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Setting the Stage for Cultural Revolution
Jiang Qing and Mao set the stage for the Cultural Revolution by criticising literature and art, condemning bourgeois, anti-party, and anti-socialist tendencies, and by asking a literary critic to publish a vitriolic critique of a play by Beijing’s mayor. By doing this, they are sparking conflicts and disagreements between people, which eventually leads to the Cultural Revolution -
Unofficial Beginning of the Cultural Revolution
The unofficial beginning of the Cultural Revolution started with the "May 16 Circular". The document stated the CCP's intentions of wanting to get rid of the bourgeoise representatives in the CCP, government, army, and spheres of culture. Red Guards were formed to carry out a hunt for revisionists and the enemies of socialism. A national student movement started. -
Long and Short Term Effects of the Beginning of Cultural Revolution
Short Term Effect: decreased economy; after the Great Leap Forward, they had just lost everything they worked for and the economy took the biggest toll on them.
Long Term Effect: Chinese will lose faith in government after people died, suffered imprisonment, torture, etc. Instead of bringing people together, everyone will not trust the government. -
First Daizibao
The first daizibao was written by a young teacher in Beijing. Daizibaos are big character posters written against university professors and administrators, labelling them as "black, anti-party gangsters". Daizibaos were hung around public places such as schools, buildings, and workplaces. -
Red Guards Form at Beijing University
The first group of Red Guards form at Beijing University with the intention to eliminate intellectuals and Mao's enemies. The Red Guards are mainly students because they were mad about the inequalities in the educational system, wanted to participate in the excitement and momentum of the movement, seek revenge against teachers and classmates they dislike, and for girls avoid marriage and escape abusive households. -
Long and Short Term Effects of Red Guards forming
Short Term: mass killing, many people of different social classes will be killed. They attacked anyone and it quickly became a genocide.
Long Term: broken government and economy, nothing will be stable because of the damage the Red Guards caused. -
Mao Writes a Daizibao
Mao writes a daizibao stating "bombard the headquarters", especially targetting Liu Shaoqi, the vice-chairman of the CCP. By writing a daizibao, it showed that he gave authority to attack and purge CCP leaders. -
Sixteen Points Directive
The document is an official statement of the Chinese government supporting Mao's economic policies and the formation of the Red Guards. It also states that the targets of the revolution are not just intellectuals but also capitalist-roaders. This was the official beginning of the Cultural Revolution -
First Red Guard Rally in Beijing
At Tiananmen Square, Mao gives the Red Guards his blessing to rebel. He directs the police and the Red Guards to smash the "four olds." One of the first rallies were held at Tiananmen Square. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) are responsible for their housing, transportation, and clothing. -
Chaos Escalates
The Red Guards become Mao's primary and "greatest weapon." They destroy homes, confiscate anything that has to do with the "four olds" or the bourgeoisie, and purged those belonging to the "Seven kinds of black." Violence escalated and there were more than 1,700 people beatings and the invasion of 38,000 homes. Conflicts arise within the students, causing more chaos. -
Red Guards Dismantled
The country started to have major losses in the economy, human life, and culture. Thousands of Chinese were imprisoned, tortured, and killed. Industrialization decreased, and everything was failing. To stop the chaos, Mao tells the PLA to dismantle the Red Guards and to restore order. -
"Down to the Countryside" Movement
The movement included sending urban youth which included Red Guards to do manual labour and be "reeducated" by rural peasants. Many people to do rural work die of malnutrition, diseases, or exhaustion. In the end, around 16 million young people gave up on their. schooling -
Long and Short Term Effects of the "Down to the Countryside" Movement
Short Term: No threats would be made against the CCP, since many of them were organised by the youth. If the youth were eliminated, there would be no threats
Long Term: Young people were uneducated and have a lack of formal education. If they don't have proper education, generations of people won't have proper education either. -
Campaign to Promote Mao's Cult of Personality
Lin Biao and Jiang Qing begin to promote Mao's cult of personality by having a massive campaign portraying him as invincible and god-like. Pictures of Mao hung in public places and in people's homes. Songs, chants, and newspaper articles praise his virtues. Mao's "Little Red Book" was given to everyone and they were expected to teach and quote his words. Propaganda was also used. -
Ninth Congress of the CCP
Lin Biao is promoted to vice chairman of the CCP and he was named as Mao's successor and comrade-in-arms. The Cultural Revolution was declared to have come to an end. A new phase starts in order to stablised the country and rebuild the Party. The Party focuses on promoting Mao's work. -
"The Lin Biao Affair"
There's a lot of tension growing between Mao and Lin Biao. Lin wants to become vice president of the party, but Mao doesn't want to do that. There were some rumours that Lin was planning a coup d'etat by attempting to assassinate Mao. It failed and Lin's reputation was destroyed. He tried to flee to Mongolia but the plane crashed. -
"Criticise Lin Biao, Criticise Confucius" Campaign
After the death of Lin Biao, the party goes through a big change. In 1972, Jiang Qing initiated a campaign to blame Lin Biao for all the mistakes of the revolution, including economic problems that he was not a part of. Adding on, there was another campaign that was targetted at Zhou Enlai who supported ideas promoted by Lin and Confucious. -
Events that Lead to the End of Cultural Revolution
After Deng Xiao Ping becomes vice premier, he gets demoted by Mao. Zhou Enlai is replaced by Hua Guofeng. Mao dies and Hua Guofeng becomes chairman of the CCP. He orders the arrests of Jiang Qing and her supporters, and calls them the "Gang of Four." -
Tiananmen Incident
There was a memorial for Zhou Enlai at Tiananmen Square, and the people attending criticised Jiang Qing and her allies. A riot starts and is labelled counterrevolutionary.