theme 3: the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath 1966-76 Flashcards
example of liu controlling maos ideas
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
when did mao accuse liu of taking the capitalist road?
1964 in a party conference
what was the wall poster campaign?
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
maos cult of personality
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
when and what was “bombard the headquarters”
august 1966. mao called on students to rebel and challenge those in positions of power. went against deep rooted ancestry respect in Chinese culture
Why did so many join the red army?
Their prospects were bad anyway and this way they were given a purpose
When was the first mass rally
18th August 1966 in Tiananmen Square
How many mass rallies were there?
8
How many attended the first mass rally
1 million red guard
How did the government improve attendance to rallies during the cultural revolution
Closed schools and universities
Gave them free rail passes
What were the four olds?
Old culture, customs, habits and ideas
Who launched the attack on the four olds?
Lin biao
What 2 things did Zhou enlai prevent happening in culture destroying and the red guards rampage?
- changing traffic lights so that red meant go instead of stop
- prevented the destruction of the forbidden city
What event showed that the four olds had not been completely stamped out
Thousands attended the festival of the dead ceremony in 1976 following Zhou enlais death
In the cultural revolution what did the red guard do
- 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
What were correction stations?
Set up on street corners where those with western haircuts had their heads shaved
Example of how many people killed in cultural revolution
One crematorium disposed of 2,000 bodies in a 2 week period in 1966
What was the “January storm”
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
What did the January storm cause
PLA cracked down on radicals but February Mao denounced the crackdown and encourages radicals to greater violence
Why did mao finally use the PLA to stop the red guard?
Because it could have caused a full scale civil war and China was vulnerable to foreign invasion
What happened in cultural destruction
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
When were Deng and Liu dismisses frkm their positions
October 1966 following red guard demonstration aimed at them
What happened to Liu
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
What happened to Deng
Subject to public humiliation but sent to do corrective labour in tractor factory in jiangxi province
