Divisions Within CCP Between Ideologues and Pragmatists (2a.3)

Question 1

When was the cultural revolution?

Answer 1

1966-76

Question 2

Mao as an Ideologue

Answer 2

• Uncomfortable with measures taken to alleviate damage caused by by GLF
• Didn’t want to admit communes had failed
• Liu and Deng’s measures were too revisionist for Mao

Question 3

‘It does not matter whether a cat it black or white; as long as it fought the mouse, it was a good cat’

Answer 3

• Both Liu, Chen Yun and Bo Yibo agreed with Deng that ideological compromises were essential to get China’s economy back in its feet
• Mao thought the colour of the cat did matter

Question 4

What was the Socialist Education Movement 1963?

Answer 4

• Early attempt to regenerate revolutionary drive
• Cleanse China of its reactionary elements
• Failure to do this to Mao’s satisfaction led to the campaign against ‘four olds’ in 1966
• Liu as head of state prevented it becoming another mass mobilisation effort

Question 5

Quest for permanent revolution

Answer 5

• Keen on mass mobilisation: people who’d been directly involved in campaign would fight to defend changes they helped bring about
• Younger generation needed to have direct experience in revolutionary struggle

Question 6

What sparked the cultural revolution?

Answer 6

Campaign against Wu Han 1965

Question 7

Attacks on the bureaucracy

Answer 7

New class of communist bureaucrats had to be purged before they became a new class of mandarins and lost tough with the masses

Question 8

Who was Kang Sheng?

Answer 8

• Chief of secret police
• Orchestrated rectification campaigns
• Built up impressive collection of antiques confiscated from victims
• Worked closely with Jiang Qing

Question 9

Who was Chen Boda?

Answer 9

• Headed the Central Cultural Revolution Group (CCRG)
• Directed cult rev from inside Politburo
• Collaborated with Lin Biao putting together ‘Little Red Book’
• Previously edited party journal ‘The Red Flag’

Question 10

When was the CCRG set up?

Answer 10

1966

Question 11

Mao’s move against his rivals

Answer 11

• Took advantage of Liu’s absence
• Got Lin Biao, Kang Shang and Chen Boda to back his proposals that Peng Zhen be removed from his post
• Task of removing him left to Liu
• Both Deng and Zhou abandoned Peng to his fate (safeguard own positions)

Question 12

Wall poster campaign

Answer 12

• Beijing University
• Stir students into action
• Mao wanted full blooded attack on party in a rectification campaign from below
• Liu and Deng’s efforts to moderate them came to nothing