China: The Cultural Revolution & its aftermath 1966-76

• Divisions within the CCP, Ideologues & Pragmatists:
• Mao had retired to the second line after GLF (based on ideology)
• Lui Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping had taken power, pragmatic approach
• CR to destroy the pragmatists.

• Permanent Revolution: Communist China required ongoing revolution
• Every generation needed a revolution, to create hardened revolutionaries.

• Attack on the Bureaucracy: bureaucrats would become a bourgeois class after revolution 
• Mobilise masses to purge bourgeois bureaucrats 

Early ten points- to criticise corrupt party cadres Feb 1963.       [CR Launched July 1966]

Supporters: Chen Boda (chief of propaganda), Kang Sheng (Chief of Secret Police), Jiang Qing, Lin Biao (Head of the PLA) 

Opponents: Believed GLF failed because it was over ambitious. Liu, Deng, Chen Yun & Bo Yibo (economic experts) believed intellectuals were needed. Hai Rui Dismissed from Office, about Peng Duhai's removal, allowed Mao's removal of Peng Zhen, mayor of Beijing 

Cultural Revolution Group formed in March 1966 

• Mao's hold on young people: (Red Guards)
• Indoctrination led youth to believe Mao was the Hero of the Great Famine.
• Believed in his Cult of Personality
• Big Character Poster's, called to bombard headquarters, led youth to attack pragmatists within the CCP
• Cult of Personality- Total and unthinking committment

• The Little Red Book 1964, Lin Biao commissioned the Little Red Book.
• All soldiers and young people learnt it, further indoctrination. 

• Mass Rallies 1966 
• August 1966, Mao & Chen Boda invited millions to rallies in Beijing. Lin Biao organised transport
• Created Revolutionary Fevour 
• 'Dare to rebel against authority' Bombard the Headquarters 

August 1966, Mao instructed Red Guards to destroy four olds:

• old ideas
• old culture
• old customs 
• old habits 

• Confucian texts burnt 7million library books lost 
• Confucius temple destroyed in Shandong, 2000 graves defaced
• Hai Rui's burial site defaced, Wu Xun grave dug up
• 200 Year old A Qing Era archway destroyed 
• Tibet, rich in culture, every aspect of Tibetan Culture targetted 

• Red Guards spiralled out of control Winter 1966, known as Red Terror. 
• Young bourgeois not allowed to join, after ban lifted they used brutal crimes to show loyalty. 

• January Storm 1967, Red guards seized power from CCP and set up govt. PLA crushed it 
• December 1966, 100,000 radical red guards attacked, 10,000 red guards 
• Denounced as the February Adverse Current 

April encouraged further violence in Wuhan, led to PLA killing 1000 prosecutors 

• Restoration of Power by the PLA: By 1968 Mao needed to stop the Terror. 
• CR Group led by Jiang Qing ordered the arrest of 1.84million 'spies'
• Yunnan, death of 6979 from 'enforced suicide' 

End of Violence April 1969, 9th Party Congress when Lin Biao named as successor. 

Liu Shaoqi:

• Popular after help of rebuild after GLF 
• Supported Work Teams to control violence (rightist)
• He was tortured
• Denounced as Spy at 9th Party Congress by Jiang Qing 
• Exiled and died after being denied medical aid, 12th November 1968

Deng Xiaoping 

• Had helped Liu introduce economic reforms 
• Banished to a factory in Jiangxi
• Son was paralysed after trying to escape (maybe pushed by Red Guards)
• Later returned to help end chaos of CR 
• Target of Gang of Four following death of Zhou Enlai 

Lin Biao

• Mao relied on Lin and the PLA, most subservient follower 

Purging of CCP: Rectification Campaign, remove any bourgeois/elitist members

• 70-80% of all party cadres at regional level purged. 60-70% in central govt
• 14,000 cadres executed as traitors in Yunnan
• 23/29 provisional party secretaries removed
• 9/23 politburo members survived
• 3million bureaucrats and cadres exiled
• 500,000 killed

Purging of Capitalist Roaders: (anyone not committed to communism)

• People interrogated and backgrounds checked 
• British embassy set on fire
• citizens of 30 countries attacked or abused
• French trade councillors denounced for hours in cold

Restoration of order by PLA.

• By 1968 Red Guards were out of control
• Up to 1.84million people arrested for being spies etc.
• Thousands committed suicide.

'Up to the Mountains, down to the villages' Campaign 

• 18million Red Guards sent to 'cool off' 
• Many youngsters became disillusioned by this
• Barefoot doctors initiative was positive. 

• Lin Biao Affair:
• Mao believed Lin was plotting against him
• Lin knew Mao mistrusted him and fled to the USSR
• The plane crashed before arriving

Deng Xiaoping: By 1974 he regained position as Party Secretary

• Zhou Enlai:
• Created Four Modernisations campaign, created less aggressive relations with West
• Deng later introduced these in 1972

The Gang of Four:

• 1973 launched 'criticise Lin Biao, criticise Confucius campaign' Labelled Lin (rightist)
• Real targets those linked to Lin- Zhou & Deng 
• People fed up of constant campaign, shown at Zhou's funeral and Tiananmen Square

Hua named as successor on Mao's death (9 September 1976), quickly removed Gand of Four

Deng returned from exile and replaced Hua.