The study and education of party history in the early days of the founding of the Communist Party of China and its experience and enlightenment

Source: Guangming Daily

If you want to know the road, you must first be history. History is a true record of the formation, development and rise and fall of a nation and a country, and by summarizing history and reflecting on history, we can better learn from experience and wisdom and clarify the direction of progress. In the course of a hundred years, the COMMUNIST Party of China has always attached great importance to the study and education of party history, been good at summing up the party's own historical experience, and done a good job in practical work in the in-depth thinking of history. Comrade Mao Zedong has repeatedly issued a call to the whole party to study history, stressing the need to understand Chinese history and world history, especially to understand and understand The modern history of China and the history of the Communist Party of China since the Opium War. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The history of the party is the most vivid and convincing textbook. Our party has always attached importance to the study and education of party history. The more comprehensive the understanding of the historical process, the more profound the grasp of historical laws, the richer the party's historical wisdom, and the more active it will be in grasping the future. "At the beginning of its founding, the party attached great importance to summing up and studying the history of the party, and carried out fruitful explorations in the study and education of party history, laying a solid foundation for the development and growth of the party.

An Introduction and Summary of the History of the Early Workers' Movement and the Founding of the Communist Party of China. Mao Zedong once clearly pointed out: "In studying the history of the Communist Party of China, we should also study the materials of the Xinhai Revolution and the May Fourth Movement before the founding of the Party." Otherwise, the development of history cannot be understood. "In the ten years from the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution to the founding of the Communist Party of China, publications, articles, and translations promoting Marxism and socialism have emerged, providing valuable materials for the study of the early workers' movement and the history of the founding of the Communist Party of China. In September 1915, Chen Duxiu founded the "Youth Magazine" (later renamed "New Youth"), and later Li Dazhao, Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and other editors of "Young China", "Xiangjiang Review", "Enlightenment" and other publications, which played an important role in promoting the spread of Marxism in China and the early development of the workers' movement. From the autumn of 1920 to the spring of 1921, Communist groups were successively established in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and other places, and newspapers and periodicals such as "The Labor Circle" and "The Communist Party" were published to publicize Marxist theory and make scientific socialism begin to become a powerful social trend of thought in China; translations of "The Communist Manifesto," "Class Struggle," and "History of Socialism" translated works created conditions for Advanced Elements in China to understand Marxism; and the Marxist Research Association was used to organize progressive young people to study Marxist theory. Studying China's practical problems, creating the initial backbone of the party and promoting the founding of the Communist Party of China. In fact, during this period, the early leaders of our Party paid great attention to studying the early workers' movement and the history of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and related articles continued to emerge, such as: In 1921, Qu Qiubai published "The Situation of Chinese Workers and Their Expectations in Russia", which studied the situation of the Chinese working class and the workers' movement before the May Fourth Movement and the situation of the socialist movement in China after the May Fourth Movement; Li Da published "Discussing Socialism and Confronting Liang Rengong" to discuss Socialism and the Socialist Movement in China; Qu Qiubai wrote "Discussion on Socialism and Confronting Liang Rengong" to discuss Socialism and the Socialist Movement in China; Qu Qiubai wrote "The Situation of the Chinese Workers and their Expectations in Russia"; Li Da published "Discussing Socialism and Confronting Liang Rengong" to discuss Socialism and the Socialist Movement in China; Qu Qiubai wrote "Discussion on Socialism and The Quality of Liang Rengong" to discuss Socialism and the Socialist Movement in China. Socialist Movement in China", a study of the history of the workers' movement and the history of the establishment of the Communist Party of China, and so on.

Establish a party history research institute to collect party history documents. In the early days of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee attached great importance to the collection and management of precious documents and archives, and established the earliest party history research institute, leaving precious materials for the study and education of party history. In 1929, when Qu Qiubai was the head of the Communist Party of China in the Comintern in Moscow, he founded the "Chinese Party History Research Office" and issued the "Notice of The Chinese Party History Research Office seeking memoirs", collecting "Memoirs of Participating in the Party and Revolutionary Struggles and Important Conferences", which was regarded as the starting point for the Chinese Communist Party to write party history. With the support of the Comintern, in the 1930s, ccp members in Moscow compiled and published a number of collections of materials related to the history of the COMMUNIST Party. In order to adapt to the environment of underground struggle, the CPC Central Committee set up a "Central Library" to keep important documents and materials of the CPC. In order to ensure the safety of the library documents, Qu Qiubai drafted the earliest document management measures of the Communist Party of China, the "Measures for the Disposal of Documents": "If possible, of course, the ideal is two copies of each, one for reading and one for storage. The Communists, represented by Zhang Duyi and Chen Weiren, protected the security of the "Central Library" with blood and lives under the cover of white terror, and the documents of the Central Library were finally handed over to the Party Central Committee after the founding of New China. These precious archives record the rich information before and after the founding of the Communist Party of China and are valuable materials for the study of party history.

Published research papers on party history, and compiled and published party history textbooks. The distribution of party newspapers and party periodicals, the successive publication of party history research treatises, and the compilation and publication of textbooks related to party history have provided the earliest materials for the study and education of party history and promoted the comprehensive development of party history study and education. After the founding of the Communist Party of China, it founded newspapers and periodicals such as "Guide", "Forward", "Chinese Workers", and "Chinese Youth", which publicized the party's instructions through party newspapers and party periodicals, became the guiding light for the revolutionary masses, promoted the development of the Chinese revolutionary movement, and was also an important medium for propaganda and education in party history. Cai Hesen gave a long speech in Moscow entitled "The Development of the History of the Communist Party of China," expounding the historical background of the emergence of the Communist Party of China and the historical mission of the Communist Party of China, and stressing the necessity of studying party history. The text of the speech was then collated by Xiang Jianyu and others, mimeographed into a pamphlet, and widely circulated within the party. From 1924 to 1927, Qu Qiubai published articles such as "A New Chapter in the History of the Chinese Revolution" and "Chronology of The World Revolutionary Movement", which studied the history of the Chinese Revolution and the armed struggle led by the Communist Party of China and the history of the Communist Party of China. In 1928, Qu Qiubai's written report prepared for the Sixth National Congress of the Party, "The Chinese Revolution and the Communist Party -- Report on the Chinese Revolution from 1925 to 1927", made a systematic exposition of the history and lessons of the Communist Party of China, and later rewrote it into popular political reading.

In exploring the road of the Chinese revolution, we consciously carried out the study and education of party history. The study and education of party history in the early days of the founding of the Communist Party of China was aimed at serving the revolution at that time, and closely linked the study and education of party history with the future of the Chinese revolution. On the basis of profoundly summing up the historical experience after the defeat of the Nanchang Uprising, Mao Zedong drafted the "Resolution of the Gutian Conference," proposing to popularize the political knowledge of the Communist Party in the political training of soldiers and to integrate the education of Communist Party history into the education of soldiers. At the beginning of "The Development of the History of the Communist Party of China", Cai Hesen proposed: "To study the experience of the Russian Revolution and the history of the Russian Communist Party, but at the same time we must know how the Chinese revolution and our Party will develop and what its path of development is, so we must understand the history of our Party." "It clarifies the experience of wanting to understand the path of the Chinese revolution, we must study the history of the Communist Party of China and clarify the historical mission of the Communist Party of China in order to grasp the laws of revolutionary development and achieve the purpose of serving the current revolution." In 1930, Li Lisan published the "Report on the History of the Party", which pointed out: "The history of the Party has a great bearing on the current political line and the future of the revolution. We have to have a clear understanding. The "Party History Report" explores the historical clues of the development of the Communist Party of China, discusses the history of the development of the Communist Party of China from 1921 to the beginning of 1930, affirms the importance of the study of the history of the Communist Party of China, and summarizes the experience of the Chinese revolution. In the course of exploring the road of the Chinese revolution, the study and education of party history has been carried out, and the Chinese revolution has been promoted along the correct road, and history has been truly taken as a mirror and theory has been integrated with practice.

All localities have set up party schools of all types at all levels and set up courses related to party history and party building. Through the establishment of party schools, Red Army schools, and various training courses, all localities have promoted the comprehensive development of party history study and education. In May 1924, the first enlarged meeting of the Central Executive Committee of the Party proposed: "The issue of education within the Party is very important, and we must rush to set up a Party School to cultivate guidance talents." As a result, the study and education of workers, schools and industrial and commercial enterprises and political propaganda have been strengthened throughout the country. Founded in 1924, the Anyuan Party School is the earliest party school in the history of the Communist Party of China, and its courses have covered the history of the party. The first enlarged meeting of the Fourth Central Executive Committee of the Party held in 1925 emphasized the importance of educating and training Party members, requiring Party organizations in various localities to open ordinary party schools and high-level party schools, founding the Beijing Party School, and offering courses such as "The Tasks of the Communist Party in the Stage of the Democratic Revolution" and "Party Building"; in early 1926, the Shanghai District Party Committee opened a curriculum for the primary party school, including courses such as "Party Building Issues". In addition, Red Army schools and various training courses have been set up in various base areas; while being responsible for political propaganda, political education, and ideological education, most of them have also opened courses on the nature of the Chinese revolution and the agrarian revolution, which are closely related to the history of the party, and some have also directly opened courses on party history and party building.

Carrying out party history study and education is closely integrated with the party's theoretical propaganda and mobilization. Through the development of party history study and education, the party's theoretical propaganda and mobilization has expanded, and the party's theoretical propaganda and mobilization ability has also been improved to a certain extent. First, through party organizations at all levels, the study and education of party history should be closely integrated with the education of party members. Cai Hesen proposed in "The Development of the History of the Communist Party of China": "Comrades must all be good party members, the vanguard of the loyal proletariat... Then we must know the history of the Party intimately and profoundly. The 1929 "Resolution on Propaganda Work" required party organizations at all levels to "expand Marxist propaganda" and "step up political education within the party", and combine the party's theoretical propaganda with the education of party members, so that party members can correctly understand the history of the party and enhance their sense of responsibility and identity. Second, through the Marxist Research Association, we should carry out party history study and education activities. In August 1933, the Organization Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued a "Letter to Party Departments at All Levels on the Inner-Party Education Program", pointing out that "the level of political theory within the Party should be raised in a planned and purposeful manner, and the minds of all new and old comrades should be armed with Marxist-Leninist ideas, and regular and organized education should be carried out." To this end, the Central Soviet Region has set up Marxist research associations at all levels, opened mobile training classes for branches, and educated the majority of party members on Marxist theory and the party's basic knowledge. Third, nationwide party history study and education activities should be carried out through commemorative activities. On February 17, 1933, the "Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of Marx's Death" was adopted, and a mass party history study and education activity was officially launched by organizing commemorative meetings in various localities, publishing commemorative articles in party journals in various localities, and compiling pamphlets.

In the early days of the founding of the Communist Party of China, it closely integrated the study and education of party history with political education and ideological education, consciously carried out party history study and education in the course of exploring the road of the Chinese revolution, and also integrated the study and education of the party's history in the process of political propaganda and mobilization. Through studying the party's history, the Chinese Communists represented by Comrade Mao Zedong summed up historical experience, clarified the direction of progress, enhanced their understanding of the party's history, and left valuable experience. First of all, the study and education of party history should be carried out in a way that combines theory with practice. In the early days of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese Communists solved practical problems by studying the party's history and summing up historical experience, and found the correct direction of progress. The times are constantly evolving, and the content of party history study and education must also meet the needs of social development and combine theory with practice. Second, the study and education of party history should be combined with the latest achievements in the sinification of Marxist theory. The century-old history of the Communist Party of China is also a history of the sinification of Marxism. Only in the study and education of party history can we properly grasp the direction of party history study and education by incorporating the latest achievements in the sinification of Marxism into the party history study and education system and always combining them with the study of the latest achievements in the sinification of Marxism. Third, the study and education of party history should combine education within the party with mass propaganda and education. In the course of its century-long development, the Communist Party of China has always maintained flesh-and-blood ties with the masses of the people; at different historical stages, the focus of the study and education of party history has been different, but no matter which period it is, it has always combined inner-party education with mass propaganda and education. Facing the future, we must conscientiously sum up the experience of party history study and education, establish a normalized and long-term institutional mechanism, promote the summarization, study, education, and propaganda of party history, strengthen historical self-confidence, build up historical memory, and move forward with confidence.

(Authors: Zhang Jian and Qi Fuqing, Professor of Marxism College of Yunnan University, Special Researcher of Yunnan Provincial Research Center for the Theoretical System of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics)