The China Mission: George Marshall's Unfinished War

In the history of the United States, many have emphasized the victories won on the battlefield over the triumphs of diplomacy and negotiation. But as World War II came to an end, General George Marshall's final assignment wasn't to win a war—it was to stop one.

The details of this high-stakes assignment are the subject of The China Mission, a new book from Class of 2015 National Fellow Daniel Kurtz-Phelan. Marshall was sent across the Pacific in the face of eruptive conflict between Chinese Communists and Nationalists, and in just thirteen months in China, was tasked with the perilous mission to broker a peace, build a Chinese democracy, and stave off World War III. Although a historical account, The China Mission couldn't be more topical; as China continues its rapid ascent on the geopolitical stage and moves to eliminate the two-term presidential limit to seize indefinite power for Xi Jinping, the book goes behind the curtain of the inner workings of American diplomacy to uncover a gripping portrait of a man that set the standard for modern American leadership and would shape the U.S.-China relationship for decades to come. 

Join New America for a conversation with Daniel Kurtz-Phelan along with Shane Harris, a 2015 National Fellow and current Fellow with the International Security Program as well as a staff writer with the Washington Post. 

Participants: 

Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, @dankurtzphelan 
Executive Editor, Foreign Affairs 
New America National Fellow, Class of 2015 
Author, The China Mission 

Shane Harris, @shaneharris
Staff Writer, Washington Post 
International Security Fellow, New America 
New America National Fellow, Class of 2015