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Nationalism or Geopolitics: The Rise of Guerillas and Patterns of Military Conflict during the Expansion of the Ili Rebellion, 1944–46

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2021

Zikui Wei*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, University of Chicago, Division of the Social Sciences, 5730 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637

Abstract

This article investigates the Ili Rebellion in Xinjiang (1944–49). Relying primarily on Chinese sources, the author identifies variations in the rise and fate of non-Han ethnic guerillas, and the patterns of military conflict in different regions during the expansionist stage of the Ili Rebellion from 1944 to 1946. The article argues that neither a nationalist nor a geopolitical explanation adequately account for such variations. Rather, the overlapping and intersecting geopolitical influence (both the Soviet Union and the two Chinese regimes) as well as local conditions (including local ethnic composition and social structure) explain such patterns. Finally, this article discusses broader implications of the role of nationalism and geopolitics in revolutions in small and dependent states.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Social Science History Association

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