Zhu De: Stories of a Republic Leader

Author: Compiled by the National Museum of China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: In late 1905, at the age of 19, Zhu De left his hometown, which had raised him for 19 years, and went to Shunqing Prefecture (now Nanchong City, Sichuan) to study with a few classmates. At this time, the Qing government claimed to be promoting the "New Policies," announcing the abolition of the imperial examinations and the establishment of primary schools across the country. Various modern schools sprang up like mushrooms after rain, spreading nationwide. In the spring of 1906, Zhu De entered the Shunqing County Public First and Second Primary School, and after half a year, he was admitted to the Shunqing Prefecture Public High School. This school was run by a group of reform-minded individuals who had studied in Japan. The courses offered included: Chinese, mathematics, physics, chemistry, history, geography, foreign languages, law, moral education, Chinese painting, and physical education. Most of the teachers were progressive reformers. They often instilled in the students the idea of patriotism against imperialist aggression and criticized the Qing government in their lectures and conversations. The principal of the school was later a well-known patriotic democratic figure and one of the founders of the China Democratic League, Mr. Zhang Lan. He was a radical democrat who opposed the Qing dynasty and was a member of the Tongmenghui. While studying in Japan, he was deported back to China by the Qing embassy in Japan for opposing Empress Dowager Cixi. He often passionately encouraged the students: "If our country is on the brink of destruction, we must sacrifice our lives and property to save our nation." Zhu De deeply admired Zhang Lan and often discussed national affairs with his classmates at his home.
Zhu De's teacher, Liu Shouchuan, was also from Yilong. They had a close relationship and often talked intimately together. Liu Shouchuan introduced Zhu De to how the Meiji Restoration had brought Japan to prominence and how science had brought vitality to the country. He argued that only science was the key to saving the nation, and only through reform and innovation could science be developed. The teachers' advocacy of bourgeois liberalist ideas left a deep impression on Zhu De. He gradually realized that, like Mr. Zhang Lan had said, he should be willing to sacrifice his life and property to save the nation and the people. Under the influence of the then-prevailing ideas of "strengthening the body to save the nation" and "saving the nation through education," Zhu De accepted Liu Shouchuan's advice and decided to go to Chengdu to seek more knowledge and broaden his horizons.
In early 1907, Zhu De came to Chengdu and enrolled in the Physical Education School affiliated with the Sichuan Provincial Normal School. He chose the physical education specialty for two reasons: first, because he was physically strong and interested in it; second, because he believed that physical education could strengthen the physique of the Chinese people. He aspired to become a teacher in the future, enabling countless Chinese people to no longer be the "Sick Man of East Asia." During this period, the Chinese (Revolutionary Alliance) led by Sun Yat-sen was established in Tokyo, Japan. With the surging revolutionary wave, Western bourgeois philosophy, political science, and natural sciences were increasingly introduced into China. In the Physical Education School, Zhu De encountered many new newspapers and books and was exposed to new ideas and things. This brought hope to Zhu De, who was seeking a way to save the nation and its people.
Once, someone unknowingly slipped the official newspaper of the, the Minbao (People's Paper), under his pillow. After carefully reading it, he quietly slipped it under another classmate's pillow. He hoped to become a member of the, but after much inquiry, no one told him anything about it, and he felt disappointed. At this time, the idea of "overthrowing the emperor and establishing a good country" had quietly emerged in his mind. To achieve this...