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Sun Yat-sen University in Moscow and the Chinese Revolution - KU ...

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Proletarian Cultural <strong>Revolution</strong> or dur<strong>in</strong>g it, <strong>the</strong>se four all fell <strong>in</strong>to<br />

disgrace with Mao Tse-tung.<br />

THE TEN-DAY PARTY MEETING AND CHANG <strong>KU</strong>O-T'AO<br />

The 28 Bolsheviks were born <strong>and</strong> grew up <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> political struggle<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>Sun</strong> <strong>Yat</strong>-<strong>sen</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Moscow</strong>. Although <strong>the</strong>y <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir supporters<br />

engaged <strong>in</strong> a fierce fight with <strong>the</strong> Second L<strong>in</strong>e coalition, <strong>the</strong><br />

coalition elements greatly outnumbered <strong>the</strong>m. Never<strong>the</strong>less, <strong>the</strong>y<br />

pressed for a showdown with <strong>the</strong> Second L<strong>in</strong>e coalition <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> early<br />

part of <strong>the</strong> summer of 1929. As part of <strong>the</strong>ir "w<strong>in</strong> a quick victory"<br />

strategy <strong>the</strong>y made a series of proposals to <strong>the</strong> bureau of <strong>the</strong> Party<br />

branch, all of which were accepted. They proposed that a general<br />

Party meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>Sun</strong> <strong>Yat</strong>-<strong>sen</strong> <strong>University</strong> be convened to carry out a<br />

comprehensive debate on <strong>the</strong> pert<strong>in</strong>ent issues. They also proposed that<br />

F<strong>in</strong>kovski, secretary of <strong>the</strong> CPSU committee of <strong>the</strong> district <strong>in</strong> which<br />

<strong>Sun</strong> <strong>Yat</strong>-<strong>sen</strong> <strong>University</strong> was located, address <strong>the</strong> meet<strong>in</strong>g. They proposed,<br />

fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, that <strong>the</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>ese delegates to <strong>the</strong> Com<strong>in</strong>tern attend<br />

<strong>the</strong> meet<strong>in</strong>g so that <strong>the</strong>y could be exposed to public criticism <strong>in</strong> an<br />

effort to stop <strong>the</strong>ir beh<strong>in</strong>d-<strong>the</strong>-scenes activities—a strategy of "draw<strong>in</strong>g<br />

<strong>the</strong>m out <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>n beat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong>m." While F<strong>in</strong>kovski accepted <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>vitation<br />

with pleasure, Ch'u Ch'iu-pai politely refused <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>vitation,<br />

<strong>and</strong> Chang Kuo-t'ao came <strong>in</strong> his stead as repre<strong>sen</strong>tative of <strong>the</strong> Ch<strong>in</strong>ese<br />

Com<strong>in</strong>tern delegation. The 28 Bolsheviks were disappo<strong>in</strong>ted by <strong>the</strong><br />

ab<strong>sen</strong>ce of Ch'u Ch'iu-pai, who was known to <strong>the</strong> Russians as Comrade<br />

Strakhov, for he constituted <strong>the</strong>ir pr<strong>in</strong>cipal target for attack. Clearly,<br />

Ch'u Ch'iu-pai decl<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>vitation so as to avoid a direct confrontation<br />

with <strong>the</strong> 28 Bolsheviks at <strong>Sun</strong> <strong>Yat</strong>-<strong>sen</strong> <strong>University</strong>. Most likely, he<br />

did not wish to openly wager his prestige on what was, after all, a<br />

lost cause, for <strong>the</strong> weight of both <strong>the</strong> Com<strong>in</strong>tern <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> CPSU lay<br />

beh<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> 28 Bolsheviks.<br />

The meet<strong>in</strong>g convened. Chang Kuo-t'ao was elected to its presidium,<br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> 28 Bolsheviks were among those who voted to put him<br />

<strong>the</strong>re, where he could be publicly gotten at. Chang Kuo-t'ao <strong>the</strong>n<br />

presided at <strong>the</strong> first session of <strong>the</strong> meet<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>the</strong> chairmanship of <strong>the</strong><br />

presidium rotat<strong>in</strong>g with each session. F<strong>in</strong>kovski was <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> speaker,<br />

which was to our lik<strong>in</strong>g. For, as mentioned, F<strong>in</strong>kovski was secretary<br />

of <strong>the</strong> CPSU committee of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Moscow</strong> district <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong> university<br />

218

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