Introduction to Part III

Introduction discusses the role of Jiangxi&s;s secondary schools (1922–1926) in the revolution of the early Communist Party of China (CPC). It notes that from 1905 onwards, new-style schools tended to nurture anti-institutional sentiments, and middle school students frustrated by limited knowledge/employment became key in student movements and CPC/Kuomintang of China (KMT) recruitment. Drawing on Chen Yinke&s;s “social class” and Weber&s;s “status group” concepts, it asks which schools/students fueled the revolution and how they built CPC networks. The study integrates the political, educational, and social history of CPC as well as the Republican China. Focusing on Jiangxi, the study takes the Northern Expedition in 1926 as a boundary, aiming to explore CPC&s;s center-to-periphery spread.