How Was The Cultural Revolution Used To Attack Mao's Political And Class Enemies? Flashcards
Who was attacked/ purged?
Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping
Lin Biao
CCP Membership
‘Capitalist roaders’ and foreigners living in China
Why did Mao want to remove Liu and Deng from post and why couldn’t he do it directly?
They continued to advocate pragmatic policies. Both popular in Politburo and when he entrusted Liu and Deng to oversee ending of rural crisis, ceded some of his grip of power onto them.
How come Mao was able to instigate the attack on Wu Han to see if Liu and Deng’s power could be shaken?
By the end of 1965, Mao had the support he needed (e.g. Chen Boda, Lin Biao, PLA, Jiang Qing and the Shanghai radicals)
What did Chen Boda have control of?
Propaganda
When were they both formally dismissed from their positions within govt and Party?
October 1966, following a Red Guard demonstration targeted specifically at them (wall posters appeared, naming and denouncing them for betraying revolution)
What happened to Liu and his wife?
They were dragged from their house and beaten by a jeering mob.
What happened to Liu?
Forced to undergo a series of struggle sessions, before being imprisoned in conditions deliberately intended to break his already fragile health (he had diabetes). When he contracted pneumonia, refused permission to go to hospital.
When did Liu die?
November 1969
What happened to Wang Guangmei, Liu’s wife?
Subjected to a humiliating interrogation before being paraded before a large crowd wearing a necklace of table tennis balls and a revealing skirt (which she was accused of having worn on a recent trip to Indonesia to seduce President).
Why didn’t Weng die when she was sentenced to death?
Mao intervened to save her
What happened to Deng?
Less harshly treated- subjected to public humiliation before being sent to perform corrective labour. Survived and rehabilitated into Party.
When was Deng rehabilitated into Party?
1973- due to links with Zhou
Why was Deng’s son permanently paralysed?
The Red Guards threw him from an upstairs window
When did Lin Biao fall?
1971
Why was Lin removed?
Became too popular
What did Mao worry about Lin?
That he would combine his military (commander-in-chief) and political support to become a Chinese Bonaparte
How did Mao begin his attack on Lin?
Indirectly, by undermining the position of some of his allies e.g. Chen Boda who had to make self-criticisms
How did Mao gradually continue his attack against Lin?
Packing the Military Affairs Commission with his supporters, and then reorganising the Beijing military region do that Lin’s allies were posted elsewhere.
What was the official version events of what happened to Lin and his son?
They were planning to assassinate Mao and then seize power in a military coup
What happened to Lin and son?
When they attempted to flee and take refuge in Russia, plain crashed in the desert in Mongolia, killing all on board
What remains unknown?
Lin’s own contribution to plot
Was the crash an accident?
Seems so- caused by pilot flying low to avoid radar or insufficient fuel
What was the outcome of the affair?
Mao in a long period of depression
Why did this affair cast doubt on the credibility of the whole regime?
Lin had been regarded by the public ad Mao’s principal supporter (since civil war), he was his designated successor and commanded the army- if Lin was revealed to have been a traitor, what else should the public disbelieve about the regime?
For many Chinese, what did the fall of Lin Biao mark?
A turning point in their relationship with Mao- regarded with increasing scepticism
When was news of Lin’s fall released?
1972
What did Jiang Qing do to discredit Lin?
1973, extensive media campaign accusing him of being a Soviet spy, masquerading as a man on the radical left. Public called on to ‘criticise Lin Biao and Confucius’ (modern reincarnation of Confucius and his revolutionary ideas)
What did Lin’s fall also do?
Reopened the question of Mao’s successor so factional rivalries increased
Why was Zhou not an obvious successor?
Too old and moderate to be entrusted with carrying the revolution forward
Why was Jiang Qing not an obvious successor?
Too many personal enemies
What did Mao say to commence the purge of the CCP membership?
‘Bombard the Headquarters’
Who were affected the most and by 1966, how many of them still held their post?
High-ranking members, only 9/23 Politburo members of 1966 held onto their posts
How many of the six regional first secretaries were purged?
6 regional first secretaries were purged
How many provincial and regional officials were purged?
70%
How many members of the Central Committee were purged?
2/3s of the members of the Central Committee that met in 1966 had been purged by the next time it gathered October 1968
At local level, how many Party officials were purged?
20%
What were May 7th cadre schools?
Where people were sent to rediscover their revolutionary zeal, through a combination of hard physical labour alongside the peasantry, in camps usually far away from their homes. Most survived and reintegrated into Party but brutal experience that involved torture and beatings
How many cadres were sent to May 7th cadre schools?
3 million
What was the January Storm in 1967?
Militant factory and office workers formed their own Red Guard units and overthrew the Party leadership in Shanghai, where they set up a People’s Commune that was to be run by freely elected representatives
Having originally backed the initiative (Jan Storm), what did Mao do?
Changed mind saying Party should have some influence over the direction of events. New revolutionary committee (RG, PLA and CCP officials) set up to run Shanghai
Where had the balance of power swung to?
The army- 25/29 first secretaries lost their jobs, most of them to PLA officers
What was declared at a full Party Congress (the ninth)?
April 1969- Cultural Revolution over and a new Party constitution adopted stressing importance of Mao Zedong Thought and the continuation of class struggle
Whose influence increased and what are some figures to demonstrate this?
PLA- 45% of new Central Committee members of PLA and half of Politburo
Why did Mao have more control over the new Party?
Many veteran members had been purged and replaced by less experienced newcomers so his ability to manipulate was greater than ever
When did the reconstruction of the Party begin?
Oct 1968 when Liu and Deng expelled from Party
Who were subjected to scrutiny in the attacks on ‘capitalist roaders’?
Mainly focused in urban areas- every factory, office, shop and school
What did this disrupt?
Working life- serious fall in industrial production down by 13% in 1967
What did the CCRG develop in early 1968?
‘Cleansing of class ranks’ campaign where committees were set up across the country and given task of eradicating all signs of capitalism.
How many deaths did the ‘cleansing of class ranks’ account for?
100,000
What was the new campaign in 1970 launched to remove all attitudes that were preventing economic progress?
‘One strike and three antis’
Mao intervened to halt it in 1971
What happened in August 1967?
Red Guards broke into the British Embassy in Beijing, physically attacking the staff
