The 'Hundred Flowers' campaign

When was the ‘Hundred Flowers’ campaign announced?

April 1956 Mao announced ‘Let a hundred flowers bloom’

What was Mao inviting with the ‘Hundred Flowers’ campaign?

Mao invited criticism of the Communist regime from intellectuals- stating ‘let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend’

Mao’s reasons for launching the Campaign: Intellectuals

Why did Mao ask the intellectuals?

The economy wasn’t growing fast enough. China wanted to catch up with the West so Mao believed he would need the help of the intellectuals.

Mao’s reasons for launching the campaign: Intellectuals

What happened with the first 5 year plan?

There were problems in the countryside and signs that the performance of the economy was declining. Thousands of workers were leaving the collective farms and attacking party cadres.

Mao’s reasons for launching the campaign: Rectification of the party

How did Mao think the campaign would rectify the party?

Mao felt that the party wasn’t radical enough in introducing communist policies or economic reforms. Also he thought that the party cadres had become a new privileged class of managers.

Mao hoped that the intellectuals would criticise these communists so he could remove them.

Mao’s reasons for launching the campaign: International concerns

What events in the USSR worried Mao?

Stalin died in 1953 and in 1956 Nikita replaced him.

In February 1956, Nikita Khrushchev denounced Stalin’s cult personality and use of terror in a speech labelled the ‘secret speech’ addressed to the 20th party Congress in Moscow and called for the end to dictatorship and move to collective leadership.

Mao had copied some of Stalin’s methods and was worried about being criticised too.

Mao’s reasons for launching the campaign: International concerns

What was happening in Hungary?

The Hungarian uprising of 1956 took place against the Communist government of Hungary. A new reformist government was temporarily installed that rejected Soviet dominance of the country. This had to be crushed by the force of the Soviet Red Army

Mao’s reasons for launching the campaign: Over confidence

Why was Mao optimistic that the responses to the campaign would be positive?

• First Five year plan stimulated industrial recovery after civil war

• Mao’s popularity was boosted by success in Korea fighting the UN showing a movement away from foreign exploitation

• Mao expected endorsement of his policies that would allow him to advance his personal policies and introduce communism rapidly

What was the initial reaction to the campaign?

Intellectuals were reluctant to give criticisms due to their earlier harsh treatment. They were unwilling to risk their freedom by suggesting new ideas that might lead them to be denounced as counter revolutionary.

When was the campaign reiterated?

In February 1957 Mao made a speech to the Supreme State council conference and again asked for ‘a hundred flowers to bloom’.

What mistakes did Mao admit to in his speech?

• He said that the Party had wrongly identified intellectuals as the enemies of the regime and used too much force to control them

• He admitted that 800,000 Chinese people had been killed and implied that the time for violent class struggle was over

• He promised to release people from labour camps

The consequences

What did people criticise? (4 points)

• The intellectuals criticised the party’s failure to provide democratic rights or freedom of expression in arts and culture

• They compared the party’s methods to Nazis in Auschwitz

• They criticised economic inequalities e.g. low wages

• The party’s HQ’s were stormed by students who tied up officials and marched them through the streets

The consequences

What was a step too far for Mao?

People were critical of Mao and his own personal power. They compared him to the Pope.

Consequences

When did Mao launch the anti-rightist campaign?

June 1957

Consequences

What did Mao say in his speech in June?

He declared that ‘poisonous weeds’ had grown up among ‘fragrant flowers’. These ‘right wingers’ had abused their freedoms and he demanded a campaign of class struggle against them.

Consequences

Who was targeted in the anti-rightist campaign?

The ‘poisonous weeds’ were defined very broadly so that they included anyone the regime wanted to get rid of. Crimes liable for punishment included ‘opposing socialist culture’ and ‘opposing the fundamental policies of the state’

Consequences

What were the role of the cadres in the anti-rightist campaign?

Cadres were given a quota of 5% of people in a danwei to be damned as rightist.

Consequences

How many victims of the campaign were there?

Statistics vary but it is estimated between 400,000 and 700,000 intellectuals were purged and sent to the countryside or laogai for ‘labour reform’. Others took their own life to avoid such a terrifying fate.