May Fourth Movement in 1919
The
May Fourth Movement was a Chinese
anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement which grew out of student protests in
Beijing on May 4, 1919. Students gathered in front of
Tiananmen (The Gate of Heavenly Peace) to protest the
Chinese government's weak response to the
Treaty of Versailles decision to allow
Japan to retain territories in
Shandong that had been surrendered to
Germany after the
Siege of Tsingtao in 1914. The demonstrations sparked nation-wide protests and spurred an upsurge in
Chinese nationalism, a shift towards political mobilization away from cultural activities, a move towards a
populist base and away from traditional intellectual and political elites.
Historical significance of May Fourth Movement
Birth of Chinese Communist Party in 1921
Paul French argues that the only victor of the Treaty of Versailles in China was communism, as rising public anger led directly to the formation of the CCP. The Treaty also led to Japan pursuing its conquests with greater boldness, which Wellington Koo had predicted in 1919 would lead to the outbreak of war between China and Japan.
Western-style liberal democracy had previously had a degree of traction amongst Chinese intellectuals. Still, after the
Versailles Treaty (which was viewed as a betrayal of China's interests), it lost much of its attractiveness.
Woodrow Wilson's
Fourteen Points, despite being rooted in
moralism, were also seen as Western-centric and hypocritical.