Diao Hanyong：A New Study on the CPC’s Democratic Centralism During the Early Period of the Agrarian Revolutionary War (1927-1933)

Democratic centralism is the fundamental organizational principle and organizational system of the Communist Party of China; It contains two systemic elements: “centralism” and “democracy.” The early period of the agrarian revolutionary war was an important period for the development of democratic centralism, and it influenced trends in its  later development. This article uses documentary and historical materials to sort out the evolutionary process and the characteristics of democratic centralism during this period. After the failure of the Great Revolution, the Central Committee initially focused on promoting the parallel development of centralism and democracy, but because of the impact of extreme democratization, it tended to focus on the theoretical connotation of “centralism.” After the 6th National Congress of the CPC, the Central Committee strengthened its authority over subordinate party departments through reorganizations, inspections, and so on.