Stilwell and the American Experience in China: 1911-1945

Barbara Tuchman‘s Stilwell and the American Experience in China: 1911-1945, details the life of General Joseph “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell. The majority of the narrative focuses on his tedious assignment of managing Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek in an effort to advance the Allied cause in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater during WWII. Tuchman builds up to this critical juncture in Stilwell’s life by explaining his upbringing, mannerisms and philosophies shaping his decision-making in the Theater. In addition, the author makes important philosophical delineations between Western and Eastern approaches to problem-solving that contextualize many of the challenges Stilwell faces throughout his career managing Sino-American relations. This biography explains the unique and complex life of an American General in a lesser-known WWII Theater. This is a valuable text for those interested in learning about China’s political situation during the first-half of the 20th century.

Historical Comprehension

Much of the primary source biographical information comes from Stilwell’s personal diaries published in 1948 as The Stilwell Papers alongside unpublished materials gathered from General Stilwell’s widow. Tuchman’s ability to piece together “50 pocket-size notebooks” that haphazardly cover 46 years into a coherent history of Stilwell’s life while analyzing his behaviors and the broader diplomatic situations make this biography particularly impressive. Tuchman balances Stilwell’s personal thoughts by considering the broader diplomatic situations unfolding between the United States, China and other relevant nations. This balance helps the reader gain an understanding of the complex tasks Stilwell undertook while serving US interests in China. While this wasn’t the first depiction of Stilwell’s life, Tuchman’s research is the most comprehensive as of the date of original publication.

Modern Readability

Throughout the biography, the author analyzes the diplomatically challenging and hazardous situations unfolding around General Stilwell. Tuchman’s commentary critically pieces together the complex power structures and reporting hierarchies within the Chinese and American militaries during this time to justify many of Stilwell’s actions. This is an interesting read for history lovers as it depicts the lack of harmony that ordinary Chinese citizens experienced during this period and the flaws of the Kuomintang regime that ultimately led to the post-WWII success of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). For the average history reader, however, certain detail heavy sections may be challenging to interpret as Tuchman provides countless insights into the politics of the CBI Theater and Stilwell’s detailed actions to rebuild the Ledo Road in Burma, as examples. Overall, this is an engaging, but dense biography.

Unique, Balanced Perspective

Tuchman uniquely interprets Stilwell’s personal papers within the context of complex diplomacy orchestrated by the world powers around him. She maintains a relatively objective tone by commenting more on his character strengths and shortcomings as opposed to taking an absolute stance on the results of his actions (i.e. that he signed up for an impossible leadership task in the CBI Theater or that the US government turned it’s back on him). In addition, while she criticizes Chiang Kai-shek’s ineffective leadership, she notes the external factors that significantly clouded his judgement and limited his powers. The one perspective that she misses is that of Zhou Enlai alongside the views of the CCP. However, given that the Kuomintang blocked Stilwell from engaging with the CCP, there are not nearly as many recorded interactions between the two parties.