Unit 3: Cultural Revolution Flashcards
1
Q
Where did Mao go when he stepped out of day-to-day politics?
A
Zhongnanhai, a complex within the walls of the forbidden city used by ancient emperors.
2
Q
Who was Jiang Qing and the Shanghai Forum?
A
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.
3
Q
Why did Mao mistrust Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping? Who were the ideologues? Who were the pragmatists (revisionists)? How did their beliefs differ?
A
- 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)
4
Q
What was the Socialist Education Campaign? What were the Ten Points? Why did it fail?
A
- 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
5
Q
How did Lin Biao and the PLA help Mao to rebuild his power base?
A
- 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
6
Q
How did the creation of a Personality Cult help Mao rebuild his power base?
A
Mao’s cult of personality effectively placed him above all party leaders and created immense support for himself and his agendas.
7
Q
Who was Lei Feng?
A
Lei Feng was a soldier in the People’s Liberation Army who was the object of several major propaganda campaigns in China.
8
Q
How did the power struggle contribute to the launch of the Cultural Revolution?
A
Mao was desperate to destroy his rivals within his own party and would do this through mobilising the young people of China.
9
Q
How did cultural cleansing contribute to the launch of the Cultural Revolution?
A
- Attack on the 4 olds
- Destroying traditional elements of China.
10
Q
How did the rectification campaign contribute to the launch of the Cultural Revolution?
A
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.
11
Q
How did the continuing revolution contribute to the launch of the Cultural Revolution?
A
- 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
12
Q
Why couldn’t Mao launch a direct attack on Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping?
A
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.
13
Q
How did the play Hai Rui Dismissed from Office (1965) give Mao the opportunity to launch this attack?
A
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.
14
Q
What was the Cultural Revolution Group, formed in March 1966? Who were its members? What was its role during the Cultural Revolution?
A
- 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
15
Q
Why did Mao swim in the Yangtze River in July 1966?
A
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.
16
Q
What were the Sixteen Points, launched August 1966?
A
- 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.
17
Q
What did Mao’s character poster in Beijing (August 1966) encourage young people to do?
A
“Bombard the headquarters”.
18
Q
How many rallies were held in Tiananmen Square between August and November 1966? How did they encourage the Red Guards?
A
- 8 rallies were held
- Mao offered free travel and accommodations for Red Guards.
19
Q
What types of people became Red Guards?
A
Young people who usually came from poor and lower middle class families.
20
Q
Why did the Red Guards follow Mao? Think about ideology, propaganda,
education, employment, peer pressure and adventure.
A
- 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.
21
Q
Who were the ‘Black Elements’? How does this show this wasn’t a unified Movement?
A
- 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.
22
Q
What are some things people did to show their commitment to Mao?
A
- Attacking Mao’s political opponents
- Read the ‘little red book’
- Sing/chant (The East is Red)
23
Q
What were the Four Olds? Give some examples of attacks the Red Guards made on them.
A
- 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
24
Q
What types of people did the Red Guards attack?
A
- Intellectuals associated with liberal thoughts
- Party Members
- Former business men
- Landlords
- Teachers
25
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
26
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.
27
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
28
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.
29
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
30
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).
31
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
32
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.
33
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.
34
What methods were used by the PLA to restore order? (Red Guards)
Ordered the PLA to crush Red Guards and violently re-establish the control of the central party. Mao admitted “I am the black hand” that the Red Guards protested that was seeking to suppress them.
35
What was the ‘Cleansing the class ranks’ campaign? How many were arrested or killed?
The CR group launched the “cleansing the class ranks” campaign and the PLA launched a massive wave of terror led by PLA Unit 8341 - Mao’s own security force.
Used surveillance, mass rallies and struggle meetings to extract confessions. 1.84 million people were arrested for allegedly being “spies”, “bad elements” or “newly emerged counter-revolutionaries” .
Corpses began to wash up on the shores of Hong Kong. Jilin, 2127 deaths and permanent injury of 3459 cadres. Eastern Hubei, more than 84,000 persecuted including many cadres, 2955 died and 765 suffered permanent disabilities. Yunnan, 6979 died by “death from enforced suicide”. Some resorted to cannibalism
36
When did the violent phase of the Cultural Revolution officially end?
1969
37
Who became Mao’s successor?
Lin Biao
38
What happened to Liu Shaoqi during the Cultural Revolution?
Purged, He and his wife were beaten, humiliated and tortured. Stripped of his posts and imprisoned; denied medical care and died in a prison cell in 1969.
39
What happened to Deng Xiaoping during the Cultural Revolution?
Purged in 1969, sent to a tractor factory in Jiangxi to live as an ordinary worker.
40
What % of party cadres were purged?
Around 66.6% (2/3)
70% of provincial and regional officials were purged.
Over 60% of higher officials lost their jobs; only 9 of the 23 politburo members survived the purge
At a local level, 20% of the party bureaucracy were labelled as ‘revisionists’ or as ‘persons in authority taking the capitalist road’
41
What were Seventh Cadre Schools? How many were sent there?
3 million cadres were sent to May 7th cadre schools where they were forced to undertake hard physical labour and intense ideological study.
42
How many Politburo members survived?
9 members out of 23 of the politburo survived.
43
What was the long term impact of the Cultural Revolution on the CCP?
The new party members were less well educated, less experienced and more likely to be slavish adherents of Mao.
44
How did life change for ordinary citizens in urban areas during the Cultural Revolution? Give some examples.
- People in workplaces bowed to Mao three times a day.
- Pedestrians who were accused of wearing the “wrong” clothes or hairstyles were victims.
- Those who were suspected of a Bourgeois background were targeted by Red Guards (Nien Cheng accused of hiding valuables which was a “counter revolutionary” crime - She was then imprisoned in solitary confinement).
45
What % of private homes were entered and searched by the Red Guards in the autumn of 1966?
33.3% (⅓)
46
What effect did the Cultural Revolution have on industrial output?
Industrial production fell: Total output fell by 13% during 1967 due to disruption of work
- There was a further fall in 1968
- By 1969, industrial output recovered to the levels achieved in 1966
- By 1971 the Chinese economy had been able to resume steady growth
47
Which parts of the countryside were affected by the Cultural Revolution? Which were not?
- In rural areas close to the cities, peasants were more likely to get involved in “revolutionary action”
- Nearly ⅔ of all places where “rural disorder” was reported between July 1966 - December 1968 were within 50km (30 miles) of large cities. The countryside around Beijing , Shanghai and Guangzhou witness the most revolutionary activity.
- Countryside was untouched by violence and disruption during the CR.
- Especially in remote areas: Little Red Guard activity and peasants were not drawn into the power struggle
48
What effect did the Cultural Revolution have on agricultural output?
- Agricultural output declined in the early stages of the CR. Grain production fell in 1966 and 1967 and even more in 1968.
- Poor weather was a major factor in 1968.
- By 1969, grain production had regained the level in 1966 and continued to rise in the later years.
- As with industry, the impact of the Cultural Revolution on agriculture was short-lived and limited.
49
How did healthcare in rural areas improve during the Cultural Revolution?
- After 1966 the emphasis of health was shifted to the countryside.
- In 1968, a rural cooperative medical scheme was introduced at the commune level. ‘Barefoot doctors’, (including Jung Chang) who were essentially paramedics with less training, were introduced to provide basic health care. ‘Rustification’.
50
What happened to libraries and museums during the Cultural Revolution? Books? Theatres and cinemas?
- Theatres and cinemas were only allowed to put on ‘revolutionary’ plays and films.
- Sale of traditional and foreign literature was banned and a counter-revolutionary crime.
- Libraries and museums were closed and their valuable collections of books and artefacts damaged or dispersed by the Red Guards. Books were piled high in town squares and set on fire in symbolic acts of destruction of ‘old’ culture.
51
What role did Jiang Qing play in reshaping Chinese culture?
- Jiang Qing specifically ordered Red Guards from Beijing to travel to Shandong and desecrate the museum dedicated to Confucius, who symbolised traditional Chinese culture. ‘Confucius and Co.’ became, during the Cultural Revolution, a convenient label for everything that belonged to the past in Chinese culture and therefore a legitimate target for attack.
- Those who had known her personally in those years, or who had evidence about her former life, were selected as targets for persecution.
52
How did artists, writers and intellectuals respond to the Cultural Revolution?
- Forced to serve propaganda purposes
- Some fled and others were killed.
- cowed my terror and fear of denunciation, writers, -painters and musicians either towed the party line or stopped producing.
53
How did the Cultural Revolution impact ordinary citizens?
Had to conform to Jang Qing’s standards of culture and didn’t have much entertainment.
54
How were teachers impacted during the Cultural Revolution?
Teachers were first victims - primarily responsible for instilling ideas and knowledge.
18 June 1966, many teachers of Beijing University were dragged out of their classes, beatened, blackened faces and dunce’s caps. This spread to other institutions and other cities..
55
Which institutions were closed during the Cultural Revolution?
- Summer 1966, all universities closed for two years.
| - Between Autumn 1966 and Spring 1967, Middle schools were closed.
56
What was the Rustication campaign?
Beginning in the 1950s, youth from urban areas were organised to move to rural countryside to work and be educated by the local peasants.
57
What was the short term impact of the interruption in education on young
People?
Had nothing else to do except join the Red Guards.
58
What was the long term impact of the Cultural Revolution on education?
- Unable to graduate: young people’s careers were blighted, leading many to become cynical, disillusioned and lacking in ambition.
- After being in the countryside, the revolutionary idealism was dented.
- Few young people could continue the official propaganda vision of a communist utopia after being confronted with rural poverty, backwardness, lack of proper education and healthcare.
59
What were examples of things that the Red Guards did to Embassies in China?
- Red Guards attacked three embassies in Beijing. Also attacked embassies in Indonesia, Burma and India.
- British Embassy set on fire
- The Dutch charge d’ affaires imprisoned in the embassy by mob for 6 months.
- Dutch women and children denied exit visas to leave China.
- A mob with loudspeakers blaring out Maoist slogans laid siege to the French, Soviet and Yugoslavian Embassies, trapping diplomats inside.
- Crowds trapped ambassadors in their cars for hours. One occasion, Soviet staff who had left the embassy to buy tickets for their families to leave China were trapped in their cars by a mob for sixteen hours.
60
What were examples of the treatment of foreigners living in China?
- Staff at the British embassy beaten
- Shops, restaurants and hotels put signs declaring that Soviet citizens would no longer be served.
- American Sidney Rittenberg: avowed communist who took part in struggle meetings and spread propaganda criticising Liu Shaoqi on Chinese radio but this didn’t make him safe. In 1968, sent for ‘re-education’ at a May Seventh Cadre School only released in 1977.
- Anthony Grey was put into solitary confinement for 26 months. Red Guards broke into his house and killed his cat.
- Michelangelo Antonioni, Italian film director was invited to China by the government to make a documentary about the new China but when the film was released it was criticised for focusing on traditional life and old buildings and banned. Posters denouncing him were hung in factories and villages. The ban on the film in China was only lifted in 2004.
61
How many Red Guards were sent to the countryside in 1969?
18 million
62
What were Mao’s reasons for launching the Rustication campaign? Think about the practical, economic and ideological reasons.
As a result of what he perceived to be pro-bourgeois thinking prevalent during the Cultural Revolution, Mao declared certain privileged urban youth would be sent to mountainous areas or farming villages to learn from the workers and farmers there.
63
What were the realities of many Red Guards’ experiences?
Conditions in the rural areas were poor and many Red Guards were forced to undertake harsh labour. Labour was almost constant with no holidays or sick days.
64
How did the experiences of those with party connections differ from those without?
Those with Party connections could quickly return to the cities, but those without were faced with permanent exile.
65
How did the experiences of the Red Guards during the Rustication campaign change their attitude towards Mao?
Some ‘rusticated youth’ resented Mao as they believed they lost opportunities due to this campaign.
66
After the Cultural Revolution, which groups held power?
Jiang Qing + Shanghai Radicals, Zhou Enlai + Bureaucracy. Lin Biao + PLA (radicals).
67
What was Lin Biao’s position within the party? What was the PLA’s position?
Lin Biao was positioned as the sole vice chairman of the CCP. Many PLA members occupied the party and Politburo.
68
Why did Mao begin to have doubts about Lin Biao in 1969? What had Marx taught
about powerful military commanders?
During the Ninth Party Congress in 1969, Mao doubted Lin’s ambitions because he gained a lot of power during the Cultural Revolution. Mao was aware that Marx had warned against powerful military commanders who may attempt to establish a military dictatorship.
69
Why did Lin and Mao fall out in March 1970? What post did Lin want to reinstate?
The Party’s Central Committee met to re-draft China’s constitution. Mao wanted to abolish the position of Head of State (previously held by Liu Shaoqi). Lin Biao tried to persuade Mao to keep it. Mao became even more suspicious about Lin’s ambitions as a result.
70
How did Mao reduce Lin Biao’s power base during 1970?
Forced Lin Biao’s allies to make self-criticisms and he reorganised the army, placing his own loyalists into key positions.
71
What plans did Lin Biao’s son make in February 1971? How did Mao defend himself against these plans?
Lin’s son, Lin Liguo began preparing for a coup, plans were made to assassinate Mao. Lin Biao instructed Lin Liguo to activate his plans. Mao took great care to conceal his whereabouts (may have been aware of the plans).
72
Why did Lin and his son decide to fly to the USSR? Why did their plane crash?
Decided to change because Mao found out and plans failed so decided to change plans. Zhou Enlai tried to prevent the plane from leaving. Insufficient fuel to reach the USSR, a plane crashed in Outer Mongolia killing everyone on board. Zhou Enlai tried to prevent the plane from departing; his intervention prevented it from being fully refuelled.
73
What was the impact of Lin’s death on Mao? What was the impact on ordinary Chinese?
Mao’s health was seriously affected by Lin’s betrayal. He became bed-ridden for the next two months and never recovered full health - heart and eye-sight failing.
Mao’s reputation suffered from the revelations that his chosen successor had been plotting his assassination.
Became a turning point for many Chinese, who now questioned both the system and Mao himself.
74
When does Mao call Deng Xiaoping back from the tractor factory? What positions
was he appointed to?
February 1973. Appointed to the Politburo’s standing committee. He was also appointed PLA chief of staff.
75
What were the Four Modernisations programme? What was its aim?
The advancement of agriculture, industry, defence and science and technology. It ultimately focused on technological development.
76
What was Ping Pong Diplomacy? When was Nixon invited to China?
USA table tennis teams were invited to play some matches in China during their tournament in Japan. Part of a thawing in Cold War Relations known as “detente”.
Invited to China in Feb 21th-28th 1972.
77
What was the Anti-Confucius Campaign launched by Jiang Qing? Why did this
campaign fail?
The Anti-Confucius campaign was a political propaganda campaign started by Mao Zedong and his wife, Jiang Qing. The campaign produced detailed Maoist interpretations of Chinese history, and was used as a tool by the Gang of Four to attack their enemies. The campaign only ended in 1976, when the Gang of Four were arrested, ending the Cultural Revolution.
78
How did the Chinese people respond to the death of Zhou Enlai in 1976? What did
this show about Chinese culture? Why was Jiang Qing and her allies angered by this?
The people of Beijing began laying wreaths at the base of the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Tiananmen Square, honouring Zhou Enlai. It showed that the power that Mao and his allies had on the culture of China was fading. The Gang of Four were particularly angered by this as along with tributes were thinly disguised attacks on them.
79
What was the ‘Tiananmen Square incident’?
It was a mass gathering and protest that took place on 5 April 1976, at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Was triggered by the death of Zhou Enlai earlier that year. Some people strongly disapproved of the removal of the displays of mourning, and began gathering in the Square to protest against the central authorities.
80
Why was Deng banished again? Where did he go this time?
Deng was banished as a result of the Tiananmen Square incident and was removed from all his political posts. Sent to a pig farm.
81
When did Mao die? Who had he chosen to replace him?
9th September 1976. Hua Guofeng
82
What happened to the Gang of Four on 6th October 1976?
They were arrested. They were accused of entering an anti-party and anti-socialist alliance. Zhang Chunqiao faced life imprisonment. Yao Wenyuan served 20 years in prison. Wang Hongwen was sentenced to life imprisonment and later died of cancer in 1992. Jiang Qing faced life imprisonment but hanged herself in 1991.
83
How and when did Deng Xiaoping become China’s new leader?
Deng outmaneuvered the late chairman's chosen successor Hua Guofeng and became the de facto (the true and meant to be) leader of China in 1980.
