On Chen Duxiu’s Theory And Practice Of Labor Movement During The Period Of The CPC’s Founding And The Great Revolution

Chen Duxiu has being generally regarded as “a star in the trend of thought”,“astandard-bearer of the new culture movement” and “the commander in chief of theMay Fourth Movement”. However, as the founder of the Communist Party, whichserves as a party and the vanguard of working class in China, Chen`s historicalstatus is far more important. He is the pioneer of the Trade Union Movement andthe Labor Movement in China. As one of the top leaders of the working class party,the relationship between him and the working class as well as the Labor Movementis one of the most important criteria for his historical status mentioned above.The thesis consists of five Chapters and concentrates on Chen’s theory andpractice of Labor Movement during the period of Party’s Founding and the GreatRevolution. To be exact, it includes the Labor Movement before the Party’sFounding, around the workers`strike of the Jing-Han Railroad, around the May30th Massacre and during the Northern Expedition Period. Besides, it includes ahistorical evaluation of Chen’s theory and practice of Labor Movement.Chapter one discusses Chen`s change of attitude towards the working class andLabor Movement before the Party’s Founding when Chen had grown into a Marxistfrom a bourgeois democrat. Besides, it pays attention to the concrete work he haddone for a better understanding of the working class and the Labor Movementafterwards.Chapter two analyzes Chen`s concrete practice on the labor Movement afterthe Party’s Founding, including attacking and the exposing the so-called trade union,encouraging the labor Movement，sending workers of Labor Movement from placeto place, making general plans for the Labor Movement. Under the leadership ofboth Chen and the party, the climax of the Labor Movement had been made.However, it was repressed immediately. According to two articles, we can find thatChen`s attitude towards labor Movement had become negative. But his estimatingof the Chinese working class was objective and practical.Chapter three discusses the fact that the revolutionary situation developed veryfast and the Labor Movement was as active as that before the “2.7” Massacrearound the4th CPC National Congress period. After the “2.7” Massacre Chen`sattitude towards the Labor Movement became optimistic. He regarded it as a favorable turn for the Labor Movement and launched the May30th Movement. Byanalyzing Chen`s important role in the May30th Movement, the author of thisthesis tries to correct the generally existing misunderstandings towards Chen in thecurrent situation.The fourth chapter discusses Chen Duxiu’s leadership of the Labour movementin the period of the Northern Expedition, including mobilizing and organizingworkers to support the northern expedition, leading workers of Shanghai to launchthe third armed uprising, and his correction of the overdone workers’ movementbefore the failure of the Great Revolution.On the basis of previous discusses, the fifth chapter gives a brief historicalanalysis and evaluation of Chen Duxiu in the aspects of theory and practice ofworkers’ movement, which support that it closes to the reality that Chen Duxiuunderestimated the power of the working class, accused the weakness of the workingclass, and negative treatment of workers’ movement.