Lecture: Cultural Revolution (Part II)

Questions….

1. Why did Mao believe he had to disband the Red Guards?

2. What happened to millions of Red Guard members?

3. Who took control after Mao’s death?

4. Name two effects of the Cultural Revolution on China

By 1967 – 1969: Chaos

Many CCP members throughout the country purged (or worse)

Red Guard Units fighting with each other over who was more ‘revolutionary’

Industrial production brought to a standstill

School and Universities closed

Law & Order had broken down… economic and social collapse

Restoring Order….1969-1970Mao needed to restore order:

• Told Red Guards to disband• Called in People’s Liberation Army to

control the cities• Reopened universities & schools

Several years of declining factory and agricultural output; literacy rates fell substantially

What to do with revolutionary Red Guard?

Mao said they needed to be ‘educated’ by the peasants

Up to the Mountains, down to the village

Millions ‘sent down’ to farms…Educated Youth must go to the countryside to receive reeducation from the poor and Lower-middle peasants

Dan Zhang, a Beijing student, volunteered to go to Inner Mongolia. It was the midst of the Cultural Revolution, and she was just seventeen years old. As a “sent down youth” from the city, she went through an initial “culture shock” living on Mongolia’s grasslands. But she gradually adapted, making friends with the local people and learning how to live and work as they did.

She now teaches and lives in Vancouver, Canada.

China’s best and brightest…

This photo of Su Wei was taken on Hainan Island, where Su Wei spent 10 years of his life as one of China’s "sent-down" youth. There, he learned life as a farmer and earned a reputation as a skillful reporter and writer.

He’s now a Professor at Yale University

Su Wei and composer Tony Fok, former farm-mates in China, reunited at Yale just before the 40th anniversary of their time together as China’s "sent-down" youth

The ‘Lost’ Generation

More than 20 million teenagers were sent to work in the countryside, often devoting more than a decade of their lives to farm labor. Not only did this deprive most of a formal education, but parting from their families was a heart-wrenching experience for most of the youngsters.

By end of the C.R.: Mao firmly in control…No one would dare challenge Mao’s authority.

Ruled China till his death in 1976

Wish Chairman Mao eternal life

Any mistakes during C.R. blamed on others…

Fall of Lin Biao

Mao concerned Lin gaining too much power

Lin worried Mao would go after him

Project 571

In 1971 Lin plotted to assassinate Mao (Project 571)The plot was discovered, Lin tried to flee to Russia

On the way there Lin’s plane crashed and he died

Shot down? Accident? No one is certain

Campaign against Lin…

“Fiercely criticize modern China’s Confucius - Lin Biao.”

Campaign against Lin…

Criticize the reactionary thought of Lin Biao and Confucius, Firmly walk with the workers and peasants

Some began to doubt the government

For years Lin had been held up to the people as second only to Mao; the campaign caused many to privately question whether any government announcement could be trusted

The Lin Biao affair provided us with a major lesson. We came to see that the leaders…could say today that something is round; tomorrow, that it’s flat. We lost faith in the system.

-Village Elder

Mao still in control, but health declining….

Opened up China internationally…

Wish Chairman Mao eternal life

1972- Mao meets U.S. President Nixon in China

Return of the moderates...• factions battle for

influence

• Deng Xiaoping returns to government and gains in influence

CCP splits into factions

Deng Xiaoping

Zhou Enlai

VS.

Gang of Four: Mao’s wife Jiang Qing and friends

Issues- same as before…• The major issue that divided right from left was

whether economic strength (right/ moderate) or ideological “correctness” (left/ radical) was most important

• The Right wanted the “Four Moderations” of Zhou Enlai - modernize industry, farming, defense, science

• The Left continued to carry out campaigns against the bourgeoisie and outdated ideas in education and art

1976

Both Zhou Enlai and Mao die…

Millions mourn…

Who will take control?

Hua Guofeng

-not well known

- compromise choice?

Who will take control?

It seemed the Left (the Gang of Four) who had supported Hua was in controlBut, instead of supporting the Gang of Four, Hua arrested them and criticized them in a major political campaign

“Resolutely overthrow the Wang-Zhang-Jiang-Yao anti-party clique!”

Mao’s wife put on trial…

Claimed everything she did was on Mao’s orders

Imprisoned, and ultimately committed suicide in 1991

Moderates in Control- Deng Xiaoping

Opened China to foreign investment, trade and some capitalist economic policies

Policies laid the groundwork for China’s economic growth

Imagine….

What would China be like today if the “Left” (radicals such as Mao’s wife) had taken control?

China much more like N. Korea, perhaps. Closed to the world…

END OF PART II