Topic 3: The Cultural Revolution and its Aftermath Flashcards
What does Mao do to show he still has the strength for another Revolution?
July 1966, Swims in the Yangtze River
What does Mao criticise in as early as 1962?
The “Capitalist Road” pursued by Liu and Deng
Lei Feng’s what helped shape the revolution?
His diary - Was turned into little Red Book
by 1965, the PLA had become what?
A highly politicised organisation, wholly committed to supporting Mao
Who was in control of the PLA?
The highly paranoid Lin Biao
What are idealogues?
The section of the party that supports Mao and the theories of communism
What are Pragmatists?
The section of the party that supports Liu and Deng and willing to pursue other “roads” to achive socailist goals
What were Mao’s reasons for launching the Cultural Revolution?
1) To win back power from Liu and Deng
2) Continue Permanent Revolution
3) To remould China’s culture - attack on four olds, youth hasn’t been tainted by traditional culture yet
Mao’s annoucement of what in August 1966 allowed for Red Guard’s to attack authority?
Mao annouces the campaign to “Bombard the Headquarters”
What % of Beijing’s 7,000 important places was destroyed?
Around 66.6% i.e 2/3rds
RGs had complete freedom to beat, kill, torture and humiliate.
Early RG violence was organic and random
However what caused the split in RG factions
Mao changes his mind on how voilent he wants revolution to be.
Targets become party officials; original RG groups are run by party official’s children - new faction forms
In Novemrber 1966, “rebel” RG groups begin to from to challenge “official” RG groups
What Happens to Liu Shaqi?
He tries to send ‘work teams’ to Beijing to stop campaign
Accussed of being ‘Rightist’ and forced to self-criticise
Demoted to #8 in favour of Lin biao
1967 = House arrest and stuggle sessions/beatings
1969 = dies from no medical care
What happens to Deng?
- Arrested with Lui in 1967
- Sent to rural tractor factory
- Brought back in 1973 by Zhou enlai who wanted order
What Happens to Bo Yibo?
One of the main economic planners under Liu and Deng
Jailed in 1967, beaten for a decade
What happens to Chen Boda?
One of Lui and Deng’s main economic planners
Sent to work in a rural factory like Deng
What happends to Peng Dhuai?
Critic of Mao at Lushan Conference
One of the 1st attacked during CR
Arrested and regular beatings until death in 1974
What happens to Lin Biao?
Crucial to Mao setting up CR
Possibly planning Coup
Tried to flee China in 1971 but plane shot down and dies
By the end o the CR only ?/23 of the 1966 politburo reamain?
9
By the end of the CR, how many of the 1966 Central Committee remain?
1/3
Foreingers and Imperalists were attacked.
What happened to the members of the UK embassy in 1967
It was set on fire and Embassy staff beaten and attacked
How many students were “sent down” during the “Up the Mountains and the Down the villages campaign?
5 million students were sent to learn from peasatns
PLA reamains an important role in the CCP society
Waht percetnage of the new Revolutionary Committees were PLA officers?
50%, compared to 30% RG and 20% veteran Party cadres
Zhou was never purged becasue?
He was very useful and backed Mao after initially wanting peace between prags and ideo
Important as foreign diplomat and crucial instriking deal with the US that got China into UN security council and saw President Nixon visit
What did Zhou’s “four modernisations” target?
1) Agriuculture
2) Industry
3) Defence
4) Education
In 1976, Zhou dies
Deng goes into hiding fearing the Go4
The April 1976 Qingming fstival gathering at Tinanmen Squae to mourn Zhou turns into what?
Protests agaisnt the Go4
Wang Hongwen, one of the Go4, was Mao’s initial successor.
What Changed?
By 1975, Mao begun to suspect Wang’s committment to the revolution and instead thought he just wanted his own power
Hua Guofeng moves decisevly agaisnt the Go4 and does what?
Bings back Deng an hands him the power until his death in 1997
What was the January Storm (1967)?
- “Rebel” RGs seize control of Shanghai and 7 other provinces
- Fearing losing control, Mao shuts down genuinly revolutionary ‘People’s Commune’ in Shanghai
- Replaces with “Shangahi Rev Committee” where CCP retians control
What follows the January Storm?
The Febuary Crackdown
PLA allowed to use violence agaisnt RGs
Feb Adverse Current - criticism from some politburo members about violent nature of CR
When was the most radical phase of the CR?
Feb- Augst 1967:
- All power hled by CCRG
- PLA ordered not to use force agaisnt RGs
- Civil War in Wuhan
- Liu and Deng Arrested
When does Mo forbod RGs from attacking PLA?
August 1967 - Mao then orders formation of united “Revolutionry Committee” in each province as a way to reign in violence and reassert central CCP control
