Study On The Red Spear Society Of Shandong (1937-1945)

The Red-Spear Society is the armed forces of peasants’self-defense with the nature of religious superstition. In the period of Republics, it was flourished in the rural areas of North China. In a broad sense, Red-Spear Society represents numerous gun organizations. Various gun organizations have differences as well as similarities among which Red-Spear Society is a representative. You can snoop how the grass-roots society response to external pressure in the period of Republic of China from such a research of Red-Spear Society.After seizing the power of the Northern Warlords, the society is full of warlordism, political instability, famine-prone and banditry. The original order of traditional grass-roots community is broken under the external pressure. Under the circumstance that executive power can’t manage the grass-roots society effectively and organize the defense of the public, public have to take measures to maintain social stability under the external pressure. The village as the unit of the public self defense organizations has emerged and combines with the secret societies which lurks under civil for a long period. The secret societies use spell and the pass of martial arts to enhance the confidence of superpower. All kinds of guns will rise in grass-roots social organization in Shandong. Along with the ending of National Revolution, the gun-oriented public association temporarily returns to serenity. Some of them are reformed to basic self-defense organizations by government. Or continue to exist with changing their names. Alternatively they are dissolved in the grass-roots of society.With the bursting of comprehensive anti-Japanese war, the traditional society faces the crisis again. The Red-Spear Society which existed in the period of National Revolution grows up once again. They become an important force in maintaining the social stability which spread all over the earth. The spear societies represented by Red-Spear Society is different from the previous stage after the raise of comprehensive anti-Japanese war. Due to the existence of different political forces, they take various measures to strive for Red-Spear Society and regard them as an auxiliary force. During this period, the Red-Spear Society has different characteristics in different area. Either of them is neutral or attached to Chinese Communist Party, the Kuomintang and various Puppet Japanese political power. The main reason why differentiate have taken place of Red-Spear Society is not the agreement with the policies advocated by various political forces. Ultimately it is because of the maintenance of their self-interests, the traditional social order and the living resources. The various political forces take action on the Red-Spear Society. They focus on meeting their interest and will not directly strike them by military force. From National Revolution to comprehensive anti-Japanese war, the root cause of the raise of Red-Spear Society is people had to fight when traditional grass-roots society is beyond their tolerance in the face of the external pressure and destroy the original social order.The main object of this article is to study the general situation of some similar spear societies represented by Red-Spear Society located in Shandong district after the comprehensive anti-Japanese war. This spear society is not limited to the Red-Spear Society. Through the analysis of rising reason of the Red-Spear Society in Shandong Province after early stage of anti-Japanese war, it reappear the overview of Red-Spear Society. Also through describing of two villages, it reflects the internal situation and evolution of Red-Spear Society. It makes a more detailed and comprehensive analysis of the Red-Spear Society through analyzing the developing force, composition, supplies, source of weapons and membership means. This article discusses the nature of Red-Spear Society in Shandong Province during anti-Japanese war by analyzing the relationship with various political forces as well as combining with specific example of the organization’s activity. Policies adopted by different political forces for the sake of Red-Spear Society reflect the game between different political parties. This article will make evaluation of the activity track and historical position of Red-Spear Society in Shandong during the anti-Japanese war through the above.