Soviet Anti-Epidemic Teams in Manchuria and Inner Mongolia, 1947–1949

Abstract

Introduction. The issue of Soviet medical assistance to Northeast China in combating plague in 1947–1949 remains understudied in Russia. However, the anti-epidemic teams dispatched by the Soviet Red Cross did make a significant contribution to the struggle against plague in China, and the medical assistance proper proved an efficient ‘soft power’ tool of the USSR. Goals. The article attempts an insight into how the Soviet Union managed to help China combat the plague in the harsh political situation caused by the Chinese Civil War. Materials and methods. The study examines documents contained in Collection Р-9501 (‘Union of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the USSR’) of Russia’s State Archive, most of the former being reports by physicians of Soviet Red Cross affiliated sanitary/epidemiological teams. Special attention is also paid to related scholarly papers by China-based researchers. In terms of theory, the article rests on J. Nye’s concept of ‘soft power’ and a geopolitical approach to historical research. Results. The three years (from 1947 to 1949) witnessed a triumph of joint efforts by Soviet and Chinese medical specialists in their struggle against plague epidemics in Northeast China. Soviet physicians would selflessly tackle anti-epidemic measures in the spirit of internationalism to earn the respect of local communities and the gratitude of Chinese leaders. At the same time, the elimination of plague across the ‘liberated areas’ of Manchuria contributed to the region’s stabilization and increased the population’s confidence in the Chinese Communist Party. Conclusions. The anti-epidemic endeavors of the Soviet Red Cross were not only to demonstrate the achievements of Soviet medicine and promote a positive image of the country but also to guarantee epidemic safety along its borders. The medical assistance to the Communist government of Northeast China did as well serve the geopolitical interests of the Soviet Union, since it had a positive impact on the course of the Chinese Civil War — in favor of the USSR.

Keywords

• plague
• soft power
• northeast china
• manchuria
• inner mongolia
• soviet red cross