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When the Iron Bird Flies: China's Secret War in Tibet
An untold story that reshapes our understanding of Chinese and Tibetan history
From 1956 to 1962, devastating military conflicts took place in China's southwestern and northwestern regions. Official record at the time scarcely made mention of the campaign, and in the years since only lukewarm acknowledgment of the violence has surfaced. When the Iron Bird Flies, by Jianglin Li, breaks this decades long silence to reveal for the first time a comprehensive and explosive picture of the six years that would prove definitive in modern Tibetan and Chinese history.
The CCP referred to the campaign as suppressing the Tibetan rebellion. It would lead to the 14th Dalai Lama's exile in India, as well as the Tibetan diaspora in 1959, though the battles lasted three additional years after these events. Featuring key figures in modern Chinese history, the battles waged in this period covered a vast geographical region. This book offers a portrait of chaos, deception, heroism, and massive loss. Beyond the significant death toll across the Tibetan regions, the war also destroyed most Tibetan monasteries in a concerted effort to eradicate local religion and scholarship.
Despite being considered a military success, to this day, the operations in the agricultural regions remain unknown. As large numbers of Tibetans have self-immolated in recent years to protest Chinese occupation, Li shows that the largest number of cases occurred in the sites most heavily affected by this hidden war. She argues persuasively that the events described in this book will shed more light on our current moment, and will help us understand the unrelenting struggle of the Tibetan people for their freedom.
From 1956 to 1962, devastating military conflicts took place in China's southwestern and northwestern regions. Official record at the time scarcely made mention of the campaign, and in the years since only lukewarm acknowledgment of the violence has surfaced. When the Iron Bird Flies, by Jianglin Li, breaks this decades long silence to reveal for the first time a comprehensive and explosive picture of the six years that would prove definitive in modern Tibetan and Chinese history.
The CCP referred to the campaign as suppressing the Tibetan rebellion. It would lead to the 14th Dalai Lama's exile in India, as well as the Tibetan diaspora in 1959, though the battles lasted three additional years after these events. Featuring key figures in modern Chinese history, the battles waged in this period covered a vast geographical region. This book offers a portrait of chaos, deception, heroism, and massive loss. Beyond the significant death toll across the Tibetan regions, the war also destroyed most Tibetan monasteries in a concerted effort to eradicate local religion and scholarship.
Despite being considered a military success, to this day, the operations in the agricultural regions remain unknown. As large numbers of Tibetans have self-immolated in recent years to protest Chinese occupation, Li shows that the largest number of cases occurred in the sites most heavily affected by this hidden war. She argues persuasively that the events described in this book will shed more light on our current moment, and will help us understand the unrelenting struggle of the Tibetan people for their freedom.
578 pages, ebook
Published January 18, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 21, 2022
A ground-breaking, heart-wrenching study of the neglected page of Chinese history.
In 'When the Iron Bird Flies: China's Secret War in Tibet,' Jianglin Li pulls back the curtain to reveal the scope of the operations against the peaceful Tibetan population from 1956 to 1962. The material is not easy to access because the Chinese rarely mention this period of Tibet's socialist transformation. If noted, it is labeled as insurrection and the struggle of counterrevolutionaries against the people's democracy. The following reforms/movements transpired at different times in different Tibetan areas:
the democratic/land reform (redistribution of land, raising class awareness of the poor, and turning them against the nobles);
'rebellion prevention' policy;'
'rectification and anti-rightist struggle;'
establishment of animal husbandry cooperatives and collective pastures;
religious reform movement.
Despite Mao's desire to proceed in Tibet as in other minority regions, he had to make concessions to Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama, two prominent figures in the Buddhist world. Lamas' presence on Chinese soil confirmed the legitimacy of the communist regime. Stripping them of power and imposition of reforms has been happening insensibly, but in the end, Dalai Lama, fearing for his life, decided to seek refuge in India.
Jianglin Li did tremendous work bringing together the controversial official and unofficial records. In the book, battles that had previously deserved two-three lines in a newspaper unravel into the names of real Tibetan people and the numbers of Chinese divisions that participated in suppressing the 'rebels.' In the chapters where the author wanted to show all sides of the conflict, she gradually cites all available sources, measuring their correspondence to reality.
The author waters down the generally dry text by adding personal stories of survivors. The relative minus of the stories is that they are distributed within many chapters, and it's hard to follow who is who.
Overall, I'd like the book to be more approachable. Aside from the personal part, the text is more suitable for scholars than for a broad public. It's the source of vital information and, as such, can't be read/processed in one sitting.
I recommend the book as competent, ground-level research of the atrocities committed by the Chinese against Tibetans. Tibet is not a focal point in international politics, but people who died in the name of a better future shouldn't be forgotten.
In 'When the Iron Bird Flies: China's Secret War in Tibet,' Jianglin Li pulls back the curtain to reveal the scope of the operations against the peaceful Tibetan population from 1956 to 1962. The material is not easy to access because the Chinese rarely mention this period of Tibet's socialist transformation. If noted, it is labeled as insurrection and the struggle of counterrevolutionaries against the people's democracy. The following reforms/movements transpired at different times in different Tibetan areas:
the democratic/land reform (redistribution of land, raising class awareness of the poor, and turning them against the nobles);
'rebellion prevention' policy;'
'rectification and anti-rightist struggle;'
establishment of animal husbandry cooperatives and collective pastures;
religious reform movement.
Despite Mao's desire to proceed in Tibet as in other minority regions, he had to make concessions to Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama, two prominent figures in the Buddhist world. Lamas' presence on Chinese soil confirmed the legitimacy of the communist regime. Stripping them of power and imposition of reforms has been happening insensibly, but in the end, Dalai Lama, fearing for his life, decided to seek refuge in India.
Jianglin Li did tremendous work bringing together the controversial official and unofficial records. In the book, battles that had previously deserved two-three lines in a newspaper unravel into the names of real Tibetan people and the numbers of Chinese divisions that participated in suppressing the 'rebels.' In the chapters where the author wanted to show all sides of the conflict, she gradually cites all available sources, measuring their correspondence to reality.
The author waters down the generally dry text by adding personal stories of survivors. The relative minus of the stories is that they are distributed within many chapters, and it's hard to follow who is who.
Overall, I'd like the book to be more approachable. Aside from the personal part, the text is more suitable for scholars than for a broad public. It's the source of vital information and, as such, can't be read/processed in one sitting.
I recommend the book as competent, ground-level research of the atrocities committed by the Chinese against Tibetans. Tibet is not a focal point in international politics, but people who died in the name of a better future shouldn't be forgotten.
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June 19, 2022I think this has bearing even today. History will ineluctably repeat itself in with various iterations. Li has presented material that she has painstakingly uncovered.
Though difficult follow the stories she tells of people, I found the historical account easy to digest.
The details are heartbreaking but are required reading.
Though difficult follow the stories she tells of people, I found the historical account easy to digest.
The details are heartbreaking but are required reading.
June 30, 2022
This was another powerful read on China.
I quite enjoyed Li's writing and research into this.
I learned a lot.
I really want to watch Seven Years in Tibet now.
3.9/5
I quite enjoyed Li's writing and research into this.
I learned a lot.
I really want to watch Seven Years in Tibet now.
3.9/5
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews