The Legacy of High Stalinism in China

Drawing on previously unknown primary sources in both Chinese and Russian, Deborah A. Kaple has written a powerful and absorbing account of the model of factory management and organization that the Chinese communists formulated in the 1949-1953 period. She reveals that their new management techniques were adapted from Soviet propaganda during the harsh period of Stalin's post-war reconstruction. The idealized Stalinist management system consisted mainly of strict Communist Party control of all aspects of workers' lives, which is the root of such strong Party control over Chinese society today. Dream of a Red Factory is a rare and revealing look at the consolidation rule in China; told through the prism of the development of new socialist factories and enterprises. Kaple completely counters the old myth of the Soviet monolith in China, and carefully reconstructs how the Chinese communists came to rely on an idealized, propagandistic version of the Soviet model instead. Contents......Page 16 List of Tables......Page 18 Note on Transliteration......Page 20 1. Modern China's Stalinist Roots......Page 24 Reading the Soviet Press of 1946–1950......Page 26 The Influence of High Stalinism......Page 28 China's View of the Soviet Model......Page 30 Why High Stalinism?......Page 32 Books the Soviets Translated into Chinese, 1949–1955......Page 35 2. The Reality of the Soviet Management Model......Page 40 High Stalinism and the Role of the Party......Page 41 The Labor Problem in the USSR......Page 42 The Fourth Five-Year Plan: The "Stalin Plan"......Page 47 Conclusion......Page 60 3. Soviet Socialism in Translation......Page 62 Problems of Creating a Chinese Working Class......Page 63 Soviet Enterprise Management Means Party Primacy......Page 65 Worker Mobilization and Motivation in the Factory......Page 68 The Agitator in the Factory......Page 73 The Production Conference......Page 75 Conclusion......Page 77 4. Industrialization: Managing a Socialist Enterprise......Page 79 The Dual Approach to Industrial Enterprise Management......Page 80 The CCP's Industrial Management Mechanism......Page 81 Democratization of Management......Page 86 Conclusion......Page 91 5. Socialization: Creating a Chinese Working Class......Page 93 A New Worldview for Workers......Page 94 The Factory Mass Organizations......Page 101 Worker Socialization in the Factory......Page 102 Conclusion......Page 110 6. Control: Manipulating the Masses......Page 113 Mass Organizations in the Factory......Page 114 Mass Campaigns and Movements......Page 122 Conclusion......Page 127 7. The Triumph of High Stalinism......Page 129 The Worst of Stalinism in Translation......Page 130 Political Control over Economic Rationality......Page 131 CCP Goals: Three Explicit, One Implicit......Page 132 The Lasting Lessons of High Stalinism......Page 135 Appendix: The Soviet Union and China Sign Agreements in Moscow, February 14, 1950......Page 138 Notes......Page 146 Bibliography......Page 170 F......Page 182 S......Page 183 Y......Page 184 Contents 16 List of Tables 18 Note on Transliteration 20 1. Modern China's Stalinist Roots 24 Reading the Soviet Press of 1946–1950 26 The Influence of High Stalinism 28 China's View of the Soviet Model 30 Why High Stalinism? 32 Books the Soviets Translated into Chinese, 1949–1955 35 2. The Reality of the Soviet Management Model 40 High Stalinism and the Role of the Party 41 The Labor Problem in the USSR 42 The Fourth Five-Year Plan: The "Stalin Plan" 47 Conclusion 60 3. Soviet Socialism in Translation 62 Problems of Creating a Chinese Working Class 63 Soviet Enterprise Management Means Party Primacy 65 Worker Mobilization and Motivation in the Factory 68 The Agitator in the Factory 73 The Production Conference 75 Conclusion 77 4. Industrialization: Managing a Socialist Enterprise 79 The Dual Approach to Industrial Enterprise Management 80 The CCP's Industrial Management Mechanism 81 Democratization of Management 86 Conclusion 91 5. Socialization: Creating a Chinese Working Class 93 A New Worldview for Workers 94 The Factory Mass Organizations 101 Worker Socialization in the Factory 102 Conclusion 110 6. Control: Manipulating the Masses 113 Mass Organizations in the Factory 114 Mass Campaigns and Movements 122 Conclusion 127 7. The Triumph of High Stalinism 129 The Worst of Stalinism in Translation 130 Political Control over Economic Rationality 131 CCP Goals: Three Explicit, One Implicit 132 The Lasting Lessons of High Stalinism 135 Appendix: The Soviet Union and China Sign Agreements in Moscow, February 14, 1950 138 Notes 146 Bibliography 170 Index 182 A 182 B 182 C 182 D 182 E 182 F 182 G 183 H 183 I 183 K 183 L 183 M 183 O 183 P 183 R 183 S 183 T 184 W 184 Y 184 Drawing on previously unknown primary sources in both Chinese and Russian, Deborah A. Kaple has written a powerful and absorbing account of the model of factory management and organization that the Chinese communists formulated in the 1949-1953 period. She reveals that their "new" management techniques were adapted from Soviet propaganda during the harsh period of Stalin's post-war reconstruction. The idealized Stalinist management system consisted mainly of strict Communist Party control of all aspects of workers' lives, which is the root of such strong Party control over Chinese society today. Dream of a Red Factory is a rare and revealing look at the consolidation rule in China; told through the prism of the development of new "socialist" factories and enterprises. Kaple completely counters the old myth of the "Soviet monolith" in China, and carefully reconstructs how the Chinese communists came to rely on an idealized, propagandistic version of the Soviet model instead.--Publisher description An examination of the enduring power of communism in China, which argues that China has retained its communist system despite the break-up of similar regimes in other parts of the world, due to peculiarities of the Chinese communist experience, which is a legacy of Stalinism