Impact of Cultural Revolution

Grain down in 1966/67. Down in 1968. Grew in 1969.

Disruptions eg bowing to Mao's portrait so 1967 industrial output down 13%.

1969 industrial output at 1966 levels.

1971 steady economic growth.

Schools/universities used as battlegrounds eg 1966 Beijing UNiversity.

Cities ruled by Red Guards in 'Four Olds' campaign.

Attacked for wrong clothes/bourgeoisie possessions eg 1966 1/3-1/4 houses in Beijing were raided.

Summer 1966 schools shut for 2 years. 1968-76 12 million young people sent to countryside.

Total death 700,000-850,000 eg Daxing region 300 clubbed to death in 2 days.

Research- 36 million suffered political persecution in the countryside.

1967 food shortages in Shanghai.

Films/operas of 'revolutionary' theme and be personally approved by Jiang Qing.

Red Guards desecrated museums to Confucius.

Possession of foreign literature/music was made a crime.

Collections of museums and libraries were burnt.

1969 PLA made up 45% of the central committee.

3 million party cadres were sent to May 7th Cadre schools for heavy labour etc.

Veteran cadres in the CPC were replaced with less educated/more compliant officers.

Purge in the CPC eg 1966 9/23 Politburo members survived.

70% of principle and regional officers were purged.

Jiang Qing victimised those who knew about her past as an actress.

Liu Shaoqi and Denq Xiaoping were removed from the party.

Politburo replaced by small standing committee of Mao's allies eg Lin Bao and Chen Boda.