China's May Fourth Movement

Essay by Winniecola May 2014

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The Political System of China

Research Paper

Introspection of the May Fourth Movement's political influences in 1920s China and contemporary China-analysis is based on Chinese Nationalism and Self-determination

Name: Winnie Zhao

Major: Government and International Relations

Student Number: 1230700041

Date: May 20th, 2014

Introduction: The May Fourth Movement had certain positive impacts on fostering Chinese Nationalism since Beiyang government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially allowing Japan to receive territories in Shandong Province which previously had been Germany's recession; meanwhile, Twenty-one Demands was considered as a national humiliation, enraged Chinese intellectuals and ordinary people to express their strong dissatisfaction with Japan and Beiyang government. As a consequence, a large scale of students unified to draw awareness of China's dangerous position to the masses in China. More important, Chinese intellectuals held the self-determination to express their democratic demands, such as the Journal of New Youth played an important role in the rise and growth of the vernacular movement in 1920s China.

After the May Fourth Movement, a mount of China's political reforms and changes are closely related to the upsurge patriotism inspired by the May Fourth Movement, namely, the Open Door Policy and Education Reform. However, some events even national disasters (Cultural Revolution) contrary to the direction of science and democracy were related to the May Fourth Movement. Generally, the May Fourth Movement made positive effects on raising Chinese Nationalism and promoting Chinese society to conduct Self-determination, but its overheated patriotism such as beating Zhang Zongxiang who was the Chinese Ambassador to Japan, setting Zhao's Mansion on fire, and irrational thoughts towards Chinese traditional morality and traditional culture need to be introspected by contemporary China, especially contemporary Chinese youth. These arguments will be analyzed by following parts.

Body Parts:

I. The...