Chiang and Mao were the “twin stars” of China: their capital cities, Chongqing and Yan’an, symbolized the hopes of millions that China would triumph. But the years of war had worn away at Chongqing, whereas the power of Yan’an had grown. Policy was central to the rise of Yan’an—but as in Nanjing and Chongqing, so was terror. No longer just first among equals, Mao saw his status continue to rise as “Mao Zedong Thought” became synonymous with ideological correctness in the base area. The study of Mao’s thought became the basis on which party membership was decided. Of twenty-two important texts
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