Chapter 16 Trek Helmsman

On April 27, a huge "Five National Congress" of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held in a small No. 1 Primary School Affiliated to Wuchang Higher Normal School. There was silence in the hall.Almost all the "chief elements" of the Communist Party wanted by Chiang Kai-shek are here.Cai Hesen, Qu Qiubai, Mao Zedong, Ren Bishi, Liu Shaoqi, Deng Zhongxia, Zhang Guotao, Peng Pai, Fang Zhimin, Yun Daiying, Luo Yinong, Dong Biwu, Xiang Ying, Chen Tanqiu, Su Zhaozheng, Xiang Jingyu, Cai Chang, Xiang Zhongfa, Luo Zhanglong, He Chang, Ruan Xiaoxian, More than 80 people including Yang Pao'an, Wang Hebo, Peng Gongda and Li Lisan attended the meeting.There are 57,967 representative party members.KMT dignitaries Wang Jingwei, Xu Qian, Tan Yankai, etc. all attended the meeting and delivered congratulatory speeches to show that the cooperation between the KMT and the Communist Party is still continuing.

In order to prevent accidents, after the opening ceremony, the conference was transferred to the Huangpo Guild Hall in the suburbs of the city.But these lively scenes cannot offset the inner distress of the Communists.Just before the opening of the congress, the Communist Party lost three important district committee organizations in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing.Most of the headquarters in those areas were destroyed, and a large number of comrades were massacred.The remaining organizations have either lost contact or are struggling for their own survival under extremely difficult conditions.Almost all the representatives present felt very sad for this.Many famous people -

Li Dazhao did not come. The opening day of the "Big Five" was the eve of his execution. On April 28, he was hanged by Zhang Zuolin. Deng Pei, Xiao Chunv, Xiong Xiong, Li Qihan, and Liu Ersong did not come. Ten days ago, they were killed by Li Jishen, Gu Yingfen, and Qian Dajun in Guangzhou. Zhou Enlai, Chen Yannian, and Zhao Shiyan did not come.As the Shanghai special committees who have turned to the underground struggle, they are dealing with the enemy in white terror. Chen Duxiu presided over the meeting.Sitting next to him were Roy, Vikingsky, Borodin, Miff, Rozovsky and others.

Before the meeting, Chen Duxiu, who lives in No. 61 of the Central Office, carefully prepared a speech outline of tens of thousands of words.He has too many issues to talk about.Since the Party's "Four Great Movements", especially after the Zhongshan ship incident, how many things are worth reviewing?Wasn't it right to give in at that time?The leftists are so weak, so what if they don't retreat?Didn't even Wang Jingwei avoid it?Is there any problem with the armed uprising in Shanghai?Have.If we do not engage in such armed confrontation, can Chiang Kai-shek still find an excuse to hand over the guns of the workers' pickets?He noted this point in the outline: "It was wrong for the Shanghai workers to hold an armed uprising. The problem is that we did not understand the method of revolution. At that time, we should carry out economic struggles, not to mention the realization of democratic dictatorship." He suddenly thought of Wu Yuzhang's speech a few days ago A proposal to expand a battalion led by a Communist Party member into a division, but he did not agree at the time, isn't this a trick for others to catch us?Then there is Mao Zedong, a thin and tall man from Hunan, who came to Wuhan several times to talk to him about the peasant issue, talking about "the peasant movement is very good rather than very bad", and talking about "overcorrecting, but correcting too much", Mao Zedong's His tone was so heavy, it seemed that he didn't want to listen to him anymore.In Mao Zedong's bright eyes, there seemed to be a little more resentment.

Before the meeting, many people felt that only by thoroughly reviewing the past can they bring vitality to the future.Zhou Enlai, who persisted in the struggle in Shanghai, asked Luo Yinong to bring two opinions: the central government must admit its mistakes, and Peng Shuzhi cannot join the Central Committee. Chen Duxiu wanted to talk about something, but when it came to specific issues, he found it difficult to start. As soon as I looked back at the document at hand, there would be four big words again: Communist International!These four words always dominate his thinking in the dark. When Chen Duxiu, who was wearing a long gown, gave a report, the delegates still listened carefully, hoping that he could review past mistakes and make a clear analysis of the current situation, but they were disappointed.During the break of the meeting, Luo Yinong walked up to Qu Qiubai, grinned and spit out the word "bad". Qu Qiubai was smoking a cigarette and remained silent for a long time.

When the meeting was held again in the afternoon, a pamphlet was distributed to each representative's seat, and in the middle of the second page was written "The Third International or the Fourth International?" "The words "Bolshevism" were written under it. Seeing these words, the representatives all smiled, and some laughed out loud on the spot.This is Yun Daiying wearing a gray cloth gown, shaved head, and wearing a pair of deep white silk-rimmed myopia glasses.He was one of those who were extremely dissatisfied with Chen Duxiu.Laughing, he wiped his nose with a handkerchief, and said: "This title is well-written and pointed." Chen Duxiu also saw the pamphlet and was very unhappy. Peng Shuzhi echoed: "This is hell!" "Damn!" It is Peng Shuzhi's mantra.He insisted on the rostrum that there is no national bourgeoisie in China. , This is really Peng Shuzhi's theory of ghosts. But only unite with 'ghosts', not with people - the Workers and Peasants Alliance, enshrining the leadership of the revolution to the 'ghosts' with both hands, this is really seeing a 'ghost'!" Qu Qiubai said for this reason I suffocated a lot of fire in my heart.He wrote in the pamphlet: I will express my opinions on the party, and maybe everyone can't agree with me, and I will say it completely.I'm sure he said: Our party is sick.Anyone who is sick, if he avoids medical treatment, must die.And the first disease of our party is taboo disease and avoid medical treatment.Beheading is the oriental culture of Chinese emperors and is a common practice in China.But I will be a Bolshevik, I will obey the discipline of true Leninism, I will not fear the beheading of the emperor system.I dare say: There are factions and opportunism within the Chinese Communist Party.If we don't know how to expose it openly, the masses and the revolution will abandon us.We can't take the face of the party more seriously than the revolution.All for the victory of the revolution!

Qu Qiubai was targeting Peng Shuzhi, and originally planned to launch a review offensive against Chen Duxiu.Borodin usually seldom intervened in the internal affairs of the CCP, but this time he also advised Qu Qiubai: You are already in a difficult situation, so you should not shake the current leadership.It is better to review the past less and plan more for the future.Qu Qiubai had no choice but to endure it. Chen Duxiu's status has been shaken, but who can take over at this critical juncture?There is also a worry within the party: Self-criticism will lower self-confidence and increase difficulties.Besides, reviewing the past will also involve the issue of whether the Communist International's guidance to China is correct, although the prestige of the Communist International leadership has been declining.

The meeting is held at the venue during the day, and most of them are lengthy reports from the representatives.Most of the really urgent problems were carried out in Borodin's apartment.Many people feel that such important confidential issues are not suitable for discussion in a crowded conference.There are also people who feel that at this critical juncture, everything should be decided immediately and dealt with extremely. At this time, it is not appropriate to hold a general meeting to discuss calmly.And here, what people hear most is the debate between Roy and Borodin. Not only was Borodin tall, but he also had a big airs. When he spoke, he often didn't look at the other party, but only looked at the empty space in front of him.He believes: We must make concessions to the Kuomintang now, and continuing to cooperate with them is the central issue. If we break with them now, it will be a complete failure of the Chinese revolution, and we will have nothing in the future.

And Luo Yi believed that: Now the Kuomintang Central Committee and its government are not leftists but representatives of local tyrants, evil gentry, landlords and warlords, we should call on the leftists to rise up and overthrow them. The two men also have different ways of thinking about things.Borodin often proceeded from the practical political point of view, paying attention to the comparison between revolutionary and counter-revolutionary forces, and planned specific measures; while Roy started from theoretical analysis, and often focused on whether to do so in principle. Calculate the actual gains and losses.The two of them had no affiliation relationship. Roy was an executive member of the Comintern and was the highest representative in China at that time, while Borodin had the support of Stalin and the Soviet government, so they were often at loggerheads.It's just that Borodin has been an adviser to the Kuomintang for a long time after all, and he is very familiar with it, so he is easy to act on his own, but he also has to spend a lot of time in endless debates with Luo Yi.

It was difficult for Moscow to understand the real problems of the Chinese revolution.The confusion of their guiding ideology and the conflict of opinions between Stalin and Trotsky all directly affected Wuhan, and were also entangled with the differences of opinion within the CCP.Failure often fuels internal divisions, which became even more obvious after April 12th. During the meeting break, Mao Zedong and Cai Hesen took a walk.Mao Zedong said: "Back then we walked on Juzizhoutou, followed by Guangzhou Dongshan, and today we came to the Yellow Crane Tower." Cai Hesen smiled: "Are you in a good mood?"

Mao Zedong: "Relax yourself. My own emotions don't matter. What I worry about is that if this continues, the Chinese revolution will suffer losses." "The meeting did not arrange to discuss your proposal on peasant issues. Could it be related to your "Investigation Report on Hunan Peasant Movement"?" "The gap between us is indeed huge. The old man is leaning more and more to the right." "Chen Duxiu looked down on the peasant movement. Going to the northwest was essentially escaping the agrarian revolution and ultimately destroying it." "He didn't understand the role of peasants in the revolution at all. When I said that the peasant movement was very good, he said too much." Due to the insistence of Qu Qiubai, Ren Bishi, Mao Zedong, Yun Daiying and other representatives, the meeting still criticized the mistakes of Chen Duxiu and others, such as the Zhongshan ship incident, which gave the bourgeoisie the upper hand; Ignore the issue of agrarian revolution and peasant unity; when Chiang Kai-shek rebelled against the party, he cannot be isolated, etc.Chen Duxiu accepted the criticism of the representatives. The Congress elected a new Central Committee, consisting of Chen Duxiu, Cai Hesen, Qu Qiubai, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Li Lisan, Zhang Guotao, Li Weihan, Su Zhaozheng, Zhang Tailei, Ruan Xiaoxian, Ren Bishi, Chen Yannian, Luo Yinong, Chen Qiaonian, He Chang, Xiang Zhongfa, Peng Pai, Xiang Ying, Peng Gongda, Zhao Shiyan, Yun Daiying, Tan Pingshan, Peng Shuzhi, Luo Zhanglong and other 29 people, and 8 alternate members of the Central Committee.Mao Zedong was only elected as an alternate member of the Central Committee. In the first five congresses of the Communist Party of China, Mao Zedong was only elected as a member of the Central Executive Committee in the "Big Three" and entered the Central Bureau; Zhang Guotao was only elected to the Central Executive Committee in the "Big Three". The members of the Politburo are Chen Duxiu, Cai Hesen, Zhou Enlai, Li Lisan, Li Weihan, Qu Qiubai, Tan Pingshan, Zhang Guotao, and Su Zhaozheng.Peng Shuzhi finally lost the election. Although Chen Duxiu succeeded as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, no matter whether it was himself or others, he felt that his courage and prestige were not as good as before.A helmsman with countless hearts makes a lost ship even more worrying.The tragedy is that the "Big Five" not only failed to make a sober assessment of the dangerous situation, but instead had a blindly optimistic mood, simply believing that the separation of the bourgeoisie from the revolution would not only not weaken the revolution, but reduce the obstacles to its development.This point of view led the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to pin its hopes on the Wuhan Nationalist Government and the Central Committee of the Wuhan Kuomintang, which were supported by Tang Shengzhi and other armed forces, and gave them trust and support. Later, they even retreated steadily. After the "Fifth National Congress", the party did not make great efforts to grasp the armed forces, especially the army, but simply and one-sidedly emphasized the correction of the "left" childish disease in the workers' and peasants' movement, so as to maintain the alliance with the Wuhan Kuomintang, the national government and the Kuomintang military leaders. .This one-sided "Left" view of the Party Central Committee headed by Chen Duxiu has continued to develop since the special meeting of the Central Committee in December last year.Even after the "Ma-Day Incident", instructions were issued to continue correcting "Left".