Aborted Revolution:Study On Chinese Communist Prewar Activities In Rural District Of Shandong Province

Traditionally, farmers are believed to have been the mainstay accounting for the victory of Chinese communist revolution. However, it is increasingly called in question on the reasons for farmers to join the revolution, which, conventionally, is beyond controversy. This dissertation concentrates on the causation of uprising in Shandong Province, as well as the reinterpretation of various phenomena during revolutionary mobilisation, by means of investigating communist’s prewar acvtivities in Shandong rural areas.In the first instance, a general summarization of armed uprising in Shandong is drawn, together with an analysis of the causes of its failure, based on which it becomes evident that Shandong was not an ideal site for revolution. There were no certains in whether farmers would join the revolution or not, the majority of whom having considered themselves as onlookers. Therefore, it was required more of communists in Shandong to spare additional efforts for the revolutionization and systematization of farmers under communist leadership.Condordantly with other regions in China, the revolution in Shandong was, without exception, brought in by intellectuals. Then how did they organize and mobilize the farmers in countryside? Having originally set foot in rural areas with the "organizer" attitude, communists found before long that obsolete value and fatalness on revolution were the real inhibitions for farmers to be motivated, rather than indigence. Therefore, a conversion was carried out from "organizer" to "principal architect" of a revolution. The communists made a strategical combination between farmers’ individual sense of survival and revolutionary slogan, which successfully drew the farmers to forces of revolution.Revolutionary upheaval was the major route for communists to obtain political power. Specifically in Shandong, uprising activities were of small scale, outnumbered, and with limited influence. In its actual operation, the communist realized that it was far from adequate to rely merely on bare-handed farmers while ineluctably, bandits and members in Huidaomen had to be part of military support. In spite of the failure in Shandong revolution, Chinese communists hardened their organizational capacity. As the Anti-Japanese War growing into full scale, the district of Qilu would soon be set ablaze by the sparks of Shandong.