science

Stalin and Mao

Stalin and Mao is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Stalin and Mao rather than just read about it. In short: Stalin and Mao: A Comparison of the Russian and Chinese Revolutions (French: La récidive: Révolution russe, révolution chinoise) is a non-fiction book by Lucien Bianco, published by Gallimard in 2014. Its 2018 English translation, done by Krystyna Horko, was published by the Chinese University of Hong Kong Press.

Key takeaways

Stalin and Mao belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Stalin and Mao to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Stalin and Mao from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Stalin and Mao: A Comparison of the Russian and Chinese Revolutions (French: La récidive: Révolution russe, révolution chinoise) is a non-fiction book by Lucien Bianco, published by Gallimard in 2014. Its 2018 English translation, done by Krystyna Horko, was published by the Chinese University of Hong Kong Press. It compares and contrasts the Russian Revolution and the Chinese Communist Revolution. The English title refers to Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong while the French title is "La récidive", that is, "recidivist, or “repeat offender,” which refers to the central argument that Mao's seizure of power and revolutionary regime repeats the crimes of Stalin's.

Contents The book has nine chapters, which each cover a different topic. The bibliography has a total of 28 pages. The book focuses on particular points common to both revolutions and does not intend to have comprehensive coverage of the two revolutions. David Wolff, in Slavic Review described the work as "a solid diatribe against both Stalin and Mao". Bianco argues that Deng Xiaoping could have found success under Stalin's regime, in a manner that Wolff describes as "Some small gratitude" for Deng. Bianco argues that Mao had no role in China's economic ascent that occurred after Mao's death. Steven I. Levine of University of Montana wrote that readers, to derive the most benefit, should have familiarity with the respective topics, noting that "This is not a book for beginners."

Chapters "The Laggards," Chapter 1, discusses the origins of the two revolutions. "Catching Up," Chapter 2, discusses the reasons why Stalin and Mao engaged in their economic programmes. "Politics," Chapter 3, discusses how Mao modeled his regime after Stalin's. "The Peasants," Chapter 4, discusses the differences in involvement of peasants in each revolution. "The Famine," Chapter 5, discusses the Soviet famine of 1930–1933 and the Great Chinese Famine. "Bureaucracy," Chapter 6, discusses how the Communist regimes of the USSR and China bureaucratized. "Culture," Chapter 7, discusses similarities and differences in works of art in each country post-revolution. “The Camps," Chapter 8, discusses Soviet gulags and Chinese laogai. “The Dictators," Chapter 9, discusses the roles Stalin and Mao had in their respective systems. The English version changed the title of Chapter 9 to "Dictators", when in French it was "monstres" (monsters). Additionally the English title refers to Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong while the French title starts with "La récidive" (meaning "the recurrence") which refers to the central argument that Mao's seizure of power was patterned off of Stalin's. Igor Iwo Chabrowski, in China Perspectives, argued that the former change was due to Chinese University of Hong Kong trying to find a way to continue publishing works that may be sensitive in its political climate. The text within the chapter describes them as "monsters". Chabrowski stated that chapters 4 and 5 "provide a core for the argument in the book".

Release CUHK Press also released a translation of the book in Traditional Chinese, as 歷史的覆轍 Iìshǐ de fùzhé meaning history of a path that resulted in failing. The translator is Xia Peiran (夏沛然 Xià Pèirán).

Reception Richard Desjardins stated that the book was "tightly written" and praised the "attention to detail". Westad stated that "Bianco’s book is a good summing up of current knowledge" regarding post-1949 China and the Soviet Union that has a highly accurate "big picture right", despite the lack of information from the newest scholarly endeavours. Steven Levine stated that the book's contents "powerfully remind us of the system of privilege and power of the new ruling class" in Mao's and Stalin's governance systems. Marilyn A. Levine of Central Washington University wrote that the author "makes a strong case for his assertions about the growth of authoritarianism".

See also Origins of the Chinese Revolution, 1915-1949 - Another book by Bianco

References Bergère, Marie-Claire (2014), Lucien Bianco, The Recidive. Russian Revolution and Chinese Revolution, French Center for Contemporary Studies Reviews the French edition. Levine, Marilyn A. (2020). "Stalin and Mao: A Comparison of the Russian and Chinese Revolutions, translated by Lucien Bianco and Krystyna Horko". The Soviet and Post-Soviet Review. 47 (2): 205–254. doi:10.30965/18763324-04702004. S2CID 225759180. Levine, Steven I. (2020-05-18). "Stalin & Mao: A Comparison of the Russian and Chinese Revolutions". The Chinese Historical Review. 26 (2): 201–203. doi:10.1080/1547402X.2020.1750235. S2CID 219462126. Westad, O. E. (July 2021). "Stalin and Mao: A Comparison of the Russian and Chinese Revolutions, by Lucien Bianco. Translated by Krystyna Horko. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press, 2018. x+448 pp. US$65.00 (cloth)". The China Journal. 86: 226–228. doi:10.1086/714407. S2CID 237869454.

Notes

Further reading Bergère, Marie-Claire. "Lucien Bianco, La Récidive. Révolution russe et révolution chinoise" (in French). Centre d'étude français sur la Chine Contemporaine. - Author link in French: Marie-Claire Bergère Bermond, Daniel (November 2014). "Lucien Bianco, Mao en ligne de mire". L'Histoire (in French). p. 19. Archived from the original on 2014-12-19. Boulouque, Sylvain (2014-11-10). "Révolution russe, révolution chinoise: Mao dans les pas de Staline". Slate (in French). - Author link in French: Sylvain Boulouque Conan, Éric; Lacroix, Alexis (2014-12-13). ""Un Alain Badiou n'est possible qu'en France"". Marianne (in French). Archived from the original on 2014-12-13. - Author links in French: Éric Conan and Alexis Lacroix Esmein, Jean (March 2015). "Lucien Bianco : La récidive (Révolution russe, révolution chinoise) ; Éditions Gallimard, 2014 ; 528 pages". Revue Défense Nationale (in French) (778): 126–127. Roux, Alain (January 2015). "Lucien Bianco, La récidive : révolution russe, révolution chinoise, Paris, Gallimard, 2014, 517 p., ISBN 978-2070146987". Revue d'histoire moderne & contemporaine (in French). 62 (1): 203–205. doi:10.3917/rhmc.621.0203. "Un coût humain exorbitant". L'Humanité (in French). 2014-12-11. Wang, Ju (2019-03-22). "歷史的覆轍 : 中俄革命之比較" (in Chinese). Carnets du Centre Chine (CNRS/EHESS).

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Stalin and Mao

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Stalin and Mao claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Stalin and Mao before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Stalin and Mao ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Stalin and Mao

In research: Stalin and Mao appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Stalin and Mao in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Stalin and Mao is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2014 non-fiction books, Books about the Soviet Union, China stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Stalin and Mao outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Stalin and Mao in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Stalin and Mao means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Stalin and Mao out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stalin and Mao in simple terms?

Why does Stalin and Mao matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Stalin and Mao?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Stalin and Mao.