The First KMT-CPC Cooperation
At its Third National Congress held in June 1923, the CPC adopted the policy of cooperation with the Kuomintang (KMT or the Nationalist Party), whereby CPC members could join the KMT in their individual capacity. This decision was in line with Marxist-Leninist principles and Comintern instructions, and was based on an analysis of China's conditions and nature of its revolution. It settled disputes inside the Party in its early days on how to work with the KMT, and enabled the CPC to unite all available forces to fulfill the tasks of the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal democratic revolution.
From January 20 to 30, 1924, the KMT held its First National Congress in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, with CPC support. The congress was presided over by Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925). Of the 165 participants, more than 20 were CPC members. These included: Li Dazhao, Tan Pingshan (1886-1956), Lin Boqu (1886-1960), Zhang Guotao, Qu Qiubai (1899-1935), Mao Zedong and Li Lisan (1899-1967).
The congress reviewed and passed a manifesto that restated Sun's "Three People's Principles" – nationalism, democracy and the people's livelihood, and introduced three major policies, known as the "New Three People's Principles," – alliance with Russia, cooperation with the Communist Party of China, and assistance to the peasants and workers. This was compatible with the political program of the CPC at this stage, and it became the political foundation for the first period of KMT-CPC cooperation.
The congress also decided to allow the members of the Communist Party and the Socialist Youth League to join the KMT in their capacity as individuals.
The First KMT National Congress marked the beginning of the first period of cooperation between the KMT and the CPC.
This was a victory for the young CPC in implementing its democratic revolutionary program and democratic united front policy, and a major historic achievement of Sun Yat-sen in his later years in promoting the Chinese revolution. Both parties needed to pool their efforts to fight imperialism and feudal warlords and boost their own development.
Following the establishment of KMT-CPC cooperation, the first wave of revolutionary sentiment swept China. This promoted the movements of the workers and peasants, and began a new stage of the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal revolution. The Northern Expedition by the revolutionary army from late 1926 to early 1927 swept across a large area of the country and stirred nationwide anti-imperialist passion and patriotism. The three armed uprisings of the workers in Shanghai against local warlords and the peasants' movement advanced the cause of the national revolution.
Along with the revolutionary upsurge, the struggle for leadership within the united front intensified. After Sun Yat-sen passed away in March 1925, KMT right-wingers attempted to seize power through a series of violent incidents. The new right-wingers and new warlords represented by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) accelerated their anti-revolutionary expansion.
In 1927, with the counter-revolutionary coup d'état of April 12 in Shanghai, Chiang carried out a KMT purge of Communists. On July 15, the Wang Jingwei (1883-1944) group began to arrest and slaughter large numbers of CPC members and revolutionary supporters in Wuhan. These activities eventually caused the failure of the Great Revolution and the complete collapse of the first KMT-CPC cooperation.
第一次国共合作
1923年6月召开的中共三大，根据马克思列宁主义的策略原则和共产国际的指示，结合中国革命的具体情况，充分发扬民主，在分析中国社会矛盾和明确中国革命性质的基础上，正确解决了建党初期，党内在国共合作问题上存在的重大分歧，统一了全党的认识，正式确定了共产党员以个人身份加入国民党，与国民党进行党内合作的策略方针，使党能够团结一切可能联合的力量，共同完成反帝反封建的民主革命任务。
1924年1月20日至30日，在中国共产党的推动下，中国国民党第一次全国代表大会在广州举行，孙中山主持大会。出席大会的代表165人，其中共产党员20多人，包括李大钊、谭平山、林伯渠、张国焘、瞿秋白、毛泽东、李立三等。大会审议通过了《中国国民党第一次全国代表大会宣言》，对“三民主义”作出新的解释，提出了以“联俄、联共、扶助农工”三大革命政策为主要内容的“新三民主义”。“新三民主义”的纲领同中国共产党在民主革命阶段的纲领基本一致，因而成为第一次国共合作的政治基础。大会还从组织路线上处理国民党同共产党的关系，即接纳共产党员、社会主义青年团员以个人身份加入国民党。
国民党一大的召开，标志着第一次国共合作的正式形成。这是年轻的中国共产党开始实践民主革命纲领和民主联合战线政策的重大胜利，也是孙中山晚年推进中国革命的一大历史功绩。实行国共合作既是国共两党反对帝国主义和封建军阀的共同需要，也是两党各自发展的需要。
第一次国共合作建立后，在中国共产党的努力和推动下，中国革命掀起了第一次高潮，促进了工农运动的恢复和发展，开创了反帝反封建的革命新局面。1926年年底到1927年年初，北伐军胜利进军，席卷了大半个中国，全国反帝爱国情绪不断高涨。上海工人三次武装起义和农民运动的发展，进一步把国民革命推向高潮。但随着革命高潮的到来，统一战线内部争夺领导权的斗争日益加剧。1925年3月孙中山逝世后，国民党右派篡夺领导权的活动日益猖獗。以蒋介石为代表的新右派和新军阀势力，加紧反革命扩张。1927年4月，蒋介石在上海进行了以四一二反革命政变为代表的“清党运动”。7月15日，汪精卫集团在武汉对共产党员和革命群众实行大逮捕、大屠杀。至此，由国共两党合作发动的大革命宣告失败，历时3年半的第一次国共合作破裂。