This book provides a detailed description and evaluation of the military, political, economic, and social context within which PLA officers have functioned since the civil war (1945-1949). Its aim is to evaluate the personal commitments and professional implications of a military career in the People's Republic of China. Focusing on the crucial factors of military function and technology, Dr. Jencks describes and analyzes the various post-1949 crises in the high command; his emphasis is on the import of these events for the officer corps rather than on the details of the events themselves. A wealth of information on the force structure, equipment, and military capability of the PLA provides an up-to-date assessment of Chinese military power. At the same time, the information depicts the life and work of Chinese soldiers and is central to the "biography" of the post-1945 generations of PLA officers.