The first few paragraphs about communist troops entering Shanghai in 1949 are important and deserve some comment. Yes, communist troops entering Shanghai in 1949 were generally well-disciplined. From earliest days of Chinese Red Army, the communist /1 economist.com/china/2021/01/…
military leadership under Mao Zedong and Zhu De formulated and imposed upon their troops a strict moral code of conduct, the 3 Rules of Discipline and 8 Points of Attention (3/8 Behavior), to contrast themselves from the motley of poorly-behaved Nationalist-affiliated warlord /2
troops they were fighting against, in gaining popular sympathy and support among civilians. Of course, this was very much also a distraction, and in no way diminished the numerous atrocities that the communist military leadership had also perpetuated against socioeconomically /3
privileged landlords and wealthy peasants and against political enemies, also starting from the earliest days of the Chinese Red Army. Fast forward two decades to 1949, the 3/8 Code of Conduct remained integral to the communist army brand, although many examples of soldiers /4
and cadres not heeding the 3/8 Code of Conduct existed. In general, communist troops entering Shanghai in 1949 were well-behaved according to the 3/8 Code of Conduct. They slept on streets, and did not requisition civilian housing or supplies. They did not brutalize the /5
civilian population. Hence it is not surprising, that even many people of the Western expat community in Shanghai greeted the communist military presence with sympathy if not support. But ultimately it was all a distraction and they were fooled, since the bloody purges and /6
imprisonment or execution of thousands of civilians designated as counter-revolutionary elements in Shanghai and beyond, in the early years of the People's Republic, are well-established in the historical record for posterity. It is far too easy to be enticed by distraction. /e
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