How Wilson made Mao - May 4, 1919

About this episode

The episode explores the impact of Woodrow Wilson's policies on China's political landscape, particularly the events of May 4, 1919, and their long-term consequences.

On May 4, 1919, thousands of Chinese students marched on Tiananmen Gate, not against their own government, but against Woodrow Wilson's broken promise of national self-determination. Richard Backus traces the direct line from that single day in Beijing to the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, and the US-China tensions that are defining our world today. This is the history lesson that explains everything you're reading in the headlines, and almost nobody in America knows it.

People in this episode

Host: Richard G Backus

Topics covered

• Chinese history
• Woodrow Wilson
• national self-determination
• Chinese Communist Party
• US-China relations
• Tiananmen Square

Keywords

• Woodrow Wilson
• Tiananmen Gate
• May 4th Movement
• Chinese Communist Party
• US-China tensions
• 1989 Tiananmen Square
• national self-determination

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chinese Communist Party

Places: Tiananmen Gate, China, United States

More episodes of The Daily History Chronicle

• The Hills They Would Not Sell - June 13, 1979 · June 13, 2026 · 19 min
• The Election That Ended Russian Democracy - June 12, 1991 · June 12, 2026 · 20 min
• The Fire That Changed The War - June 11, 1963 · June 11, 2026 · 18 min
• The Murder That Made Mussolini Immortal - June 10, 1924 · June 10, 2026 · 18 min
• God Died In Chains - June 9, 1900 · June 9, 2026 · 17 min
• Abandoned By their Own President - June 8, 1967 · June 8, 2026 · 17 min