Author:   Du Jidong    Hits:    Update Time:2005年09月06日

The study of Chinese revolutionary history has been one of the key tasks of the Institute of Modern History Studies ever since it was established. In the period after the Institute was established in May 1950, the study of Chinese revolutionary history was listed as its core task and it had many well-known achievements in the field. In 1977, the Institute set up a Preparatory Revolutionary History Studies Group, and revolutionary history studies gradually grew into an independent structure of its own. In 1978, the Preparatory Department of Modern History was set up, and in the early 1980s, the Department of Revolutionary History was formally established.

After many years endeavor as the only unit specializing in the study of revolutionary history centered on the history of the Chinese Communist Party, the Department has had a great many important achievements, and shown a marked superiority in this field of research in China. As for the general study of new democratic revolutionary history, The Draft Edition of Chinese Democratic Revolutionary History (12 volumes, 6.5 million Chinese characters) written by the faculty of the Department is the most important work in the field in China. Additionally, some faculty took part in editing and writing monographs such as The Great Beginning and From the Civil War to the Resistance War against Japan. As for the study of Marxism’s development in China, The Historical Process of the Sinicization of Marxism and A Hundred Years of Marxism in China are both valuable scholarly contributions. As for the study of the CCP, The Biography of Qu Qiubai, From General Secretary to Opponent: the biography of Chen Duxiu, Revolution in the Center Zone: the transformation of Chinese revolutionary rtrategy in the international context, The History of Chinese Workers’ Movements, and The Relations between the CCP and Moscow, 1920-1960, have elicited strong responses in China and overseas. As for the study of the history of democratic parties and intellectuals, Biography of Wen Yiduo and Chronology of Wen Yiduo are the standard works in the field. At the present time, the Department is conducting three projects for the National Social Science Foundation and the Chinese and Japanese History Studies Center, two Institute of Modern History priority projects, and one Institute of Modern History youth project.

Previous directors of the Department since its establishment, have been Shi Luoming, Chen Tiejian, Zheng Zemin, and Yang Kuisong. Vice-directors have been Liu Mingkui and Li Yibing. The present director is Wen Liming, and the vice-director is Liu Shufa. Other faculty members are Wang Yeyang, Lei Yi, Yu Huamin, Huang Daoxuan, Wang Shihua and Zhou Bin. Among them are four research fellows (two Ph. D supervisors, two Master’s supervisors), two associate research fellows, one editor and one assistant research fellow. Retired fellows are Wang Qin, Wang Jingyao, Bao Lingyun, Qu Jiwu, Liu Mingkui, Li Yibing, Li Yuzheng, Chen Tiejian, Zhou Zuxi, Zheng Zemin, Tang Baolin and Zhang Xia.

Over many years of hard work and accumulation, the Department has assembled substantial resources for historical research. The Department has a rich collection of books and source materials. Its library was founded at the same time the Preparatory Department of Modern History was established in 1978 and has collected approximately 10000 books, newspapers and journals. Some of these are rarely-circulated internal publications and woodblock editions. The Department has close links with scholars outside of the Chinese mainland and frequently engages in academic exchanges with them.

Tel: 65255400—617, 623
Email: gms-jd@cass.org.cn