2. How did the CCP benefit from the First United Front?

Activity 1 - How was the CPC founded?

Activity Tasks

Recall - How was the Communist Party of China (CPC) founded? Use the five W’s to help you describe to a partner what you think happened: who, what, when, where, why?
Define - Examine this wiki page and write a definition of what the National Congress is and its role. Then explore what happened at the first National Congress here.
Review - Review and make notes from Slides 3-5 of the Lesson Presentation on how the CPC was founded.
Research - Research Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhou in more detail. Why are they often credited with founding the CPC?

Activity Tasks

List - From what you’ve learnt and studied so far, what reasons did the CPC have for joining the United Front? Make a list of possible reasons.
Examine - Review Slides 6-7 of the Lesson Presentation. What further reasons can you find for why the CPC joined the United Front?
Evaluate - Complete this OPCVL source evaluation worksheet. What reasons can you detect for why the Comintern wanted the CPC to join the United Front?
Argue - In your opinion, what are the two main reasons for the CPC to join the United Front?

Activity Tasks

Review - Review Slides 8-14 of the Lesson Presentation. Record details of the ways in which the CPC and USSR contributed to the development of the United Front.
Analyse - For each of the following events, organisations and people, explain how they contributed to the growth of the CPC and United Front between 1924-1927:
1. Mikhail Borodin
2. Vasily Blyukher
3. Zhou Enlai
4. Deng Zhongxia
5. Peasant Movement Training Institute
6. Whampoa Military Academy
7. May 30th Movement
8. Canton-Hong Kong Strike
9. Shanghai General Labour Union
10. All-China Federation of Trade Unions

Activity Tasks

Examine - Examine Slides 16-21 from the Lesson Presentation. Make a list of all the roles Mao had within the CPC between 1921-1927. Next to each one, suggest at least one way in which the role benefitted or helped Mao.
Read - Read Mao’s 1926 ‘Analysis of the Classes in Chinese Society’. Who does Mao identify as class enemies of the CPC, and who does he identify as allies?
Analyse - Read Mao’s 1927 ‘Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan’. What are the ‘peasant associations’ that Mao discusses? How do you define them?
Record - Using Mao’s ‘Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan’, make a list of the Fourteen Great Achievements of the peasant associations. Next to each one, explain how each achievement could have benefited the CPC and the United Front in their fight against warlordism and foreign imperialism.

Activity Tasks

Review - Finally review Slides 22-23 of the Lesson Presentation. Make notes on the overall gains that the CPC made from the United Front with the GMD during the years 1924-1927.
Write - Write a paragraph answering the question, ‘How did the CPC benefit from the United Front?’. Consider your findings from the lesson today and be sure to include specific and accurate supporting factual detail and examples.