The May Fourth Movement as a Historical Turning Point

The May Fourth Movement in both its major manifestations—the New Culture Movement and the student demonstrations—was a reaction to the political impotence of the Chinese state. ¹ In 1915, Chen Duxiu had called for a thorough transformation of China's culture and values. This was because, following the manifest failure of the republican institutions that had been established after the 1911 Revolution, he despaired of political action as a means of revitalizing and strengthening the nation. Later, during the May Fourth Incident in 1919, the students rose in protest not only against the decisions of the imperialist powers at the Versailles Peace Conference, but also against the betrayal of the nation by a weak and corrupt warlord regime in Peking.