Shanghai May Fourth Movement | Research & Encyclopedia Articles

Shanghai May Fourth Movement

China 1919

Synopsis

A massive general strike paralyzed the city of Shanghai in June 1919. A reaction to the May Fourth Movement that had started a month earlier in Beijing, the labor strife in Shanghai marked the beginning of the modern Chinese labor movement. The May Fourth Movement, which began as a protest against the terms of the Versailles Treaty that ended World War I, first attracted students in support of the Beijing events. As the students in Shanghai began to organize and protest, they reached out to other sectors of the city. In particular, they sought ties with Shanghai's merchants and workers. What started as a student strike soon developed into a massive general strike in the city. The May Fourth Movement and subsequent events marked the commencement of an unsettled period for residents of Shanghai and other Chinese cities. The country's urban inhabitants became increasingly aware of global events. The working class united, despite traditional divisions, to fight inflation, warlord rule, and national humiliation.

Timeline

• 1900: China's Boxer Rebellion, which began in the preceding year with attacks on foreigners and Christians, reaches its height. An international contingent of more than 2,000 men arrives to restore order, but only after several tens of thousands have died.
• 1907:

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