Life of Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai, also known as Xiangyu, also known as Shaoshan, Wu Hao, etc., was born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province on March 5, 1898 (February of the 24th year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty). 13th) was born in Huai'an, Jiangsu.
Huai'an is a place with developed culture and prosperous economy. It has the former residence of Wu Cheng'en, the author of "Journey to the West", and the ancestral hall of Guan Tianpei, the anti-British hero in the Opium War. Zhou Enlai "traveled less in the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers to see the scenic spots". He loved the mountains and rivers of his motherland and the heroes in history, and had a strong sense of national pride. When he was a child, he read Zhang Taiyan's article published in "Journal of Chinese Culture". "Although I didn't understand much about it at the time, it inspired my patriotic national thoughts." He once mourned silently in front of the elegiac couplet written by Lin Zexu to Guan Tianpei. Later, when Zhou En came back to Shaoxing in 1939 and talked about unity in the war of resistance, he also talked about the couplets in front of the temple and encouraged everyone not to forget Guan Tianpei's integrity.
Zhou Enlai’s mother, Wan, was shrewd and capable, and Zhou Enlai had been exposed to Confucianism since he was a child. He was adopted to his uncle when he was less than one year old. His stepmother, Mrs. Chen, was rich in knowledge and knew poetry, calligraphy and painting. She taught Zhou Enlai how to read and recite poetry, which nurtured his rich emotions since he was a child. "It's noon on the day of hoeing, and sweat drips from the bottom of the grain. Who knows that every grain of rice on the plate has been worked hard", "One grain of millet is planted in spring, and ten thousand seeds are harvested in autumn. There is no idle land in the world, and farmers are still starving to death." and other poems, and Liang Hongyu fought against the Jin soldiers in Huai'an during the Southern Song Dynasty; Han Xin, a famous general in Huai'an during the Western Han Dynasty, begged for food and floated his mother to establish the Han Dynasty; the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement that shocked the country, etc., influenced his young mind. His wet nurse, Mrs. Jiang, made him understand the hard life of working people.
When he was less than 10 years old, the already declining feudal bureaucratic family fell into poverty and misery. Two mothers died one after another, and his father had been working abroad for many years in order to make a living. The young Zhou Enlai had to knock on the doors of wealthy households to borrow debts, or send clothes to pawn shops.
The enemy of the country and the family were in trouble, so he educated Zhou Enlai from an early age.
In the spring of 1910, 12-year-old Zhou Enlai followed his third cousin Zhou Yiqian to Fengtian (today's Liaoning Province) and entered Yinchuan (today's Tieling) Yingang Academy. Half a year later, he transferred to the second class of Shenyang Dongguan Model Model Primary school. This year, Japanese militarism officially annexed China's neighbor North Korea. On the battlefield of the Russo-Japanese War in Northeast China, the footprints of the young Zhou Enlai were left. "I feel fascinated when I recall the Jiachen years, and feel sad when I think about the war between Japan and Russia." Once, when the principal asked everyone in class why they were studying, Zhou Enlai generously replied:
"For the rise of China!"
This oath was carried out throughout his life and permeated into all his activities. He saw the nation in peril and the mountains and rivers shattered and later consciously participated in the revolution.
In the spring of 1913, Zhou Enlai, wearing a faded blue cloth gown, came to Tianjin and studied at Nankai School. Tianjin, formerly known as Tianjin Wei, was the gateway to Kyoto in China. It was forced to open as a port in 1860. Nine imperialist countries had concessions here, making it a typical semi-colonial city. Nankai School was a private school modeled on European and American methods, which was relatively advanced at the time. He attended school here for four years and absorbed all aspects of modern education, which had an important impact on his life. He participated in initiating and organizing the Jingye Music Group, edited the journals "Jingye" and "School Spirit", and published novels and articles; he joined the New Theater Troupe; he was elected as the vice president of the school's speech club and the president of the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Alumni Association; he participated in the national salvation rally held by the Tianjin Beijie masses. Fundraising meeting; participation in school-wide speech contest; etc. These activities reflected the young Zhou Enlai's concern and patriotism. He said in the article: "Today, when the survival of China is in critical condition, at this critical moment, the same kind of neighbor to the east suddenly shows off his ambitions. When bad news comes, the whole country is in a state of uproar. They are thinking of a war, thinking that they can take advantage of the enemy. He said in the poem: "In the green countryside, smoke and silkworms are thick. In the Central Plains, deer are chasing each other." In response to the "Twenty-One" treaty proposed by Japan to subjugate China, he shouted: "The vast country of China has collapsed and needs to be turned back. Who is the mainstay of China in the vast country? If a weak crown asks for a tassel, and I hear the chicken dancing, I really hope that the people of the country will come to the rescue. Don't let this time pass you by." He sympathized with the poor people, "but he thought of treating others as if they were hungry, and treating the world as hungry as oneself, and drowning as oneself drowning." He pays attention to physical exercise and wants to change the appearance of the "sick man of East Asia". Even when he participated in the drama, he also wanted to awaken the people and "want to rebuild the country and revive the motherland."
In the summer of 1917, Zhou Enlai graduated from middle school and planned to study abroad in Japan at an examiner's expense. He gave a message to his classmates: "I hope to meet you when China takes off around the world." This shows his consistent ambition. But how can China take off? At that time, the theories of saving the nation through education, saving the nation through industry, and even the theory of saving the nation through militarism were prevalent in the world. Zhou Enlai is a solid and cautious young man, and he needs to carefully investigate.
At that time, Japan developed from capitalism to imperialism after the Meiji Restoration. There was not only a prosperous world of feasting and drunkenness, but also an army of hungry and unemployed people who were half-clothed, underfed, and militarists. clamoring to invade China. Seeing this reality, Zhou Enlai abandoned the idea that militarism could save China. He was in panic and depression. He wrote in a letter to others: "The hatred of the family and the country is unbearable, and the affairs of the world cannot be mentioned! Looking at China, my sorrow has reached the extreme!" "It is suffering for our people, and there is nothing we can do about it. ! ”
The Russian October Socialist Revolution broke out.
Zhou Enlai saw some introductions about the October Revolution in Japanese newspapers and followed the development of the Russian Revolution with great enthusiasm. He came into contact with Marxism and read "The Essence of Socialism" by Kotoku Shusui, "Ten Days That Shocked the World" by John Reed, "New Society" magazine founded by Toshihiko Kai, etc., especially the spread of early Marxism in Japan. Hajime Kawakami's works such as "The Story of Poverty" and the "Research on Social Issues" founded by him deeply impressed Zhou Enlai. Scientific socialism influenced Zhou Enlai's thoughts, and Zhou Enlai's thoughts began to change, as he said in his poem: "The truth of all things in the world becomes more and more blurred the more we seek it, - Occasionally a little light appeared in the blur, and I felt more beautiful."
Zhou Enlai decided to "return to his country to pursue his own prosperity." He returned to China in April 1919, and then participated in the vigorous May Fourth Movement.
The May 4th Movement forced the Beiyang government not to dare to sign the Paris Peace Treaty in humiliation. The May 4th Movement also opened up a broad road for the spread of Marxism in China. Zhou Enlai actively participated in demonstrations. He founded the "Tianjin Student Union Newspaper" and shouted in the newspaper: "O citizens! The dark forces are coming in an overwhelming force!" We "must be prepared! We must have methods! We must make sacrifices!" This newspaper can be run. "Very spirited" and "daring to speak out", "its 'advocacy' and 'comments' columns are very special. I dare say that it is the most popular student union in the country." From late August to early October 1919, in order to support the patriotic struggle of the Shandong people, Zhou Enlai and people's representatives from all walks of life in Tianjin went to Beijing twice to demonstrate in front of the Presidential Palace. He was responsible for logistics supply, publicity, and reporting. During this period, 20 male and female students, including Zhou Enlai, Guo Longzhen, Deng Yingchao, Chen Zhidu, and Ma Jun, formed the Awakening Club in the history of the May 4th Movement in Tianjin. "Class struggle" was proposed in "Song of Awakening Commune Members".
"The world trend is surging and coming to China.
Social revolution, class struggle, everyone works together."
In November of this year, Japan The consul in Fuzhou ordered the gangsters to kill and injure Chinese students and policemen, ordered destroyers to invade Chinese waters, and sent sailors to land in provocation. The people of Tianjin decided to boycott Japanese goods. The Japanese Consul General in Zimbabwe lodged a “serious protest”. Tianjin Police Chief Yang Yide cracks down on students. Zhou Enlai and more than 20 people were arrested. In the cell, they did not give in and continued to light the torch of light. Zhou Enlai promoted Marxism to fellow prisoners.
According to the "Procuratorate Daily Records" at the time:
On May 14, 1920, it was decided that "Zhou Enlai should introduce Marx's theory."
May 28 "Zhou Enlai lectured on Marx's theory, changes in economic organizations in history and Marx's biography."
May 31 "Zhou Enlai lectured on Marx's theory, historical materialism" .
June 2 "Zhou Enlai still lectures on Marx's theory, the general theory of historical materialism and the history of class competition."
June 4th "Zhou Enlai continues to lecture on Marxism - the theory of surplus work and residual value in economic theory."
June 7th "Zhou Enlai continues to lecture on Marx's theory - - "Das Kapital" and the 'Capital Concentration Theory' in Economic Theory, today the Marxist theory has been finished."
This shows that during the May Fourth Movement, Zhou Enlai was already systematically promoting Marx's theory. He is one of the few early disseminators of Marxism in our country.
After Zhou Enlai and others’ struggles in prison and the support of patriotic students and the masses outside prison, the reactionary government finally released all the detained students.
Six months of prison life made Zhou Enlai more determined and condensed, and he observed and considered problems more deeply. He deeply felt that China, which was suffering, needed fundamental transformation, and that transformation must involve stronger social forces, and it was necessary to "go among the people" and carry out a "movement of agricultural and industrial organizations." And we must have correct ideas and theories to guide us. When Zhou Enlai later talked about his communist beliefs, he said: His "thoughts were trembling in prison" and the germination of a revolutionary consciousness "started from this time."
In November 1920, Zhou Enlai took a sea ship to France to further study Marxism and examine and learn from the experience of the European proletarian revolutionary struggle. He said: “Research devoutly in order to understand the social truth of other countries and solve various problems, and think about how to apply it to our nation.
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