Red Lance Study (1913-1953)

The Red Spears was a people’s self-protection organization for resisting bandits in the early days of Republic China. It had inherited many characteristics such as adopting religion, preaching by the predecessors of Golden bell cover and the Boxers. It originated in Henan. From the early days of Republic China to the beginning of the People’s Republic of China, it had brought enormous revolutions to the Henan society. With the change of the current political situation, it had converted into semi-political organizations inclining to different factions. There was no doubt that it had promoted the development of the Henan society with the help of the Communists.This thesis constitutes6chapters. Chapter one introduces the Henan Red Spears’ background of its origin, including the factors of religion, warrior spirit, natural calamity, collective bustup, government’s corruption and conscription, backward agricultural economy and culture.Chapter two deals with the Red Spears’belief and framework, including blackart, mystification, disciplines, uniforms, weapons, and many similar groups, and etc. Its aim had undergone a process of development and change, from the defensive to claim to rebel process.The last four chapters talks about Henan Red Spears in the different historical period, especially in its two peaks, the period of the Great revolution and the War of resistance against Japan. As primary characteristics, it was controlled by different political factions. The relationship between a certain political faction and Henan Red Spears was delicate. It didn’t have any reliable ally. Compared with the effective cooperation and the KMT could not make and the Red spears, the Communists had achieved remarkable accomplishment in it. The practical experiences improving and the strategies increasingly mature were mutual. A new strategy for considerable promoted its organizational demise. Practice through a process that took the initiative to the first to launch the congregation to form a revolutionary Red Spears. It needs to be focused that Japanese invaders eventually concluded the Communists was his real rivals after a lot of investigation of rural area of North of China. Nevertheless。After many years’seesaw battles for the Red spears between the Communists, Japanese invaders was defeated finally. It is necessary to carry out a comprehensive investigation, scientific analysis of the Japanese invaders’policy and practice.During the Liberation War and the early years of the People’s Republic of China, it was completely controlled by the KMT to resist the communists by means of organizing the Red Spears. The communist government pointed out that in order to improve social conduct, all superstitious organizations must be dissolved. Eventually, the Red Spears was defended by the Communists. The development of the Henan Red Spears’fate depended on the others’strategy, not on its own nature.