Mao Zedong and the Cultural Revolution

By the early 1960s, Mao Zedong's radical policies had devastated China, leading to a severe famine.
The Great Leap Forward ended in 1962, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 23 to 55 million people.
Mao's influence and public presence diminished after this disaster.

Following Joseph Stalin's death, Nikita Khrushchev initiated de-Stalinization in the Soviet Union, reversing many of Stalin's policies and dismantling his personality cult.
Mao feared that his own legacy might suffer a similar fate.
The failure of the Great Leap Forward undermined Mao's ideas and standing among powerful communist figures like Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx.

Mao was known for being a strong swimmer, using it as a symbol of his ideology and strength.
In 1956, he swam across the Yangtze River in three publicized events to demonstrate his fearlessness.
In 1966, at age 72, Mao swam the Yangtze again to dispel rumors of his failing health, accompanied by cheering crowds.
His personal photographer documented the swim, capturing images of Mao in the river and waving to fellow swimmers with the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge in the background.
The swim was reported on the front page of China's state newspaper, claiming he swam approximately 15 kilometers (about 9 miles) in 65 minutes, which would have broken world records.
Many people outside of China doubted the story, but some viewed it as a sign of impending turmoil.
Mao's earlier swims preceded the disastrous Great Leap Forward, raising concerns about another period of upheaval.

Two months before the swim, Mao announced the beginning of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, aimed at purging the government of those who deviated from Maoism.
The swim served as a catalyst for the Cultural Revolution, sparking a craze for swimming and bolstering Mao's popularity, especially among Chinese youth.
Ryder Langheng was deeply influenced by Mao's swim.
Millions of Chinese youth formed the Red Guards, a paramilitary force that wreaked havoc in the name of cultural revolution.