Understanding the Cultural Revolution 1966-1976

Goal 1: To remove all capitalistic elements from society Watch out! China has become too soft! We need to re-revolutionise the people… we don’t want to be beaten up by America, do we?

Goal 2: To remove traditional and cultural elements The past is what got us into this problem in the first place. OLD = BACKWARDS so we must try our best to modernise and keep China moving forward.

A more cynical interpretation Mao failed. So many people died during the Great Leap Forward (GLF) and so it would be wise to marginalise the Great Leader and take a different track. However, Mao has different plans!

The Little Red Book A collection of Mao’s writings. Pithy quotes for the eager communist. Used to justify action and policy. People must show their familiarity with the Little Red Book in order to prove their revolutionary zeal.

Learn from the Great Helmsman: “To read too many books is harmful.” “A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.”

“Women hold up half the sky “Women hold up half the sky.” “War can only be abolished through war, and in order to get rid of the gun it is necessary to take up the gun.” “Political power grows out of the barrel of the gun...” “It's always darkest before it becomes totally black.”

The Red Guard Jumped-up teenagers let loose. Uncontrollable. Loyal to Mao and ideologically ‘correct’ local leaders.

Customs Culture Habits Ideas The Four Olds 四旧 ….which means what, exactly?

Eradication of religion

Why might one want to eradicate organised religion?

Eradication of religion Religion seen as an uncontrollable force. Missionaries (therefore Christians) traditionally seen as a stealth imperialists/ baby eaters. Mao as a god. Just try to get good Christians and Buddhists to denounce their neighbours!

Eradication of China’s heritage As you have heard, old things are bad so the logical thing to do is….. destroy! For this reason, modern China has very little of its original heritage in tact. The majority of historical monuments are in fact contemporary reconstructions.

Education… or the lack of Intellectuals are part of the old ways and cannot be trusted. Teachers shouldn’t presume to tell the noble Red Guard how to act. It is the duty of the Red Guard to rectify society >>> teachers are denounced by their students, schools close, education in China comes to a halt.

A teacher being denounced.

Terror state All these ambiguous campaigns and undirected revolutionary zeal led to a state of terror which even Mao couldn’t really control. People become terrorised into conforming and denouncing their neighbours. The CR becomes self-perpetuating and no more logical. (e.g. traffic lights change colours, red now means ‘go’)

Re-education and being sent to the countryside The peasants lead a true communist revolution, therefore they are the best to re-educate soft city capitalists. Peasants resent soft city dwellers and resent the extra strain on resources. Chaos.

Public executions The people must be educated and be taught to fear the Party. Local police forces have little authority and cannot stop public executions/ lynching/ forced suicides even if they wanted to.

Dispersion of the Red Guard and going to the countryside Towards the end of the CR, the Red Guard get out of hand so must be exiled to the country under the guise of ‘re-educating’ the countryside.

Mao’s death- the end of the Cultural Revolution China left without intellectuals. 2-7 million deaths. Party loses face and credibility (nationally and internationally). Seeds sown for Tiananmen.