Li Dazhao: The "Fireman" of the Chinese Revolution"

"Zhao Zifu received the letter, that is, he was determined to work hard for the cause of national liberation, practice what he believed, and encourage him to do what he knew. He was guilty of merit and had no time to plan. Now that he was caught, he could only speak bluntly. If he was convicted again because of this, Zhao should take full responsibility." In April 1927, Li Dazhao, a pioneer of China's communist movement, recalled his life in prison. His "self-report in prison" also became his swan song for the struggle for communism all his life.
Li Dazhao, a native of Leting, Hebei Province, is a great Marxist, an outstanding proletarian revolutionist and one of the main founders of the Communist Party of China. Born in 1889, he traveled east to Japan in 1913 and studied at Waseda University in Tokyo, where he began to come into contact with Marxist doctrine. When the Japanese imperialists proposed to the Beiyang government the "Twenty-One Articles" to destroy China, Li Dazhao actively participated in the patriotic struggle of the Student Association in Japan. The "Warning to the Elders of the Country" drafted quickly spread throughout the country, so he became a nationally famous patriot.
Li Dazhao was the earliest disseminator of Marxism in China. After returning to China in 1916, he actively participated in the New Culture Movement and publicized the spirit of democracy and science. The victory of the Russian October Revolution greatly inspired and inspired him. He successively published articles and speeches such as "Comparative View of the French-Russian Revolution", "Victory of the Common People", "Victory of Bolshevism", and "New Era" to promote Marxism. thought. Li Dazhao "believes in communism" and often "knows that there is a doctrine but does not know that there is a family". During his tenure as director and professor of the library of Peking University, his monthly salary exceeded 200 ocean. However, he resolutely spent two-thirds of his income on the revolutionary cause, and the remaining small part was used to subsidize needy students and poor people. However, these generous acts caused his family to often face the dilemma of "food shortage. For this reason, the principal Cai Yuanpei specifically instructed the accountant to leave part of the salary directly to Li Dazhao's wife Zhao Renlan to maintain the basic life of their family. Before and after the May Fourth Movement, Li Dazhao vigorously promoted Marxism and spread the "fire" of truth on the land of China: he compiled Volume 6, No. 5 of "New Youth" into a special issue of "Marxist Research", and assisted the Beijing Morning Post supplement to open up "Marx" Research "column, published a series of articles introducing Marx's life, theory and contribution; published" My View on Marxism ", A systematic introduction to Marxist historical materialism, political economy and scientific socialism, the publication of this article marks the entry of Marxism into a more systematic stage of dissemination in China ...... Li Dazhao's efforts and explorations have set up a Marxist scientific world outlook for the Chinese revolutionaries, as well as the ideological banner of Marxism for the Chinese revolution.
Li Dazhao is one of the main founders of the Communist Party of China. He once confidently predicted: "Try to see the future of the world, it will be the world of red flags!" At the beginning of 1920, Li Dazhao and other revolutionaries began to discuss the establishment of a proletarian party in China. In March, Li Dazhao initiated the organization of the Marxist Theory Research Association at Peking University. In the autumn of the same year, he led the establishment of the early Communist Party organization in Beijing and the Beijing Socialist Youth League, and actively promoted the establishment of a nationwide Communist Party organization. In March 1921, Li Dazhao wrote an article calling on communists across the country to "hastily organize a group", which is a "common workers' political party" and should shoulder the responsibility of "China's thorough reform. In July 1921, the Communist Party of China was founded, which was an epoch-making event in China's modern history, and the face of the Chinese revolution has since taken on a new look. Li Dazhao's vigorous propaganda of Marxism and the organization he initiated and established made a vital contribution to the founding of the Communist Party of China.
Li Dazhao was an important leader of the Chinese revolutionary movement. After the founding of the Communist Party of China, Li Dazhao guided the work of the party in the northern region on behalf of the Party Central Committee. At the same time, he served as the director of the Northern Division of the Secretariat of the Chinese Labor Union. He led the propaganda of Marxism, carried out the workers' movement, established the party organization, and set off a vigorous revolutionary movement in the northern region. He believed that the peasants were the dependent force of the Chinese revolution and clearly proposed to "organize" the "vast peasant masses". After realizing the importance of armed struggle, he personally came forward to do the work of Feng Yuxiang and other generals of the national army to promote them to participate in the national revolution. From 1922 to 1924, he was entrusted by the party to travel between Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou to help Sun Yat-sen reorganize the Kuomintang, and played an important role in establishing the united front of the first cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party. In addition, Li Dazhao also led the northern party organization to cooperate with the victory of the May 30th Movement and the Northern Expedition to carry out the struggle against imperialism and warlords, and made outstanding contributions to the victory of the Great Revolution. On April 6, 1927, Li Dazhao was unfortunately arrested and imprisoned. In prison, Li Dazhao was tortured but always righteous and unyielding. On April 28, he was the first to go to the gallows, shouting "long live the Communist Party" and died calmly at the age of 38.
"Iron shoulders bear morality and justice, and write articles with wonderful hands." As one of the earliest Marxists and communists in China, Li Dazhao devoted himself to spreading Marxism in China and made outstanding contributions to the establishment, consolidation and development of the Communist Party of China, national independence, people's liberation, national prosperity and people's happiness. "Only by advocating heroes can heroes be produced, and only by striving to be heroes can heroes be produced in large numbers." Li Dazhao's heroic spirit of being willing to shed his blood for the revolution will be forever recorded in the annals of history and will last forever.

Source: Party Building Magazine