In the crucial moment after the Korean War, the United States and the People’s Republic of China circled each other warily. They shifted between confrontation and conciliation, ratcheting up tension yet also embarking on peace initiatives. Tao Wang offers a new account of Sino–American relations in the mid-1950s that situates the two great powers in their international context. He reveals how both the United States and China adopted a policy of attempting to isolate their adversary and explores how Chinese and American leaders perceived and reacted to each other’s strategies. Although the policy of the Eisenhower administration was to contain China, Washington often overestimated Chinese aggressiveness, worrying allies and neutral states. Sensitive to the differences within the Western camp, Chinese leaders sought to convince American allies to persuade the United States to back down. Wang analyzes diplomatic maneuvering over a peace settlement in Indochina, an American defense pact with Taiwan, and the anticolonial Bandung Conference, showing how political pressure pushed American leaders to make concessions. He challenges the portrayal of Communist states as driven by ideology, showing that Chinese leaders adopted a pragmatic policy during these crucial years. Drawing on Chinese, Taiwanese, Russian, Vietnamese, British, and American archival material, including reclassified Chinese Foreign Ministry documents, Isolating the Enemy offers new insight into Chinese diplomacy in the 1950s and U.S. foreign policy under the Eisenhower administration through a nuanced portrayal of Sino–American interactions.

The Army believes that the U.S. will continue to be engaged in an era of ¿persistent conflict¿ -- a period of protracted confrontation among states, non-state, and individual actors increasingly willing to use violence to achieve their political and ideological ends. This manual is a revolutionary departure from past doctrine. Commanders will employ offensive, defensive, and civil support operations simultaneously as part of an interdependent joint force to seize, retain, and exploit the initiative, accepting prudent risk to create opportunities to achieve decisive results. This ed. will take us into the 21st century urban battlefields among the people without losing our capabilities to dominate the higher conventional end of the spectrum of conflict.

This open access book offers comprehensive information on Wang Yang-ming’s life, helping readers identify and grasp the foundations on which his philosophy was established. Though a great man, Wang had an extremely difficult life, full of many hardships. Based on various official histories, Wang’s own writings, and his disciples’ records, the book explores the legendary life of this ancient philosopher, who not only diligently pursued his objective of living as a sage, but also persistently sought the ideal state of a sage in ideology. The author also shares his own interpretations of the main aspects of Wang’s philosophy using simple and straightforward language. This book will help readers understand and appreciate Wang Yang-ming’s extraordinary life, his generous mind, deep thoughts and bright personality, inspiring them to pursue enriching lives. It offers a unique and insightful work for undergraduate students and all others interested in Wang’s philosophy and life story.

To Be a Soldier offers the US Army’s two capstone doctrinal manuals in one place for the first time. This guide begins with the Army’s introductory text, FM-1 The Army, which explains the Army’s origin and purpose, its mission and values, how it functions as a portion of a joint military force in combat, and the importance of the individual soldier in a larger fighting force. When readers have learned the fundamentals of the Army, FM-3 Operations provides foundational knowledge of the full spectrum of Army operations. This manual is the Army’s principal tool for the instruction of today’s soldiers in the art and science of warfare, and has been recently updated to discuss counter-insurgency and hybrid threats in addition to conventional land operations. To Be a Soldier is the reader’s guide to the Army’s most fundamental knowledge by offering its two capstone texts in one place. The information in this handbook forms the basis for all the knowledge conveyed in any subsequent Army field manuals, making it required reading for all soldiers and readers with interest in US Army training and operations.

FM 3-97.6, "Mountain Operations," describes the tactics, techniques, and procedures that the United States (US) Army uses to fight in mountainous regions. It is directly linked to doctrinal principles found in FM 3-0 and FM 3-100.40 and should be used in conjunction with them. It provides key information and considerations for commanders and staffs regarding how mountains affect personnel, equipment, and operations. It also assists them in planning, preparing, and executing operations, battles, and engagements in a mountainous environment. Army units do not routinely train for operations in a mountainous environment. Therefore, commanders and trainers at all levels should use this manual in conjunction with TC 90-6-1, Army Training and Evaluation Program (ARTEP) mission training plans, and the training principles in FM 7-0 and FM 7-10 when preparing to conduct operations in mountainous terrain.