Lesson 13 May Fourth Movement

The outbreak of the May Fourth Movement

After the end of World War I, the victorious countries, including Britain, the United States, France and Japan, held the so-called "Peace Conference" in Paris, France, from January to June 1919. The Chinese government, as one of the victorious powers, also sent representatives to the conference. At the conference, the Chinese delegates put forward legitimate demands such as the abolition of imperialist privileges in China, the abolition of Article 21, and the recovery of sovereignty over Tsingtao. However, the British, French, American and other powers manipulated the conference and ignored China's demands, even transferring all the German privileges in Shandong to Japan. When the news reached home, the anger that had long been pent up in the hearts of the Chinese people finally erupted like a volcano!

On May 4, 1919, more than 3,000 students in Beijing gathered in front of Tiananmen Square and issued a manifesto to expose the aggressive acts of the imperial powers and held a demonstration. The students raised slogans such as "fight for sovereignty abroad and eliminate traitors within the country", "fight to the death to return Qingdao", "abolish Article 21" and "refuse to sign the peace treaty". "They demanded severe punishment for the pro-Japanese traitors Cao Rulin, Lu Zongjiu and Zhang Zongxiang. The Beiyang warlord government sent military and police to suppress and arrested more than 30 patriotic students. The next day, Beijing students held a general strike.

Expansion of the May Fourth Movement

The patriotic struggle of the Beijing students was widely supported by people from all social strata. Chen Duxiu himself drafted the "Declaration of Beijing Citizens", calling on Beijing students, merchants and laborers to rise up and fight for a fundamental transformation of society.

In the face of the Chinese people's righteous resistance, the Japanese imperialists assembled warships in Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing and Hankow to coerce the Beiyang government into banning the student patriotic movement. This provocative act further aroused the anti-Japanese fury of the Chinese people. Students in over 200 cities across the country unanimously went on strike in support of the anti-imperialist patriotic struggle of the students in Beijing.

On June 3, Beijing students again took to the streets and launched a massive patriotic propaganda campaign, which was suppressed by the military and police, and more than 800 students were arrested in succession. The news spread, and on June 5, Shanghai workers went on strike and businessmen went on strike. The strike tide then swept through a dozen central commercial cities across the country. Workers in Tangshan and Changxindian also went on strike in solidarity with the patriotic struggle of the students. The working class became the main force of the May Fourth Movement, and the center of the movement shifted from Beijing to Shanghai.

Under the surging anti-imperialist tide, the Beiyang government had to release the arrested students, dismiss Cao Rulin and others from their posts, and the Chinese delegates did not sign the Paris Peace Treaty. The immediate goal of the May Fourth Movement was achieved, and it was a major victory for the Chinese people in their struggle against imperialism.

The historical significance of the May Fourth Movement

The May Fourth Movement was a patriotic movement against imperialism and feudalism. During this movement, the Chinese working class began to enter the political arena and showed its great power. Some intellectuals and young students, who initially accepted Marxism, played an important role in the movement. The May Fourth Movement was the beginning of the new democratic revolution in China.（594words）