Why is July 1 the birthday of the party?

Site of the First Congress of the Communist Party of China

On July 23, 1921, representatives of the early Communist Party organizations from all over the country gathered at 106 Wangzhi Road, French Concession, Shanghai, where the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China was held. Party organizations from all over the country and those traveling to Japan sent a total of 13 representatives to attend the meeting. They represent more than 50 party members across the country. The Communist International was also represented at the meeting. Due to the attention of secret agents and the search of the concession, the last day of the meeting was held on a cruise ship in Nanhu Lake, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province.

The main task of the First Congress of the Party is to discuss the formal establishment of the Party. The meeting determined the name of the party as the Communist Party of China, passed the party program of the Communist Party of China, and proposed that the party's goal is to overthrow the bourgeoisie, realize the dictatorship of the proletariat in China, and achieve socialism and communism. Since then, the Chinese Communists have established the original intention and mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation.

The convening of the first National Congress of the Party announced the formal establishment of the Communist Party of China, which was an epoch-making event. So, since the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China was officially held on July 23, 1921, why should July 1 instead of July 23 be the anniversary of the founding of the Party every year. As for the specific date of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China, it is not very clear for a long time.

The earliest record of the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China that can be seen at present is the material of the first Congress of the Communist Party of China, which was formed in the second half of 1921. It clearly states: "The Congress is scheduled to be held on June 20, but representatives from Beijing, Hankou, Guangzhou, Changsha, Jinan and Japan did not arrive in Shanghai until July 23, so the Congress opened." Unfortunately, this material was stored in the Chinese Communist Party's delegation to the Communist International, and people did not know it for a long time.

Some of the delegates who attended the first big meeting later recalled the approximate time of the first big meeting, but the specific date was quite different. Mao Zedong said to Snow, an American journalist who visited the Soviet area in northern Shaanxi in 1936: "in May 1921, I went to Shanghai to attend the founding meeting of the Communist Party." May here should refer to the lunar calendar. The specific date of Mao Zedong's start is June 29. Xie Juezai, a fellow countryman and good friend of He Shuheng, wrote in his diary on this day: "Uncle Heng will go to Shanghai at 6 o'clock in the afternoon and run with him." on 4 July, mao zedong and he shuheng arrived in shanghai. According to Chen Tanqiu's recollection in 1936, "In the second half of July, 1921, nine guests suddenly arrived at the girls' school on Pubai Road in the French Concession of Shanghai. They stayed on the upper floor of the school." "Many of the people who come here are representatives of communist groups from all over China. The purpose of their visit to Shanghai is to formally establish the Communist Party of China." Chen Tanqiu's memories are not so long away from the big meeting, so they are relatively close to the actual meeting time.

So, why is July 1 every year as the anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China? Dong Biwu's memories of 1971 can explain the problem. He said: "The date of July 1 was also set later. No one can say for the actual meeting." For a period of time after the founding of the Communist Party of China, no commemorative activities were carried out on the anniversary of the first National Congress.

On July 1 as the anniversary of the founding of the party, the earliest documented speech "on protracted war" made by Mao Zedong at the Yan'an Anti Japanese War Research Association in May 1938. Mao Zedong said: "July 1 this year is the 17th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China." Mao Zedong was a representative of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China and also served as a record during the meeting. However, it has been 17 years since the First National Congress was held when he said this. He may not remember the specific time of the First National Congress so accurately, and he did not say that the First National Congress opened on this day. With the founding of the Communist Party of China, the landmark event was naturally the convening of the Great Congress, but there was already an early organization of the Party before the Great Congress, otherwise it would be impossible for all localities to elect representatives to the Congress.

For the first time, the CPC Central Committee officially designated July 1 each year as the anniversary of the founding of the party in June 1941. By this time, the Communist Party of China had been founded for 20 years, and at this time it was in the most difficult and arduous stage of the War of Resistance against Japan. In January of this year, Chiang Kai-shek created the Southern Anhui Incident that shocked China and foreign countries. The New Fourth Army suffered heavy losses, and the second anti-communist climax reached its peak; at the same time, the Japanese army carried out a large-scale "mopping up" and implemented cruel killing and burning in the anti-Japanese base areas behind enemy lines. The "three lights" policy of snatching up, the war of resistance behind enemy lines faced unprecedented serious difficulties. In order to inspire the confidence of the military and civilians throughout the country to persist in the war of resistance, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the party.

In June 1941, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued the "Instructions on the 20th Anniversary of the Birth of the Communist Party of China and the 4th Anniversary of the Anti-Japanese War" drafted by Mao Zedong, which clearly pointed out: "This year's 'July 1' is the 20th anniversary of the emergence of the Communist Party of China, and 'July 7' is China. For the fourth anniversary of the War of Resistance Against Japan, each anti-Japanese base area should convene meetings separately, adopt various measures to commemorate, and publish special issues." The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China also proposed that the main point of the propaganda is to "in-depth publicize the history of the Communist Party of China over the past 20 years, which is the history of heroic struggle for the liberation of the Chinese nation and the Chinese people."

In accordance with the spirit of the instructions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, various base areas carried out various forms of activities to commemorate and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China around July 1, 1941. From this time on, July 1 every year has become the anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

Source: The Learning Times