How Effective Were the Red Guards in Carrying Out the Cultural Revolution? (2a.3)

Question 1

Mao’s hold on young people

Answer 1

• Developing personality cult 1960s
• By 1966 carrying copy of Little Red Book became social necessity
• See contrast between Mao (heroic) and the Communist Party (supervised and repressed them)

Question 2

‘Bombard the Headquarters’

Answer 2

• Wall poster 1966 greeted enthusiastically by students
• Rebellion was virtuous and chaos better than order
• Rising up against figured of traditional authority

Question 3

Lack of career opportunities

Answer 3

• Little available for families who carried ‘wrong’ class label
• Prospects limited
• Gave middle-class youngsters chance to prove by their actions that they were true communists

Question 4

How many mass rallies were held in 1966

Answer 4

8

Question 5

First mass rally

Answer 5

• Tiananmen Square, Beijing
• One million red guards
• Mao’s army uniform demonstrated his closeness with PLA
• Lin Biao addressed the crowd on his behalf
• Liu, Deng and Zhou on the balcony but at a distance and in civilian clothes
• Smash the ‘four olds’
• Official approval for whatever actions students took

Question 6

What helped the millions of Red Guards attend the eight rallies?

Answer 6

• Army’s logistical support in helping transport people in and out of Beijing from provinces
• Free rail passes made it easier to attend rallies and Red Guards could travel further to attack targets