[Reading history and wisdom] Why did Chairman Mao join the party in 1920?

"Registration Form for Representatives and Alternate Representatives of the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party of China" filled out by Mao Zedong.

This is a precious historical archive. In 1956, Mao Zedong personally filled in 1920 in the column of the time of joining the party in the registration certificate of the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party of China. As we all know, the Chinese Communist Party was founded in July 1921. Why did Mao Zedong join the party in 1920?

Changsha City Library , let’s look for a 1920 newspaper.

caused a sensation in the mid-October 5span celebrity conference 1920. British philosopher Russell gave four consecutive lectures. In " Ta Kung Pao ", we found that Mao Zedong was the recorder of this lecture.

Russell had made a special trip to Russia before coming to China, and invited his Cai Yuanpei, Zhang Taiyan and others to hope that Russell could give China a road choice.

Where is the way out for China? The progressive intellectuals at that time were all looking for answers.

However, Mao Zedong was very disappointed with Russell's speech. In his reply to his friend Cai Hesen, he said: I have two comments about Russell’s claim, that is, "It makes sense in theory, but it can’t be done in fact."

two years ago In 1918, Mao Zedong, Cai Hesen and others initiated the establishment of Xinmin Society, which was one of the most influential revolutionary groups before and after the founding of the Communist Party of China.

After the establishment of the Xinmin Society, Mao Zedong and Xiao Zisheng , Cai Hesen and others organized the Xinmin Society members to go to France for work-study studies, but he did not go together. Regarding the reason why he did not go, the American journalist Edgar Snow recorded Mao Zedong’s considerations in " Westbound Comics": "At this time, my thoughts are still chaotic." I don’t know enough about my country, and it will be more beneficial for me to spend my time in China."

, early July 5span, 1920More than a dozen members of the Xinmin Society who went to France for work-study programs met in the small town of Mondalny, south of Paris, France, and adopted the policy of "transforming China and the world". Cai Hesen and Xiao Zisheng had a heated argument on how to carry out the transformation. After the meeting, Cai Hesen wrote to Mao Zedong and insisted on his proposition—China must take the road of socialism, and class war—the dictatorship of the proletariat is the necessary method to realize socialism. The party is the initiator, propagandist, and vanguard of the revolutionary movement. , Department of Operations. He suggested that Mao Zedong must be prepared early in the country.

At this time, the Hunan Autonomous Movement led by Mao Zedong failed because of the obstruction of the warlords. After experiencing the failure of "there is nowhere to go if the mountains and rivers are exhausted", Mao Zedong clearly realized that it is impossible to ask for minced meat in the mouth of a tiger.

In a blink of an eye, in the New Year of 1921, a snowy day, Xinmin Society held a three-day conference at Changsha Cultural Publishing House . The 18 people present at the meeting had a round-hearted conversation. There was no personal future or career plan in the conversation. They only cared about "China" and "the world." In the end, 14 of the 18 people agreed with the aim of the society to "transform China and the world", and 12 people agreed to use Bolshevism methods to achieve the goal of "transform China and the world".

After the New Year's meeting, Mao Zedong responded to Cai Hesen’s “clearly that I dared to establish a letter of the Communist Party of China” without a single letter: Words do not agree."

In fact,In November 1920, Mao Zedong had received a letter from Chen Duxiu and Li Da, accepting their official entrustment to establish a party organization in Changsha. After careful identification, Mao Zedong and He Shuheng, Peng Huang and other six people signed the document on the establishment of the party, and established the early organization of the Communist Party of Changsha. Because of this, Mao Zedong later filled his time of joining the party as 1920.

On November 26, 1919, members of the Xinmin Society took a group photo in Changsha. The fourth from left in the back row was Mao Zedong.

This photo is the only one we found of Xinmin Society members in Changsha. At that time, their average age was only about 20 years old, but it was these young people who were concerned about the country and the people and had high ambitions that used their vigor and vitality to foretell China's future.