The May Fourth Movement was a great patriotic movement spearheaded by Chinese youth and with the participation of the people of the whole country, and its trigger was the failure of China's diplomacy at the Paris Peace Conference. In November 1918, World War I ended, and Germany, Austria and other Allied powers became the defeated side. In January of the following year, the victorious powers held a "peace conference" at the Palace of Versailles in Paris, France, to draw up a peace treaty against the defeated powers.
China had declared war against Germany and was supposed to be one of the victorious powers. Beiyang** also sent five people, including Lu Zongxiang, to attend the Paris Peace Conference as plenipotentiary representatives. However, at the meeting, the United States, Britain, France, and other countries ignored the fact that China was the victorious country and decided to hand over all the rights and interests of Germany in Shandong to Japan, and Beiyang ** thus gave up the demand for the abolition of the "21 Articles". When news of China's diplomatic failure at the Paris Peace Conference reached China, the whole country was outraged.
On May 4, 1919, Beijing students rallied at Tiananmen Square, chanting slogans such as "Fight for sovereignty from outside, punish from within" and abolish the "21 Articles". Their voices aroused the patriotic enthusiasm of the people of the whole country like spring thunder, and a May Fourth Patriotic Movement of unprecedented scale and far-reaching influence broke out, opening the prelude to China's new democratic revolution. This movement swept the whole country like a frenzy, from Beijing to Shanghai, from Guangzhou to Wuhan, young students, workers, businessmen, and citizens everywhere threw themselves into this patriotic movement. They went on strike, demonstrated, and went on strike, strongly condemned China's defeat at the Paris Peace Conference, and demanded the abolition of unequal treaties and the preservation of national sovereignty and national dignity. The May Fourth Movement was an important event in China's modern history, which marked the beginning of China's new democratic revolution. This movement has aroused the patriotic enthusiasm and national consciousness of the Chinese people, and promoted China's modernization process and social progress. The spirit and values it represents still have a profound impact on Chinese society and the Chinese people. 