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

Question 1

what were the 4 reasons for launching the cultural revolution

Answer 1

divisions within CCP of ideologues and pragmatists
division within CCP of supporters and opponents of mao
quest for permanent revolution
attacks on bureaucracy

Question 2

what did mao think of pragmatists

Answer 2

uncomfortable with their revisionist methods even though they ended famine caused by GLF because he did not want to admit his failures

Question 3

what happened at the January 1962 conference and how many attended

Answer 3

7,000 cadres attended. Mao wanted to gain support against drifting away from socialist ideals but resulted in him withdrawing from public life

Question 4

example of liu controlling maos ideas

Answer 4

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 5

why did mao want permanent revolution

Answer 5

wanted mass mobilisation to prevent revisionism
Khrushchev de-Stalinisation scared him
mao wanted the younger generation to have revolutionary experience so they would fully commit to cause

Question 6

why did mao want to attack bureaucracy?

Answer 6

scared a new class of bureaucrats would emerge and was convinced ‘capitalist roaders’ were hijacking the party

Question 7

who were the opponents of mao

Answer 7

liu shaoqi, deng Xiaoping, chen yun, bo yibo

Question 8

who were the supporters of mao

Answer 8

lin biao, jiang qing (“madame mao”), kang shek, chen boda

Question 9

when did mao accuse liu of taking the capitalist road?

Answer 9

1964 in a party conference

Question 10

when was the CCRG set up and what was it

Answer 10

may 1966, in charge of cultural revolution. had lin biao and gang of four in it. mao could deflect any blame onto them if necessary

Question 11

what was the wall poster campaign?

Answer 11

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 12

maos cult of personality

Answer 12

involved little red book, compilation of maos thoughts made by lin biao that became a social necessity to carry in 1966
meant red guard could distinguish between mao and the repression of the communist party.
began intense hero-worship of mao

Question 13

when and what was “bombard the headquarters”

Answer 13

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 14

Why did so many join the red army?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

When was the first mass rally

Answer 15

18th August 1966 in Tiananmen Square

Question 16

How many mass rallies were there?

Answer 16

8

Question 17

How many attended the first mass rally

Answer 17

1 million red guard

Question 18

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

Answer 18

Closed schools and universities

Gave them free rail passes

Question 19

What were the four olds?

Answer 19

Old culture, customs, habits and ideas

Question 20

Who launched the attack on the four olds?

Answer 20

Lin biao

Question 21

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

Answer 21

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

Question 22

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

Answer 22

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

Question 23

In the cultural revolution what did the red guard do

Answer 23

• 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 24

What were correction stations?

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Example of how many people killed in cultural revolution

Answer 25

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

Question 26

What was the “January storm”

Answer 26

1967, red guard seized power from the CCP itself and tried to set up its own commune. Step too far and map shit it down with the PLA

Question 27

What did the January storm cause

Answer 27

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

Question 28

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

Answer 28

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

Question 29

What happened in cultural destruction

Answer 29

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 30

When were Deng and Liu dismisses frkm their positions

Answer 30

October 1966 following red guard demonstration aimed at them

Question 31

What happened to Liu

Answer 31

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 32

What happened to Deng

Answer 32

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

Question 33

When was Deng first bought back?

Answer 33

1973

Question 34

What happened to Lin Biao?

Answer 34

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

Question 35

What did Jiang Qing do in 1973

Answer 35

Launched campaign discrediting lin. Those close to him were purged

Question 36

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

Answer 36

9/23

Question 37

How much of the central committee was purged?

Answer 37

2/3

Question 38

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

Answer 38

1/2 politburo

45% new central committee

Question 39

What did “attack on capitalist roaders” do and impact

Answer 39

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

Question 40

Examples of foreigners being targeted

Answer 40

British embassy broken into and red guard attacked staff

-30 countries experienced violent incidents involving Chinese militant

Question 41

When was the “cleansing of the class ranks” campaign

Answer 41

1967

Question 42

What was the rustication campaign?

Answer 42

“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 43

Why did young people hate rustication campaign

Answer 43

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 44

What did Zhou Enlai advocate

Answer 44

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

Question 45

When was the Nixon visit?

Answer 45

1972 in Beijing

Question 46

Who were the Gang of Four?

Answer 46

In CCRG. Radicals who wanted continuation of CR

Question 47

What did the Gang of Four launch?

Answer 47

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

Question 48

What did Zhou Enlais death cause?

Answer 48

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 49

When did mao die?

Answer 49

September 1976

Question 50

Who was maos chosen successor (at time of death)

Answer 50

Hua Guofeng

Question 51

When were the Gang of Four arrested

Answer 51

October 1976