Skip to main content Skip to footer site map
Nimitz Library
Nimitz Library

Bruce Swanson Papers, 1894-1974: Finding Aid

Published in 1988

Summary Information

  • Publisher: United States Naval Academy. Special Collections & Archives.
  • Publisher Address:
    589 McNair Road
    Annapolis, Maryland 21402-5029, USA
    Phone: 410-293-6917
    https://www.usna.edu/Library/sca/index.php
  • Call number: MS 232
  • Location: Special Collections & Archives Department - Manuscripts
  • Title: Bruce Swanson Papers
  • Dates: 1894-1974
  • Size: 6.88 linear feet
  • Container Summary: 6 manuscript boxes, 1 half-manuscript box, 4 flat boxes
  • Creator: Swanson, Bruce, 1937-
  • Language(s) of material: English
  • Abstract: Bruce Swanson is an author, strategy analyst, and former officer in the U.S. Navy who specializes in Chinese maritime affairs. The Papers consist of photocopies of research materials used by Swanson in writing Eighth Voyage of the Dragon: A History of China's Quest for Seapower, and focus on Chinese sea power during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with special attention to the Communist period.

Biography of Bruce Swanson

Born in 1937, Bruce Swanson received an M.S. degree in Mandarin Chinese from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. from Loyola College of Baltimore. An authority on Chinese maritime affairs, Swanson authored Eighth Voyage of the Dragon: A History of China's Quest for Seapower, published in 1982, and A Plain Sailorman in China: The Life and Times of Cdr. I.V. Gillis, USN, 1875-1948, published in 2012. Swanson is also the author of numerous articles on the Chinese navy. In addition to his writings on the subject of the Chinese navy, Swanson has lectured at the United States Naval Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School.

Aside from his work as an author, Swanson has served as an officer in the United States Navy, being assigned to duties in Asia for six years, and later, as a strategy analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia.

Back to Top

Description of Contents

The Bruce Swanson Papers, comprising 6.88 linear feet of documentation, span from 1894 to 1974. The Papers consist of photocopies of research materials used by Swanson in writing Eighth Voyage of the Dragon: A History of China's Quest for Seapower (Annapolis, MD, U.S. Naval Institute Press, 1982), and focus on Chinese sea power during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with special attention to the Communist period.

The Swanson Papers include many declassified U.S. naval documents; People's Republic of China news releases, briefs, and periodical articles; American periodical articles; scholarly papers; book chapters, and other materials. The Papers are primarily in English or are English translations, although some documents are in the original Chinese.

Back to Top

Arrangement

The Bruce Swanson Papers are arranged by item number, as assigned by the collection creator.

Back to Top

Access and Use

Access

Access is unrestricted.

Copyright and Permission

The Bruce Swanson Papers are the physical property of Nimitz Library. Copyright belongs to the authors or creators of the works, or their legal representatives. For further information, consult the Head, Special Collections & Archives.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure written permission to publish, reprint, or reproduce material from Special Collections & Archives. The researcher assumes responsibility for infringement of copyright or literary or publication rights. Please contact the Head, Special Collections & Archives for permission to publish and for further information.

Back to Top

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

Gift of Bruce Swanson in 1974.

Back to Top

Related Materials

Related Archival Material

Additional material pertaining to Chinese naval history may be found in the David G. Muller, Jr. Papers, 1946-1984, MS 233 at Special Collections & Archives, Nimitz Library.

Materials Cataloged Separately

No materials have been removed from this collection and cataloged separately.

Back to Top

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Bruce Swanson Papers, MS 232

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Selected Bibliography

The following sources were consulted during preparation of the biographical note:

Swanson, Bruce. Eighth Voyage of the Dragon: A History of China's Quest for Seapower. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1982.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Mary R. Catalfamo in 1988. Finding aid written by Mary R. Catalfamo in 1988 and revised by David D'Onofrio in May 2014.

Back to Top

Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

  • China -- History, Naval
  • Sea-power -- China -- History
  • Swanson, Bruce, 1937-

Genre Terms

  • Articles
  • Excerpts
  • Manuscripts
  • Research notes
Back to Top

Contents List

Box 1 Folder 1

No. 1 - Territorial Claims/Oil, 1973-1974

Paracels Incident/History of China's Claims in South China Seas.

Box 1 Folder 2

No. 2 - Maritime Militia, 1954-1974

The Theory Behind the Militia; Coastal Defense and Relationships with People's Republic of China Navy; Production; Fishing Agreements and Foreign Relations with Peru and Japan; Organization and Politics.

Box 2 Folder 1

No. 3 - Merchant Shipping, 1954-1974

People's Republic of China Merchant Shipping Policy/Strategy; Miscellaneous Information Related to Merchant Shipping Organization; Purchases from Foreign Countries - Easter Bloc General, Japan, Holland, Sweden, France; Examples of Indigenous Construction; Maritime Visits/Agreements; Visits Overseas Regarding Maritime Matters with England, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, North Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Chile, North Korea, Japan, Norway, Bulgaria, Zaire, Poland; Chippings and Transport in Communist China.

Box 2 Folder 2

No. 4 - PRC Navy 1946-1953, 1949-1954

1953 Strength, Disposition and Capabilities of People's Republic of China Navy; 1949-1953 the Creation of the 85th Seaman Division; 1952 Organization and Activities of the People's Republic of China Navy; 1951 Organization and Activities of the People's Republic of China Navy; 1951 Naval Events in South China; 1950 Early OOB Info and Organizational Changes; the Origins of the People's Republic of China Navy.

Box 3 Folder 1

No. 5 - PRC Navy 1954-1960, 1954-1972

Sings of the Sino-Soviet Split; Strength, Disposition, Activities of the People's Republic of China Navy 1954-1959.

Box 3 Folder 2

No. 6 - PRC Navy 1960 to Present [1974], 1961-1974

Strength, Disposition, Activities of the People's Republic of China Navy, 1961-1974.

Box 4 Folder 1

No. 7 - [Miscellaneous], 1951-1974

Public Security Force and Coastal Defense; Conscription System; People's Republic of China Navy and Production (Agriculture); Personality Information; Power Struggles and Purge; The Modern Version of to Buy or Build; Regionalism; The Lin Pao Affair; The Politics of the People's Republic of China Navy - Theory and Practice.

Box 4 Folder 2

No. 8 - PRC Naval Strategy & Some Factors that Influence It, 1956-1974

Box 5 Folder 1

No. 9 - Tactics & Battle Reports, 1951-1971

Box 6 Folder 1

No. 10 - Air Force, Marines, Naval Air, Junk Navy, Coastal Radar, 1952-1971

Box 6 Folder 2

No. 11 - Foreign Relations - Naval Implications, 1950-1974

U.S.S.R. after 1960; U.S.S.R. Prior to Split in 1959-1960; Japan; North Korea; Albania; United States; Algeria; Mali; Ethiopia; Sri Lanka; Romania; Congo; Tanzania; Taiwan.

Box 6 Folder 3

No. 12 - General Port/Facility Information, 1947-1974

General; Inland Rivers; Hainan Island; Canton/Whampoa; Chanchiang; San Men, Chekiang; Nanking; Yangtze River; Shanghai; Wu Shih, Kiangsu; Tsingtao; Luta (Lushun/Dairen); Tientsin; Po Hai Gulf (General).

Box 6 Folder 4

No. 13 - Misc. Info Re Soviet Navy and Its Probably Influence on the PRC Navy (1950-1960), 1950-1960

Box 6 Folder 5

No. 14 - Lasers, Computers/Electronics, Machine Building, Oceanography, 1956-1973

Box 6 Folder 6

No. 15 - Misc. Info Re PRC Naval Training, 1952-1971

Box 7 Folder 1

No. 16 - "The Red Chinese Navy and the Red Rift Naval Implications of Peking-Moscow Differences," by Capt. E.J. Cummings, Jr., USN, 1963

Box 7 Folder 2

No. 17 - "Political Aspects of the PRC Navy 1949-1972", 1974

Midshipman First Class Paper by Michael I. Turner.

Box 7 Folder 3

No. 18 - "The Politics of the Chinese People's Navy 1949-1969", 1974

Box 7 Folder 4

No. 19 - The Sino-Soviet Debate Over the Indian Ocean and the Third World Propaganda, 1969-1974

Box 7 Folder 5

No. 20 - The Law of the Sea & Naval Implications, 1971-1974

Box 7 Folder 6

No. 21 - The Cultural Revolution and the PRC Navy, 1966-1969

Box 8 Folder 1

No. 22 - No Title [Chicom Army - History and Description, undated

Box 8 Folder 2

No. 23 - No Title [Primarily Pre-PRC Naval History, 1968, undated

Box 8 Folder 3

No. 24 - Background Articles, 1959-1972

Nuclear Weapons and Science; Regionalism; Military Affairs; Cultural Revolution.

Box 9 Folder 1

No. 25 - General Notes on Japanese Fleet During Japan-China War. Notes on Yaloo, undated

Box 9 Folder 2

No. 26 - Naval Battles on the Yalu, September 17, 1894, 1907

Box 9 Folder 3

No. 27 - Chino-Japanese War 1894-1895, 1896

Box 9 Folder 4

No. 28 - Deductions Drawn from the Yaloo Fight; Sketch of "Ting Yuen" Showing Punishment Received, 1894

Box 9 Folder 5

No. 29 - General Notes on Ships of the Japanese Navy After Battle of Yalu, 1895

Box 9 Folder 6

No. 30 - Conditions of Chinese Vessels After Their Capture by the Japanese..., 1895

Box 9 Folder 7

No. 31 - "The Battle of the Yalu", undated

By Ensign Frank Marble, U.S. Navy.

Box 9 Folder 8

No. 32 - Biographical Sketches, 1967-1971

Box 9 Folder 9

No. 33 - "1915", 1915

Box 9 Folder 10

No. 34 - "1916", 1916

Box 9 Folder 11

No. 35 - "1912", 1912

Box 9 Folder 12

No. 36 - "1913", 1913

Box 9 Folder 13

No. 37 - "1914", 1914

Box 9 Folder 14

No. 38 - Policies of Nationalist (Kuomintang) Government China, 1928-1933

Box 9 Folder 15

No. 39 - Reorganization of the Chinese Navy, 1909

Box 9 Folder 16

No. 40 - A. The Yalu Fight; B. Condition of Chinese Ships After, 1894

Box 9 Folder 17

No. 41 - "The Chinese Navy General Data 1907-1937", 1907

Box 9 Folder 18

No. 42 - "Chinese Naval Stations 1895-1912", 1911

Box 9 Folder 19

No. 43 - "Regulations of the Chinese Navy 1910-1911", 1911

Box 9 Folder 20

No. 44 - "Ships, China - General Information 1940-1944", 1944

Box 9 Folder 21

No. 45 - "The Chinese Navy - 1943", 1943

Box 9 Folder 22

No. 46 - "Chinese Navy - General Data 1944", 1944

Box 9 Folder 23

No. 47 - "Lo Ming Link - Wilbur & Howe 1933", undated

Box 9 Folder 24

No. 48 - "Mao - Selected Works - Lo Ming Line 1933", undated

Box 9 Folder 25

No. 49 - "Instruction Chinese Navy 1944-45", 1945

Box 9 Folder 26

No. 50 - "Ships, China - General Information 1935-37", 1935-1937

Box 9 Folder 27

No. 51 - "British Naval Mission to China 1929-1934", 1934

Box 10 Folder 1

No. 52 - "1917-1920", 1914-1920

Box 10 Folder 2

No. 53 - "1927-1928", 1928

Box 10 Folder 3

No. 54 - "Political Conditions, China, 1928-1929", 1929

Box 10 Folder 4

No. 55 - "1929-1930", 1929-1930

Box 10 Folder 5

No. 56 - "China's Foreign Advisers", 1936

Box 10 Folder 6

No. 57 - "Shipment of Arms and Ammunition to China 1929-30", 1929-1930

Box 10 Folder 7

No. 58 - "Chinese Naval Schools", 1900-1914

Box 10 Folder 8

No. 59 - Wu-Chiang Kai-Shek's March 20th Coup of 1926, 1927-1974

Box 10 Folder 9

No. 60 - "1923-1924", 1924

Box 10 Folder 10

No. 61 - "Ships China 1929-1934", 1929-1934

Box 10 Folder 11

No. 62 - 1896 - Naval Aspects of the Sino-Japanese War, 1896

By Vice Admiral Sir E.R. Freemantle.

Box 10 Folder 12

No. 64 - "Political Conditions of China, 1933-1934", 1933

Box 10 Folder 13

No. 65 - "1931-32", 1932

Box 10 Folder 14

No. 66 - "1933-34", 1933-1934

Box 10 Folder 15

No. 67 - "1935-39", 1935-1938

Box 10 Folder 16

No. 68 - "Political Conditions in China - 1927", 1927

Box 10 Folder 17

No. 69 - China's Discover of Africa - Ming Period - by Duyvendak, 1949

Box 10 Folder 18

No. 70 - "The Emergence of China As A Sea Power during the Late Sung and Early Yuan Periods", 1955

Box 10 Folder 19

No. 71 - "The Chinese War Junk" Pre 20th Century, 1948

By G.R.G. Worchester

Box 10 Folder 20

No. 72 - "The Background and Causes of China's Traditional Disesteem of Sea Power", 1971

Box 10 Folder 21

No. 73 - Lo - "Decline of the Early Ming Navy", undated

Box 10 Folder 22

No. 74 - Hirth/Rockhill - "Chau Ju-Kua: His Work in the Chinese and Arab Trade in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries", 1912

Box 10 Folder 23

No. 75 - Reischauer - Notes on T'ang Dynasty Sea Routes, 1940-1941

Box 11 Folder 1

No. 76 - Fitzgerald - "Mongol and Ming in South-East Asia", 1972

Box 11 Folder 2

No. 77 - Thompson - "Junk Passage- Taiwan Straits 18th Century", 1968

Box 11 Folder 3

No. 79 - Su - "Places Visited by Cheng Ho (1405-1433)", 1967

Box 11 Folder 4

No. 80 - Hsu - "The Great Policy Debate in China, 1874: Maritime Defense vs. Frontier Defense", 1965

Box 11 Folder 5

No. 81 - "1925-26", 1928

Box 11 Folder 6

No. 82 - Piracy and Water Police, 1946-1949

Box 11 Folder 7

No. 83 - "1948", 1947-1948

Box 11 Folder 8

No. 84 - "1947", 1947

Box 11 Folder 9

No. 85 - "1948", 1946-1948

Box 11 Folder 10

No. 86 - "The Chinese Navy, Promotion, Pay, Etc.", 1907-1910

Box 11 Folder 11

No. 87 - "Mainland China as a Potential Sea Power" - Naval War College Review, undated

By LCDR Donald D. Pizinger.

Box 11 Folder 12

No. 88 - The Army in the Cultural Revolution, undated

Box 11 Folder 13

No. 89 - Selected Soviet Military Translations, 1959

Box 11 Folder 14

No. 90 - 1959 Articles from "Liberation Daily", 1959

Box 11 Folder 15

No. 91 - Chinese Army - Washington Post, 1972

Box 11 Folder 16

No. 92 - Reference Materials/Misc. Notes, undated

Box 11 Folder 17

No. 93 - KMT Navy Pre-1949 - Houchins, 1971

Box 11 Folder 18

No. 94 - "1949", 1949

Box 11 Folder 19

No. 95 - "1946", 1946

Back to Top