Repositioning of Mass Organizations in the United Front

Abstract

After forming the Anti-Japanese national united front, Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) hoped to develop mass organizations in “open,” “democratic” and “mass-oriented” ways. The National Liberation Vanguards of China ( NLVC ) was a typical representative of left-wing mass organizations in KMT -controlled areas. During 1936-1939, NLVC ’s life course was a microcosm of CCP ’s adjustment in mass work. NLVC faced ordeals between inclusiveness and insistence, testing whether CCP could stick to principles in mass work. This paper conducts a case study centered on the NLVC , to analyze how CCP repositioned mass organizations during the Anti-Japanese War and explore how mass organizations affected the Party’s vitality.