Marine Corps Command and Staff College

Brigadier General Samuel B. Griffith Ii, Usmc: Marine Translator and Interpreter Marine Corps Command and Staff College

Publisher Marketing: The works of General Griffith provide a framework of understanding for interpreting the actions of leaders of Communist China that remains relevant for the 21st century military professional. General Griffith was widely regarded as an expert on military matters and on China. He was a highly decorated Marine veteran of the Second World War and one of the key leaders of the elite 1st Marine Raider Battalion. After his retirement from the Marine Corps, he earned a D. Phil in Chinese Military History from Oxford University. Griffith's experience and education made him uniquely qualified to write about Chinese military thought. As China continues to grow and gain power. Griffith's writings provide a framework of understanding. This book examines eight works by Griffith to formulate that framework. There are five key concepts that make up Griffith's understanding of Chinese military thought. They are: (1) Sun Tzu and Mao Tse-tung are foundational influences on Chinese military thought; (2) war and politics are inseparable, they are overlapping parts of the same spectrum of conflict; (3) ten principles guide Chinese decision-making and actions; (4) China will only fight "just" wars; (5) China seeks its "rightful place" in the world.