- Born:
- Feb. 23, 1892, Campground, Mo., U.S.
- Died:
- May 6, 1950, Oxford, Eng. (aged 58)
Agnes Smedley
-
Who was Agnes Smedley?
Agnes Smedley (1892–1950) was an American journalist and writer known for her articles and books about her experiences in China during the rise of Chinese communism.
Smedley worked to support her family from a young age and became involved in politics and the birth-control movement after moving to New York City. From 1919 to 1928, she lived in Berlin, teaching at the University of Berlin and writing for periodicals.
In 1928, Smedley went to China as a special correspondent, reporting on the growing communist movement and publishing books that endorsed it. In 1949, she was accused of being a Soviet spy, damaging her reputation. She sought refuge in England, where she completed a biography of Chinese communist military leader Zhu De.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What type of writing did Agnes Smedley do?
Agnes Smedley was an American journalist and writer known for her articles and books about her experiences in China during the rise of Chinese communism. Smedley wrote articles for periodicals and newspapers, including the Frankfurter Zeitung and the Manchester Guardian. Her books, such as Chinese Destinies (1933) and China’s Red Army Marches (1934), endorsed the communist movement. Battle Hymn of China (1943) is considered an excellent example of war journalism. She also wrote the autobiographical novel Daughter of Earth (1929).
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What topics did Agnes Smedley write about?
Agnes Smedley was an American journalist and writer known for her articles and books centered on her experiences in China during the rise of Chinese communism.
Smedley reported enthusiastically on the growing communist movement in China and endorsed it in her books Chinese Destinies and China’s Red Army Marches. She wrote about her experiences with the Eighth Route Army during the Sino-Japanese War in China Fights Back: An American Woman with the Eighth Route Army. Smedley also wrote about the Chinese Red Cross Medical Corps and the New Fourth Army. Her Battle Hymn of China is considered an excellent example of war journalism.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Where did Agnes Smedley work during her career?
Agnes Smedley worked in various locations throughout her career. She taught English at the University of Berlin from 1919 to 1928 while living in Berlin. In 1928, Smedley went to China as a special correspondent for the Frankfurter Zeitung, reporting on the growing communist movement from Shanghai and other locations. During the Sino-Japanese War, she traveled with the Eighth Route Army and worked with the Chinese Red Cross Medical Corps in Hankou. After returning to the United States in 1941, she continued to write and speak about Chinese communism. In 1949, she sought refuge in England, where she worked on a biography of Zhu De.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Agnes Smedley's writing influence public opinion?
Agnes Smedley's writings, particularly her books about China, such as Chinese Destinies (1933) and China’s Red Army Marches (1934), enthusiastically endorsed the communist movement and influenced public opinion. Her on-the-ground reports as a special correspondent and her book China Fights Back (1938) provided firsthand accounts of the Chinese communist efforts during the Sino-Japanese War. Smedley continued to promote the Chinese communists through her writings and speeches after returning to the United States in 1941, though this provoked increasing hostility.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why is Agnes Smedley considered important in the history of journalism?
Agnes Smedley is significant in journalism history for her enthusiastic reporting on the rise of Chinese communism. As a special correspondent in China, she reported on the communist movement and befriended writer Lu Xun. Smedley's immersive war journalism, exemplified by China Fights Back (1938) and Battle Hymn of China (1943), provided firsthand accounts of the Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Red Army. Despite facing accusations of being a Soviet spy, her work remains an important contribution to understanding China's revolutionary period.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Agnes Smedley (born Feb. 23, 1892, Campground, Mo., U.S.—died May 6, 1950, Oxford, Eng.) was a journalist and writer best known for a series of articles and books centred on her experiences in China during the growth of Chinese communism.
Smedley grew up under straitened circumstances. At an early age she began working after school to help support her family, and she dropped out of school completely in 1907. At age 16 she left home, and, over the next several years she studied and worked at a variety of jobs in the West and Southwest and went through a brief, unhappy marriage. After divorcing in 1916 she moved to New York City, where she worked and attended classes at New York University. While there she became involved in politics and the birth-control movement.
Smedley, who worked for Indian nationalist Lala Lajpat Rai, soon became involved in the cause. In 1918 she was arrested under the Espionage Act and charged with failure to register as an agent for the Indian nationalists, who, unbeknownst to her, had accepted funds from Germany. She was held in the Tombs in New York for a few weeks before the charges were dismissed, and she became thoroughly disenchanted with the United States. From 1919 to 1928 she lived in Berlin with the Indian nationalist leader Virendranath Chattopadhyaya. She taught English at the University of Berlin, did graduate work in Asian studies there, wrote articles for several periodicals, and helped establish Germany’s first public birth-control clinic. She began psychoanalysis in an attempt to combat depression, and, as a form of therapy, she began writing the autobiographical novel Daughter of Earth (1929).
In 1928 Smedley went to China as special correspondent for the Frankfurter Zeitung. From her base in Shanghai she traveled widely, befriending the great writer Lu Xun and reporting enthusiastically on the growing communist movement. Although she lost her connection with the Frankfurter Zeitung in 1930, she wrote for several other periodicals and newspapers, including the Manchester Guardian. She also published books about China (Chinese Destinies, 1933; and China’s Red Army Marches, 1934) that endorsed the communist movement. In 1936 she began a journey to reach communist-controlled northern China. She was in Xi’an (Sian) in December 1936 and made English-language broadcasts on the brief capture of Chiang Kai-shek by rebellious Manchurian troops. Early in 1937 she reached Mao Zedong’s headquarters in Yan’an. She underwent great hardships to travel with the Eighth Route Army (the Red Army) during the Sino-Japanese War and in 1938 published China Fights Back: An American Woman with the Eighth Route Army, on her experiences in Shanxi province. In Hankou she worked with the Chinese Red Cross Medical Corps, collected supplies for the Red Army, and served as a publicist for the communists until the city fell in 1938. She then traveled through central China with the New Fourth Army, a communist guerrilla force in Japanese-controlled areas, filing reports from time to time with the Manchester Guardian.
Smedley returned to the United States in 1941 and continued to write and speak widely on behalf of the Chinese communists. Her Battle Hymn of China (1943) is considered an excellent example of war journalism. Her speeches and sentiments, however, provoked an increasingly hostile response. In 1949 General Douglas MacArthur released an army intelligence report that outrageously charged her with being a Soviet spy. She threatened legal action, whereupon the secretary of the army admitted that the charge rested on no evidence. The era of McCarthyism had set in, however; Smedley’s reputation was irreparably damaged, and she could not find work. Later that year she sought refuge in England, where she worked to complete The Great Road: The Life and Times of Chu Teh, her biography of the Chinese communist military leader Zhu De, published posthumously in 1956. Smedley’s ashes were interred in the National Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Park in Beijing.