History A-level Edexcel - Mao's China, 1949-76 - Theme 3: The Cultural Revolution and its aftermath, 1966-76

Causes of the Cultural Revolution

- Mao wanted to reassert his authority (after GLF, divisions within CCP)

- revive revolution in order to ensure its permanence

- Mao wanted to preserve true communist ideology

- transform Chinese culture

Causes of the Cultural Revolution - 'Han Rui Dismissed from Office' play

explained

- written by Wu Han in 1961

- allegorical plot of character dismissed for justifiably objecting cruel policies of emperor

- parallel to Peng Dehuai dismissal

- Mao used the play to purge Liu Shaoqui in 1965 (friends with Wu Han's boss)

Causes of the Cultural Revolution - Mao wanted to reassert authority/ preserve true communist ideology

- Mao disliked Liu and Deng's measures after GLF

- Mao saw pragmatists as 'capitalist roaders'

- division apparent after 7000-cadre conference (Jan 1962) when Liu openly criticised Mao's policies by stating famine was '30% natural disaster, 70% man made'

- Deng's view - 'does not matter if a cat was black of white; as long as it caught the mouse, it was a good cat'

- pragmatists critical of mass mobilisation

- pragmatists wanted more conciliatory foreign policy

- Mao launched 'Socialist education Movement' (1963) to hit back at pragmatists

Causes of the Cultural Revolution - revive revolution in order to ensure its permanence through mass mobilisation of youth

- mass mobilisation ensured people's active effort in fighting to defend changes that they had brought about

- Mao determined not to have same fate as Soviet Russia when Khrushchev took over

- youth hadn't been involved in revolution yet and Mao wanted them to experience struggle in order to make them identify and committed to it

Causes of the Cultural Revolution - preserve true communist ideology/reviving revolution to ensure its permanence

- Mao feared new self-satisfied bureaucracy had been created, motivated only by privileges of power

- restore purity of revolution by removing privileged class of society

- CR act of vengeance against intellectuals who had criticised GLF

Causes of the Cultural Revolution - transform Chinese culture

- Mao believed culture intertwined with politics

- culture tool to control mass

Mao's measures before Cultural Revolution

- Socialist Education Movement (1963)- 4 clean-ups: economy, organisation, politics and ideology should be cleaned for communist ideal

- Early Ten points (Feb 1963) proposed mass mobilisation to criticise corrupt cadres

- Deng revised plan in late 1963 - 'later ten points' ruling disruption should be kept to minimum

Events of the Cultural Revolution - the Cultural Revolution Group

- CRG formed March 1966 to direct CR

- 17 member sub-committee of politburo

- main members were Chen Boda, Yao Wenyuan, Zhang Chunqiao, Jiang Quing

- ran cultural policy

Start of the Cultural Revolution

- until 1962, Liu seen as Mao's successor however Mao openly accused him of choosing capitalist road at Party Conference

- Liu and Deng had too much support in Politburo and party for Mao to attack them

- Wu Han affair escalated by Lin Biao in 1966

- Mao made open move against rivals in March 1966 as Liu was absent - got supporters to agree to remove Peng Zhen from post

- CRG created

- wall poster campaign launched in May 1966 in Beijing University to stir students into actions

- July 1966 - Mao's swim in Yangtze at Wuhan demonstrating physically fit for showdown and reminder of revolution (Wuhan)

- Liu and Deng forced to make self criticisms for sending university work teams

Events of the Cultural Revolution - mass rallies

- 18 August 1966 - first mass rally of Red Guards in Tiananmen Square - unleashed to attack 4 olds

- 8 mass rallies in 1966

- free rail passes and PLA organisation enabled masses to attend rallies

Events of the Cultural Revolution - use of the younger generation

Aims for using youth:

- ensure longevity of communism in China

- dynamism

Methods of mobilising youth:

- The Little Red Book

- The Diary of Lei Feng (1963) demonstrating loyalty to Mao

-during personality cult (1966), party portrayed as threat to Mao's achievements

- mass rallies

- some youth lacked career opportunities and so red guard gave opportunity to prove communist loyalty

- red guard allowed youth to hit back at party cadres who had treated them badly during GLF

- peer pressure

Events of the Cultural Revolution - cult of Mao

- workers bowed to Mao portrait each morning and asked for 'instructions'

- Mao's works referred to as treasure books

- 'loyalty dances' before boarding trains

- aimed to portray Mao as g-d

Events of the Cultural Revolution - 4 olds campaign

- old culture, old ideas, old customs, old habits

- Lin Biao instructed Red Guards to attack on 18 August 1966 at mass rally

- western influences targeted

- correction stations

- street names changed to reflect new values

- some adopted new names

- attacks on religion and clergy

- traditional nuclear family attacked - red guard soldiers informed on parents

- cultural sites destroyed e.g. Confucius' home town of Qufu

- cultural destruction in Tibet on Buddhism

- effects short-lived

Events of the Culutural Revoltion - growth of anarchy and use of terror

- initially students turned on teacher then anyone with wealthy of privilege lifestyle

- Red guards unrestricted

- denunciation struggle sessions with violence

- class enemies sent for re-education through labour in prison camps

- Example: playwright Lao She's house burnt and denounced at struggle meeting, drowned himself in Aug 1966

- new Red Guard unity formed by radical factory and office workers (Nov 1966) escalated terror

- growth of factions within Red guards caused anarchy

Events of the Cultural Revolution - January Storm

- example of anarchy

- factory and office workers formed own

Red Guard unity and overthrew party leadership in Shanghai in Jan 1967

- Mao and PLA intervened

Events of the Cultural Revolution - February Crackdown (Feb 1967)

- PLA suppressed radicals in some provinces and leading Politburo members supported this when they called on Red Guard to calm down

- Mao called on CRG to override Politburo and PLA

Events of the Cultural Revolution - revolutionary committees (sep 1967)

- Mao called for revolutionary committees in provinces

- merged role of party, state and army but party remained dominant

- run by standing committees

Events of the Cultural Revolution - 'cleansing the class ranks' campaign (1968)

- CRG launched to eradicate capitalism completely

- PLA unit 8341 launched wave of terror

- surveillance, struggle meetings, imprisonments, killings used

Events of the Cultural Revolution - attack on Liu Shaoqui

- had advocated for pragmatic policies

- had supported sending work teams to control violence

- Aug 1966 - criticised in party central committee meeting

- dismissed in Oct 1966 and denounced for betraying revolution

- Liu and wife dragged from house and beaten, forced to undergo struggle sessions, imprisoned, exiled to Kaifeng and refused medical help and died 12 Nov 1969

- Liu's wife humiliated before large crowd wearing skirt and table tennis ball necklace

Events of the Cultural Revolution - attack on Deng Xiaoping

- had advocated for pragmatic policies

- Aug 1966 - criticised in party central committee meeting

- dismissed in Oct 1966 and denounced for betraying revolution

- publicly humiliated and sent to corrective labour but survived and rehabilitated back into party in 1973

- son permanently paralysed as Red Guards threw him from window

Events of the Cultural Revolution - attack on Lin Biao (1971)

- made defence minister (1959), headed PLA

- made Mao's official successor at 9th party congress (1969)

- organised cult of Mao, circulated little red book

- alleged hypochondriac

- Mao attacked him because too popular (Mao's successor) and worried about PLA power

- Mao undermined his allies and organised them elsewhere

- supposed story is that Lin and his son (Lin Liguo) were planning to assassinate Mao but were discovered by Zhou Enlai and so fled and plane crashed in Mongolia killing everyone on board

- Lin discredited after death by Jiang Qing to avoid suspicion - 'criticise Lin Biao and Confucius'

Events of the Cultural Revolution - purging of CCP membership

- Mao called on red guard to 'bombard the headquarters'

- high-ranking members most impacted

- cadres sent to May 7th schools - study and labour

- Shanghai new revolutionary committee with Red Guard, PLA and CCP officials --> party power declining

- Example: General He Long denounced as rightists and placed under house arrest, refused medicine and died in 1969

Events of the cultural revolution - purging 'capitalist roaders'

- attacks on 'capitalist roaders' focused on urban areas and industrial workers

- 'cleansing of class ranks' campaign' (1968)

Events of cultural revolution - purging foreigners living in China

- foreign embassies and staff attacked by Red Guards (Burma, Indonesia, India)

- Aug 1967 - British embassy in Beijing attacked and burnt and week after Chinese embassy staff in London staged demonstration but retreated inside to avoid arrest due to diplomatic immunity

- Britain particularly attacked due to Hong Kong but 10 other embassies attacked

Events of cultural revolution - Gang of Four

- members: Jiang Quing, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan,

Wang Hongwen

- represented radicals in party

- Jiang Quing controlled culture and propaganda (allowed 8 performances)

- Yao Wenyuan wrote the report on the Han Rui play in 1965

- launched Anti Confucius Campaign (1973) to discrete Lin Biao and target Zhou and Deng

- supported persecution of intellectuals, capitalist roaders, party opponents

- opposed modernisation and reform

Winding down of cultural revolution - PLA restoring order

- Aug 1967 - Mao allowed PLA to clamp down on Red Guard as were undermining army's role and inflicting unsustainable damage

- Mao removed 4 of most radical CCRG members

- Mao ordered Red Guard and workers' factions to form alliances

- PLA purged Red Guard

- PLA reopened schools and universities and re-established discipline (sometimes resisted e.g. Qinghua university)

Winding down of the cultural revolution - 'up to the mountains and down to the villages' campaign

- new rustification programme (1968)

- 18 mil red guards sent from cities to countryside

- scheme eased urban unemployment, dispersed red guards, taught urban youth about peasantry life, toughened youth with realities of manual labour, reinforced army's control over youth

- many experienced poor standard of living in countryside as not accepted --> became disillusioned with Mao and considered 'lost generation'

Winding down of the cultural revolution - Zhou Enlai return to power

- Zhou never purged because useful to Mao, held pragmatic stance

- helped uncover Lin's assassination plot (as Lin's daughter had leaked it to him)

- took over day-to-day running when Mao became ill from 1971

- facilitated Nixon's visit to China in 1972

- aimed to restore economic production after CR

- introduced university entrance exams

- unable to remove radicals from CCRG positions slowing Zhou's progress

- died on 8th Jan 1976

- 1 million lined streets to pay respects when he died

- April 1976, people wreaths laid to honour him, protests when gov came to remove them

Winding down of the cultural revolution - Deng Xiaoping return to power

- Zhou persuaded Mai to bring him back in 1973 to train Wang Hongwen (new successor)

- Deng led China's delegation to UN

- appointed to army chief of staff to keep regional military commanders in check

- rebuilt education system, restored exams

- March 1973 - appointed vice premier

- 1974 - became party secretary

- 1975 joined Politburo's standing committee

- purged again by Jiang in April 1976 after being blamed for organising Zhou's memorial service

Winding down of Cultural Revolution - Deng's 4 modernisation

- advancement in agriculture, industry, defence, science+technology

- reliance on science and technology direct reversal of mass mobilisation

Winding down of the cultural revolution - reining in Gang of Four

- PLA really controlled what happened after 1968 so marginalised GOF dominance

- GOF power reduced after Lin Biao affair

- still had some influence - launched anti-Confucius campaign in 1973 to discredit Lin

- revived Mao's 'Learn from Dazhai' slogan but lost Mao's support when he realised this was just a ploy in succession struggle

- violent confrontations at Zhou's memorial service in April 1976 resulting in Deng's exile

Winding down of the cultural revolution - Mao's death (1976)

- died on 9th September 1976

- succession struggle: Liu Shaoqui --> Lin Biao --> Zhang Chunqiao --> Wang Hongwen --> Hua Guofeng

- Hua took over and arrested Gang of Four in Oct 1976 - Jian Quing hung herself in 1991 after being sentenced to life imprisonment

- Deng returned from exile an replaced Hua by 1980

Cultural Revolution timetable

- Socialist Education Movement (1963)

- Liu and Deng accused of taking capitalist approach ij 1964

- Mao swam in Yangtze in July 1966

- 1st mass rally in 18th August 1966 and 4 olds campaign launched

- growth of anarchy and terror (1966)

- Liu Shaoqui and Deng Xiaoping dismissed in 1966

- January Storm (Jan 1967) - demonstration of anarchy

- February Crackdown (Feb 1967)

Winding Down:

- August 1967 Mao ordered PLA to clamp down on Red Guard

- Revolutionary committees set up in Sep 1967

- Cleansing the class ranks campaign in 1968

- Up to the mountains down the villages campaign (1968)

- Lin Biao attacked on 1971

- Deng brought back to power in 1973

- Zhou Enlai died on 8th Jan 1976

- Mao died on 9th September 1976