Western scholars always tend to attribute the failure of the China Democratic League (the League) to its internal weaknesses but an important external factor - the united front policy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) - has often been neglected. A study of the united front work with the League at least illustrates some of the themes that are so much a part of the history of the 1940s: the difficulties of maintaining a neutral position for a third party and the CCP's effectiveness in dealing with the minor parties....[ Read more ]

Western scholars always tend to attribute the failure of the China Democratic League (the League) to its internal weaknesses but an important external factor - the united front policy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) - has often been neglected. A study of the united front work with the League at least illustrates some of the themes that are so much a part of the history of the 1940s: the difficulties of maintaining a neutral position for a third party and the CCP's effectiveness in dealing with the minor parties.

The united front work of the CCP with the League was undertaken in four main ways: 1) official and unofficial contacts with the League members to enhance mutual-understanding; 2) exerting influence on the League's press; 3) infiltration of Communists into different levels of the League and 4) financial assistance. Through the studies of certain historical events during the civil war, including the National Congress of the League, the Political Consultative Conference, the mediation efforts of the League and the National Assembly, we can see how great the influence of the united front policy on the League was. Because of the tremendous amount of united front work the Communists had done on the League, the CCP was not only able to secure the support of the League but also to affect its decisions.