Anna Louise Strong

Anna Louise Strong (1885–1970) was an American journalist and political activist who reported from the Soviet Union and China and supported communist movements.

Connect

John Reed: An American journalist and socialist whose eyewitness account of the Russian Revolution became Ten Days That Shook the World. Like Strong, Reed reported on revolution from within and defended communist movements.
Red Star Over China: Edgar Snow’s 1937 book reporting on the Chinese Communist movement and its leaders. Snow’s account offers a prominent comparison for Strong’s later reporting on China.
Progressive Era: A period of political and social reform in the United States from the 1890s through the 1920s. Strong began her public career amid reform campaigns that shaped her early activism.
Sino-Soviet alliance: The political and military partnership between the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China after 1949. Strong reported on both countries while their alliance shaped communist politics in Asia.
Edgar Snow: An American journalist whose Red Star Over China introduced many Western readers to the Chinese Communist movement. Snow’s reporting on Chinese Communists parallels Strong’s coverage of the revolution.
The Stalin Era: Anna Louise Strong’s 1956 book defending the Soviet Union’s record under Joseph Stalin. The book crystallizes Strong’s defense of Stalin amid growing criticism of his rule.
Russian Revolution: The upheavals of 1917 that ended imperial rule in Russia and brought the Bolsheviks to power. The revolution became a central subject of Strong’s journalism and political commitment.
Moscow News: An English-language newspaper founded in Moscow in 1930 for international readers. Strong worked for this newspaper, bringing Soviet perspectives to an overseas audience.
Mao Zedong: A Chinese Communist revolutionary who led the People’s Republic of China from its founding in 1949 until 1976. Strong interviewed Mao and wrote extensively about the Chinese Communist leadership.
When Serfs Stood Up in Tibet: Anna Louise Strong’s 1959 account of China’s campaign to abolish serfdom in Tibet. This book presents her account of Chinese Communist rule in Tibet.