Today, the cultural revolution that occurred in the early twentieth century is regarded as one of the landmark events in Chinese history. Its most important legacy was ushering in the era of Communism in China, which has clearly been the defining event of the country’s contemporary history. However, although giving rise to a mindset that was welcoming of widespread political change is usually identified as the primary outcome of the May Fourth movement, in truth, the movement had innumerable consequences and ramifications in nearly every aspect of Chinese society. As such, this paper will make the argument that the May Fourth movement is the defining event that marked the passage from a tradition-based society to modernity in twentieth century Chinese history. First, a brief overview of the historical sources of the May Fourth movement will be discussed, as well as the nature of the movement itself, its chief proponents, and its manifestations in Chinese life. Next, both the cultural and political results of the May Fourth movement will be examined. Finally, an assessment of how these changes culminated in a schism between traditional Chinese life and modernity will be presented.
Although historians have traditionally identified the precursor of the May Fourth movement as the continued allocation of Chinese land holdings to foreign governments, especially to Japan in the wake of World War I, this is a simplified explanation that belies the all-encompassing desire for change that was present among Chinese, particularly young, educated Chinese in this era. The parceling of land to Japan may have provided the final spark that ignited the latent revolutionary spirit in China, but the ideas that formed the basis for the primary tenets of the May Fourth movement had been floating amongst segments of the Chinese intelligentsia for a number of years prior to the 1919 eruption.
The pervasive desire for change became clear on May 4, 1919, as thousands of students of students from learning institutions in Beijing gathered in the area then known as the Gate of Heavenly Peace, now referred to as Tiananmen Square. The students were gathered as a means of demonstrating the desire to halt the annexation of China to foreign countries. The Beijing students compiled a manifesto against the Paris Peace Conference, which sought to transfer the lease of the Shandong province to Japan. Although the demonstration was primarily peaceable in nature, some violence occurred when groups of demonstrators sought out some high-ranking officials who had records of supporting Japan. One such official was assaulted by a group of protestors, and another official’s home was destroyed by arson.
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A research paper is an in-depth examination of May Fourth Movement. More than just an overview of what was learned on May Fourth Movement, like a term paper is, a research paper contains analysis of May Fourth Movement along the lines of organizational theory and relevant published material. Research papers are highly analytical and can often be more than 8 to 10 pages. The key to a good research project is the examination of recently published journal articles and peer-reviewed material on the May Fourth Movement chosen. Like the name implies, research papers are exactly that, a paper that examines the information that can be found on May Fourth Movement.