Chapter 20 Why didn’t Mao go abroad to study? 1919

Mao: “Xiao Zisheng, Cai Hesen, Xiong Guangzu, and others were organizing the preparation classes for labor-intensive studies, and I was also helping. However, after discussing it multiple times with Zisheng and Hesen, I decided not to go to France. I said I preferred to stay in Beijing. There were four reasons that led to this decision. First, the issue of travel expenses. I had no money at all, and although the ship fare was reduced to 100 yuan, it was still a significant amount for me. I knew no one would lend me such a large sum of money. Second, language-wise, when I was studying, I couldn’t even pronounce simple English correctly. Third, by staying in Beijing, I could continue my studies while also recruiting new members for the New People’s Study Society. Of course, the students in France also needed a reliable liaison person in Beijing. Fourth, I always remembered what Tan Wuben said at the Tianxin Pavilion in the ‘Skyscraper,’ like a prophet, he said that to achieve success in politics, it was not necessary to study or pursue knowledge, but it was important for a person to have the ability to organize a political party and gather a large group of loyal followers. Basically, I am an action-oriented person and not suitable to be a scholar.

In short, I had no interest in going abroad just for the sake of studying.

Studying was merely a means to an end, and Tan Wuben’s words about achieving success in politics had a greater influence on my decision. The seed finally fell into fertile ground.”

Journalist: “I understand. You wanted to gather followers and be a revolutionary, rather than going abroad to study.”

Mao: “Xiao Zisheng and Cai Hesen both agreed that I should stay in Beiping, which led to inevitable livelihood issues. I needed to find a job to support myself. We discussed it multiple times. At that time, we were recruiting members for the New People’s Study Society at Peking University. So, they suggested that I should find a job at Peking University. We thought of the position of a classroom janitor because after finishing the simple job, I could audit classes. It was a light job, and there were additional benefits of regularly interacting with professors and students. Everyone unanimously agreed that it was an ideal arrangement for me. The question was how to obtain the job. We thought of President Cai Jiemin, who had always cared for and supported us. We wrote him a letter, asking if he could help our friend find a job as a classroom janitor.”

Journalist: “So, you sought President Cai’s help to find a job to support your livelihood?”

Mao: “President Cai was a respectable person, and he immediately understood our difficulties. However, he had an even better suggestion. He proposed that I should work at the library. He wrote a note to Mr. Li Dazhao, the library director at Peking University, saying, ‘Comrade Mao Zedong is engaged in the diligent work-study program and wishes to work on campus. Please arrange for him to work at the library…’ President CAiditdn’t mention that I came from Changsha or that I was a “young leader”. As a result, Li Dazhao assigned me the task of organizing the library, which was a simple job. It was entirely thanks to President Cai’s assistance because the employment of low-level workers was not directly related to Li Dazhao’s position. He assigned me the library work based on President Cai’s instructions. He didn’t even know me. Later, in 1926, Li Dazhao was arrested by Zhang Zuolin at the Russian Embassy in Beiping and was executed.

I have always been deeply grateful to President CaiJiamin. Every letter I wrote to him began with ‘Respected Master Cai.’ I consider myself a student of President Cai and will always express my admiration and respect towards him.”

Journalist: “So, that’s how you became a library employee.”

Mao: “Regarding the work in the library, I didn’t perform well. According to our original plan, we tried to engage in conversations with students who came to the library to read, in order to recruit them as members of the New People’s Study Society. However, I didn’t excel in this task, and my academic achievements were not significant either. I had heard about outstanding Peking University students like Fu Siniang, Duan Xipeng, and Luo Zhixi in Changsha, but I couldn’t have conversations with them, which left me quite disappointed.”

Journalist: “The work in the library didn’t provide a platform for your revolutionary ambitions.”

Mao: “In April 1919, I returned to Changsha and participated in the ‘Drive Out Zhang’ campaign (overthrowing the oppressive Governor Zhang Jingyao in Hunan). The only way to drive out Zhang was to persuade the army stationed at the Hunan-Guangdong border to march into Changsha and assist the revolution, and then invite the former Governor Tan Yankai to take back power. In the education field, the main instigator of the revolution was Yi Peiji, who had been my Chinese language teacher at the First Normal School. In reality, the entire education sector was engulfed in turmoil, with Zhang Jingyao being regarded as the enemy of the Hunan people. Yi Peiji, myself, and other students planned the uprising, which we referred to as a ‘struggle against evil forces.’

To understand why I left Beijing, I have to mention two radical leaders at Peking University: Chen Duxiu, the dean of the School of Literature, and Li Dazhao, the library director. They had written articles praising the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia and later secretly contacted Russians, accepting their suggestion to organize the Communist Party in China. The funding for the party was provided by the Russians. Since they couldn’t openly organize under the name of a communist group, they initiated the “Marx Study Society” and the “Socialist Youth League,” with their headquarters in Beijing.

Another important step was the establishment of the ‘School of Foreign Languages and Literatures’ to teach Russian. In their plans, they didn’t consider me. At that time, I was merely a worker in the library and not registered at Peking University. They didn’t even notice my presence. In such circumstances, I felt that it was impossible for me to obtain any significant position. Moreover, my own work at Peking University had no accomplishments. Therefore, after five months, I decided to return to Changsha and start afresh there.”

Journalist: “Beijing didn’t offer you a platform, so you returned to Hunan to further develop?”

Mao: “Yes. In Changsha, I remained a core member of the New People’s Study Society, hoping to develop it into a powerful organization. Through my participation in the campaign to overthrow Zhang Jingyao, I closely connected with a large group of young people. I made every effort to gain their trust. It wasn’t too difficult as most of them were enthusiastic but impractical, full of ideals and ambitious. Their basic goal was to remove the tyrannical ruler in Hunan, vaguely speaking of social reform. However, they didn’t have a clear long-term plan, specific political orientation, or recognized trustworthy leaders.

I had blind faith in Russian-style communism, and I saw these young people as blank slates, dreaming of drawing my own blueprint on the paper with bold red lines. I could do whatever I wanted and fulfill my ambitions. I saw myself as their leader, molding them like clay in my flexible hands.”

Journalist: “Oh, so the members were like clay in your hands, letting you do as you pleased. Quite interesting!”

Mao: “This was the situation in 1919, shortly after Cai Hesen and Xiao Zisheng arrived in France. Cai Hesen, Xiao Zisheng, and I remained the main responsible figures of the New People’s Study Society. Cai Hesen and Xiao Zisheng recruited around 30 to 40 new members in France, while I recruited over 100 in Changsha. However, I disregarded the meticulous selection principle they upheld and instead focused on ideological compatibility when choosing members.”

Journalist: “So, you changed the principle of recruiting members to prioritize ideological alignment with you?”

Mao: “Yes, aligning with my ideology. I published a magazine called ‘Collection of Correspondence from New People’s Study Society Members,’ which included letters and comments where members expressed their views. However, the publication only lasted for three issues. In addition to the work of the New People’s Study Society, I also published a weekly newspaper called ‘Xiangjiang Review (Hunan River Review).’ At that time, I was planning the revolution in Hunan, and the articles in this newspaper were radical, all of my students who are echoing my opinion are being incited. Many young students even took to the streets to promote the ‘Xiangjiang Review.’ To promote it, the letters Xiao Zisheng wrote back from Paris were frequently published in this weekly newspaper.

Just at that time, I established the Cultural Bookstore and sold New Tide publications. The store was funded by my first lover, Tao Siyong.”

Journalist: “Your first lover was Tao Siyong?”

Mao: “Yes, Tao Siyong was one of the three outstanding women in Hunan at that time—gentle and talented. She joined the New People’s Study Society in 1914.

Between 1919 and 1920, she and I jointly opened the Cultural Bookstore in Changsha. We fell in love and lived together without marriage for a while, but our relationship didn’t last long due to ideological differences. In the summer of 1920, she couldn’t tolerate my radical communist and violent revolutionary ideas, as I increasingly displayed an autocratic and cruel character. She left Changsha and opened the ‘Lida Academy’ in Shanghai, engaging in educational work. She passed away in 1932 at a young age, a tragic fate for a beautiful woman in her 30s.

In the summer when Tao Siyong left me, Yang Kaihui entered my life.

I had a short-lived triangular relationship with the two women. I have always been emotionally unfaithful. Tao Siyong, who came from a prestigious family and had a proud character, couldn’t tolerate my ruffian nature. Later, I married Yang Kaihui, latterly, I raped Li Lisan’s wife as well as Yang Kaihui’s sister.”

Journalist: “Oh, so you and Tao Siyong also opened the Cultural Bookstore?”

Mao: “Yes. The Hunan Revolution achieved success with the ousting of Zhang Jingyao, and Tan Yanjie resumed his position as governor. Initially, the instigator of the campaign against Zhang, Yi Peiji, assumed five positions in the new government: the first secretary to the governor, the first secretary to the army commander, the president of the Hunan Education Association, the director of the Provincial Library, and the principal of the First Normal School. The First Normal School was the gathering place for intellectuals in Changsha, and Yi Peiji appointed me as the principal of an affiliated elementary school.”

Journalist: “So you became an elementary school principal?”

Mao: “Yes. At the same time, He Shuheng, a senior member of the New People’s Study Society whom we called ‘Beardie He.’ was appointed as the president of the ‘Civilian Education Daily’ newspaper. It was an excellent publication, because it has many readers. Beardie He, with his new position, worked hard with dedication, he had achieved notable results, influenced many people in the lower classes. He had several outstanding editors, including Xie Juezai, who later became the Minister of Justice in the Communist Party government and then the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Xie and He came from the same town and were good friends. He Shuheng later introduced Xie Juezai to us, and we became close friends. We also nicknamed him Beardie (Bearded). These two partners were the oldest members of the New People’s Study Society, around 40 years old at that time, while most members were on average more than 10 years younger. Now, the New People’s Study Society has two bases in Changsha: the ‘Civilian Education Daily’ and the affiliated elementary school of the First Normal School. We also had the assistance of Cai Hesen, Xiong Guangzu, Xiang Jingyu, Li Weihan, Chen Shaoxiu, and several other new members. Xiao Zisheng was commanding the third base in France.”

Journalist: “With Xiao Zisheng absent, you have a lot of room to maneuver, right?”

Mao: “Yes. After returning to Hunan, due to the administration of Yi Peiji and Tan Yankai, I had complete freedom in my actions. As a result, my political ambitions grew even stronger. At that time, there was no organization called the Chinese Communist Party, and all our activities were concentrated within the New People’s Study Society. Although many members blindly believed in Russian communism, thinking it was a magic wand that could transform China. However, two years later, in 1921, the New People’s Study Society split into two completely different organizations. The larger one became a full-fledged communist party under my leadership and became the Communist Party of Hunan.”