Theme 3 - The Cultural Revolution and its aftermath 1966-76

Why did Mao launch the Cultural Revolution?

Divisions within the CCP between ideologues and pragmatists

• Mao an ideologue - accused Liu and Deng's measures as 'revisionism', and they were 'capitalist roaders'
• Mao wanted to remove those responsible that held old attitudes, including party members who tolerated intellectuals in the party
• Divide between pragmatists and ideologues more apparent after 1962 conference - Mao withdrew and left Liu, Deng, and Zhou to lead
• Pragmatists believed ideological compromises needed to achieve economic stablitly
• Pragmatists also believed in better foreign policy
• Mao believed in mass mobilisation, even if not efficient. It continued revolution
• 1963 Socialist Education Movement - preached communist values and targeted corruption
• Mao wanted to use mass mobilisation to attack corrupt party officials - Liu controlled program - made Mao unhappy

The quest for permanent revolution

• Mao needed mass mobilisation to continue revolution - people more likely to be loyal if they join in
  
• Mao condemned Khrushchev - said he failed to continue the revolution
• Needed to include young in revolution - they weren't part of revolution - needed them to commit violence for the party

Attacks on the bureaucracy

• Mao didn't want bureaucrats to become a priveleged elite and lose touch with the masses
• Criticisms from urban bureaucrats on Great Leap - Cultural Revolution could be seen as attack on these bureaucrats
• Mao thought 'capitalist roaders' were filling the party (Liu and Zhou moderating Mao's policies) - needed to cleanse party

Divisions within the CCP between supporters and opponents of Mao's policies

• Mao's main supporters - Lin Biao, Jiang Qing, Kang Sheng, Chen Boda
• Mao's main opponents - Liu Shaoqi, Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yun, Bo Yibo
• 1964 - Mao accuses Liu of choosing 'capitalist road'. Accuses Deng of running own kingdom
• 1965 - Attack on Wu Han (wrote a contreversial play). Mao targeted Peng Zhen (Wu's boss), one of Liu's allies.
• Lin Biao escalated into crisis
• March 1966 - Mao assigned Liu to remove Peng Zhen from office
• CCRG set up to control Cultural Revolution. Could be blamed for mistakes
• Liu and Deng still believed they were in control - just a culture remodelling
• May 1966 - Kang Sheng pushes wall poster campaigns
• Liu and Deng try to control campaign - Mao not happy - wanted chaos!
• July 1966 - Mao swims in Yangtze river - show of strength
• Mao forces Liu and Deng to make self-criticisms

How effective were the red guards in carrying out the cultural revolution?

Mao's hold on young people

• Would help ensure long-term survival of communism ideology
• Realised their enthusiasm
• Able to control through personalilty cult and 'little red book'
• Personality cult seperated Mao from the party - Mao a hero, party repressive and a threat to Mao's achievement, because there were too many 'capitalist roaders'
• Mass rallies made students feel involved - also peer pressure
• Young people with 'wrong' class backgrounds were keen to join revolution

The mass rallies of 1966

• 18th August 1966 - Mao greets 1 million Red Guards in Tiananmen Square
• Chaos…