Patrolling the Revolution: Worker Militias, Citizenship, and the Modern Chinese State

Patrolling the Revolution examines the role of worker militias in modern Chinese history, focusing on the period from the 1920s through the Cultural Revolution. The book centers on Shanghai's industrial enterprises and their armed worker groups. The narrative tracks how successive Chinese governments utilized and controlled these militias for maintaining social order and advancing political goals. Through extensive archival research and interviews, Perry documents the militias' evolution from informal security forces to institutionalized units integrated into state power structures. Worker militias served as a bridge between factory labor organizations and state authority, creating complex dynamics of citizenship and control. The research reveals how Chinese industrial workers balanced their roles as both producers and defenders of the revolution. This study presents key insights about state-society relations in modern China and raises questions about how authoritarian governments maintain power through strategic incorporation of popular forces.

Readers note this academic text examines worker militias in Shanghai from 1952-1966 through firsthand accounts and archival materials. Readers appreciated: - Detailed research and extensive use of primary sources - Clear explanation of how militias connected labor and state power - Balanced analysis of militia members' motivations and experiences Main critiques: - Dense academic writing style that can be difficult to follow - Limited geographic scope focused mainly on Shanghai - High price point ($45+) puts it out of reach for general readers Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (5 ratings) WorldCat: No ratings available Amazon: No ratings available The book appears primarily read in academic settings, with few public reviews available online. One history professor noted on H-Net Reviews that Perry "makes a compelling case for seeing Chinese worker militias as more than just tools of state control." A graduate student reviewer on Academia.edu praised the "thorough archival work" but wished for "more comparative analysis with militias in other regions."

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📚 Author Elizabeth Perry conducted extensive fieldwork in the Shanghai textile district, interviewing former militia members and examining previously unavailable factory archives to uncover the daily operations of worker militias. 🏭 Shanghai's worker militias, which are the focus of the book, date back to the 1920s and played a crucial role in both defending and policing China's industrial workers throughout multiple political regimes. 🗣 The book reveals how worker militias served as a bridge between factory floor operations and state authority, creating a unique form of "military citizenship" that shaped Chinese labor politics. ⚔️ During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), these militias sometimes acted independently of state control, occasionally turning against government authorities despite their official role as state enforcers. 🌏 The research presented in this book challenges conventional Western assumptions about civil-military relations by showing how armed civilian groups can simultaneously serve as agents of both state power and popular resistance.