The Development of the Cultural Revolution 1966-76

Question 1

What was the key chronology of the Cultural Revolution (Aug 1966 - Apr 1969) (9)?

Answer 1

1) Aug 1966: Launch of the Cultural Revolution.
2) Nov 1966: Factional rivalries appear in the Red Guard.
3) Dec 1966: Fighting between Red Guard factions in Shanghai.
4) Jan 1967: January Storm in Shanghai + Shanghai Revolutionary Committee (SRC) set up.
5) Feb 1967: February Crackdown + February Adverse Current.
6) Aug 1967: Beginning of the purge of radical Red Guard units.
7) July 1968: The PLA take over Qinghua university campus in Beijing.
8) Oct 1968: CCP Central Committee declares the Cultural Revolution ‘a great and decisive victory’.
9) Apr 1969: CCP Party Congress declares the end of the Cultural Revolution.

Question 2

What was the key chronology of the Cultural Revolution Sept 1971 - Sept 1976 (6)?

Answer 2

1) Sept 1971: Lin Biao’s death in a plane crash.
2) Feb 1972: President Nixon visits China.
3) Aug 1973: Wang Hongwen confirmed as Mao’s successor, Deng Xiaoping rehabilitated, start of the AntiConfucius campaign.
4) Jan 1976: Death of Zhou Enlai.
5) Apr 1976: 1976 Tiananmen Incident/Festival of the Dead demonstrations.
6) Sept 1976: Death of Mao Zedong.

Question 3

What is meant by ‘Hong Kong style’?

Answer 3

Hong Kong was under British rule (1841-1997), and was therefore more westernised than the rest of China.
Western clothing and hairstyles were seen as degenerate.

Question 4

What was the state of China in August 1966 , and what were the Red Guards doing (6)?

Answer 4

1) Schools/universities were closed, with chaos and violence spreading across China.
2) Red Guards targeted intellectuals, teachers, the ‘five black categories’, and non-Communists. They were
free to beat, humiliate and kill.
3) The Red Guards began a campaign to eradicate the Four Olds, and any trace of Western influence in
China, with ‘correction stations’ set up at street corners.
4) Historic sites (temples, statues, artifacts, etc.) and religious buildings were damaged.
5) Red Guards invaded/ransacked the private homes of those suspected being bourgeois.
6) Antiques, jewellery, paintings, books, foreign currency, etc. were confiscated or destroyed. Books by
authors considered feudal/bourgeois were burnt.

Question 5

How did the targets of the Red Guards change in September 1966?

Answer 5

The attacks of the Red Guards became more systemic and targeted at Party officials, opposed to intellectuals,
teachers, non-Communists and the ‘five black categories’.

Question 6

How did the Red Guards punish their targets (3)?

Answer 6

1) Appeared before struggle meetings, wearing dunce’s caps, and were subject to verbal and physical abuse.
2) Paraded through the streets in dunce’s caps.
3) Forced to adopt the ‘jet-plane position’ for hours.
This caused serious injury as well as death.

Question 7

Why did factional rivalries begin to emerge amongst the Red Guards in September 1966?

Answer 7

Some officials encouraged the formation of Red Guard units that were more under the control of the Party
bureaucracy - ‘conservative mass organisations’. They recruited workers and students whose parents were
Party cadres. The most radical Red Guard units were composed of students from bourgeois backgrounds.
This caused splits and rivalries in the Red Guards.

Question 8

How did factional rivalries in the Red Guard develop in Shanghai (November - December 1966) (5)?

Answer 8

1) In November 1966, militant factory and office workers began to form their own Red Guard units.
2) In Shanghai, a Worker’s Revolutionary General Headquarters (WRGH) was set up, in order to coordinate
radical groups in the city. Supporters of this were known as ‘revolutionary rebels’.
3) The CCP leadership in Shanghai opposed this, instead supporting the establishment of a ‘conservative
mass organisation’ - the Shanghai Red Detachment.
4) Mao declared that workers had the right to establish their own mass organisations, and the Shanghai Party
leadership were forced to make self-criticisms.
5) This factional rivalry quickly turned into street fighting in Shanghai by the end of December 1966.

Question 9

What were the origins of the January Storm (3)?

Answer 9

1) In January 1967, strikes paralysed the port of Shanghai and the railway network around the city.
2) On 3rd January 1967, the ‘revolutionary rebels’ seized control of the main newspapers in Shanghai,
resulting in the collapse of the authority of Party leadership in Shanghai.
3) Mao intervened, sending Zhang Chunqiao and Yao Wenyuan to bring down the Shanghai Party Committee
and establish a new authority.

Question 10

What was the Workers’ Revolutionary General Headquarters (WRGH) and who were ‘revolutionary rebels’?

Answer 10

1) The WGRH was an organisation set up to coordinate Red Guard units comprising of workers in Shanghai.
Supporters of this group were known as ‘revolutionary rebels’.

Question 11

What were the events of the January Storm, and when did it take place?

Answer 11

5th - 23rd January 1966.
1) Jan 5th 1966: The WRGH announced the overthrow of the Shanghai Party Committee, and the City would
therefore be run by ‘revolutionary rebels’.
2) With the support of the PLA, the WRGH took control of all factories, docks, newspapers and businesses in
Shanghai.
3) During the rest of January 1967, rebel groups seized power in 7 other provinces, including Beijing.

Question 12

How did Zhang Chunqiao fail to bring down the Shanghai Party Committee (3)?

Answer 12

1) Having gained control of Shanghai with PLA support, Zhang set up a Shanghai people’s commune - a
body subject to democratic accountability and with elected officials. This meant there would be no
Communist monopoly over elections to the commune.
2) Zhang believed he had Mao’s support, following the principle of ‘trust the masses’. However, Mao
declared ‘There must be a Party somehow. There must be a nucleus, no matter what we call it’.
3) Mao refused to back the Shanghai people’s commune, and instructed rebel groups in other cities to not
follow the example of Shanghai.

Question 13

What did Mao do on 23rd January 1967, and what was its significance for the Cultural Revolution?

Answer 13

On 23rd January 1967, Mao disbanded the Shanghai people’s commune, and replaced it with the Shanghai
Revolutionary Committee. This was made up of Red Guards, PLA representatives, and Party officials, and
became a prototype for other revolutionary committees.
This was significant because the role of organising and supporting the new revolutionary committees fell to
the PLA, as the CCP were in disarray.

Question 14

What were the origins of the February Crackdown (3)?

Answer 14

1) Many of the top PLA commanders wanted the PLA to be insulated from the revolutionary upheavals
destabilising China, and that the discipline of the army should be maintained - PLA officers should not be
subject to struggle meetings.
2) The CCRG believed that no sector of China should be immune from the rectification campaign. Mao did
not reveal his views, but prohibited attacks on the PLA. However he did not condemn radical military cadets
who staged struggle meetings against their commanders.
3) In the absence of clear political leadership, some senior military commanders acted on their own initiative,
using armed force to suppress radical Red Guard units and arrest their leaders.

Question 15

What was the February Crackdown?

Answer 15

When regional military commanders in Sichuan and Wuhan used armed force to suppress radical Red Guards
and arrest their leaders.

Question 16

What was the February Adverse Current?

Answer 16

The Adverse Current was the joint effort of CCP veterans to oppose the radicalism of the Red Guard in
February 1967.

Question 17

What were the events of the February Adverse Current (4)?

Answer 17

1) In February 1967, Mao criticised Jiang Qing and Chen Boda for making decisions on the CR without
consulting him. This opened up backlash and criticism towards the CR from Politburo members.
2) Politburo members pointed out that the Red Guard had overstepped the boundaries of the CR, as laid out
in the Sixteen Points.
3) A Politburo directive, with Mao’s support, imposed limits on the use of force by Red Guards, ordered them
to stop travelling the country and return to their home city, and to withdraw from Party/government
departments.
4) The PLA were tasked with restoring order.

Question 18

What was the significance of the February Adverse Current (5)?

Answer 18

1) Mao saw the criticism of the CR as a challenge to his authority, confirming his decision to attack the CCP
establishment.
2) After February 1967, the Politburo practically ceased to function, and its powers were transferred to the
CRG.
3) The criticism of CCP veterans became more sustained.
4) PLA officers who had attempted to crackdown on radical Red Guards were denounced as ultra-rightist and
court martialled.
5) The PLA were ordered to refrain from using armed force against Red Guards.

Question 19

How did Red Guard factional rivalry escalate in July 1967 (1), and what was the significance (2)?

Answer 19

1) Factional rivalry escalated, with battles taking place between rival groups. E.g. in Wuhan, in July 1967,
600 were killed in a battle between the (radical) WRGH and the (more conservative) Million Heroes workers’
group.
2) Mao, Jiang Qing and Lin Biao sided with the radicals, and the regional military commander, who had
imprisoned radicals in the February Crackdown, was purged.
3) Mao and Jiang Qing began to advocate arming the radical groups in preparation for a struggle against the
‘capitalist roaders in the PLA’, who were supporting the more conservative mass organisations.

Question 20

Who were the May 16 Group, and what was their significance for the Cultural Revolution?

Answer 20

The May 16 Group was a ultra-left group, with only about 40 members. They had blamed and attacked Zhou
Enlai for the Adverse Current. By August 1967, they no longer existed, however Mao branded it as a
‘counter-revolutionary clique’ and exaggerated its importance. This provided him with an excuse to crack
down on radical groups.

Question 21

When, how, and why did Mao begin the crackdown on radical Red Guard units (5)?

Answer 21

1) On 11th August 1967, Mao stated that the ‘policy of dragging out capitalist roaders in the army’ was
‘unstrategic’.
2) This was because he realised he was undermining the PLA as a disciplined and effective
fighting force with his radical policies.
3) This signalled a crackdown on radical groups and their leaders, with the earlier chaos and radicalism
blamed on the May 16 Group, a tiny radical group few had heard of before it was named as a scapegoat.
4) In late August 1967, the 4 most radical members of the CRG were purged, and in September Mao forbade
Red Guards from seizing weapons.
5) The PLA was authorised to open fire on radical groups in self-defence.

Question 22

What was the significance of the events of August - September 1967 on the Cultural Revolution (3)?

Answer 22

1) The main focus of the CR shifted from the destruction of an old order, to the creation of a new system.
2) Mao ordered the Red Guard factions to unite and form ‘grand alliances’.
3) Mao called for rapid progress in the set up of new Revolutionary Committees. This happened in Beijing
and Shanghai, but in other areas factional rivalries delayed the process.

Question 23

How were Red Guard units purged Sept 1967 - spring 1958 (3)?

Answer 23

1) By the end of 1967, a far-reaching purge of the Red Guards was under way. 10 million fell under
suspicion, and 3 million were detained for questioning.
2) At the Foreign Ministry, 2000 officials were purged.
3) In the Spring of 1968, the campaign was widened into a ‘cleansing of class ranks’, with 1.8 million
arrested. Tens of thousands were beaten to death or committed suicide, with the rest sent to labour camps.

Question 24

What was the ‘Cleansing the Class Ranks’ campaign (3)?

Answer 24

1) A Maoist campaign, launched in 25 May 1958, targeting radical Red Guards, class enemies, and ‘stubborn
bourgeois power holders’ (supporters of Liu Shaoqi).
2) Torture, trial by suspicion, conviction by forced confessions, massacres and other forms of mass killings
all took place. Around 30 million people are estimated to have been persecuted, with an estimated death toll
of 0.5-1.5 million.
3) Jiang Qing and her allies were a driving force behind the campaign.

Question 25

How did the PLA take action against Red Guard units in Shaanxi and Guangxi in summer 1968?

Answer 25

The PLA attempted to restore order in Shaanxi and Guangxi by separating the rival factions and setting up
Military Control Commissions. In Guangxi, this provoked a wave of indiscriminate slaughter, with so-called
‘traitors’ being killed and their livers eaten by assailants.

Question 26

Explain the final suppression of the Red Guards (Qinghua) (3).

Answer 26

1) There was serious violence and disorder on university campuses across China, with Mao now believing
that the leadership of the CR should be in the hands of the workers, not students.
2) In July 1968, Mao sent a team of 30,000 workers and PLA troops to Qinghua University campus (Beijing)
to disarm the student Red Guards.
3) 10 people were killed in the fighting.

Question 27

What was the Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside Movement (4)?

Answer 27

1) Following the suppression of the Red Guards in July 1968, Mao issued a large-scale, compulsory
rustication movement, where urban youths were sent to live and work in the countryside.
2) Between 1968-70, 5 million youths were sent to complete work-study programmes among the peasants.
3) Several million Party cadres and intellectuals were ordered to live in May Seventh Cadre Schools.
4) In total, around 17 million youths were sent to rural areas as a result of the movement.

Question 28

What were May Seventh Cadre Schools?

Answer 28

Camps set up for the ‘re-education’ of Party cadres through physical labour, political study, and learning from
the peasants. They were located in rural areas, far from the cities, with as many as 3 million sent to them.

Question 29

What was the significance of Mao’s rustication programme (Up to the Mountains and Down to the
Countryside Movement) on the Cultural Revolution (2)?

Answer 29

1) Bureaucrats were forced to rediscover their revolutionary zeal though hard manual labour.
2) Red Guards were sent to areas where they could cause little trouble.

Question 30

What was the significance of the purge of the Red Guards in 1967-8 for the PLA (2)?

Answer 30

1) The PLA emerged as the dominant force in the new political structure. 50% of the members of the new
Revolutionary Committees were PLA officers, and in some areas, 98% of members of county-level
revolutionary committees were from the PLA.
2) By the end of 1968, the last Red Guard units had been disbanded, and China was effectively under military
rule.

Question 31

What was the significance of September - October 1968 on the Cultural Revolution (2)?

Answer 31

1) In September 1968, when the last 29 revolutionary committees were established, the CRG proclaimed ‘the
entire country is red’ - the CR had completed its work.
2) A Central Committee meeting in October 1968 declared that the CR had won a ‘great and decisive
victory’. Liu Shaoqi was expelled from the Party and the Government.

Question 32

When did the Cultural Revolution officially end, and what was the significance for Mao?

Answer 32

1) In April 1969, a Party Congress officially declared the end of the Cultural Revolution.
2) A new Party constitution stressed the ‘guiding’ role of MZT, and the importance of class struggle in CCP
ideology. Mao’s position was secured.

Question 33

How and when did Liu Shaoqi die?

Answer 33

In October 1968, Liu Shaoqi was expelled from the Party and from government, despite no longer possessing
any power, and was blamed for many of the failings of the CR. Liu was imprisoned in an unheated room in
the Party HQ in Kaifeng. In November 1969, he developed pneumonia, but permission to move him to a
hospital was refused. Liu died on 12 November 1969.

Question 34

In the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution (1969), who were the 3 main power groupings, contending to be
Mao’s successor?

Answer 34

1) Lin Biao and the PLA.
2) Jiang Qing and the Shanghai radicals.
3) Zhou Enlai and the state bureaucracy.

Question 35

To what extent did the Cultural Revolution enhance the political power of Lin Biao (4)?

Answer 35

1) The political profile and prestige of the PLA was enhanced due to their role in clamping down on the Red
Guards.
2) Lin Biao held enormous power: Commander-in-Chief of the PLA, Defence Minister, Politburo member
and Mao’s nominated successor.
3) Lin had gained Mao’s trust throughout the CR, promoting the cult of Mao through the ‘Little Red Book’
and his open praise in speeches to Mao.
4) The PLA dominated the Party at local and provincial levels.

Question 36

To what extent did the Cultural Revolution enhance the political power of Jiang Qing (4)?

Answer 36

1) As Mao’s wife, she was able to make powerful allies and extend her own influence.
2) Closely associated with Lin Biao, the Shanghai radicals, and Kang Sheng.
3) A driving force behind the CR, through the CRG, and was promoted to the Politburo in 1969.
4) Although the CRG was wound up in 1969, and Mao was moving away from the ‘ultra-left’, in November
1970, Jiang gained control of the Central Committee’s Organisation and Propaganda Group. This gave
enormous power over Party affairs, propaganda and the media.

Question 37

To what extent did the Cultural Revolution enhance the political power of Zhou Enlai (3)?

Answer 37

1) Zhou was State Premier, and so was in charge of an enormous State bureaucracy.
2) Zhou was the ‘great survivor’, skilled in diplomacy and negotiation, knowing when to suggest something
to Mao, or when to withdraw support for a former ally.
3) Targeted by Jiang Qing and her allies, as they stressed the need for revolutionary zeal and ideological
purity, whilst Zhou was focused on political stability and economic growth, achieved through pragmatic
policies.

Question 38

Why did Mao begin to view Lin Biao as a ‘Chinese Bonaparte’ in 1969 (2)?

Answer 38

1) Lin had gained the most from the CR, yet soon after the 1969 Party Congress, Mao began to have doubts
over Lin. He expressed concern over the was China seemed to be under PLA rule.
2) Having studied Marx, Mao was wary of over-powerful military commanders, who may want to establish a
military dictatorship.

Question 39

What is meant by ‘Chinese Bonaparte’?

Answer 39

Marx had pointed to the danger that a revolution could lead to a military dictatorship., pointing to the French
Revolution 1789-99, and Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power through a military dictatorship.

Question 40

How did relations between Mao and Lin Biao deteriorate in 1970 (3)?

Answer 40

1) In 1970, Mao wanted to abolish the post of State Chairman, formerly belonging to Liu Shaoqi, but Lin
made efforts to persuade Mao to keep it. This made Mao believe Lin wanted the position for himself.
2) Mao was angered when Liu enlisted the support of Chen Boda, his longstanding ideological advisor. When
Chen attacked Zhang Chunqiao for opposing Lin, Mao denounced this as factionalism. Chen was arrested
and forced to self-criticise.
3) By the end of 1970, Mao decided to move against Lin Biao by ‘throwing stones, mixing in sand, and
digging up the cornerstone’. This whittled away at Lin’s power base.

Question 41

What was ‘throwing stones, mixing in sand, and digging up the cornerstone’ (3)?

Answer 41

1) ‘Throwing stones’ meant forcing Lin’s allies to self criticise.
2) ‘Mixing in sand’ meant undermining Lin’s control of the Military Affairs Committee by adding Mao
loyalists to the body.
3) ‘Digging up the cornerstone’ meant reorganising the key Beijing military region. Mao needed to ensure the
troops in the capital were loyal to him. Military commanders loyal to Lin were transferred to other areas.

Question 42

Explain the fall of Lin Biao (February - September 1971) (6).

Answer 42

1) By February 1971, Lin Biao realised his position was untenable and decided to fight back. His son Lin
Liguo began to plan a coup (Project 571), including the assassination of Mao and Zhang Chunqiao.
2) When Mao toured China Aug - Sept 1971, Lin realised the clash was coming to a head, instructing his son
to activate the plans for the coup (Project 571).
3) Mao, potentially aware of Lin’s plans, concealed his whereabouts, and held crisis talks with his senior
military commanders.
4) Lin and his son decided to fall back on the backup plan, and set up a rival regime in Guangdong. Word
reached Zhou Enlai, and although he was unable to stop the plane taking off, prevented it from fully
refuelling.
5) Lin decided to flee to the USSR instead of southern China, but with insufficient fuel, the plane crashed in
Outer Mongolia, killing all 8 on board.
6) Lin was denounced as a ‘renegade and a traitor’, who had been working as a Soviet agent.

Question 43

When did Lin Biao die?

Answer 43

13 September 1971.

Question 44

What was the impact of the fall of Lin Biao on the Chinese political situation (5)?

Answer 44

1) Senior military commanders who had been allies of Lin Biao in the Politburo were purged. The PLA still
retained a strong presence in the government and the Party.
2) Mao was emotionally and physically shattered, becoming bed-ridden for 2 months. His health never fully
recovered.
3) Mao’s reputation suffered, with his judgement brought into question, and revealed the intrigue of the CCP
to the wider public.
4) Undermined the Chinese public’s faith in Mao and the system.
5) Reopened the question of succession to Mao, causing political manoeuvring and factional rivalry.

Question 45

After the fall of Lin Biao, what did Mao look for in a potential successor?

Answer 45

Someone closely identified with the aims of the Cultural Revolution, who Mao could trust to continue his
ideological legacy after his death.

Question 46

After the fall of Lin Biao, who were the potential candidates to succeed Mao, and why were none of them
suitable (3)?

Answer 46

1) Zhou Enlai was too old and too moderate.
2) Jiang Qing was widely detested by the public, and Mao had become increasingly irritated by her.
3) Zhang Chunqiao was too closely associated with the radical faction, and did not command respect in the
CCP.

Question 47

To what extent did Zhou Enlai’s political power grow in 1972 (4)?

Answer 47

1) Jiang Qing and the radicals were tarnished due to their close ties with Lin Biao.
2) Zhou used his position to stimulate production and economic growth, partially through his strategy of the
Four Modernisations.
3) Zhou was involved in the decision to invite President Nixon to China.
4) He was unable to remove the radicals from their positions of influence, despite his successful pragmatic
policymaking.

Question 48

What was the significance of the Tenth Party Congress in August 1973 on Chinese politics (4)?

Answer 48

1) The radicals were able to consolidate their position, of the 9 appointed to the Politburo Standing
Committee, 3 were associated with the radicals, and only 1 with Zhou Enlai.
2) Mao unveiled Wang Hongwen as his new choice for the succession.
3) Mao agreed to the rehabilitation of Deng Xiaoping to work as an understudy to Zhou (who had terminal
cancer) and to work alongside Wang Hongwen.
4) Mao intended for this to bring a balance of moderates and radicals in the Party, but with his health
deteriorating, it was unstable and volatile.

Question 49

Who was Wang Hongwen?

Answer 49

A member of the radical faction rising to prominence in the CR. He was from a poor peasant family, fought
in the Korean War and worked in a textile mill in Shanghai. Because of this background, Mao considered him
a true Communist.

Question 50

Who were the Gang of Four?

Answer 50

A political alliance consisting of Jiang Qing, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan and Wang Hongwen.

Question 51

What was the purpose of the Anti-Confucius campaign, who launched it, and when?

Answer 51

Launched in 1973 by Jiang Qing, it was presented as a struggle between those wanting to go forward with
Communism, and those wanting to turn back the tide of history. However, the target of the campaign was
Zhou Enlai, not Confucius, criticised for his pragmatic polices and betraying Mao and Communism by the
radicals.

Question 52

How did the radicals attack Zhou Enlai in the Anti-Confucius campaign (3)?

Answer 52

1) The increased cultural contact with the West was criticised for undermining Mao’s views on art and
culture.
2) The reintroduction of exams for university admission (1973) by Zhou Enlai opposed the CR approach to
admission being based on background and ideological purity.
3) In opposition to Zhou and Deng’s pragmatic economic policies, the radicals pushed for the expansion of
communes, the removal of incentive payments and private plots, and an end to ‘technology transfer’ with the
West.

Question 53

At the start of the Anti-Confucius campaign, who did Mao support and why?

Answer 53

At the start of the campaign, Mao supported the radicals. This was because his priority was to combat
revisionism and protect the achievements of the CR.

Question 54

Why did Mao begin to support Zhou Enlai during the Anti-Confucius campaign?

Answer 54

Under the leadership of Jiang Qing, the campaign began to become a battleground for the factional war
against Zhou and Deng. This angered Mao, who began to give Zhou his support.

Question 55

What was the significance of the Anti-Confucius campaign to the problem of Mao’s succession?

Answer 55

Wang Hongwen became associated with the radicals during the Anti-Confucius campaign. After Jiang Qing
criticised Deng at a Politburo meeting in October 1974, Wang warned Mao that Zhou and Deng were plotting
to seize power. Mao, seeing this for the factional plotting it was, warned Wang not to be misled by Jiang
Qing. Despite this, Wang’s alliance with Jiang and her allies strengthened, becoming the ‘Gang of Four’. By
1975, Mao realised that Wang lacked the experience or the independence of mind to be his successor.

Question 56

What was Mao’s physical (3) and political (3) condition in 1975?

Answer 56

Physical:
1) Virtually blind from cataracts over his eyes.
2) Suffered from Parkinson’s disease, and was unable to stand unaided and his speech was badly slurred.
3) He needed oxygen to help him breathe, large doses of drugs rendered him semi-conscious most of the
time, with any physical effort tiring him.
Political:
1) He retained his mental faculties, and still exercised power.
2) He ha largely withdrawn from public life, but still kept up with all political developments.
3) All important decisions were referred to him.

Question 57

How (4) and why (2) did Deng Xiaoping enjoy a rapid rise through the CCP hierarchy (1974-75)

Answer 57

Why:
1) Zhou was suffering from a terminal illness.
2) Mao was growing increasingly irritated by the factionalism of the Gang of Four.
How:
1) In October 1974, he was promoted to second Vice-Premier in the government, responsible for overseeing
the State bureaucracy.
2) In January 1975, he took political control of the PLA, and was given a place on the Party Politburo.
3) He restored order in industry by using the PLA to end strikes, whilst pursuing Zhou’s pragmatic economic
policies.
4) He held positions in the Party, the State, and the PLA.

Question 58

How did Deng Xiaoping lose power in 1975 (summer - November) (4)?

Answer 58

1) In the summer of 1975, the Gang of Four had to make self-criticisms, but their attacks became more open
against Deng.
2) Although irritated by factionalism, Mao felt that the Gang of Four were the only Communists who would
defend the ‘verdict of the Cultural Revolution after his death.
3) Mao criticised Deng for his economic polices, focusing too much on living standards and not on class
struggle. Deng was accused of wanting to ‘reverse the verdict’ of the CR.
4) Deng retained all his positions, but Mao’s withdrawal of support deprived him of power, with Mao having
made it clear he opposed his policies in October and November 1975.

Question 59

What is the Festival of the Dead?

Answer 59

A traditional Chinese festival where families honour their ancestors, cleaning graves and making offerings.
Occurring during spring, it is a way to celebrate new life.

Question 60

When did Zhou Enlai die?

Answer 60

8 January 1976.

Question 61

What was the Chinese reaction to Zhou Enlai’s death?

Answer 61

As one of the most popular revolutionary leaders, Zhou’s death caused lots of grief and sadness in China.
One million people lined his funeral procession in Beijing.

Question 62

What was the cause of the 1976 Tiananmen Incident?

Answer 62

Using their control of the media, the Gang of Four suppressed reports of the public grief towards Zhou’s
death and published an article implying Zhou was a ‘capitalist roader’. This sparked a reaction of support and
sympathy for Zhou.

Question 63

What were the events of the 1976 Tiananmen Incident (4)?

Answer 63

1) In April 1976, over 2 mil people attended a Festival of the Dead ceremony in Tiananmen Square to honour
Zhou Enlai.
2) This turned into a political protest, attacking the ‘mad empress’ (Jiang Qing), the ‘wolves and jackals’ (the
radicals) and the ‘Qin Emperor’ (Mao).
3) After the festival, the police removes all wreaths and posters, but 100,000 demanded the tributes be
replaced. This caused clashes between demonstrators and the police and army.
4) There were many arrests, and some executions.

Question 64

What was the significance of the 1976 Tiananmen Incident on Chinese politics (4)?

Answer 64

1) A sign Mao and the Party were beginning to lose control.
2) A Politburo meeting, with Deng absent, blamed Deng for the incident. Mao was informed and agreed.
3) Deng was dismissed from all posts, yet retained his Party membership. He had already gone into hiding in
Guangzhou.
4) Mao made Hua Guofeng his successor, and promoted him to Vice-Chairman of the Party. He was already
State Premier.

Question 65

Who was Hua Guofeng?

Answer 65

A participant of the Long March and fought against Japan in 1938. He benefitted from the CR, joining the
Politburo in 1973. He was a neutral in the factional rivalry of the 1970s.

Question 66

Who did the political rivalry between Hua Guofeng and the Gang of Four escalate (May - September 1976)
(4)?

Answer 66

1) In May 1976, Mao suffered a heart attack, and after Deng’s fall, the radicals believed they could bring
down Hua Guofeng.
2) During the summer of 1976, attacks on Hua forced him to seek alliances with PLA military commanders.
3) The Gang of Four mobilised the Shanghai militia in August 1976, preparing for an armed confrontation.
The PLA saw it as their role to prevent a civil war.
4) Mao’s death in September 1976 intensified the rivalry.

Question 67

When did Mao die?

Answer 67

9th September 1976.