The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was established in July 1921 in Shanghai, China. It had its origins in a variety of earlier groups and organizations, some in exile, some operating in secret in China, that began forming during the 1910s. The CCP emerged as a powerful political force when it led the Communist revolution of 1949 which resulted in a Communist state, the People’s Republic of China, based on the principles of Marxism-Leninism.
The development of any movement or party requires the presence of a driving force and an engaging belief system. In terms of the CCP’s formation, one of the most important forces at work was Chinese nationalism, rising out of the humiliation China suffered at the hands of the foreign powers in the late 19th century. During this time, China was divided into spheres of influence, with very little of its sovereignty intact. This led to a deeply felt sense of outrage and a desire for national self-determination among the intelligentsia and broader Chinese population.
Another important factor was the rise of Marxist thought in China. Marxism as developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels had a profound influence on left-leaning intellectuals who were looking for a new way to achieve social transformation in China. One of the most important figures in introducing Marxist thought to China was Chen Duxiu, a professor of literature at Peking University.
In the early 1900s, several small organizations were formed that attempted to bring about change according to Marxist principles. These include the Society of Truth, the Socialist Youth League and the Chinese Social Democratic Party. However, none of these groups had significant success in changing Chinese society and they soon merged together to form the Communist Party.
This merger occurred at the first National Congress of the CCP, held in Shanghai in 1921. At this Congress, thirteen delegates came together to officially form the CCP. The first leader of the CCP was Chen Duxiu, and the founding ‘father’ of the CCP was Li Dazhao, who served as the General Secretary.
The Chinese Communist Party grew slowly over the next few decades, developing branches across the country. It formed alliances with other political parties and workers’ unions to achieve common goals such as trade union rights, better wages and improved working conditions. The CCP was also involved in agitating for land reform, a key issue in China at the time.
During the 1920s and 1930s, the CCP took part in the campaigns of both the Kuomintang (KMT) and the fledgling Chinese Soviet Republic. Both of these movements sought to overthrow the warlord and imperialist systems of government in China and replace them with a more democratic government.
At the same time, the CCP began to gain more prominence through its involvement in the Chinese civil war, with Mao Zedong emerging as its leader. Under his direction, the CCP gained control of much of mainland China. In 1949, the CCP declared victory in the Chinese Civil War and established the People’s Republic of China, a Marxist-Leninist communist state.
Since then, the CCP has become the ruling party in China. Despite the fact that it is still officially committed to Marxism-Leninism, the CCP has implemented a number of economic policies that have enabled China to develop rapidly and become one of the world’s largest economies. Although Chinese citizens do not have the same level of personal freedoms that people in many western democracies enjoy, the CCP remains firmly in control and is unlikely to relinquish power anytime soon.