Indoctrinating the Youth: Secondary Education in Wartime China and Postwar Taiwan, 1937-1960

The book "Indoctrinating the Youth" explores how the Guomindang (GMD or Nationalists) sought to maintain control of middle-school students and cultivate their political loyalty during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War, and postwar Taiwan. By comparing two key youth organizations, the Three Peoples Principles Youth Corps in China and the CYC on Taiwan, Jennifer Liu investigates how GMD leaders Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo tried to build support among young people. The book also illuminates the day-to-day operations of military training in gender-segregated upper-middle schools, including how the government selected instructors and the skills taught to students. Mandatory military training contributed to preventing major protest against the government, but the policy was not without critics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 277 pages
Publication date: 31 January 2024
Publisher: University of Hawai'i Press

Indoctrinating the Youth delves into the intricate strategies employed by the Guomindang (GMD or Nationalists) to maintain control over middle-school students and cultivate their unwavering political loyalty throughout the course of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chinese Civil War, and the postwar era in Taiwan. During the tumultuous Sino-Japanese War, the Nationalists adeptly managed the influx of refugee students by merging schools, publishing and distributing revised textbooks, and providing support to students as they journeyed to the interior alongside their principals and teachers. In Taiwan, the China Youth Corps (CYC) emerged as a potent symbol of the regime's successful establishment. Tracing the Nationalist efforts to indoctrinate ideology and martial spirit, Jennifer Liu embarks on a profound investigation to unravel how GMD leaders Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo sought to garner support among the young generation in their endeavors to stabilize Taiwanese society under their rule. By comparing two pivotal youth organizations, the Three Peoples Principles Youth Corps in China and the CYC on Taiwan, Liu employs education as a prism to analyze the intricate process of state-building in modern China.

Liu's meticulous analysis of the inner workings of GMD youth organizations sheds light on the day-to-day operations of military training in gender-segregated upper-middle schools. It reveals the government's selection process for instructors and the skills imparted to students. Mandatory military training, according to Liu, played a significant role in deterring large-scale protests against the government. However, this policy did not go uncontested. Intellectuals, parents, and students expressed their dissent, perceiving it as an excessive exercise of control by a repressive government and a waste of resources that interfered with academic pursuits. The government-mandated civics curriculum, encompassing government-approved textbooks and standards, unveils the core principles and duties upheld by GMD officials.

In conclusion, Indoctrinating the Youth offers a comprehensive exploration of the Nationalists' efforts to shape the minds of middle-school students and instill political loyalty during a period of immense historical significance. Through meticulous research and analysis, Liu sheds light on the strategies employed by the GMD to control the minds of young people and establish a stable society in Taiwan. By comparing two key youth organizations and examining the role of education, Liu provides valuable insights into the complex processes of state-building and the interplay between government, society, and the individual in modern China.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780824895570