Ch'en Tu-hsiu (1879-1942) was a leader of China's cultural and political revolution. He helped found the Chinese Communist party and served as its first chairman from 1921 to 1927.

Son of a wealthy family in Huaining, Anhwei Province, Ch'en Tu-hsiu received a classical education. In 1896 he passed the lowest-level civil service examination but failed to obtain a higher degree. During the first decade of the 20th century he pursued a modern education in China, Japan, and France. He also helped to edit a series of magazines and served as a teacher and dean. After the Revolution of 1911 Ch'en headed the Anhwei Department of Education until forced by Yüan Shih-k'ai to flee to Japan in 1913. There he helped his friend Chang Shihchao to edit Chia-yin tsa-chih (Tiger Magazine). Upon the suppression of this publication, Ch'en went to the foreign concession in Shanghai. In 1915 he began to publish his most...