the may 4th movement (????, w'sì yùndòng) was sparked by article 156 of the treaty of versailles which transferred german concessions in shandong including qingdao to japan rather than returning sovereign authority to china. chinese outrage over this provision ignited mass student demonstrations in beijing on may 4th, 1919 which resulted in the cultural movement know today as the may fourth movement. the may 4th movement influenced the chinese delegation not to sign the treaty of versailles. china declared the end of its war against germany in september of 1919 and signed a separate treaty in 1921.
