This book breaks new ground in our understanding of a pivotal period in the history of American foreign policy, the early Cold War, and the struggle for dominance in China between the Nationalists and Communists. The famous Marshall Mission to China has been the focus of intense scrutiny ever since General George C. Marshall returned home in January 1947 and full-scale civil war consumed China. Yet until recently, there was little new to add to the story of the failure to avert war between the Chinese Nationalists, under Chiang Kai-shek, and the Chinese Communists, led by Mao Zedong. Drawing on a newly discovered insider's account, Roger B. Jeans makes an invaluable contribution to our understanding of Marshall's failed mediation effort and the roles played by key Chinese figures. Working from the letters and diary of U.S. Army Colonel John Hart Caughey, Jeans offers a fresh interpretation of the mission. From beginning to end, Caughey served as Marshall's executive officer, in effect his right-hand man, assisting the general in his contacts with the Chinese and drafting key documents for him. Through his writings, Caughey provides a rare behind-the-scenes view of the general's mediation efforts as well as intimate glimpses of the major Chinese figures involved, including Chiang Kai-shek, Madame Chiang, and Zhou Enlai. In addition to daily contact with Marshall, Caughey often rubbed shoulders with these major Nationalist and Communist figures. As a meticulous eyewitness to history in the making, Caughey offers crucial insight into a key moment in post-World War II history.

An Economist Best Book of 2018 New York Times Book Review Editor’s Pick “Gripping [and] splendid.… An enormous contribution to our understanding of Marshall.”—Washington Post At the end of World War II, General George Marshall took on what he thought was a final mission—this time not to win a war, but to stop one. In China, conflict between Communists and Nationalists threatened to suck in the United States and escalate into revolution. Marshall’s charge was to cross the Pacific, broker a peace, and prevent a Communist takeover, all while staving off World War III. At first, the results seemed miraculous. But as they started to come apart, Marshall was faced with a wrenching choice—one that would alter the course of the Cold War, define the US-China relationship, and spark one of the darkest-ever turns in American political life. The China Mission offers a gripping, close-up view of the central figures of the time—from Marshall, Mao, and Chiang Kai-shek to Eisenhower, Truman, and MacArthur—as they stood face-to-face and struggled to make history, with consequences and lessons that echo today.

Though best known for his central part in the American war effort from 1939 to 1945, George C. Marshall’s critical role in the early Cold War was probably at least as important in shaping the policies and politics of the postwar western world—and in cementing his place as a pivotal figure in twentieth-century American history. This book places Marshall squarely at the center of the story of the American century by examining his tenure in key policymaking positions during this period, including army chief of staff, special presidential envoy to China, secretary of state, and secretary of defense, among others. George C. Marshall and the Early Cold War brings together a diverse and accomplished group of scholars—including military, diplomatic, and institutional historians—to explore how Marshall, Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” in both 1943 and 1947 and the 1953 Nobel Peace Prize winner, molded debates on all the major issues of his day, such as universal military training, China’s civil war, an independent air force, the National Security Act of 1947, nuclear weapons, European Recovery Program, North Atlantic Treaty, Korean War, and racial integration of the U.S. military. With a focus on Marshall’s public service at the intersection of American policy, politics, and society, the authors provide a comprehensive historical account of his central role in shaping America during a tumultuous yet formative period in the nation’s history. Their work fills a void in the scholarship of American military history and American history generally, providing context for the consideration of broader questions about American power and the place of the military within American society.