3) The Cultural Revolution & its Aftermath, 1966-76

Why did Mao have motives against Liu and Deng?

Liu spoke out against the GLF at the 7,000 Cadres Conference in 1962, where he blamed that the disaster was 70% human error. = This criticise Mao

• .

Deng stated that ‘it doesn’t matter if the cat is white or black, so long as it catches rats’. = Mao cares about radical ideology, unlike Deng

A report of March 1960 cautioned against crediting Mao Zedong's Thought for a technical breakthrough; it should not surpass Marxism-Leninism = which discredits Mao’s impact.

Socialist Education Campaign 1962-5 Mao called on the masses to criticise the party and carry out the four clean-ups (economy, politics, ideology, organisation) yet Liu and Deng watered this down by using party work-teams instead. = Blocked Mao’s policies.

By 1965, agricultural production had returned to 1957 levels. Light industry was growing 27% per year; heavy industry 17% = Making Mao look bad.

What were Maos early moves of cultural revolution?

Criticised the play ‘Hai Rui Dismissed from Office’ 1965.

= Wu Han, an ally of Liu and Deng, wrote it.

= The play is criticised as being an anti-Mao allegory, comparing him to a corrupt Ming emperor.

Formed a cultural revolution group in May 1966, which was dominated by ideologies close to Mao and opposed Liu and Deng.

What was the official launch of the Cultural Revolution?

The Sixteen-Point Directive on the Cultural Revolution (August 1966)

• Written and issued according to Mao’s intention

• ‘Four olds’, ‘Capitalist Roaders’ etc

What was Mao’s Cultural Revolution Group?

Formed May 1966.

Comprised of 17 members who were ideologically committed to Mao

Served as a rival centre to the Politburo (Liu & Deng)

Chen Boda was Mao’s propaganda chief

Yeo Wenyuan wrote the article attacking Wu Han’s play.

Zhang Chunqiao was the Party Secretary of Shanghai.

Jiang Qing was Mao’s wife. She later referred to herself as ‘Mao’s dog’, who bit whenever asked to bite.

What were Mao’s attacks on intellectuals before the Launch of the Cultural Revolution?

Campaign against Hu Feng = 1964-6

Anti-rightist Campaign = June 1957 - c.1960s

Socialist Education Campaign = c.1962 - 1965

What was the Campaign against Hu Feng?

1964 - 6

Why = Hu Feng said that thought reform was like having knives shoved into one’s brain.

Impact = Hu Feng was imprisoned until 1979; one in ten middle school teachers was purged.

What was the Anti-Rightist Campaign?

June 1957 - c.1960s

Why = Due to the Hundred Flowers Campaign, which started immense criticisms from Feb 1957.

Impact = 400,000 - 700,000 intellectuals arrested by Deng Xiaoping

What was the Socialist Education Campaign?

c.1962 - 1965

Why = Opposed Liu and Deng’s economic reforms

(called on masses for the ‘four cleanups’, Liu and Deng watered this down to party work teams instead)

Impact = more emphasis placed on class struggle in educational institutions.

What intellectuals were attacked/criticised in the early stages of the Cultural Revolution?

Lao she

= Famous Chinese playwright

= denounced by the Red Guards at a struggle meeting in August 1966

= made to wear a dunce’s hat.

= Shortly after, he drowned himself in Taiping Lake near Beijing.

Ding Ling

= Writer who Red Guards denounced in struggle meetings

= forced to stand for hours in the painful ‘aeroplane’ position.

= At night, she was made to sleep in a stable.

Why did Mao feel the need to attack intellectuals?

Capacity to criticise the regime - see beyond propaganda.

He was not counted as an intellectual - envy

From wealthy backgrounds - bourgeoisie

7th May 1966 -

= During the Cultural Rev, May 7 Cadres Schools were established to reeducate the intellectuals as they served the country & nearer to the peasantry.

Why did Mao call on Young People to be the Vanguard of the Cultural Revolution?

‘To rebel is justified’ - 1 August 1966

‘Bombard the Headquarters’ - 5 August 1966

‘Have no fear of chaos’ - April 1967

• More impressionable

• Only known Communism and Mao

• Physically fit, fewer responsibilities, no jobs/children

• Permanent Revolution so needs them to carry it on.

• They are more likely to live in cities.

• Wished to target teachers, and the youth are the most accessible to accomplish this.

Why did young people join the Red Guards?

Indoctrination and Education

= Socialist Education Campaign (1962-5) ‘Learn from Lei Feng’

= Issued with copies of Mao’s Little Red Book (1964 - Lin Biao)

= Young people had been educated under communism.

To prove themselves

= Children of Party cadres wanted their time of glory.

= Wanted to gain ‘revolutionary experience’

= Children of ‘Black Elements’ wanted to prove themselves.

Sense of adventure

= Many seized the chance to travel.

= Pilgrimages to the Long March and Yan’an.

= Some chanted slogans rather than using violence

The cult of Mao

= Mao appeared at 8 mass rallies in the autumn of 1966

= Mother is close, Father is close, but neither is as close as Chairman Mao.

= Maoist anthem ‘The East is Red’ sung at rallies.

Why/When did the ‘Four Old Campaign’ launch?

In August 1966, Mao launched the ‘Four Old Campaign’

= ‘Old Ideas, Culture, Customs, Habits’

This resulted in a wave of chaos, anarchy & violence as Red Guards sought to destroy all symbols of old feudal China. (1966-8)

Examples of the Four Old Campaign -

200 teachers/students from Beijing Normal University attacked the Confucius Temple in Shandong and destroyed 6,600 artefacts.

Red Guards defaced the burial site of Ming-era official Hai Rui. (anti-Maoist)

Red Guards smashed up a 200-year-old Qing-era archway. (Imperial and weak as England exploited them during this era)

Red Guards destroyed aspects of Tibetan culture, including Buddhist artefacts and scripts.

In total, 1,100 libraries had been closed, and 7 million library books had been destroyed.

Examples of Chaos during the Cultural Revolution?

Red Guards vs Rebel Red Guards; Workers vs Party/PLA

The British Embassy was burnt down. (August 1967)

The Wuhan incident (July 1967)

Shanghai workers set up a commune (Jan 1967)

Examples of Maos attitude during the Cultural Revolution -

Veteran PLA generals against rebels labelled ‘February adverse current’ (1967)

Told Red Guards ‘Have no fear of Chaos’ (April 1967)

Wanted ‘Great Chaos under heaven’ until Aug.1967, then order.

How did Mao try to restore order?

Revolutionary committees set up (1967-8); rebels, party, PLA.

‘Up to the mountains, down to the villages’ (1968-)

‘Cleansing the class ranks’ - Up to 1.5m killed (1968)

How did Mao end the violence?

The chaotic phase of CR ended in April 1969 at the 9th Party Congress.

Of the 29 revolutionary committees, 21 are headed by the PLA.

PLA Chief Lin Biao was officially declared as Mao’s successor.

Who was Wang Hongwen?

Leader of the Shanghai commune, one of the leading ideologues during the Cultural Revolution.

• Eventually, part of the Gang of Four

Who was General Chen Zaidao?

The leader of the PLA in Wuhan disobeyed Mao and kidnapped the Mass representative.

• The Wuhan Incident (July 1967)

Who was Jiang Qing?

Mao’s wife was a member of the Cultural Revolution Group and a leading ideologue.

• Eventually part of the Gang of Four

Who was Lin Biao?

Minister of Defence, Head of Army by replacing Peng (1959).

Commissioned ‘Little Red Book’ (1964). Promoted Mao’s cult of personalities.

PLA Chief who was offically declared as Mao’s Successor (1969)

How were Liu Shaoqi and his wife affected by the Cultural Revolution?

Liu was president of China and expected to be Mao’s successor.

By 1966, Mao was jealous and angry as Liu adopted more pragmatic policies following the GLF.

He was one of the ‘Capitalist Roaders’ criticised in the 16-point (Aug,’66)

From the beginning of ‘1967, he was subjected to struggle meetings and beatings.

April 1967, his wife Wang Guangmei was humilated in front of 300,000 Red Guards.

She was forced to wear a necklace of ping-pong balls to represent a pear necklace that she had worn on a state visit to Indonesia.

Mao’s wife Jiang Qing led the attacks agains Liu, presenting ‘evidence’ in Oct 1968 of his treachary.

He died in November 1969 in an unheated room after being stripped of his titles and subjected to neglect.

How were Deng Xiaoping and his son affected by the Cultural Revolution?

Deng angered Mao because of his cat comment. Mao claimed that ‘from 1959 to the present [Deng] has never consulted me over anything.

Deng was damned as ‘the number two person in authority taking capitalist road’ in the 16-point Aug 1966.

Deng’s personal punishment was not as harsh as Liu’s, but he disappeared from public sight, being sent to work at a rural tractor factory.

His family suffered. In an attempt to escape torture by the Red Guards, his son jumped from a window and was paralysed from the waist down.

How were other leadings political figures affected by the Cultural Revolution?

Peng Dehuai

= was subjected to struggle meetings and beaten so much that four of his ribs were broken He eventually died of neglect in 1974.

The Coal Minister = was forced to wear an Iron hat weighing 60kg. He was then beaten to death by Red Guards.

Politburo = Only 9/23 members survived the purge.

Central Committee = Two-thirds of the committee had been deposed. (removed from office forcefully)

How were Foreigners affected by the Cultural Revolution?

A mob with loudspeakers blared out Maoist slogans to the French, Soviets and Yugoslavian embassies, trapping the diplomats inside.

Posters were put up at train stations declaring to ‘Smash Brezhnev’s head’.

Staff at the British embassy in Beijing were manhandled and beaten while the embassy itself was set on fire (Aug,’67).

A British journalist was put into solitary confinement for 26 months and had his cat killed by Red Guards.

How was Lin Biao affected by the Cultural Revolution?

Mao and Lin began to fall out in 1969-71

= Lin’s group in the army didn’t get on with Jiang Qing’s group.

= Pushed Mao’s cult of personality when Mao was sick of them.

= The military could be a threat to Mao.

= Head of state controversy.

Replaced Liu Shaoqi as Mao’s successor (1969)

Having replaced Peng Dehuai as Minister of Defence (1959)

Commissioned the Little Red Book in 1964 and benefited from the Cultural Revolution.

What was ‘Up to the mountains and down to the villages’ 1968 -

End of the CR - 18m Red Guards sent to the countryside (rustification/rustication)

The party claimed that they were to learn from the peasantry

= 7th May 1966 - collapsing social distinctions.

= May 7th Cadres Schools - intellectuals or party member sent here for reeducation throught reform.

Yet, actually wanted them out of the way.

They would become known as the ‘lost generation’.

How was Party’s power restored & the ‘Cleansing of the class ranks’, 1968-9

Winter of 1967-8: Party started to re-establish its power.

‘Cleansing of class ranks’ took place during 1968-9.

Coordinated by the revolutionary committees, led by the PLA. Military dictatorship 1968-71.

Up to 1.5m killed as scores settled & control regained. Inner Mongolia (ethnic minorities) were targeted.

What was the rise and fall of Lin Biao?

The PLA’s power, 1968-71 (military dictatorship), made Mao suspicious of Lin.

Mao also believed that Lin wanted to become Head of State.

Fearing a purge against their father Lin Liguo (Lin’s son) aimed to kill Mao. Project 571.

The plot failed, Lin fled, but crashed over Mongolia.

What was the Reapprochment with the USA?

Mao’s fear about Lin and PLA linked to border war with USSR.

As relations with the USSR worsened, Mao sought out the USA.

President Nixon met Mao in February 1972 during a visit to China.

This episode further drained the ideological phase of the CR. = Hypocritical of Mao.

How did Deng return to power?

Early 1970s: Mao was old, Lin was dead, and Zhou had bladder cancer.

Deng was then rehabilitated to add expertise to the government, 1973. He became Vice-Premier of the State Council.

1975

= Deng joined the Standing Committee and became the Chief of Staff of the PLA.

= Four Modernisations (Agriculture, Industry, Defence, Science and technology) made by Zhou and Deng focused on the economy.

Deng was eclipsed one last time, 1976 due to the ‘Gang of Four’, as they accused Deng of verdict reversal.

What happened to the Gang of Four?

They were the ideological wing of the CR, led by Jiang Qing.

CR group disbanded in 1969 so Yao Wenyuan, Jiang Qing, Wang Hongwen, and Zhang Chunqiao established the Gang of 4 in 1973.

All 4 came from Shanghai, and Jiang Qing gave them some prominence. They tried to keep the spirit of the revolution by opposing Deng and Zhou

They opposed Deng and Zhou through ‘criticise Lin and Confucius’ in 1973. They tried to attack Zhou Enlai and get others to do it.

However, the masses had had enough of such campaigns.

Ageing Mao played divide and rule: the Gang vs Deng and Zhou (pragmatic faction)

What happened when Mao died?

Zhou died of cancer, January 1976, leading to national mourning.

During the Qing Ming (Incident) festival, many mourned Zhou in April ‘76 at Tiananmen Square, Beijing.

The ‘Gang’ took this badly, as they had been opposed to Zhou.

They purged Deng, but Mao’s death (Sept.’76) led to their arrest.

Deng ruled China until 1997, carrying out economic reforms.

What was the 1 phase of the Cultural Revolution?

Background and causes, 1962-5

= Commission of Little Red Book (1964)

= Learn from Lei Fung (1963)

= Liu and Deng's pragmatic and economic policies.

= Socialist Education Campaign (1962-5)

= Criticism of ‘Hai Rui Dismissed from Office’ (1965)

What was the 2 phase of the Cultural Revolution?

The ‘red’ years, 1966-7

= 8 mass ralles in Beijing (Aug-Nov).

= Campaign against Four Olds (Aug,‘66).

= 16-point directive (Aug,‘66).

= Burning of British embassy (Aug,’67)

What was the 3 phase of the Cultural Revolution?

‘Restoration of order’, 1967-71

= Rev committees set up 1967-8, 21/29 led by PLA general.

= ‘Up to the mountains down to the villages’ (1969) 15-18m.

= Cleansing the class ranks, 1968-70.

= Lin Biao Incident Sept,’71.

= Chen Boda was arrested in ‘70.

= Ninth Party Congress - Lin Biao made No. 2.

What was the 4 phase of the Cultural Revolution?

The ‘winding down’, 1972-6

= Nixon visits China in February 1972.

= Pragmatic faction vs Gang of Four.

= Four modernisations 1975

= Critics of Lin and Confucius 1974.

= Qing Ming Incident 1976.

Why did the Cultural Revolution lose its intensity and radicalism during 1969-76?

Lin Biao’s plane crash, 1971 removed a key frigure in CR.

Nixon’s visit in 1972.

The Republic ignored the Gang of Four’s ‘Criticise Lin and Confucius Campaign’ (1973)

The Qingming incident (1976) showed public support for Zhou.

Zhou and Deng prioritised the economy - Four Modernisations (1975)

Emergence of a pragmatic faction led by Zhou and Deng.

Young people disillusioned due to ‘Up to the mountains down to the villages campaign’ (1968-)

Mao turned 80 in 1973 and was increasingly ill.

Mao intended to end the CR in 1969 with the Ninth Party Congress