De Volkstrilogie Reeks

Aanbevolen leesvolgorde

1. Mao's massamoord

   • Frank Dikötter

   • 496bladzijden
   • 18 uur lezen

   Tussen 1958 en 1962 kwam China in de hel terecht. Mao Zedong nam zijn land in een wurggreep met ‘De Grote Sprong Voorwaarts’, een poging om aan te haken bij de wereldmachten en de kracht van het communisme te tonen. Het experiment draaide uit op de grootste ramp ooit. Niet alleen werd het land het toneel van een van de dodelijkste massamoorden in de menselijke geschiedenis (meer dan 45 miljoen werden zo afgebeuld, uitgehongerd of gemarteld dat de dood erop volgde), maar China maakte ook nog de grootste sloop van onroerend goed ooit mee. Deze sloop was daarnaast catastrofaal voor het milieu. Ongeveer een derde van alle huizen werden tot puin gereduceerd en er werd roofbouw op het land gepleegd in de maniakale jacht naar staal en andere industriële benodigdheden.

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2. The Tragedy of Liberation

   A History of the Chinese Revolution 1945-1957

   • Frank Dikötter

   • 400bladzijden
   • 14 uur lezen

   The Chinese Communist Party refers to its 1949 victory as a ‘liberation,’ yet the reality is steeped in terror and violence. Frank Dikötter's chronicle of Mao Zedong’s rise reveals the grim truth behind the transformation of the Chinese populace into what the party termed New People. Following the defeat of Chiang Kai-shek, Mao raised the red flag over Beijing, initiating a Communist revolution that dismantled the old order. The subsequent eight years, leading to the catastrophic famine and Great Leap Forward, remain largely obscured due to the secrecy surrounding state records. Utilizing hundreds of previously classified documents, secret police reports, and firsthand accounts, this work uncovers a shocking, often untold history. Dikötter intertwines the experiences of ordinary citizens with the brutal politics of Mao’s inner circle, exposing the horrific policies enacted in the name of progress. Regardless of their support for the revolution, individuals were coerced into confessions and denunciations, creating a culture of fear. One victim described it as a “carefully cultivated Auschwitz of the mind.” With compelling narrative depth, this account serves as a vital document, honoring the millions lost and illuminating the roots of one of the most formidable regimes of the twenty-first century.

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3. The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, 1962-1976

   • Frank Dikötter

   After the Great Leap Forward's devastating economic disaster from 1958 to 1962, an ageing Mao sought to restore his reputation and eliminate perceived threats to his legacy through the Cultural Revolution. Officially aimed at purging bourgeois, capitalist elements, the movement also targeted Mao's own colleagues, subjecting many to public humiliation, imprisonment, and torture. Young students, forming Red Guards, pledged unwavering loyalty to Mao, but soon rival factions clashed violently in the streets over revolutionary purity. As chaos engulfed the nation, the military intervened, establishing a garrison state marked by brutal purges affecting as many as one in fifty people. When the army itself became a target, ordinary citizens exploited the turmoil to challenge the party's ideology, effectively burying Maoism. Through in-depth interviews and archival research, the author reveals the complex choices faced by individuals, contradicting the notion of conformity that often characterizes this era. By illustrating how grassroots decollectivization emerged from a decade of violence and fear, this work offers a fresh perspective on China's most tumultuous period. Utilizing previously classified party documents, it serves as a powerful reassessment of the People's Republic of China’s history.

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