Everything Everywhere Daily The May Fourth Movement
Jan 22, 2026
Delve into the significance of May Fourth, a pivotal moment in Chinese history marked by student protests in 1919 against foreign betrayal. Explore the emergence of the New Youth movement, which rejected traditional Confucian values in favor of Western ideas. Discover how disillusionment with slow reforms catalyzed a shift toward communism among the youth. The legacy of this movement resonates strongly, with echoes in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, unearthing the complex relationship between those who rallied for change and the regime they later opposed.
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WWI Raised Hopes And Then Betrayed China
- China's participation in WWI raised expectations that international support would restore sovereignty.
- The Paris Peace Conference shattered that hope and catalyzed nationalist outrage.
Shandong Loss Fueled Student Outrage
- The Treaty of Versailles excluded China and awarded Shandong to Japan, deepening humiliation.
- That territorial loss became the spark that united students and intellectuals in protest.
May 4th Student March In Tiananmen
- Around 3,000 students marched in Tiananmen Square on May 4, 1919 demanding change.
- The demonstration framed students as the moral critics of a government that had failed its duty.