Behind the Bamboo Curtain: US Ambassadors to China, 1945-1957

Abstract

John Leighton Stuart and Karl Lott Rankin were ambassadors to China during the years 1945 until 1957. Stuart, who was assigned to mainland China for the entire four years of his ambassadorship (1945-1949), was primarily concerned with forming a coalition government between the Guomindang or Chinese Nationalists Party (GMD) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). His successor, Karl Lott Rankin, was assigned briefly to the mainland, but was moved to the island of Taiwan after the Communist takeover on October 1, 1949. For the duration of his ambassadorship (1949-1957) Rankin was primarily responsible for keeping the peace between the CCP and the GMD. Both men not only reported about events in their respective regions, but also gave their opinions about US strategy in the region. Through the examination of telegrams, letters, and memoirs, the author examines how the opinions of Ambassadors Rankin and Stuart differed from those State Department officials as well as the Presidents of the United States in the time period examined. The author will attempt to conclude whether or not Rankin's and Stuart's opinions were taken into consideration when forming foreign policy in the region. If their opinions were not taken into consideration the author will examine why.