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Students in Beijing rallied during the May Fourth Movement.
Students in Beijing rallied during the May Fourth Movement.

The May Fourth Movement (traditional Chinese: 五四運動; simplified Chinese: 五四运动; pinyin: wǔ sì yùn dòng) was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement in early modern China. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Imperialism has two meanings one describing an action and the other describing an attitude China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Beginning on May 4, 1919, it marked the upsurge of Chinese nationalism, and a re-evaluation of Chinese cultural institutions, such as Confucianism. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Chinese nationalism ( sometimes synonymous with Chinese Patriotism ( lit Confucianism ( is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the fifth century B The movement grew out of dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles settlement, termed the Shandong Problem. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. The Shandong Problem ( refers to the dispute over Article 156 of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 Coming out of the New Culture Movement, the end result was a drastic change in society that fueled the birth of the Communist Party of China. The New Culture Movement ( refers to the period between 1917 and 1923 in China, which was marked by student and intellectual ferment and protests against the warlord government The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the

Contents

Background

Following the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, the Qing Dynasty was overthrown. The Xinhai Revolution or Shinhai Revolution ( also known as the 1911 Revolution or the Chinese Revolution, began with the Wuchang Uprising Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China This marked the end of thousands of years of powerful imperial rule, and theoretically ushered a new era in which political power rested with the people. However, the reality was that China was a fragmented nation dominated by warlords, who were more concerned with their own political powers and private armies than national interests. The Warlord era is the period in the History of the Republic of China, from 1916 to the late-1930s when the country was divided among military cliques, a division The Chinese Beiyang government was occupied with suppressing internal affairs, and did little to counter the influence exerted by imperialist foreign powers. The Beiyang government ( or Warlord government collectively refers to a series of military regimes that ruled from Beijing from 1912 to 1928 at Zhongnanhai The Beiyang government made various concessions to foreigners in order to gain monetary and military support against their rivals. This, together with the continuing tangled warfare among warlords, led to great suffering among the population.

Furthermore, the development of the New Culture Movement promoted the questioning and re-appraisal of millennia-old Chinese values. The New Culture Movement ( refers to the period between 1917 and 1923 in China, which was marked by student and intellectual ferment and protests against the warlord government Defeats by foreign powers and the presence of spheres of influence only further inflamed the sense of nationalism among the people. A sphere of influence ( SOI) is an area or region over which an organization or state exerts some kind of indirect cultural economic military or political domination The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation

Cause and outbreak

China had entered World War I on the side of the Allied Triple Entente in 1917 with the condition that all German spheres of influence, such as Shandong, would be returned to China. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Triple Entente (" entente " — French for "agreement" was the name given to the loose alignment of the United Kingdom, the The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification ( is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. That year, 140,000 Chinese laborers (as a part of the British army, the Chinese Labor Corps) were sent to France[1]. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Instead of rewarding China for its contribution to the Allies’ victory, the Versailles Treaty of April, 1919, awarded Shandong Province to Japan. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. ( is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.

The representatives of the Chinese government put forth the following requests:

  1. the abolition of all privileges in China of foreign powers, such as extraterritoriality;
  2. the cancelling of the "Twenty-One Demands" with the Japanese; and
  3. the return to China of the territory of Shandong, which Japan had taken from Germany during World War I. Extraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from the Jurisdiction of local law usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations The were a set of demands made by the Empire of Japan under Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu sent to the nominal government of the Republic of ( is a coastal province of eastern People's Republic of China. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

The Western Allies dominated the meeting and paid little heed to the Chinese representatives' demands. Britain and France were primarily interested in punishing Germany. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Although the United States promoted Woodrow Wilson's utopian Fourteen Points and the ideals of self-determination at the conference, Wilson abandoned most of these ideals in the face of stubborn resistance by David Lloyd George and Georges Clemenceau. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28 1856—February 3 1924 was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. The Fourteen Points were listed in a speech delivered by President Woodrow Wilson of the United States to a joint session of the United Self-determination is defined as free choice of one’s own acts without external compulsion and especially as the freedom of the people of a given Territory to determine their David Lloyd George 1st Earl Lloyd George of Dwyfor OM, PC (17 January 1863 &ndash 26 March 1945 was a British Statesman and the only Georges Benjamin Clemenceau ( Mouilleron-en-Pareds ( Vendée) 28 September 1841 24 November 1929 was a French statesman physician and Journalist American advocacy of self-determination at the League of Nations was attractive to Chinese intellectuals, but the failure of the United States to follow through was seen as a betrayal. Self-determination is defined as free choice of one’s own acts without external compulsion and especially as the freedom of the people of a given Territory to determine their The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Chinese diplomatic failure at the Paris Peace Conference became the incident that touched off the outbreak of the May Fourth Movement, and became known as the "Shandong Problem". The Shandong Problem ( refers to the dispute over Article 156 of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919

Protest

On the morning of May 4, 1919, student representatives from thirteen different local universities met in Peking and drafted five resolutions.

  1. Opposed the granting of Shandong to the Japanese under former German concessions.
  2. Draw awareness of China's precarious position to the masses in China.
  3. Recommend a large-scale gathering in Peking.
  4. Promote the creation of a Peking student union
  5. Hold a demonstration that afternoon in protest to the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. (Spence 1999, pg299)

On the afternoon of May 4th over 3000 students of Peking University and other schools gathered together in front of Tiananmen and held a demonstration. Peking University ( of Beijing, colloquially known in Chinese as Beida (北大 Běidà) is the first formally established university and the first The Tian'anmen ( literally the "Gate of Heavenly Peace" is a famous monument in Beijing, the capital of People's Republic of China. The general opinion is that the Chinese government was "spineless"[1]. They voiced their anger at the Allied betrayal of China and the government's inability to secure Chinese interests in the conference.

They shouted out such slogans as "Struggle for the sovereignty externally, get rid of the national traitors at home", "Do away with the 'Twenty-One Demands'", "Don't sign the Versailles Treaty". The were a set of demands made by the Empire of Japan under Prime Minister Ōkuma Shigenobu sent to the nominal government of the Republic of The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. They demanded punishment to figures as Cao Rulin, Zhang Zongxiang, and Lu Zongyu, who held important posts as diplomats. Cao Rulin (曹汝霖 (1877-August 1966 was Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Beiyang Government, and an important member of the pro-Japanese movement in the early 20th Lu Zongyu (Lù Zōngyú 陸宗輿/陆宗舆 1876-1958 was a Chinese Diplomat in the Paris Peace Conference after World War I. The enraged students even burnt down Cao Rulin's house. The Beiyang government suppressed the demonstration and arrested many students, with one student dying in the event[1].

The next day, students in Beijing as a whole went on strike, and students in other parts of the country responded one after another. From early June, in order to support the students' struggle, workers and businessmen in Shanghai also went on strike. Shanghai ( 上[[wikt 海|海]] is the largest city in China in terms of population and one of the largest urban areas in the world with over 20 million The center of the movement moved from Beijing to Shanghai. In addition to students and intellectuals, the lower class was also very angry at the current state of affairs, such as mistreatment of workers and perpetual poverty of small peasants. Under intense public outcry, the Beiyang government had to release the arrested students and dismiss Cao Rulin, Zhang Zongxiang and Lu Zongyu from their posts. Cao Rulin (曹汝霖 (1877-August 1966 was Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Beiyang Government, and an important member of the pro-Japanese movement in the early 20th Lu Zongyu (Lù Zōngyú 陸宗輿/陆宗舆 1876-1958 was a Chinese Diplomat in the Paris Peace Conference after World War I. Also, the Chinese representatives in Paris refused to sign on the peace treaty: the May Fourth Movement won the initial victory. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city However, this move was more symbolic than anything else. Japan still retained control of the Shandong Peninsula and the islands in the Pacific it had obtained during World War I. The Shāndōng Peninsula ( also known as the Jiāodōng Peninsula (胶东半岛 膠東半島 is a Peninsula in the Shāndōng Province of World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

Legacy

The New Culture Movement

To many the existence of the May 4th Movement was proof that Confucianism had failed to make China strong, and that China's position in the world was second-class. Intellectuals in search of causes looked for ways to strengthen China, which was fragmented and had been exploited by foreign nations[1]. Chen Duxiu was one of the key figures in starting the New Culture Movement in 1915, publishing a journal called New Youth. Chronology October 9 1879 Birth in Anqing, Anhui. 1879 to 1901 Early life and education in China The New Culture Movement ( refers to the period between 1917 and 1923 in China, which was marked by student and intellectual ferment and protests against the warlord government La Jeunesse, or New Youth ( was an influential Chinese revolutionary Magazine in the 1920s that played an important He began with the intention of promoting individual freedom, science, democracy and the emancipation of women.

Another direction was the introduction of Vernacular Chinese (白话) by Hu Shi. Vernacular Chinese is a style or register of the Written Chinese Language essentially modeled after the spoken language and associated with Hu Shih ( 17 December 1891 — 24 February 1962 born Hu Hung-hsing (胡洪騂 Hu Hongxing was a Chinese philosopher and Essayist In theory, the new format allowed people with little education to read texts, articles and books. Classical Chinese, which had been the written language prior to the movement, was only understood by highly educated people (who were mostly government officials). Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of Written Chinese based on the Grammar and Vocabulary of ancient Chinese The literary output of this time was huge, with many writers who later became famous (such as Mao Dun, Lao She, Lu Xun and Bing Xin) publishing their first works around this time. Mao Dun ( July 4, 1896 &ndash March 27, 1981) was the Pen name of Shen Dehong ( Shen Yanbing) a 20th century Lao She ( February 3, 1899 – August 24, 1966) was a notable Chinese Writer. Lu Xun ( or Lu Hsün ( Wade-Giles) was the Pen name of Zhou Shuren ( ( September 25, 1881 &ndash October 19 Life and Literary Career Bingxin was born into a patriotic family in Fuzhou, Fujian, but moved to the coastal port city of Yantai, Shandong Lu Xun was the first novelist to write articles in the vernacular, in a book titled The True Story of Ah Q[1]. The True Story of Ah Q (Traditional Chinese 阿Q正傳 Simplified Chinese 阿Q正传 pinyin Ā Q Zhèngzhuàn is a short episodic Novella written by

A large number of Western doctrines became fashionable, particularly those which reinforced the cultural criticism and nation-building impulses of the movement. Anarchism, which had been influential earlier in the century, was largely displaced by socialism. The pragmatism of William James and John Dewey became popular, the latter through the work of Hu Shi, who later championed Chinese liberalism more broadly. Hu Shih ( 17 December 1891 — 24 February 1962 born Hu Hung-hsing (胡洪騂 Hu Hongxing was a Chinese philosopher and Essayist China liberalism resulted from the introduction of Classical liberalism into China during the period of Western domination towards the end of the Qing Dynasty Lu Xun was associated with the ideas of Nietzsche, which were also propagated by Li Shicen, Mao Dun and many other intellectuals of the time. Li Shicen ( 1892&ndash1934 born Li Bangfan (李邦藩 was a Chinese philosopher and editor of advanced philosophical journals of the May Fourth Mao Dun ( July 4, 1896 &ndash March 27, 1981) was the Pen name of Shen Dehong ( Shen Yanbing) a 20th century

Birth of Chinese Communism

After the demonstrations in 1919 and their suppression the discussion became more and more political. People like Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao shifted more to the Left and were among the leading founders of the 1921 Communist Party of China. Chronology October 9 1879 Birth in Anqing, Anhui. 1879 to 1901 Early life and education in China Biography Early life Li was born in Leting (a county of Tangshan) Hebei province to a peasant family The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the Originally voluntaristic or nihilistic figures like Li Shicen and Zhu Qianzhi made similar turns to the Left as the 1920s saw China become increasingly turbulent. Li Shicen ( 1892&ndash1934 born Li Bangfan (李邦藩 was a Chinese philosopher and editor of advanced philosophical journals of the May Fourth Zhu Qianzhi ( 1899–1972 was a Chinese Intellectual, Translator and Historian.

According to the CCP:

The May Fourth Movement was a thoroughly anti-imperialist and anti-feudal revolutionary movement. Imperialism has two meanings one describing an action and the other describing an attitude Young students acted as its pioneers. The Chinese working class went up on the political stage, and functioned as the main force in the later period of the movement. Li Dazhao, Chen Duxiu and other intellectuals directed and promoted the development of the movement, and played leading roles in it. Biography Early life Li was born in Leting (a county of Tangshan) Hebei province to a peasant family Chronology October 9 1879 Birth in Anqing, Anhui. 1879 to 1901 Early life and education in China On the local level, future Communist Party leader Mao Zedong rallied opposition against Hunan's warlord Chang Ching-yao. Mao Zedong ( 26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese Military and political leader who led A warlord is a person with power who has military control over a subnational area due to Armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority

The May Fourth Movement covered more than 20 provinces and over 100 cities of the country. It had a broader popular foundation than the Revolution of 1911. The Xinhai Revolution or Shinhai Revolution ( also known as the 1911 Revolution or the Chinese Revolution, began with the Wuchang Uprising Its great contribution lay in arousing the people's consciousness and preparing for the unity of the revolutionary forces.

The May Fourth Movement promoted the spreading of Marxism in China, and prepared the ideological foundation for the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Party of China ( CPC) ( also known as the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP) is the founding and ruling political party of the The October Revolution pointed out the direction for the Chinese revolution. The October Revolution (Октябрьская революция Oktyabrskaya revolyutsiya) also known as the Soviet Revolution The May Fourth Movement, which took place after the October Socialist Revolution, was a part of the world's Proletarian Revolution. The proletariat (from Latin la ''proles'' "offspring" is a term used to identify a lower Social class; a member of such a class is proletarian

The May Fourth Movement served as an intellectual turning point in China; it was a seminal event that radicalized Chinese intellectual thought. Western-style liberal democracy had previously had a degree of traction amongst Chinese intellectuals, but after the Versailles Treaty (which was viewed as a betrayal of China's interests), lost much of its attractiveness. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, cloaked as they were by moralism, were also seen as Western-centric and hypocritical. Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28 1856—February 3 1924 was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. The Fourteen Points were listed in a speech delivered by President Woodrow Wilson of the United States to a joint session of the United Moralism is the firm belief that humans are instilled with morals which govern themselves and by following these morals humans can achieve a more meaningful life than they would if

Many in the Chinese intellectual community believed that the United States had done little to convince the imperialist powers (especially Britain, France, and Japan) to adhere to the Fourteen Points, and observed that the United States itself had declined to join the League of Nations; as a result they turned away from the Western liberal democratic model. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 Marxism began to take hold in Chinese intellectual thought, particular among those already on the Left. It was during this time that communism was studied seriously by some Chinese intellectuals such as Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Chronology October 9 1879 Birth in Anqing, Anhui. 1879 to 1901 Early life and education in China Biography Early life Li was born in Leting (a county of Tangshan) Hebei province to a peasant family

Some historians have speculated that Chinese history might have taken a different course at this time had the United States taken a stronger position on Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points and self-determination. Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28 1856—February 3 1924 was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. The Fourteen Points were listed in a speech delivered by President Woodrow Wilson of the United States to a joint session of the United Self-determination is defined as free choice of one’s own acts without external compulsion and especially as the freedom of the people of a given Territory to determine their The United States was not yet a major imperialist power and was in a relatively strong position to take an anti-imperialist stance, however, it did not do so. Imperialism has two meanings one describing an action and the other describing an attitude

Other aspects

A boycott of Japanese products during this period boosted the Chinese industry slightly. Boycotts of Japanese products have been conducted by numerous Chinese civilian and governmental organisations always in response to real or perceived Japanese aggression whether Some historians consider the May Fourth Movement to be the central feature in modern Chinese history, a point of view seen in Rana Mitter's A Bitter Revolution.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Luo, Jing. [2004] (2004). Over a Cup of Tea: An Introduction to Chinese Life and Culture. University Press of America. ISBN 0761829377

References

External links

See also

The New Culture Movement ( refers to the period between 1917 and 1923 in China, which was marked by student and intellectual ferment and protests against the warlord government The Yan'an Rectification Movement ( Simplified Chinese: 整风运动 Traditional Chinese: 整風運動 Hanyu Pinyin: Zhěngfēng yùndòng) This article discusses history of the state which currently governs Taiwan Area. The Warlord era is the period in the History of the Republic of China, from 1916 to the late-1930s when the country was divided among military cliques, a division "A Madman's Diary" ( Chinese: 狂人日記 Pinyin: Kuángrén Rìjì was written by Lu Xun, a founder of Baihua (白話 "vernacular"
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