Leadership of the Chinese Communist Party 1921-49
FoundersThe Chinese Communist party was founded in a girls' school in Shanghai in 1921. The two founding figures were Li Dazhao and Chen Duxiu, neither of whom were at this first congress. It is important to stress that the Comintern played a big role in the setting up of the Chinese Communist party (although this is also a point of some debate).
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LinksAn Illustrated history of the Chinese Communist Party -Not one to look at uncritically, but useful for presenting the 'official version'
Overview of the history of the CCP -from Spartacus Schoolnet, includes primary sources Who's Who of Chinese Communism -from Marxists.org |
The girls' school in Shanghai where the first congress of the Chinese Communist party was held.
Li Dazhao
Chen Diuxiu
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zhou enlai
MAo Zedong
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historiography: The 'Great Man' Vs subaltern History
The Great Man View of HistoryThe history of modern China has traditionally lent itself to the study of key individuals. This view of history emphasises the importance of the actions of individuals in shaping historical events. Mao's role in particular has aroused intense interest from historians. It is important to stress that both positive and negative accounts of individuals are equally examples of the 'Great Man' school of history. One recent example of this would be Chang and Halliday's 'Mao: An Untold Story' which portrays Mao in an extremely critical light. While it has been attacked by academic historians for inaccuracies, 'Mao: An Untold Story', has had a huge impact.
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Subaltern HistorySubaltern history emphasises the role of groups outwith the ruling elite when it comes to shaping historical outcomes. Under this view, 'subaltern' groups which can come from any part of society are agents of their own destiny able to make and unmake rulers. This is particularly relevant to any study of why the CCP were able to win the Chinese Civil War against the Nationalists, despite the Nationalists enjoying extensive support from America.
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