清末民初,電報、印刷機傳入、鐵路航運逐步成網,帶動了報刊業興起,郵政業對於資訊傳播的作用至重,由此奠定了五四抗議運動興起不可或缺的技術基礎,有力推動了近代民族主義思潮在中國的傳播。巴黎和會外交失敗的資訊傳播,如果沒有基於近代民族主義思潮的共同心理認知,全國性抗議浪潮的形成也是不可想像的。五四抗議運動中,研究系和安福系等政治勢力推波助瀾,直系吳佩孚和西南勢力利用學潮以打擊北京政府的形象。工人、商人群體參與抗議運動,既有民族主義情感渲染,也有學生群體擠壓和自身利益的考量。正是技術性因素、民族主義思潮的興起以及諸種政治力量的交織作用,共同導致了五四抗議活動自北向南、由商埠至鄉鎮的廣泛性傳播。
In late Qing dynasty and early Republic of China, the introduction of telegraph and printing machine into China and the gradual networking of railroads and other means of transportation drove the emergence of the press industry, and postal service played a crucial role in information communication, hereby laying an indispensable technological foundation for the rise of May Fourth Protest Movement and forcibly promoting the spread of nationalist thoughts in modern China. Without the common psychological cognition formed on the basis of the thoughts of modern nationalism, the development of a nationwide wave of protest was unimaginable, even with the communication of the information on the failure of diplomatic efforts at Paris Peace Conference. During the May Fourth Protest Movement, the Research Clique, Anfu Clique and other political factions added fuel to the flames; while Wu Peifu of Zhili Clique and southwest power took advantage of the students' movement to undermine the image of Beijing government. The involvement of worker and merchant groups in the protest movement was on the one hand spurred by nationalist sentiments, and on the other, pressured by the student group and consideration of their own interests. The emergence of technological factors and nationalist thoughts and their convergence with various political forces jointly resulted in the extensive spread of May Fourth Protest Movement from the north to the south and from treaty ports to the towns.