In Beijing on May 4, 1919 outbreaks of the Chinese people against imperialism and feudalism patriotic movement. In 1914 the first world war broke out, Japan an excuse to declare war on Germany, invasion of Qingdao and jiaoji railway across the board, held in shandong province, to the various rights and interests of Germany in shandong seized. The end of the war of 1918, Germany was defeated. On January 18, 1919, the victors "peace conference" held in Paris.
The government in Beijing and guangzhou military coalition of the Chinese delegation, to the victors identity to participate in and all the privileges in China, put forward to cancel powers cancel out Japanese imperialism and yuan shikai to conclude "article 21" unequal treaties, return the war Japan away from the control of the German rights in shandong and other requirements. Paris peace conference in the imperialist powers under control, not only refused to the requirements of China, and to sign the peace treaty, Germany enshrined the privilege of Germany in shandong, all transfer to Japan. The Beijing government was ready to sign the "contract", which aroused the Chinese people's strong opposition.
On May 4 in the afternoon, Beijing university, such as 13 higher normal school, more than three thousand students, broke through the police blocked to the front of the tiananmen square rally speech, held after the demonstration, put forward "for sovereign, except the kleptocratic", "cancel" article 21, slogans such as "refuse to sign contract", at the same time requirements concerning pro-japanese elements Cao Rulin, ZhangZongXiang, at Luzon and. The procession moved to the willow road, from the embassy on the block, and came to the house of zhaojialou community hutong Cao Rulin. Students into Cao Zhai Cao Rulin quickly went into hiding, is the place ZhangZongXiang thrashed by students, Cao Zhai also burned, police arrested more than 30 students on the spot. Beijing students a strike, and electricity to protest across the country.
1919年5月4日在北京爆發的中國人民反對帝國主義、封建主義的愛國運動。1914年第一次世界大戰爆發，日本藉口對德宣戰，攻佔青島和膠濟鐵路全線，控制了山東省，奪去德國在山東強佔的各種權益。1918年大戰結束，德國戰敗。1919年1月18日，戰勝國在巴黎召開 “和平會議”。
北京政府和廣州軍政府聯合組成中國代表團，以戰勝國身分參加和會，提出取消列強在華的各項特權，取消日本帝國主義與袁世凱訂立的. “二十一條”不平等條約，歸還大戰期間日本從德國手中奪去的山東各項權利等要求。巴黎和會在帝國主義列強操縱下，不但拒絕中國的要求，而且在對德和約上，明文規定把德國在山東的特權，全部轉讓給日本。北京政府竟準備在 “和約”上簽字，從而激起了中國人民的強烈反對。
5月4日下午，北京大學、高等師範學校等十三所學校的三千多名學生，衝破軍警的阻撓到天安門前集會演講，後舉行遊行示威，提出 “外爭主權、內除國賊”、 “取消二十一條”、 “拒絕和約簽字”等口號，同時要求懲辦親日派曹汝霖、章宗祥、陸宗輿。遊行隊伍向東交民巷進發，遭到使館巡捕的阻攔，轉而來到趙家樓衚衕曹汝霖的住宅。學生衝入曹宅，曹汝霖急忙躲藏起來，正在該處的章宗祥受到學生痛打，曹宅也被焚燒，軍警當場逮捕了三十多名學生。北京學生實行罷課，通電全國表示抗議。
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