The People's Republic of China

  • Period: to

    1911 Revolution

    The 1911 Revolution, also known as the Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, ended China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing dynasty, and led to the establishment of the Republic of China.
  • Bolshevik Revolution

    It was Lenin’s overthrow of the weak Provisional Government, carried out by the Bolsheviks through a nearly bloodless uprising in Petrograd. It replaced liberal rule with a new Soviet, socialist government claiming to represent workers and soldiers. The revolution marked a decisive break from Russia’s old political order and began the creation of a communist state.
  • May Fourth Movement

    A student-led protest in Beijing against the Versailles Treaty’s decision to give Shandong to Japan sparked nationwide demonstrations. It became a wider cultural and intellectual movement rejecting traditionalism and promoting modern ideas like science, democracy, and vernacular writing. It also encouraged the spread of Marxism and helped catalyse China’s political modernisation.
  • Birth of CCP

    Founded in 1921 when a small group of Chinese intellectuals, inspired by the May Fourth Movement and the spread of Marxism, met in Shanghai and later on a boat in Jiaxing to avoid police surveillance. Guided initially by figures like Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao, the CCP emerged as a revolutionary party focused on anti-imperialism, social reform, and organising workers. Its birth marked the start of a new political force that would eventually reshape China’s modern history.