ABSTRACT
This chapter examines two dimensions of the civil-military dualism. One is the party's penetration of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) by means of political indoctrination, the commissar system, and party organizations in the armed forces. The other is the military's penetration of the party and government agencies as manifested in the levels of military representation in central and provincial party and administrative organs. The party's political arid ideological indoctrination was a key factor in explaining the military's role in politics during the Maoist era. The political role of the PLA was rooted in the system of civil-military dualism and was further enhanced by the political indoctrination of military forces. Like political and ideological indoctrination, the party's organizational control cannot fully explain the ultimate compliance of the army. Political work was considered the "lifeline" of the PLA. Yet during the Maoist era, it was aimed at enhancing the political role of the army rather than limiting it.
