Fan Yanli and Liu Rongzhen: Festival Commemorations and Youth Mobilization in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region
In the course of the revolution led by the Communist Party of China to achieve national independence and the liberation of the people, the Party attached great importance to the significant role of the youth. It transformed commemorative activities for revolutionary holidays into vital arenas for awakening the youth and constructing a national consciousness dedicated to resisting Japanese aggression and saving the nation. Following the outbreak of the Full-Scale War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, our Party extensively utilized the commemoration of revolutionary holidays to mobilize large numbers of young people to join the tide of resistance and contribute their youthful strength. This practice was implemented with particular breadth in the "Model Anti-Japanese Base Area"—the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region [1].
I
In an era of national peril, inspiring the youth to commit themselves to the revolutionary cause and constructing the "lesser self" (xiǎowǒ) within the realization of the "greater self" (dàwǒ) was a task of great urgency. To this end, it was necessary to provide the broad masses of youth with a correct revolutionary education. The CPC exerted effort across political, economic, cultural, and social dimensions, specifically through the implementation of holiday commemorations. By creating a rich festive atmosphere and affirming the youth's significant role through reviews of revolutionary history, the Party constructed a revolutionary discourse for the youth, raised their ideological awareness, and impelled more young people to dedicate themselves to the great cause of resisting Japan and saving the nation.
"The May Fourth Movement is of particularly serious significance to youth; it was only from May Fourth onward that youth possessed an independent mass movement, and their vanguard position in the national democratic revolution was publicly recognized by society. From May Fourth onward, various personal problems of the youth... such as improving family marriage, education, and employment, began to attract attention from all quarters. May Fourth was also the beginning of the Chinese youth united front" ("Propaganda Outline for the May Fourth Youth Day," Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, April 16, 1940). As an inherent part of holiday commemorations, at the commemorative rallies in the Border Region, Party organizations fully affirmed that the May Fourth Movement and the December 9th Movement [2] represented justice and progress. To a certain extent, this laid the groundwork for using holiday commemorations as a vehicle for extensive political mobilization in the Border Region. High regard for the youth and affirmation of their role were always core components of speeches at commemorative rallies and symposia. Concepts such as "We youth are the driving force of historical progress; our shoulders carry the hopes of the entire nation and all of humanity" ("Declaration of the Third Representative Assembly of the Border Region Youth National Salvation Association," Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, June 29, 1940) became a consensus, inspiring the youth to rise up in resistance.
Under the directives of the Party Central Committee, the Border Region government gave practical attention to the protection of youth rights and interests during mobilization. In 1940, the Administrative Program of the Northern Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Regarding the Current Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region (referred to as the "Double Ten Program") was promulgated. On the basis of consolidating the rights youth had already gained during the three years of resistance, it explicitly proposed further rights and demands. Regarding political democracy, as early as April 1940, the Standing Committee of the Northwestern Youth National Salvation Federation made decisions concerning "striving for the democratic rights of youth, providing various concrete guarantees for their lives and freedom, lowering the age for political participation, and requesting the improvement of youth livelihoods." Subsequently, the right of youth over the age of 18 in the Border Region to vote and stand for election was prioritized and implemented. The "Double Ten Program" once again legally stipulated the youth's status of complete political freedom and equality. In 1941, Peng Zhen noted in his "Report on Party Work and Specific Policies in the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region": "The enthusiasm of young citizens is highest; participation was 90.7% in village elections and 91.79% in district elections" (Central Party School Press, 1981 edition, p. 38). This indicates that these measures greatly stimulated the enthusiasm of the broad masses of youth to join the army and participate in governance.
Regarding the strengthening of advanced cultural studies, our Party demanded the eradication of all stale, feudal, and national-subjugating reactionary cultural thought. It continuously strengthened the arming of youth with revolutionary theory and extensively carried out the New Democratic cultural movement. National education was a vital measure for cultivating revolutionary cadres and intellectuals and for mobilizing the masses to participate in and persist in the resistance. Culturally, the "Double Ten Program" explicitly proposed "Four Major Educations" for youth and children: implementing free compulsory education, establishing wartime education, ensuring that intellectual youth opposed the enslavement education (nǔhuà jiàoyù) [3] of the enemy and traitors, and establishing excellent family education for children. This provided a lever for spreading advanced revolutionary theory and resisting reactionary thought, raising the political and cultural level of the people, including the youth.
Simultaneously, measures to protect the various rights of youth in the Border Region continued to expand. A series of measures were proposed, such as "opposing early marriage, mercenary marriage, and arranged marriage; advocating freedom of marriage; opposing the cruel maltreatment of youth by feudal families; demanding equal pay for equal work for young workers; requesting relief for unemployed and victimized youth; drawing attention to child healthcare; mobilizing youth to participate in all struggles for democracy and livelihood; and initiating a spirit of mutual aid and fraternal love among youth to solve life's problems bit by bit through persistent effort" (Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, June 29, 1940). Furthermore, Youth Labor Service Camps were established to "organize youth who have lost schooling or employment, equipping them with production skills and means of livelihood, and actively providing them with opportunities to serve the state and society" ("Outline of the Plan for Youth Labor Service Camps," Jinzhong Municipal Archives).
II
In its youth work, our Party recognized and reinforced the dual attributes of holiday commemorations. "To advance Youth League activities and intensify member training, the first Sunday of every month is designated as Youth Day" ("Implementation Measures for Youth Day," Jinzhong Municipal Archives). It was further stipulated that the week prior to the holiday would be "Movement Week" and the month itself a "Shock Month" (tūjī yuè) [4], featuring activities including military, political, cultural, physical education, and entertainment programs. In the military sphere, there were camping tests and athletic meets; in the political and cultural spheres, there were political speeches by young soldiers, as well as political and cultural examinations; in physical education, there were basketball, football, volleyball, high jump, and long jump; and in entertainment, there were singing competitions and theatrical performances ("We Heartily Prepare to Commemorate the May Fourth Youth Day," Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, April 23, 1942). Notably, the theme of political mobilization was quite clearly integrated into various entertainment projects. For instance, in singing competitions, the selection of songs was mostly based on the consideration of boosting the public's morale for the resistance. Under the revolutionary context of national liberation, "how to more extensively unite and mobilize the masses and the youth in guerrilla areas to participate in the military, political, financial, and economic construction of the Border Region was the central task of the moment" ("Decision of the Beiyue District Youth National Salvation Association on Commemorating May Fourth," Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, April 9, 1942). Under the call of holiday commemorations integrated with the theme of aiding Border Region construction to strengthen the struggle against the enemy, the youth threw themselves into developing the social undertakings of the Border Region with great enthusiasm.
After the Party Central Committee issued a document designating "a youth war participation movement week from May 1st to May 7th, with May Fourth commemorative rallies held wherever possible to organize youth to expand the movement, join the army, and comfort the troops... and give preferential treatment to the families of resistance members" (Selected Documents on the Youth Movement of the CPC Central Committee (1921.7–1949.9), China Youth Press, 1988 edition, p. 469), the political theme of mobilizing youth to join the military and participate in the war was reinforced in May Fourth commemorations. At the 1940 Third Representative Assembly of the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region Youth Anti-Japanese National Salvation Association, the call was made to "strengthen the Young Anti-Japanese Vanguards" (Qīng-Kàng-Xiān) and "flow continuously into regular army units and youth detachments, struggling to strengthen and consolidate the iron-willed 'sons and brothers' of the Border Region people!" In the article "How North China Youth Should Commemorate May Fourth," the cause of May Fourth was linked with military service, calling for "every patriotic youth not to hesitate, but to bravely go into the guerrilla units and the army" (Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, May 3, 1940).
Through the use of slogans such as "Young lads, go to the Eighth Route Army, join the youth ranks to defend your hometown, the Border Region, and the motherland" and "Consolidate and expand the Young Anti-Japanese Vanguards, strive for model militia status, and develop guerrilla warfare" ("Propaganda Outline for the May Fourth Youth Day," Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, April 16, 1940), as well as ubiquitous banners and big-character posters, the thick commemorative atmosphere allowed the idea that "joining the army is glorious" to subtly influence the youth. By hosting military competitions such as "running, mountain climbing, bayonet charging, grenade throwing, saber fighting, and shooting, along with a fully equipped cross-country race and general hygiene inspection," the physical fitness and combat skills of the youth were continuously reinforced. A surge of military enlistment swept across all areas. According to statistics from the first half of 1942, "the Beiyue District had 301,000 Children’s Corps members, 148,000 Youth National Salvation Association members, and 20,000 student members, totaling 470,000 organized youth and children. Among them, 430,000 joined the Young Anti-Japanese Vanguards, meaning over 84% of the Youth National Salvation Association members joined the youth armed organizations" ("Welcoming the Establishment of the Liberated Areas Youth Federation," Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, May 9, 1945). This further promoted the youth's sense of responsibility to defend the Border Region and actively resist Japan to save the nation.
Commemorative and educational activities in the Border Region were conducted on the premise of not hindering production movements and construction. They emphasized the study of theory and the elevation of cultural levels. Phrases such as "smash the Japanese invaders' enslavement policy," "oppose cultural absolutism," and "strengthen the cultural and theoretical level of the youth" became high-frequency terms in speeches. In 1942, the Military District Political Department issued three major calls to the youth, requiring them to become a "shock force" (tūjī lìliàng) in all types of work, deepen social education, and raise their political and cultural levels. The Winter School Movement, aimed at eliminating illiteracy and arming the masses' minds, further expanded among the youth. "Cultural and educational centers such as 'national salvation rooms' or clubs were established within or outside primary schools in every village of the Border Region. Various forms of literacy classes, such as people's schools, noon schools, and night schools, were opened, and activities suited to youth needs—such as newspaper reading, lectures, entertainment, sports, wall newspapers, and theater—were organized" (The Jin-Cha-Ji Anti-Japanese Base Area, Vol. 2, CPC History Press, 1991 edition, p. 3).
During the most difficult stalemate stage of the Anti-Japanese War, in order to overcome the severe economic hardships caused by the blockade of Japanese and puppet forces, the Party Central Committee issued the call to "use our own hands to ensure ample food and clothing" (zìjǐ dòngshǒu, fēngyī zúshí). Youth throughout the Beiyue District launched movements for providing support to the front, production, and study. "The various counties of the 4th Sub-district held 'shock months,' the 5th Sub-district launched 'challenge competitions,' and the 1st Sub-district initiated 'May Fourth Sorties' across the vast guerrilla areas. Although results were uneven across locations, the harvests were nonetheless considerable." According to reports in the Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, by 1942, "in four years, the youth of the Beiyue District have organized and united 150,000 members of the Youth National Salvation Association, 300,000 members of the Children’s Corps, and over 10,000 students, exerting great power on every front. Over four years, they participated in 1,099 battles, conducted 745 independent operations, engaged in 5,283 harassments of enemy curfews, killed or wounded 619 enemy and puppet soldiers, captured 158,252 jin [5] of wire, and mobilized large numbers of youth to join the Eighth Route Army. On the production front, statistics for 1939, 1940, and last year show 58,972 mu [6] of wasteland reclaimed, 2,046,311 trees planted, and 18,129 mu of land plowed on behalf of others [7]. Furthermore, in cultural and educational construction, youth and children essentially functioned as the primary assistants in promoting national education, mobilizing 209,650 children to enroll in schools and becoming a major force in the development of cultural and entertainment activities."
III
During this period, the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region also dealt with issues such as subjectivism, and youth work encountered problems like rigid leadership and detachment from reality, which hindered mobilization. In this context, it was extremely necessary to implement the Central Committee's deployments on youth work correctly and effectively through Rectification (zhěngfēng) education. The Border Region government integrated the spirit of Rectification into popular cultural activities related to the masses' lives, especially into the commemorative activities of revolutionary youth holidays. This increased the resonance of the movement and achieved excellent results.
Educational inspections of youth work and Rectification studies became repeatedly emphasized components of holiday commemorations. Before and during these holidays, various organizations carried out work to review youth projects and correct working styles (zuòfēng). For example, in 1942, the Border Region government ordered schools at all levels to intensify anti-fascist education and conduct teaching inspections: "Middle schools and senior primary schools should hold symposia or large-scale study examinations based on the school unit." The Beiyue District Students' Federation also implemented large-scale study inspections, requiring "the use of group discussions and individual self-criticism to conduct a deep inspection of learning cognition, breadth, methods, and content, bringing about a new transformation in study" (Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, April 22, 1942). They also required that students engage in extracurricular study and resistance service work in addition to their prescribed school curriculum.
As the primary leadership group for youth work in the Border Region, the Youth Rescue Association (YRA) pointed out profoundly during the Rectification Movement [8] and its study sessions that “in youth work, due to the increasingly sharp and cruel struggle behind enemy lines, our work requires us to advance further by overcoming subjectivism, sectarianism, and the New Stereotyped Party Writing [9] within our organizational leadership.” Consequently, during the Youth Day commemorative assemblies, one of the tasks proposed for the Youth Federation of the Beiyue Region [10] was that “the YRA at all levels throughout the region, as well as the broad masses of youth and children, must mobilize in unison to conduct self-criticism, perform in-depth inspections, correct shortcomings or mistakes, refresh our ranks, and carry forward the spirit of seeking truth from facts. We must unite all classes, all anti-Japanese parties, ethnic minorities, and religious youth to fight together for the death of fascism under the banner of democracy, unity, and resistance against Japan!” (Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, May 24, 1942). At the Fourth Representative Congress of the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region Youth Anti-Japanese Rescue Association, the Party organization made deployments for the youth’s self-inspection work, emphasizing the strengthening of educational work for members: regarding content, it centered on anti-Japanese democratic unity to enhance the atmosphere of independent research and the pursuit of truth among the youth; regarding organization, it required the YRA to truly become a school for the youth, educating them regularly and systematically, and striving forward toward the establishment of a democratic, united, and active YRA; regarding ideology, it aimed to defend the generation of youth in guerrilla and enemy-occupied zones by actively and vigorously launching a propaganda war, strengthening education on national integrity [11] for youth in guerrilla zones, and opposing the enemy's policies of deception and enslavement to firm up confidence in the victory of the War of Resistance.
Through leverage points such as revolutionary holiday commemorations, the Rectification Movement unfolded successively, and youth work in various locales began meticulous and strict self-inspection and self-examination. Under the combined effect of theory and practice, youth work in the Border Region became more effective, and the results of mobilization were greatly enhanced. “The youth responded actively, conducting rallies and parades with the highest enthusiasm to review their own ranks and strength” (Jin-Cha-Ji Daily, September 6, 1942), enabling the effect of youth mobilization to achieve new developments in practical work. Our Party carried out mobilization activities using commemorative days as temporal nodes, causing profound changes in the thinking of the broad masses of youth. Their national consciousness gradually strengthened, and through practice, they raised their ideological awareness and solidified their political identification with the Party and the revolutionary regime. More and more young people linked their personal progress with the great cause of national liberation, becoming the backbone of the War of Resistance.
(Authors: Fan Yanli and Liu Rongzhen, respectively Associate Professor and Professor at the School of Marxism, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology) Web Editor: Tongxin Source: Guangming Daily (May 10, 2023, Page 11)