Stirred by the May Fourth Movement, a considerable number of people in Changsha turned toward progressive, modern ideas. Moreover, in recent years the city had repeatedly suffered devastation at the hands of warlord factions, leaving this once beautiful and prosperous place often devoid of vitality. As a result, those with even a modicum of education—teachers and students from various schools—deeply resented the situation. They came to believe all the more that issues such as social reform, intellectual renewal, women’s liberation, and national self-determination could no longer be postponed.