China 4 – The Cultural Revolution, 1966-76
Core knowledge
Causes
• Power struggle: restore Mao’s power and authority. Feared losing position like Khrushchev;
being treated like a ‘dead ancestor’ (regretted stepping back from public life and giving up role
as President); pragmatists v ideologues, (Mao did care about the colour of the cat), Early 10
points (Mao), replaced by Later 10 points (Deng) = evidence of disagreements & two sides: Key dates
socialist road and capitalist road. 1962 – 7000 Cadres meeting
• Remove opponents: Use of article to criticise Wu Han (deputy mayor of Beijing under Peng Socialist Education
Zhen (ally of Liu Shaoqi) for play. Liu & Deng = main pragmatists = key targets during CR. Movement
• Permanent revolution: Remove bureaucracy & ‘new elites’, refocus on ideology (link to power 1963 – Early 10 points
struggle). Socialist Education Movement & 4 clean-ups (economy, organisation, politics & Later 10 points
ideology); 1964 – Little Red Book
• Revolutionise Youth: needed their own ‘Long March’, civil war, revolutionary experience. (In 1965 – Liu re-elected as
order to carry on revolution in future – link to permanent revolution). Red Guards. President.
• Culture: Begins with play, CRG (Chen Boda, Jiang Qing, Yao Wenyuan, Zhang Chunqiao) is Nov: critical article of
about controlling culture, Little Red Book (spread of Mao thought as a form of culture); about Wu Han
ideologically pure culture (link to permanent revolution) 1966 – Feb: Peng Zhen,
Events Mayor of Beijing
• August 1966 – launch of Cultural Revolution: memo, Red Guards, 4 olds (ideas, culture, March: Cultural
customs, habits), mass rallies, big character posters, Mao said ‘Bombard the Headquarters’ and Revolution Group.
‘it is right to rebel’. 16th May: Central
• Autumn 1966 – December 1966: destruction of culture, struggle meetings; workers and rival Committee memo.
groups forming: Red Guards vs Rebels 18th: Lin Biao
• January 1967 – January Storm: seizure of party control by workers in Shanghai encouraged action by
• February 1967 – February Adverse Current: Zhu De criticised for speaking out against chaos young people.
• April 1967 – Red Guard battles with PLA in Wuhan July: Mao’s swim
• August 1967 – Foreign Ministry seized by Red Guards. Only PLA prevented them gaining access 16th August: ‘4 Olds’
to nuclear weapon facilities 18th: 1st mass rally.
• September 1967 – further violence between PLA & Red Guards
• 1968 – Mao ordered PLA to start reigning in violence. 1969 – Nov: Liu Shaoqi dies
• April 1969 – 9th Party Congress: Lin Biao = no. 2 1971 – July: Lin Biao dies
Consequences 1973 – ‘Criticse Lin, Criticise
Political Consequences Confucius’
For Mao’s opponents: Liu imprisoned (wife humiliated in struggle meetings), Deng exiled Campaign (fails)
(tractor factory), son paralysed, 1.84 million ordinary people purged. 500,000 killed. Peng 1975 – Deng Xiaoping returns
Dehuai died 1974. to Politburo
For Mao’s supporters: Lin Biao & PLA & Jiang Qing rose in prominence & power. Over half 1976 – Jan: Zhou Enlai dies
Congress delegates, 45% of Central Committee & 12/25 of Politburo = PLA. April: Tiananmen
For the CCP – party cadres targeted; 70-80% purged. 4/6 regional first secretaries removed, 2/3 Square incident.
of Central Committee removed. Deng banished to pig
Foreigners: embassies attacked; diplomats imprisoned; anti-Soviet propaganda; mobs trapped farm
diplomats inside embassies/cars; British embassy set on fire & staff beaten. Individual 9th Sep: Mao dies
foreigners targeted: Sidney Rittenberg, Anthony Grey, Michaelangelo Antonioni. Hua Guofeng = leader
Social Oct: Jiang Qing & Gang
Education: schools closed, teachers imprisoned or killed. of Four arrested
Young people: free train travel, saw the country, indoctrinated, ‘up to the mountains, down to
Key words
the villages’ campaign. December 1968 onwards.
Daily life – disruption, violence (cannibalism), families split up (imprisonment or rustification
Ideologues
campaign) Pragmatists
Economic: Agriculture – less affected. Industry – disrupted: workers joined Red Guard or rebel Capitalist Roaders
groups Red Guards
Cultural Gang of Four
Artefacts - Hai Rui’s grave defaced, paintings, books, architecture (Qing archway) destroyed or 4 olds
defaced. Hai Rui & Wu Han
Old culture – long hair to be cut, jewellery to be handed to state bank, Lao She, Ding Ling, Rustification Campaign
Zheng Peidi targeted.
Rebels
New culture – 8 permitted operas, cultural wasteland, ‘make it revolutionary or ban it’, loyalty
Cultural Revolution Group
dance, use of Little Red Book, worship of Mao & personality cult
Religion - Confucian books destroyed, Confucius temple in Shandong attacked, Organised
attacks in Tibet: Buddhist statues & temples destroyed (after PLA had removed valuables),
prayer flags removed
‘WOW’ the examiner knowledge
Mao claimed to have swum 9 miles in 65 minutes aged 72 – a world record.
5 Red Types (children of workers, peasants, cadres, soldiers & revolutionary martyrs), 5 Black Elements (children of landlords, rich peasants, counter-
revolutionaries, bad elements & rightists)
Binbin put a Red Guard armband on Mao at the first mass rally on 18 th August 1966.
Zhou Enlai had to step in to prevent Red Guards changing traffic lights so that red meant ‘go’ and green meant ‘stop’
Core knowledge
Causes
• Power struggle: restore Mao’s power and authority. Feared losing position like Khrushchev;
being treated like a ‘dead ancestor’ (regretted stepping back from public life and giving up role
as President); pragmatists v ideologues, (Mao did care about the colour of the cat), Early 10
points (Mao), replaced by Later 10 points (Deng) = evidence of disagreements & two sides: Key dates
socialist road and capitalist road. 1962 – 7000 Cadres meeting
• Remove opponents: Use of article to criticise Wu Han (deputy mayor of Beijing under Peng Socialist Education
Zhen (ally of Liu Shaoqi) for play. Liu & Deng = main pragmatists = key targets during CR. Movement
• Permanent revolution: Remove bureaucracy & ‘new elites’, refocus on ideology (link to power 1963 – Early 10 points
struggle). Socialist Education Movement & 4 clean-ups (economy, organisation, politics & Later 10 points
ideology); 1964 – Little Red Book
• Revolutionise Youth: needed their own ‘Long March’, civil war, revolutionary experience. (In 1965 – Liu re-elected as
order to carry on revolution in future – link to permanent revolution). Red Guards. President.
• Culture: Begins with play, CRG (Chen Boda, Jiang Qing, Yao Wenyuan, Zhang Chunqiao) is Nov: critical article of
about controlling culture, Little Red Book (spread of Mao thought as a form of culture); about Wu Han
ideologically pure culture (link to permanent revolution) 1966 – Feb: Peng Zhen,
Events Mayor of Beijing
• August 1966 – launch of Cultural Revolution: memo, Red Guards, 4 olds (ideas, culture, March: Cultural
customs, habits), mass rallies, big character posters, Mao said ‘Bombard the Headquarters’ and Revolution Group.
‘it is right to rebel’. 16th May: Central
• Autumn 1966 – December 1966: destruction of culture, struggle meetings; workers and rival Committee memo.
groups forming: Red Guards vs Rebels 18th: Lin Biao
• January 1967 – January Storm: seizure of party control by workers in Shanghai encouraged action by
• February 1967 – February Adverse Current: Zhu De criticised for speaking out against chaos young people.
• April 1967 – Red Guard battles with PLA in Wuhan July: Mao’s swim
• August 1967 – Foreign Ministry seized by Red Guards. Only PLA prevented them gaining access 16th August: ‘4 Olds’
to nuclear weapon facilities 18th: 1st mass rally.
• September 1967 – further violence between PLA & Red Guards
• 1968 – Mao ordered PLA to start reigning in violence. 1969 – Nov: Liu Shaoqi dies
• April 1969 – 9th Party Congress: Lin Biao = no. 2 1971 – July: Lin Biao dies
Consequences 1973 – ‘Criticse Lin, Criticise
Political Consequences Confucius’
For Mao’s opponents: Liu imprisoned (wife humiliated in struggle meetings), Deng exiled Campaign (fails)
(tractor factory), son paralysed, 1.84 million ordinary people purged. 500,000 killed. Peng 1975 – Deng Xiaoping returns
Dehuai died 1974. to Politburo
For Mao’s supporters: Lin Biao & PLA & Jiang Qing rose in prominence & power. Over half 1976 – Jan: Zhou Enlai dies
Congress delegates, 45% of Central Committee & 12/25 of Politburo = PLA. April: Tiananmen
For the CCP – party cadres targeted; 70-80% purged. 4/6 regional first secretaries removed, 2/3 Square incident.
of Central Committee removed. Deng banished to pig
Foreigners: embassies attacked; diplomats imprisoned; anti-Soviet propaganda; mobs trapped farm
diplomats inside embassies/cars; British embassy set on fire & staff beaten. Individual 9th Sep: Mao dies
foreigners targeted: Sidney Rittenberg, Anthony Grey, Michaelangelo Antonioni. Hua Guofeng = leader
Social Oct: Jiang Qing & Gang
Education: schools closed, teachers imprisoned or killed. of Four arrested
Young people: free train travel, saw the country, indoctrinated, ‘up to the mountains, down to
Key words
the villages’ campaign. December 1968 onwards.
Daily life – disruption, violence (cannibalism), families split up (imprisonment or rustification
Ideologues
campaign) Pragmatists
Economic: Agriculture – less affected. Industry – disrupted: workers joined Red Guard or rebel Capitalist Roaders
groups Red Guards
Cultural Gang of Four
Artefacts - Hai Rui’s grave defaced, paintings, books, architecture (Qing archway) destroyed or 4 olds
defaced. Hai Rui & Wu Han
Old culture – long hair to be cut, jewellery to be handed to state bank, Lao She, Ding Ling, Rustification Campaign
Zheng Peidi targeted.
Rebels
New culture – 8 permitted operas, cultural wasteland, ‘make it revolutionary or ban it’, loyalty
Cultural Revolution Group
dance, use of Little Red Book, worship of Mao & personality cult
Religion - Confucian books destroyed, Confucius temple in Shandong attacked, Organised
attacks in Tibet: Buddhist statues & temples destroyed (after PLA had removed valuables),
prayer flags removed
‘WOW’ the examiner knowledge
Mao claimed to have swum 9 miles in 65 minutes aged 72 – a world record.
5 Red Types (children of workers, peasants, cadres, soldiers & revolutionary martyrs), 5 Black Elements (children of landlords, rich peasants, counter-
revolutionaries, bad elements & rightists)
Binbin put a Red Guard armband on Mao at the first mass rally on 18 th August 1966.
Zhou Enlai had to step in to prevent Red Guards changing traffic lights so that red meant ‘go’ and green meant ‘stop’
