Cultural Revolution

By Casual

  • Setting the Stage

    Setting the Stage
    Mao and his wife express their dislike of a play by Beijing’s mayor and receives publicity. Mao begins to replace officials in the government using his connections with others.

  • Unofficial Start of the Cultural Revolution

    Unofficial Start of the Cultural Revolution
    Students and young teachers in Beijing University criticize school authorities and hunt revisionists. This act is spread to other schools and by the Summer of 1966, became a national student movement.

  • First Dazibao

    First Dazibao
    A young teacher in Beijing University makes a dazibao, a poster meant to criticize the officials, wealthy, or those who have touch with western culture. It becomes the most popular activity for students as school was filled with hundreds of dazibao on their walls.

  • Red Guards in Beijing University

    Red Guards in Beijing University
    The first red guards officially form in Beijing University. It’s compromised of students disgruntled by inequality, hopeless of their future, to join the rising tide, gain authority never had, and women seeking to escape marriage.

  • Mao's Dazibao

    Mao's Dazibao
    Mao wrote a dazibao titled, “Bomb the Headquarters” which attacked Liu Shaoqi, the Vice Chairmen of the CCP. It gave authority to students creating dazibao and encouraged them to target other CCP officials.

  • Sixteen Directives

    Sixteen Directives
    The Eight Central Committee of the CCP spreads the sixteen directives, a document supporting Mao’s movement. The directive is posted on People’s Daily and marks the official start of the Cultural Revolution.

  • Red Guard Rally

    Red Guard Rally
    Red guards’ rallies start in Beijing with Chairmen Mao present supporting them. Their goal was to destroy any old customs and show the spirit and right to rebel.

  • Chaotic Period

    Chaotic Period
    By now, the red guards ransacked more than 38,000 homes and beat up anyone related to the Seven Kinds of Black. Factions are formed within the red guards and they often quarrel with each other, however, Mao still applauses their spirit within People’s Daily. Short Term Effects:
    Tens of Thousands of homes are rekt and many were forced to beatings. Overall increase in moral for the Chinese by getting rid of "bad". Long Term Effects:
    Decrease in trust for the government once this event is known.

  • Red Guards Disband

    Red Guards Disband
    The anarchy had caused China serious economic decline as well as loss in human lives and culture. Mao slowly disbands the red guards and later calls the Cultural Revolution a success.

  • Mao the Absolute

    Mao the Absolute
    An image of Mao is present in every nook and crannies in China; he is portrayed as a God-like figure within China and everyone is required to carry a little red book. Every word Mao says is the truth and no one can question him anymore.

  • Down to the Country Side Movement

    Down to the Country Side Movement
    Urban youths which included the red guards were sent down to rural areas in China to do manual labor. Many starved to death and the remaining youths were handicapped in their education, rendering them useless to ever plot against the CCP. Short Term Effects:
    Increase in production of goods and young men. Increase of demand for skilled people in the city. Long Term Effects:
    Caused over 16 million youths to be deprived of education, ruining 16 million potential thinkers for the future.

  • Restoration

    Restoration
    The political leaders that had survived through the turmoil meet and discuss to restore order in the country.

  • Lin Biao

    Lin Biao
    Mao's trusted advisor Lin Biao is said to have done a failed coup d'etat and later died in a plane crash.

  • Criticise Lin Biao and Confucius

    Criticise Lin Biao and Confucius
    An attempt by Jian Qing to pin all the blame of the bad parts of the cultural revolution onto Lin Biao. Indirectly attacks Zhou En Lai as well as he supported both Lin Biao and Confucius.

  • Aftermath of the Cultural Revolution

    Aftermath of the Cultural Revolution
    Mao dies and the president of the CCP is Hua Guofeng. He arrests Jiang Qing and her supporters named the Gang of Four while pinning all the faults of the cultural revolution on them and Lin Biao, leaving Mao blameless. Short Term Effects:
    Chaos within the government with the trials of many high-level figures. Decrease in morale because of Mao's death. Long Term Effects:
    Increase in morale, unity, and nationalism because of Mao's clean image that exists even after his death.

  • Tiananmen Incident

    Tiananmen Incident
    Jiang Qing removed the memorial of Zhou En Lai in the Tiananmen who had died of cancer, causing a riot.