Cultural Revolution

China’s Cultural Revolution. 1966-

1976

What was the Cultural Revolution?

It was a ...

“A complex social upheaval that began as a

struggle between Mao Zedong and other top party

leaders for dominance of the Chinese Communist Party

(CCP) and went on to affect all of China with its call for

continuing revolution."

(Jonathan Spence, The Search for Modern China. Norton and Company, 2001)

What?

Between 1966 and 1976, the young people of China rose up in an effort to purge the nation of the "Four Olds.”

"Four Olds.” Enforce them!

...get rid of...

1. Old customs

2. Old culture

3. Old habits

4. Old ideas

Mao's Four Aims…

1. to replace his designated successors with leaders more faithful to his current thinking

2. to reaffirm the role of the Chinese Communist Party

3. to provide China's youth with a revolutionary experience

4. to achieve policy changes to make the educational, health care, and cultural systems less elitist.

New Paradigm...something to believe in...(?)

Mao’s other goal was...

Mao not only wanted to secure Maoism, a form of communism he created, as the country’s dominant ideology but wanted to eliminate any political opposition.

Red Guards Mao initially pursued his goals through a massive mobilization of the country’s youths. They were organized into groups called the Red Guards.

Traveled throughout China visiting schools, universities, and institutions spreading the teachings of Mao with posters and speeches.

Violent and oppressive to those who went against the teachings of Mao and those who criticized him, causing ill feelings and opposition in society.

Clashes between Red Guards and workers, peasants, and soldiers of People's Liberation Army occurred.

The role of Red Guard was mainly to attack "the four olds" of society: old ideas, cultures, manners, and customs.

Little Red Book

• From May 1966, student members of the Communist Party were encouraged to carry copies of Mao's Little Red Book of quotations.

• Acting under Mao's leadership, these "Red Guards" used his quotations in their mission to weed out intellectuals.

• With themes such as Correcting Mistaken Ideas and All Reactionaries are Paper Tigers

• Quotations became the standard by which all revolutionary efforts were judged.

Struggle Sessions

• In their fervor, the Red Guards began to persecute people deemed "counter-revolutionary" or "bourgeois," as well.

• The Guards conducted so-called "struggle sessions," in which they heaped abuse and public humiliation upon people accused of capitalist thoughts.

• Usually these were teachers, monks and other educated persons.

What started The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution?

• In September 1965 with a speech by Lin Piao who (see image) urged pupils in schools and colleges to return to the basic principles of the revolutionary movement. Chinese youths were also encouraged to openly criticize the liberals in the Chinese Communist Party.

• Lin Biao was a major Chinese Communist military leader who was pivotal in the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War

• Red Guards (groups of youths who banded themselves together) encouraged all the youth in China to criticize those who Mao deemed untrustworthy with regards to the direction he wanted China to take.

• Red Arm bands were worn to identify the Red Guards but later they wore a more formal uniform.

Liberals: Liberalism: The state or quality of being liberal. A political theory founded on the natural goodness of humans and the autonomy of the individual.

By who and when did the CR end?

• The Cultural Revolution came to an end when Liu Shaoqi resigned from all his posts on 13th October 1968. Lin Biao now became Mao's designated successor.

• Mao Zedong officially declared the Cultural Revolution to have ended in 1969, but historians tend to use the term "Cultural Revolution" to describe the period between 1966 and the arrest of the Gang of Four in 1976.

Political Spectrum

Due Next Class

Research/Answer these about the CR:

1. Who suffered during the Cultural Revolution?

2. What effect did it have on the social structure of

Chinese society in the 1960’s and 1970’s?

3. Where does it fit in with the Cycles of Civilization?

4. Who are the Gang of Four? Give 5 details.