"When waiting for the car by the Maple Forest Bridge, I thought carefully. Where is the flesh and blood? The spots are on the red flag." This is a poem written by Mr. Wang Yuanfang to commemorate the two martyrs Chen Yannian and Chen Qiaonian.
html More than 190 years ago, the two brothers bleed in Shanghai, dyed the party flag red with their youthful blood, and interpreted their faith with their young life …
▲ Chen Yannian and Chen Qiaonian in "Awakening Era"
Chen Yannian (1898-1927), Chen Qiaonian (1902-1928), from Anqing, Anhui, are Chen Duxiu's eldest son and second son. The two brothers are 4 years apart. The older brother Yannian is dark-skinned and stubborn, like a "black-faced martial artist"; the younger brother Qiao Nian is fair-skinned and loves to talk and laugh, and is a "white-faced scholar". Although their personalities are different, their thoughts and ambitions are very consistent.
Since childhood, the two brothers have been inseparable. In 1917, they both were admitted to the Zhendan University Preparatory Class, thus mastering French proficiently and laying a solid cultural foundation. Influenced by Chen Duxiu's family style of "creating his own future", the two of them worked halfway through life, thought independently of their thoughts, and did not agree with Chen Duxiu's active propaganda, and both admired anarchism. On December 25, 1919, the two brothers took the French cruise ship "Ontrepon" to study in France.
▲ Chen Yannian (left), Chen Qiaonian
In the early 1920s, anarchism had a great influence among students who worked part-time in France. The organizer of work part-time in France Li Shizeng is the representative of anarchism. After Qu Shengbai, Hualin, Li Zhuo and others came to France, France became the main confluence of Chinese anarchists. At the end of 1921, they established anarchist group in France - Gongyu Society. On January 15, 1922, they founded the monthly magazine " Gongyu" to promote anarchism. As a publication founded by the work-student students themselves, they were welcomed by work-student students and Chinese workers. The two brothers joined Gongyu Club, and Chen Yannian also served as the editor of Gongyu magazine.
However, as time goes by, the two people's thoughts gradually changed. After they arrived in France, they had in-depth contact with all aspects of the French capitalist society , and had a preliminary understanding of the decay of the capitalist system , and perceived the powerlessness and hopelessness of anarchism in transforming French society. They abandoned the prejudice of anarchism and began to read French versions of Marxist works such as " Communist Manifesto " and "The Development of Socialism from Utopia to Science", and had a deeper understanding of Marxist materialist historical conception, surplus value theory and the theory of proletarian dictatorship.
1922, Chen Yannian said with deep emotion: In the past, he "belief of anarchism" was "built on the sand" , "who is built on the sand" , "does a revolutionary cause, care about... Strive to understand the actual relationship of social life... Marx was very foresighted, and his life's energy was all used in this research" . What caused them to be fundamentally shaken was the "Dec. 28" movement of students who worked part-time in France in 1921, the three struggles of "resistance to return to the Chinese University of Lyon" and "resistance to return to the Chinese University of Lyon". Especially in the "resistance to return to the Chinese" struggle, anarchists such as Wu Zhihui not only did not support the students' just actions, but instead allowed the French authorities to send 104 students including Cai Hesen back to China. This made the two brothers wake up from their dreams and clearly realize the deceptive nature of anarchism, and since then they broke off with anarchists such as Wu Zhihui.
11923, the anarchist publication in my country, Mutual Aid Monthly, said: "France's "Job Wu" magazine is the official newspaper of our party's travel to France. It was formerly edited by Chen Yannianjun, but recently Chen Jun changed to Communist , and the editorial affairs were changed to Li Zhuojun." .
This news shows that the Chen Yannian brothers have transformed from anarchists to Marxists. Under their leadership, many anarchist believers joined the team of Marxist beliefs, and the influence of anarchism among Chinese workers and part-time students gradually declined.
The two brothers who found the path to truth grew rapidly.
On June 3, 1922, the two attended the first congress of the "Chinese Youth Communist Party in Europe (later renamed " Chinese Communist Youth League in Europe ") " held in the Forest of Burone, Paris.
Later, Chen Yannian was added to the Executive Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and served as the Minister of Propaganda, responsible for editing and printing the monthly magazine "Youth". Chen Qiaonian works during the day and assists his brother in mimeographing the "Youth" magazine at night. "Youth" magazine is deeply loved by Chinese workers and work-students, and is known as "Paris "HTM1 New Youth ".
11922, the two brothers joined French Communist Party through the introduction of Ho Chi Minh , and then transferred to CCP .
11 On March 18, 2023, the two brothers went to study at Moscow Oriental Labor University with 12 others. During this period, Chen Yannian studied the theory without putting down the paper and was nicknamed "Little Lenin" by his comrades.
Chen Qiaonian and his classmate Xiao San jointly translated the Internationale with reference to French and Russian translations, which almost coincided with Li Dazhao who is in Beijing and Qu Qiubai who is in Guangzhou. Therefore, Chen Qiaonian, Xiao San, Li Dazhao and Qu Qiubai became the first Chinese translators of "Internationale".
From then on, Chen Yannian and Chen Qiaonian embarked on the path of professional revolutionaries. After returning to China, Chen Yannian served as Secretary of the Guangdong District Committee of the Communist Party of China and Secretary of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China. Qiao Nian served as Director of the Organization Department of the Northern District Committee of the Communist Party of China, Director of the Organization Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee and Deputy Director of the Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
11 On April 27, The two brothers and father Chen Duxiu were elected as members of the Fifth Central Committee . This was the first time in the history of the Communist Party of China and it was a good story in the party.
▲ Stills of "Awakening Era", Chen Duxiu, Chen Yannian and Chen Qiaonian
What is regrettable is that not long after, Chen Yannian and Chen Qiaonian were bravely executed on July 4, 1927 and June 16, 1928, respectively, giving their young lives for the cause of liberation of the Chinese people.
"Let our descendants enjoy the happiness brought by our predecessors through hardships" , the bold words of martyrs Chen Qiaonian are still in their ears. They wrote their brilliant beauty with their passion and created today's happy life with heroic sacrifice. A generation of heroes, two brothers. Let us remember forever!
Text and pictures: Memorial Hall for the Study in France, Internet
