Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the connection between key policy and ideological documents conceived both prior to and following the Revolution with the use of Model Workers for propaganda purposes. It also explores the Model Worker in action through an examination of the propaganda campaigns enacted by the Chinese Communist Party to further the promotion of its core values. The book examines the nationalist aspirations of the signing of the ‘Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance’ and China’s involvement in the Korean War. It focuses on a close, detailed examination of cinematic propaganda material for the Model Workers of the People’s Democratic Dictatorship. The book considers the PRC’s evolving use of the poster medium, from its origins with the adaptation of the traditional ‘nianhua’ style to the later adoption of ‘socialist realism'.