On November 11, 1918, the last 4 years of the first world war in Britain, the United States, France and other countries win and Germany, the failure and come to an end. In January 1919, the Allies of winning Versailles peace conference in Paris. China, as the victors to attend the meeting. The representative of China put forward at the meeting were abolished privileges in China, foreign cancel "article 21", etc. As required, are refused. The meeting Japan was decided to take over Germany in China of all kinds of privileges. The treaty on this country, the representative of China was ready to sign recognition. Word came that the wrath of the whole nation and public anger. Take the student as the forerunner of the May 4th patriotic movement as the volcanic eruptions began.
The afternoon of May 4th rally ahead of more than 3000 students in tiananmen square in Beijing, they shouted "I Qingdao", "outside for sovereignty, in addition to the kleptocratic" slogans, such as calling for people from all walks of life, oppose imperialist aggression, defend the Chinese territory and sovereignty. The movement of all ranks of workers and the solidarity and support, Shanghai, nanjing and other places of work have held strikes or demonstrations. Under the pressure of the people throughout the country, the northern government was forced to release the arrested students, remove Cao Rulin and others post, and instructions Paris to attend the meeting of the representatives refused to sign the contract.
The May 4th movement is a thorough uncompromising anti-imperialist and anti-feudal patriotic movement. She promoted the combination of marxism and the Chinese workers' movement, has produced a batch of preliminary communist ideology of intellectuals, for the establishment of the communist party of China made a thought, cadres on the preparation.
In order to make the youth inheritance of carry forward the glorious tradition of the May 4th movement, in 1939, the shensi-kansu-ningsia border region of northwest youth national salvation association rules on May 4 youth day in China. On December 23, 1949, the special authorization of the people's government of formal regulation: on May 4 youth day in China.
1918年11月11日，延續4年之久的第一次世界大戰以英、美、法等國的勝利和德、奧等國的失敗而告結束。1919年1月，獲勝的協約國在巴黎凡爾賽宮召開和平會議。中國作爲戰勝國參加會議。中國代表在會上提出廢除外國在華特權，取消“二十一條”等正當要求，均遭拒絕。會議竟決定日本接管德國在華的各種特權。對這喪權辱國的條約，中國代表居然準備簽字承認。消息傳來，舉國震怒，羣情激憤。以學生爲先導的五四愛國運動就如火山爆發一般地開始了。
5月4日下午，北京3000多名學生在天安門前集會遊行，他們高呼“還我青島”、“外爭主權，內除國賊”等口號，呼籲各界人士行動起來，反對帝國主義的侵略行徑，保衛中國的.領土和主權。這一運動得到的工人和各階層人士的聲援和支持，上海、南京等地的工紛紛舉行罷工或示威。在全國人民的壓力下，北洋政府被迫釋放被捕學生，罷免曹汝霖等人的職務，並指令巴黎參加會議的代表拒絕在和約上簽字。
五四運動是一次徹底的不妥協的反帝反封建的愛國運動。她促進了馬克思主義與中國工人運動的結合，造就了一批具有初步共產主義思想的知識分子，爲中國共產黨的建立做了思想上、幹部上的準備。
爲了使青年繼承的發揚五四運動的光榮傳統，1939年，陝甘寧邊區西北青年救國聯合會規定5月4日爲中國青年節。1949年12月23日，中國人民政府政務院正式規定：5月4日爲中國青年節。
