We explain what the Chinese Cultural Revolution was, what happened and what its background and causes were. Also, its stages and consequences.
What was the Chinese Cultural Revolution?
The Chinese Cultural Revolution It was a sociopolitical movement that occurred between 1966 and 1969 and initiated by Mao Zedong, leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC). It was a consequence of the internal struggle between the leaders of the party that governed the country. It is also known by the name “Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.”
In 1966, Mao made a general call to militant youth and organized a persecution against his political enemies, who had removed him from power. This mass movement formed paramilitary groups that carried out violent massacres and caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people.
The logic of the Cultural Revolution was driven by the strong personality cult of Mao Zedong his personal identification with national communism, the repression of political dissent and the purge of CCP leaders who opposed Mao.
The Chinese Cultural Revolution ended when Mao regained power. However, upon his death, all the people involved in it were tried and convicted for the massacres perpetrated.
Key points
- The Chinese Cultural Revolution was led by Mao Zedong and arose from internal power struggles within the Chinese Communist Party.
- To regain his power, Mao allied himself with the Red Guard and began a political persecution that led to violence and mass destruction.
- The Chinese Cultural Revolution devastated China's elites, destroyed much of its traditional cultural heritage, and murdered and tortured more than hundreds of thousands of people.
- The process began in 1966 and officially ended in 1969. However, Mao lost control of the Red Guard and the violence continued for several more years.
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What happened in the Chinese Cultural Revolution?
Since the Chinese Revolution of 1949, Mao had led the Chinese government with some success. However, in recent years, his economic policies (known as the “Great Leap Forward”) had led to a deep crisis and great famine.
In that context, Mao was forced by the party leadership to relegate command and occupy a secondary leadership role. To regain power, Mao formed an alliance with other CCP members: Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, and Wang Hongwen (later known as the “Gang of Four”), and together they organized the Cultural Revolution.
Mao called on militant youth (mostly high school and university students) to form units in the so-called “Red Guard.” Millions of young people joined.
The Red Guard was responsible for the persecution of all those who were accused of being detractors. Additionally, he was tasked with destroying “the four old men,” which were the four pillars of traditional Chinese society: customs, culture, habits, and ancient ideas. Under this pretext, the Red Guards carried out the destruction of museums, temples, shrines and much of the Chinese historical heritage.
The Red Guards were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in China. During “Red August” in Beijing, nearly 2,000 people were killed and tens of thousands of homes were looted or destroyed. It is estimated that there were between 100,000 and 150,000 dead in the Guangxi massacre, almost 20,000 in the Inner Mongolia Purge, nearly 5,000 in the Guangdong massacre, 17,000 in Yunnan, and more than 7,000 in Daoxian. These figures represent just some of the most terrible massacres of the period.
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Background of the Chinese Cultural Revolution
After the Chinese Civil War (1927-1949), the People's Republic of China was founded under a communist government led by Mao Zedong. In the new regime, large estates were collectivized, industrialization was promoted and part of the country's infrastructure was modernized. Consequently, in the first years of the communist government, the Chinese economy experienced great growth.
However, in 1958, Mao initiated a new economic policy, known as the “Great Leap Forward.”. It was a package of measures aimed at deepening the communist model and accelerating industrialization. For this, a campaign of land collectivization and forced transformation of the peasantry into industrial labor was initiated.
This policy failed and resulted in a deep economic and social crisis. Poor production in agriculture led to years of poor harvests and triggered a great famine in the country. It is estimated that millions of people died as a result.
Causes of the Chinese Cultural Revolution
Faced with the terrible consequences of the Great Leap Forward, a group of CCP leaders (known as “the pragmatists”) prevailed over Mao. forced him to hand over the presidency to Liu Shaoqi (second after Mao in the state hierarchy) and the party leadership to Deng Xiaoping.
Since then, Maoists and pragmatists radicalized their competition for control of the party and the country. Both factions accused each other of being counterrevolutionaries and dissidents.
To regain power, Mao initiated a joint strategy with other party leaders. In this process, Lin Biao, Minister of Defense loyal to the leader, and Mao's own wife, Jiang Qing (a former actress), were key.
In 1966, the party's Central Committee approved its “Decision on the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution,” a document also known as the “Sixteen Points.”
Stages of the Chinese Cultural Revolution
Broadly speaking, the Cultural Revolution occurred in the following stages:
Call to mobilization (May-August 1966)
The Cultural Revolution massively mobilized the country's students, and then workers, soldiers, and officials. The Red Guard was formed to pursue and defeat the political enemies of Maoism. The Red Guards were financed by the State and organized massive rallies, in which the abandonment of old Chinese customs was encouraged and the figure of Mao was exalted. During this period, traditional Chinese temples were destroyed, libraries were looted, and books were burned.
The Red Terror (August 1966-January 1967)
Towards the end of 1966, The activity of the Red Guards became radicalized and violence became widespread. Between August and September, almost 2,000 people were murdered in Beijing. In October, the Central Labor Conference was held, in which Mao finally managed to prevail over his opponents and regain control of the party.
Mao's return to power (January 1967-April 1969)
Mao summoned the Army to restore order to the nation. However, the Red Guards continued their violent actions and Mao lost control of their activity. In April 1969, the Ninth Congress of the Communist Party of China was convened, where Mao's authority as party leader and military leader was reaffirmed. His doctrine was adopted as the nation's central ideology and Lin Biao was appointed as his second in command. Mao declared the official end of the Cultural Revolution.
End of the Chinese Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution triumphed by force and implemented Maoist procedures throughout the country. In 1969, it was declared finished by Mao himself. However, many of its activities continued until the leader's death in 1976.
When Mao died, the main Maoist leaders were arrested and charged for crimes committed during the Cultural Revolution. Thereafter, a reformist government led by Deng Xiaoping began the gradual dismantling of Maoist policies.
Consequences of the Chinese Cultural Revolution
The main consequences of the Cultural Revolution were:
- Mao Zedong's return to power. Mao ruled China from the party presidency until his death in 1976. His main detractors were arrested. Although Deng Xiaoping survived, working in an engine factory; Liu Shaoqi, on the other hand, died in a detention camp in 1969, after being denied medical care.
- The devastation of the Chinese elites. The Cultural Revolution had as its main victims the intellectuals and communist leaders who opposed Mao. At the end of the period, a large part of the country's state and administrative structure had been emptied.
- The destruction of traditional Chinese culture. Buddhism and Chinese traditions were violently rejected during the Cultural Revolution. Temples, relics, museums, historical buildings and shrines that were part of traditional Chinese cultural heritage were destroyed.
- Persecution, public humiliation and executions. Millions of people were persecuted, harassed and publicly humiliated during the Cultural Revolution, and hundreds of thousands were murdered.
References
- Ackermann, ME, Schroeder, MJ, et al. (2008). Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in China (1966–1976). Encyclopedia of World History. The Contemporary World. 1950 to the Present. I returned. Facts on File.
- Cornejo, R. (2015). Towards the contemporary world. Minimal history of China. The College of Mexico.
- Lieberthal, K. G. (2023). Cultural Revolution. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/ - Moreno, J. (1991). Contemporary China: 1916-1990. Isthmus Editions.
