theme 3: the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath 1966-76

Question 1

example of liu controlling maos ideas

Answer 1

mao launched a socialist education movement in 1963 to root out corruption in rural cadres. liu bought it under centralised control and even though it resulted in thousands executed mao was unhappy with lack of peasant involvement

Question 2

when did mao accuse liu of taking the capitalist road?

Answer 2

1964 in a party conference

Question 3

what was the wall poster campaign?

Answer 3

began in Beijing university and spread to campuses nationwide. liu attempted to quell unrest using work teams but this failed.
they were huge posters normally denouncing someone

Question 4

maos cult of personality

Answer 4

involved little red book, compilation of maos thoughts made by lin biao that became a social necessity to carry in 1966
Mao presented as a god
began intense hero-worship of mao

Question 5

when and what was “bombard the headquarters”

Answer 5

august 1966. mao called on students to rebel and challenge those in positions of power. went against deep rooted ancestry respect in Chinese culture

Question 6

Why did so many join the red army?

Answer 6

Their prospects were bad anyway and this way they were given a purpose

Question 7

When was the first mass rally

Answer 7

18th August 1966 in Tiananmen Square

Question 8

How many mass rallies were there?

Answer 8

8

Question 9

How many attended the first mass rally

Answer 9

1 million red guard

Question 10

How did the government improve attendance to rallies during the cultural revolution

Answer 10

Closed schools and universities

Gave them free rail passes

Question 11

What were the four olds?

Answer 11

Old culture, customs, habits and ideas

Question 12

Who launched the attack on the four olds?

Answer 12

Lin biao

Question 13

What 2 things did Zhou enlai prevent happening in culture destroying and the red guards rampage?

Answer 13

• changing traffic lights so that red meant go instead of stop
• prevented the destruction of the forbidden city

Question 14

What event showed that the four olds had not been completely stamped out

Answer 14

Thousands attended the festival of the dead ceremony in 1976 following Zhou enlais death

Question 15

In the cultural revolution what did the red guard do

Answer 15

• ransacked houses for bourgeois possessions. Owners could sometimes dodge struggle sessions but were often beaten
• attacked those in positions of power. Anyone accused by red guard were subject to struggle sessions, torture and were forced to confess to their crimes

Question 16

What were correction stations?

Answer 16

Set up on street corners where those with western haircuts had their heads shaved

Question 17

Example of how many people killed in cultural revolution

Answer 17

One crematorium disposed of 2,000 bodies in a 2 week period in 1966

Question 18

What was the “January storm”

Answer 18

1967, red guard seized power from the CCP itself in Shanghai and tried to set up its own commune based off of the Paris Commune.
Step too far and Mao shut it down with the PLA

Question 19

What did the January storm cause

Answer 19

PLA cracked down on radicals but February Mao denounced the crackdown and encourages radicals to greater violence

Question 20

Why did mao finally use the PLA to stop the red guard?

Answer 20

Because it could have caused a full scale civil war and China was vulnerable to foreign invasion

Question 21

What happened in cultural destruction

Answer 21

7,000 places of historical and cultural importance were destroyed in Beijing
100,000 homes were broken into searching for old artefacts
Confucius’ home in Qufu was destroyed and vandalised

Question 22

When were Deng and Liu dismisses frkm their positions

Answer 22

October 1966 following red guard demonstration aimed at them

Question 23

What happened to Liu

Answer 23

Liu and his wife were dragged and beaten. Liu had brutal struggle sessions and was left to die in a prison where he was deprived of necessary medical attention

Question 24

What happened to Deng

Answer 24

Subject to public humiliation but sent to do corrective labour in tractor factory in jiangxi province

Question 25

When was Deng first bought back?

Answer 25

1973

Question 26

What happened to Lin Biao?

Answer 26

Vast power as head of PLA and mao was scared. Attacked his allies after Jiang Qing fell out with lin over the extent of her interference. Apparently planning assassination, failed and fled on a plane that crashed in 1971.

Question 27

What did Jiang Qing do in 1973

Answer 27

Launched campaign discrediting lin. Those close to him were purged

Question 28

Bombard the headquarters also caused length purge of all levels of party membership. How many politburo members held onto their posts in 1966

Answer 28

9/23

Question 29

How much of the central committee was purged during cultural revolution?

Answer 29

2/3

Question 30

How much of the politburo and central committee were made up by PLA officers after the cultural revolution

Answer 30

1/2 politburo

45% new central committee

Question 31

What did “attack on capitalist roaders” do and impact

Answer 31

Staff in every factory, shop and office and school were subject to scrutiny. Caused serious fall in industry production

Question 32

Examples of foreigners being targeted

Answer 32

British embassy broken into and red guard attacked staff

-30 countries experienced violent incidents involving Chinese militant

Question 33

When was the “cleansing of the class ranks” campaign

Answer 33

1967

Question 34

What was the rustication campaign?

Answer 34

“Up to the mountains and down to the villages” involved compulsory movement of 5 million young people to countryside 1968-70 for them to learn the hardships of labour. Between 1968-1978 15 million young people were relocated (lost generation)

Question 35

Why did young people hate rustication campaign

Answer 35

Primitive conditions, hostile peasants, no food, hard labour. Those with party connections returned to the cities whereas others remained permanently exiles which caused them to become disillusioned with the party.

Question 36

What did Zhou Enlai advocate

Answer 36

Four modernisations and greater trade links with west. Caused Nixon visit (1972)

Question 37

When was the Nixon visit?

Answer 37

1972 in Beijing

Question 38

Who were the Gang of Four?

Answer 38

In CCRG. Radicals who wanted continuation of CR

Question 39

What did the Gang of Four launch?

Answer 39

Anti- Confucius campaign in 1973 denouncing Lin Biao. People could see Jiangs political motives and it was unpopular

Question 40

What did Zhou Enlais death cause?

Answer 40

Mass mourning that angered the Gang of Four. Gang of Four tried to remove wreaths causing riots and violence. They blamed Deng and he was removed again in 1976

Question 41

When did mao die?

Answer 41

September 1976

Question 42

Who was maos chosen successor (at time of death)

Answer 42

Hua Guofeng

Question 43

When were the Gang of Four arrested

Answer 43

October 1976