Unit 3: Cultural Revolution Flashcards
Where did Mao go when he stepped out of day-to-day politics?
Zhongnanhai, a complex within the walls of the forbidden city used by ancient emperors.
Who was Jiang Qing and the Shanghai Forum?
Jiang Qing was a former Shanghai actress and Mao’s fourth wife and lead the Shanghai forum (a group of intellectuals) who targeted the cultural aspects of the cultural revolution.
Why did Mao mistrust Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping? Who were the ideologues? Who were the pragmatists (revisionists)? How did their beliefs differ?
- Mao believed that their policies were bringing back capitalism to China
- Ideologues believed that the communist ideology and the demands of class conflict had to be adhered to (Mao, Jiang Qing, Lin Biao)
- Pragmatists believed that the progress to a communist society should be steady and avoid moving too fast as mistakes could be made (Liu Shaoqi, Deng Xiaoping, Zhou Enlai)
What was the Socialist Education Campaign? What were the Ten Points? Why did it fail?
- The Socialist Education Campaign drove to reinvigorate China with a revolutionary zeal and return China to the path towards communism
- The ‘early ten points’ proposed that the masses should be mobilised to criticise corrupt party cadres. The ‘later ten points’ ruled that any disruption should be kept to a minimum and that middle-class peasants should not be attacked.
- The campaign failed and Mao blamed Liu and Deng for being unenthusiastic and uncommitted to it
How did Lin Biao and the PLA help Mao to rebuild his power base?
- Lin Biao reformed the PLA into a seemingly revolutionary and egalitarian organisation that was in support of Mao
- Lin Biao also produced the little red book which promoted revolutionary ideals such as: Self sacrifice, Self reliance and Continuing the struggle
How did the creation of a Personality Cult help Mao rebuild his power base?
Mao’s cult of personality effectively placed him above all party leaders and created immense support for himself and his agendas.
Who was Lei Feng?
Lei Feng was a soldier in the People’s Liberation Army who was the object of several major propaganda campaigns in China.
How did the power struggle contribute to the launch of the Cultural Revolution?
Mao was desperate to destroy his rivals within his own party and would do this through mobilising the young people of China.
How did cultural cleansing contribute to the launch of the Cultural Revolution?
- Attack on the 4 olds
- Destroying traditional elements of China.
How did the rectification campaign contribute to the launch of the Cultural Revolution?
Mao believed that many in the CCP were neo-capitalists and desired personal power that robbed them of their revolutionary purpose.
- He planned to circumvent party bureaucracy and appeal directly to the Chinese people.
- He had convinced himself that the older revolutionaries who had defeated the Nationalists and established the People’s Republic had lost their revolutionary fervour. Consequently, the only way to save his revolution was by waging war against the Communist Party hierarchy, itself.
How did the continuing revolution contribute to the launch of the Cultural Revolution?
- Mao Believed if Chinese revolution stood still, the CCP would become a self-serving bureaucracy. The Cultural Revolution would prevent this
- The younger generation (Red Guards) would continue the revolution
Why couldn’t Mao launch a direct attack on Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping?
They had both shown themselves to be loyal to Mao and the Party in the past, they had most of the support from the Party Politburo and they enjoyed considerable prestige among the Party rank and file. Mao, therefore, acted in a devious way to undermine them and attack them at their weakest points, using the lessons he had learned many years before in guerrilla warfare.
How did the play Hai Rui Dismissed from Office (1965) give Mao the opportunity to launch this attack?
The play was about an official from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) who was dismissed after criticising the emperor for wasting resources on extravagance while ordinary people starved. Mao took offence due to the play’s parallels with the Peng Dehuai episode in recent Chinese history. In November 1965, an article was published in a Shanghai newspaper attacking the play and its author.
What was the Cultural Revolution Group, formed in March 1966? Who were its members? What was its role during the Cultural Revolution?
- The Cultural Revolution Group was formed as a replacement organisation to the Central Committee Secretariat and the “Five Man Group”, and was initially directly responsible to the Standing Committee of the Politburo.
- Members included: Yao, Zhang, Wang Hongwen and Jiang Qiang
Why did Mao swim in the Yangtze River in July 1966?
It was a symbolic act designed to show that he still had the physical strength to fight the revolutionary battles that lay ahead. It had enormous propaganda value for Mao.
What were the Sixteen Points, launched August 1966?
- The Sixteen Points acted as a guideline for The Cultural Revolution.
- Guidelines for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution
- The “Sixteen-point directive on the Cultural Revolution” was called “a new stage in the socialist revolution” that “touches people to their very soul”. Historian Macfaequhar: “Mao’s blueprint” for the CR.
What did Mao’s character poster in Beijing (August 1966) encourage young people to do?
“Bombard the headquarters”.
How many rallies were held in Tiananmen Square between August and November 1966? How did they encourage the Red Guards?
- 8 rallies were held
- Mao offered free travel and accommodations for Red Guards.
What types of people became Red Guards?
Young people who usually came from poor and lower middle class families.
Why did the Red Guards follow Mao? Think about ideology, propaganda,
education, employment, peer pressure and adventure.
- They became indoctrinated easier
- Most young people loved the idea of rising up against the rigid authority that constrained them.
- Pragmatic careerism played a part in red guards following Mao
- Students whose employment opportunities were hindered by lack of Party connections took the chance to remove senior communists from the hierarchy
- Most young people were part of the Red Guards, people were peer pressured into it while others saw it as a way to make friends and be part of the adventure that came from revolution.
Who were the ‘Black Elements’? How does this show this wasn’t a unified Movement?
- The Black Elements were young people who came from a background of landlords and rich peasants.
- There was a separation between the red guards. The ‘black elements’ were ostracised.
What are some things people did to show their commitment to Mao?
- Attacking Mao’s political opponents
- Read the ‘little red book’
- Sing/chant (The East is Red)
What were the Four Olds? Give some examples of attacks the Red Guards made on them.
- Old culture, Old ideas, Old customs and Old habits.
- Destruction of cultural landmarks such as Confucius’ Temple
- Defacing Hai Rui’s burial site
- Destroying Qing archway
What types of people did the Red Guards attack?
- Intellectuals associated with liberal thoughts
- Party Members
- Former business men
- Landlords
- Teachers
What types of torture and humiliation was used by the Red Guards?
- Struggle meetings
- ‘Airplane’ position was a type of torture used
- Prison camps for ‘re-education’
- Kidnapping
- Some Red Guards would also kill opponents
What happened to the Confucius Temple in Shandong, Hai Rui’s burial site and a Qing era archway?
- The resting place of Confucius was attacked by 200 teachers and students.
- The ancient burial site of Hai Rui, subject of the play by Wu Han, was defaced.
- The Qing archway was destroyed.
What are some examples of attacks on Buddhism in Tibet?
- Shrines and temples were destroyed
- Buddhist scriptures were ripped up by Chinese to be used as inner-soles for their shoes or even as toilet paper
- Monasteries were emptied
Why did fights break out between the different factions of Red Guards in the autumn of 1966? How did Mao respond to this first wave of anarchy?
- Red Guards of the working class & non-working / middle class. Red guards of a non-working class background argued the original red guards were abusing their position, becoming exactly what Mao did not want: a new privileged class
- Mao found it difficult to control the anarchy. But ultimately felt no strong reasons to end the feud of the different red guards.
What was the January Storm (1967)? Why did Mao demand that the commune in Shanghai be closed down?
- In early 1967, red guard groups, made up of unprivileged workers, set up their own community in Shanghai, destroyed the party establishment and created their own form of control modelled on the Paris Commune of 1871 when the city’s labourers had seized control and created a new social order with democratic elections.
- Mao demanded the closure of the communes in order to keep power as there needs to be a party
What was the February Adverse Current (1967)? Why do you think Mao changed his mind again?
Means “flowing” against the correct “tide” of revolutionary upheaval that Mao wanted to encourage. Feb 1967 Zhu De & Chen Yi protested against Mao’s policy of encouraging chaos. He criticised them and dismissed their complaints. Radicals & his own party were confused about Mao’s true motives focusing on his personal rivals (Liu & Deng).
What happened in Wuhan in the summer of 1967?
The PLA sided with the local party organisation, defending it from local Red Guards. In the spring the PLA had arrested 500 leaders of radical Red Guards and worker groups for attacking the Party. This led to 1000 dead public protesters and hunger strikes
Why were Revolutionary Committees created in September 1967? What was their role?
Based on a “three-way alliance”, these merged the role of the Party, state and army. Party remained dominant. Run by smaller “standing committees” and radicals only had token representation on these.
Mao introduced them because he was concerned not to let the anarchy lead to a challenge to the legitimacy of the Party itself.
Why did Mao decide to end the violence of the Red Guards?
Worried foreign nations would attack China and seize some of its territory. The economy was also suffering.
