2.) The message conveyed by the Communist poster is meant as a way to instill a sense of gratitude in the local Chinese for the Soviet involvement in the war against Japan. This was used in order to make the Red Army, and thus Communism, seem as the only possible means for national defense.
3.) The journal excerpt comes from Chiang Kaishek, the leader of the Chinese nationalists. The text was written as a means of expressing the frustration Kaishek felt with the decreasing influence Nationalists had, following the rise in Communism. The source is valuable because it gives an insight into Kaisheks personal thoughts, without hesitation as to his being subjected to public scrutiny. The source fails to explain how the Nationalist army was able to overcome these setbacks in order to attempt to deal with the Communist rebels.
4.) While the text itself is from an American monograph, but it frequently borrows from the personal diary of Chiang Kaishek. This can be seen as a large benefit as a journal would not have been subject to censorship and editing as much of the information would have been at the outbreak and peak of the war. The fact that it is an American monograph would normally be a limitation, but seeing as the author is not only a native Chinese speaker, but holds a doctorate in linguistics, it is safe to assume that the translation of diary entries is as accurate as possible. Dr. Chang would, however, be capable of holding a personal bias towards the Chinese people and having grown up and therefore partially educated in Mao era China, the Communist system itself. Both Dr. Chang and Mr. Halliday were educated in British universities which would have had a negative view of Communism.
4.) While the text itself is from an American monograph, but it frequently borrows from the personal diary of Chiang Kaishek. This can be seen as a large benefit as a journal would not have been subject to censorship and editing as much of the information would have been at the outbreak and peak of the war. The fact that it is an American monograph would normally be a limitation, but seeing as the author is not only a native Chinese speaker, but holds a doctorate in linguistics, it is safe to assume that the translation of diary entries is as accurate as possible. Dr. Chang would, however, be capable of holding a personal bias towards the Chinese people and having grown up and therefore partially educated in Mao era China, the Communist system itself. Both Dr. Chang and Mr. Halliday were educated in British universities which would have had a negative view of Communism.
