The Xinhai Revolution, which was also a crucial catalyst for the rejuvenation of China, began with the Wuchang Uprising on October 10, 1911 and ended with the abdication of Emperor Puyi on February 12, 1912.

Ten years later, in 1921, the country witnessed a truly groundbreaking event: the birth of the Chinese Communist Party.

Is there any connection between these two events?

The aftermath of the Xinhai Revolution ushered in a number of important social changes. China witnessed the growth of its working class, the development of democracy and the spread of Marxism. The Chinese Communist Party emerged thanks to this combination of factors.

The Xinhai Revolution not only overturned the domination of the Qing Dynasty and overthrew the autocratic monarchy which had ruled China for several thousand years, but also led to the founding of the Republic of China. This resulted in greater public freedoms, and also broadened the horizons of China's intellectuals as they sought to overturn the domination of imperialism and feudalism.

However, China was still a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society after the Xinhai Revolution. Invasion and exploitation by imperialist powers, particularly Japan, continued, pushing China to the edge of extinction.

In 1921, the Nanjing Interim Government was founded and stated on Jan 5 of that year:"All treaties that the Qing Dynasty government signed with other countries before the Xinhai Revolution are still in force." Three years later, Yuan Shikai agreed to the Japan's Twenty-one Demands, in order to obtain support from Japan for his ambition to become "Great Emperor of China".

The people suffered in the period following Yuan Shikai's death due to the fact that China became a fragmented nation dominated by the Northern warlords.

Such continual conflicts required a solution. The solution came in the form of the proletariat.

The Chinese working class first appeared in foreign companies during the mid-19th century. Its number grew as the number of foreign companies in China grew. According to statistics, the Chinese working class numbered about 100,000 before the Xinhai Revolution. That number had increased to 1 million by 1914. Before the May 4th Movement of 1919, the number exceeded 2 million. China also had more than 40 million handicraft workers, transportation workers and peasantry.

Due to its exploitation under imperialism and feudalism and by the capitalist class, the Chinese working class endured terrible working and living conditions, far worse than those of its overseas counterparts. This made the Chinese working class even more determined to improve its situation.

The working class participated in the Xinhai Revolution, and indeed was one of the major factors in the revolution.

The main driving force behind the May 4th Movement of 1919 was, initially, young students and intellectuals. Then 100,000 workers in Shanghai went on strike on Jun 5 to support the students' fight against imperialism. The strike spread rapidly to 100 cities and more than 20 provinces. Finally, the May 4th Movement claimed an initial victory.

Of course, the Chinese working class did not just automatically become the driving force of the revolution. It was first armed with the principles of Marxism, the scientific idea which represents the interests of the working class. Then, under the guidance of this ideology, the working class established Chinese communist groups to act in the interests of both the working class and all Chinese people.

After the Xinhai Revolution, the relatively loose social framework saw the emergence of various different organizations, in which Chinese intellectuals kept trying to find a way to both solve China's problems and find the right theory to guide the people.

Li Dazhao was the first Chinese intellectual to spread Marxism. He wanted to learn from the success of the Bolshevik Revolution. His article entitled "A Comparison of the French and Russian Revolutions" illustrated the basic differences between the French and Russian revolutions and pointed out that the Russian revolution indicated the rise of Socialism. It also indicated that the spread of Marxism had begun in earnest.

Many other intellectuals emerged during this period. Those intellectuals who had participated in the Xinhai Revolution learned about Marxism and advocated its principles. Famous representatives included Wu Yuzhang, Zhu De, Dong Biwu and Lin Boqu, all of whom contributed greatly to the establishment of the Communist Party.

Following the objective logic of history, it's clear that, following the Xinhai Revolution, China needed new leaders and greater organization. Furthermore, the Xinhai Revolution paved the way for the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party.

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