"[20] This decision defined the Cultural Revolution as "a great revolution that touches people to their very souls and constitutes a deeper and more extensive stage in the development of the socialist revolution in our country:"[21]. Religious persecution intensified during this period, as a result of religion being viewed in opposition to MarxistLeninist and Maoist thinking. [42] Ultimately, the workers disarmed the students and occupied the campus. "[50], One of the mangoes was sent to the Beijing Textile Factory,[47] whose revolutionary committee organised a rally in the mangoes' honour. Red Guards destroyed historical relics and artifacts, as well as ransacking cultural and religious sites. He further stated that, "It is difficult for us to call this revolution, as the 'Red Guards' are carrying it out, a Proletarian Cultural Revolution the enemies could and should be captured by the organs of the dictatorship on the basis of the law, and if the enemies have wormed their way into the party committees, let them be purged through party channels. On February 12, 1966, the "Five Man Group" issued a report known as the February Outline (). More replica mangoes were created, and the replicas were sent on tour around Beijing and elsewhere in China. [36]:73, Although being undertaken by some of the Revolution's enthusiastic followers, the destruction of historical relics was never formally sanctioned by the Communist Party, whose official policy was instead to protect such items. [167], Political slogans of the time had three sources: Mao, official Party media such as People's Daily, and the Red Guards. Deng remained the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, but formal power was transferred to a new generation of pragmatic reformers, who reversed Cultural Revolution policies to a large extent during the Boluan Fanzheng period. The remains of the 8th century Buddhist monk Huineng were attacked during the Cultural Revolution. [11]:55, In the early 1950s, the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union (USSR) were the two largest communist states in the world. Textbooks on the subject continue to abide by the "official view" (see above) of the events. [19]:6164 Quotations in the Little Red Book that the Red Guards would later follow as a guide, provided by Mao, included: Every Communist must grasp the truth, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.". [59]:21718[60]:610 After Zhou's death, Mao selected neither a member of the Gang of Four nor Deng to become Premier, instead choosing the relatively unknown Hua Guofeng. [77][89][90], During the Cultural Revolution, massacres took place across mainland China, including:[103], These massacres were mainly led and organized by local revolutionary committees, Communist Party branches, militia, and even the military. It is clearly evident that Mao went to extreme measures to conquer power. [164], Though the effect of the Cultural Revolution was disastrous for millions in China, there were positive outcomes for some sections of the population, such as those in rural areas. [47], The fruit was shared among all institutions that had been a part of the propaganda team, and large processions were organised in support of the zhengui lipin or ("precious gift"), as the mangoes were known. In response to a Red Guard leader's telegram sent prior to the meeting, which claimed that some "Black Hand" had maneuvered the workers against the Red Guards to suppress the Cultural Revolution, Mao told the student leaders, "The Black Hand is nobody else but me! The USSR refused to support China's case for joining the United Nations and reneged on its pledge to supply China with a nuclear weapon. [13]:332, By 1971, diverging interests between the civilian and military wings of the leadership were apparent. I asked [the workers] how to solve the armed fighting in the universities, and told them to go there to have a look. [216]:159 While Mao's leadership was pivotal at the beginning of the movement, Jin Qiu contends that as events progressed, it deviated significantly from Mao's utopian vision. The conference was heavily laden with Maoist political rhetoric on class struggle and filled with meticulously prepared 'indictments' on the recently ousted leaders such as Peng Zhen and Luo Ruiqing. The revolution aimed to destroy the "Four Olds" (i.e., old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas) and establish the corresponding "Four News", which could range from changing of names and cutting of hair to the ransacking of homes, vandalizing cultural treasures, and desecrating temples. The term "young intellectuals" was used to refer to recently graduated college students. The main purpose was to perpetuate communist beliefs with a twist of Maoism (Mao's own way) in China. Its excesses damaged the credibility of these activists for more than a generation in the eyes of Hong Kong residents. The people of Beijing honored Zhou by laying wreaths, banners, poems, placards, and flowers at the foot of the Monument. Hua Guofeng chaired the Funeral Committee and delivered the memorial speech. Liu Shaoqi insisted on continuing work-team involvement and suppressing the movement's most radical elements, fearing that the movement would spin out of control. [168] These directives could be interpreted to suit personal interests, in turn aiding factions' goals in being most loyal to Mao Zedong. Weegy: Mao Zedong used propaganda during the Cultural Revolution to target political opponents. In Inner Mongolia, some 790,000 people were persecuted during the Inner Mongolia incident. [47], There followed several months of "mango fever," as the fruit became a focus of a "boundless loyalty" campaign for Chairman Mao. To him, landscape paintings should also not be considered one of the "Four Olds". "[13]:125 In about two weeks, the violence left some 100 officials of the ruling and middle class dead in Beijing's western district alone. Mao's drug lesson for the world | South China Morning Post In 1981, the CCP declared and acknowledged that the Cultural Revolution was wrong and was "responsible for the most severe setback and the heaviest losses suffered by the people, the country, and the party since the founding of the People's Republic. [183]:712[184]:360, Traditional themes in art were sidelined the Cultural Revolution, and artists such as Feng Zikai, Shi Lu, and Pan Tianshou were persecuted. Maoist rhetoric and mass mobilization methods were resurgent in the interior city of Chongqing during the political career of Bo Xilai. [147] Tania Branigan also writes in Red Memory: Living, Remembering and Forgetting China's Cultural Revolution that women raped tend to be from educated urban backgrounds while their rapists were poor peasants or local officials. "[197] These themes of "turmoil" and "disaster" have become "master trope[s]" in both historical and popular understanding of the Cultural Revolution. If the plan succeeded, Lin would arrest his political rivals and assume power. Mao directed Deng to write self-criticisms in November 1975, a move lauded by the Gang of Four. The world is yours, as well as ours, but in the last analysis, it is yours. The most comprehensive source covering primary sources on the Chinese Cultural Revolution. [198], The Resolution frankly noted Mao's leadership role in the movement, stating that "chief responsibility for the grave 'Left' error of the 'Cultural Revolution,' an error comprehensive in magnitude and protracted in duration, does indeed lie with Comrade Mao Zedong." [13]:41, After the purge of Peng Zhen, the Beijing Party Committee had effectively ceased to function, paving the way for disorder in the capital. However, despite successes in gaining power, it is obvious that Mao's actions had disastrous effects. [11]:23 In this sense, the Cultural Revolution was actually a much more decentralized and varied movement that gradually lost cohesion, spawning many 'local revolutions' which differed in their nature and goals. [167], Huang asserts that political slogans were ubiquitous in every aspect of people's lives, being printed onto everyday items such as bus tickets, cigarette packets, and mirror tables. He was put on trial for malicious slander, found guilty, paraded publicly throughout the town, and then executed with one shot to the head. The plane apparently ran out of fuel en route to the Soviet Union. This short-lived resistance was branded the "February Countercurrent"[13]:19596effectively silencing critics of the movement within the party in the years to come. For example, a survey in 1972 in Beijing of 18 key spots of cultural heritage, including the Temple of Heaven and Ming Tombs, showed extensive damage. Mobo Gao, writing in The Battle for China's Past: Mao and the Cultural Revolution, argues that the movement benefited millions of Chinese citizens, particularly agricultural and industrial workers,[163]:1 and sees it as egalitarian and genuinely populist, citing continued Maoist nostalgia in China today as remnants of its positive legacy. [165]:ix Since Deng's ascendancy to power, the government has arrested and imprisoned figures who have taken a strongly pro-Cultural Revolution stance. [13]:124 Mao's praise for rebellion encouraged actions of the Red Guards. [160]:164 The university entrance exams were cancelled after 1966, to be replaced later by a system whereby students were recommended by factories, villages and military units, and entrance exams were not restored until 1977 under Deng Xiaoping. They cried out enthusiastically and sang with wild abandonment. [19]:6164 In a few years, countless ancient buildings, artifacts, antiques, books, and paintings were destroyed by Red Guards. The Art of Chinese Propaganda Posters - Atlas Obscura With increasing pressure from all sides, Premier Hua named Deng Vice-Premier in July 1977, and later promoted him to various other positions, effectively catapulting Deng to China's second-most powerful figure. "[43], During the meeting, Mao and the Central Group for the Cultural Revolution stated, "[W]e want cultural struggle, we do not want armed struggle" and "The masses do not want civil war. The official account has been put to question by foreign scholars, who have raised doubts over Lin's choice of the Soviet Union as a destination, the plane's route, the identity of the passengers, and whether or not a coup was actually taking place. Many uneducated farmers were pulled from farming and harvesting and instead instructed to produce steel on a massive scale, partially relying on backyard furnaces to achieve the production targets set by local cadres. The top officials in the Propaganda Department were sacked, with many of its functions folding into the CRG. Mao Zedong, chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and considered by many the de facto head of the Chinese state, the movement was intended to destroy his politi cal foes and restore the vigorous spirit of the Communist Revolution of 1949. Flattening historical memory of the Cultural Revolution through moralistic condemnation and exhortation, these narratives not only deprive an immensely important and complex episode of Chinese history of its multilayered historicity, but also provide the discursive ground for delegitimizing China's revolutionary history of the twentieth century. [70] Peng Dehuai, one of China's ten marshals and the first Minister of National Defense, was persecuted to death during the Cultural Revolution; he was politically rehabilitated in 1978. [163] People in rural areas of China also tend to view the Cultural Revolution in a more positive light given the expansion of rural infrastructure and agricultural development that occurred during the period. "[33], In March 1967, the policy was adapted into the "Three Supports and Two Militaries" initiative in which PLA troops were sent to schools and work units across the country in an effort to stabilize political tumult and end factional warfare. While the Lushan Conference served as a death knell for Peng, Mao's most vocal critic, it led to a shift of power to moderates led by Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping, who took effective control of the economy following 1959. [103][128] From 1968 to 1969, more than 17,000 people died in massacres and 61,000 people were crippled for life; in Kunming (the capital city of Yunnan) alone, 1,473 people were killed and 9,661 people were permanently disabled. The leaders of China at the time denied that there were any illiteracy problems from the start. [58], In late 1973, to weaken Zhou's political position and to distance themselves from Lin's apparent betrayal, the "Criticize Lin, Criticize Confucius" campaign began under Jiang Qing's leadership. STR/AFP/Getty Images Some observers hope the apologies will lead to. Those identified as spies, "running dogs," "revisionists," or coming from a suspect class (including those related to former landlords or rich peasants) were subject to beating, imprisonment, rape, torture, sustained and systematic harassment and abuse, seizure of property, denial of medical attention, and erasure of social identity. "[44] Mao told the student leaders:[45]. "[87], Literature reviews of the overall death toll due to the Cultural Revolution usually include the following. This poster depicts him with a group of educated young people who volunteered to go to the countryside to work as peasants. [191][bettersourceneeded], To make sense of the mass chaos caused by Mao's leadership in the Cultural Revolution while preserving the CCP's authority and legitimacy, Mao's successors needed to lend the event a "proper" historical judgment. At the turn of the 1900s, under the fading Qing dynasty, China was struggling to modernise. In the late 1970s, these students returned to their home cities. [182] There were many types of posters, the two main genres being the big-character poster (; dazibao) and "commercial" propaganda poster (; xuanchuanhua). [13]:7 In 1963, the CCP began to denounce the Soviet Union openly, publishing nine polemics against its perceived revisionism, with one of them being titled On Khrushchev's Phoney Communism and Historical Lessons for the World, in which Mao charged that Khrushchev was not only a revisionist but also increased the danger of capitalist restoration. [137]:9 Only eight were left intact by the end of the 1970s. [103][125][126] However, academics have estimated a death toll between 20,000 and 100,000. A small number of slogans left at Tiananmen even attacked Mao himself, and his Cultural Revolution. [34]:345 The three "Supports" were: (1) "Support the Left," (2) "Support the Interior," and (3) "Support Industry." Following this article, Hua began to shift his tone in support of Deng. "[169] This changed during the Cultural Revolution. China's future belongs to you. [13]:7, Other Soviet actions increased concerns about potential fifth columnists in China. Hundreds of thousands to millions of civilians, Red Guard and military deaths (exact number not known). [150]:176, The model operas were broadcast on the radio, made into films, blared from public loudspeakers, taught to students in schools and workers in factories, and became ubiquitous as a form of popular entertainment and the only theatrical entertainment for millions in China. [15] Mao had set the scene for the Cultural Revolution by "cleansing" powerful officials of questionable loyalty who were based in Beijing. Lin delivered the keynote address at the Congress: a document drafted by hardliner leftists Yao Wenyuan and Zhang Chunqiao under Mao's guidance. [187] After the most violent phase of the 1960s ended, the attack on traditional culture continued in 1973 with the Anti-Lin Biao, Anti-Confucius Campaign as part of the struggle against the moderate elements in the party. Although initially they had been mutually supportive, disagreements arose after the death of Joseph Stalin and the rise of Nikita Khrushchev to power in the Soviet Union. "[169]:12 To distance itself from the era, Deng Xiaoping's government cut back heavily on the use of political slogans. [13]:1518 Yao boldly alleged that Hai Rui was really an allegory attacking Mao; that is, Mao was the corrupt emperor, and Peng Dehuai was the honest civil servant. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Mao Zedong, 1957 Mao was a Chinese communist leader and founder of the People's Republic of China. In the official narrative, on September 13, 1971, Lin Biao, his wife Ye Qun, Lin Liguo, and members of his staff attempted to flee to the Soviet Union ostensibly to seek asylum. [173]:3233 "Rusticated youths" with an interest in broadcast technology frequently operated the rural radio stations after 1968. [13]:316 Furthermore, despite Mao's efforts to put on a show of unity at the Congress, the factional divide between Lin Biao's PLA camp and the Jiang Qing-led radical camp was intensifying. Mao Zedong completely wiped drug addiction in China. Why do - Quora 369 Mao Zedong Propaganda Stock Photos & High-Res Pictures "[49] Even up until early 1969, participants of Mao-Zedong-Thought study classes in Beijing would return with mass-produced mango facsimiles and still gain media attention in the provinces. An insight into the secretive world of the DPRK, Experimental visual arts followed Russia's Revolution, A collection of posters created during the Cultural Revolution, Exploring the merits of art with a political agenda, Discover the art secrets of some of the country's most beautiful historic houses, Professional and amateur performers talk about their dance passion, The extraordinary life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, in her own words, Books that tackle life's biggest themes, as chosen by Gethin Jones, Laura Whitmore, Joe Thomas and Meera Syal, The slogan says "Long live the triumph of Chairman Mao's revolutionary line of literature and art!" It is clear that depending on who is asked, Mao Zedong's public image varies greatly. [104][106] Collective killings in Guangxi Province and Guangdong Province were among the most serious. [citation needed], Quotation songs, in which Mao's quotations were set to music, were particularly popular during the early years of the Cultural Revolution. The Gang of Four's Zhang Chunqiao, admitted that the most crucial factor in the Cultural Revolution was not the Red Guards or the Cultural Revolution Group or the "rebel worker" organisations, but the side on which the PLA stood. [63][64], Shortly before dying, Mao had allegedly written the message "With you in charge, I'm at ease," to Hua. Mao accused the work teams of undermining the student movement, calling for their full withdrawal on July 24. Every just, revolutionary war is endowed with tremendous power and can transform many things or clear the way for their transformation. [37] Within days, Mao expressed his approval. Hua used this message to substantiate his position as successor. [13]:47, Mao believed that Khrushchev did not adhere to MarxismLeninism, but was instead a revisionist, altering his policies from basic MarxistLeninist concepts, something Mao feared would allow capitalists to regain control of the USSR. [14]:141 Academic Covell F. Meyskens writes that these international tensions shaped the inception and course of the Cultural Revolution. Although the bourgeoisie has been overthrown, it is still trying to use the old ideas, culture, customs, and habits of the exploiting classes to corrupt the masses, capture their minds, and stage a comeback. 246 Zhang Hongbing discusses his role in his mother's death. Mao Zedong and the Cultural Revolution: In Theory and Impact On July 20, 1967, local agitators in response kidnapped Mao's emissary Wang Li in what became known as the Wuhan Incident. In 1966 Mao Zedong, the Communist leader of China, started a political campaign that became known as the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). [49] Workers read out quotations from Mao and celebrated the gift. Ferdinand, Peter. [16] Known as Red Guards, these organizations originally arose in schools and universities and later arose in factories and other institutions. While Mao initially praised the play, in February 1965, he secretly commissioned his wife Jiang Qing and Shanghai propagandist Yao Wenyuan to publish an article criticizing it. [146], Academic Pan Suiming writes that rape and sexual abuse of women were common during the height of the Cultural Revolution. People march carrying a large poster of Chairman Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution in China in 1968. The Cultural Revolution: all you need to know about China's political [177] The literary situation eased after 1972, more writers were allowed to write, and many provincial literary periodicals resumed publication, but the majority of writers still could not work. [60]:612, On September 9, 1976, Mao Zedong died. This one-lesson unit examines Mao Zedong as a revolutionary leader through Chinese propaganda posters from the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, 1966-1976. The Sleeping Giant: how Chinese posters pushed products and propaganda With Lin gone, Mao had no ready answers for who would succeed him. [158] There were also very significant achievements in both science and technology. The friction with the Soviet Union intensified after border clashes on the Ussuri River in March 1969 as the Chinese leadership prepared for all-out war. Peng Zhen, aware that he would be implicated if Wu indeed wrote an "anti-Mao" play, wished to contain Yao's influence. The damage was particularly pronounced in the capital, Beijing. [167] These slogans were a powerful and effective method of "thought reform," mobilizing millions in a concerted attack upon the subjective world, "while at the same time reforming their objective world. The Congress solidified the central role of Maoism within the party psyche, re-introducing Maoism as an official guiding ideology of the party in the party constitution. Supporters of Mao would agree on the opinion that the ends justify the means. Former Red Guard Saul Yeung discusses his experiences. "The East Is Red", especially, became popular; it de facto supplanted "March of the Volunteers" as the national anthem of China, though the latter was restored to its previous place after the Cultural Revolution ended. [137]:22 The Tibetan government in exile claimed that many Tibetans also died from famines in 19611964 and 19681973 as a result of forced collectivization,[136][139][140] however the number of Tibetan deaths or whether famines, in fact, took place in these periods is disputed. List of cultural, intellectual, philosophical and technological revolutions, 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, estimates of those perishing during the Revolution, Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Sweep Away All Cow Demons and Snake Spirits, old ideas, old culture, old customs and old habits, 8th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun, Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, 9th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, 11th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee, Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Scarlet Memorial: Tales of Cannibalism in Modern China, Campaign towards the May Sixteenth elements, Talks at the Yan'an Forum on Art and Literature, Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China, Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, ideological rift between China and the Soviet Union, History of the People's Republic of China, List of campaigns of the Chinese Communist Party, Mass destruction of Japanese cultural heritage by the Japanese government in the late 19th century Meiji restoration, "Hua Guofeng, Transitional Leader of China After Mao, Is Dead at 87", "Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party since the Founding of the People's Republic of China", 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, Decision Concerning the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, "Student Attacks Against Teachers: The Revolution of 1966", "Rebellion of the Cadres: The 1967 Implosion of the Chinese Party-State", "The Policy of the Military "Supporting the Left" and the Spread of Factional Warfare in China's Countryside: Shaanxi, 19671968", "Chronology of Mass Killings during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (19661976)", "How China came to worship the mango during the Cultural Revolution", "The Mao Mango Cult of 1968 and the Rise of China's Working Class", Basic Knowledge about the Communist Party of China: The Eleventh Congress, "Beijing Revises 'Correct' Version of Party History Ahead of Centenary", "The Chinese Communist Party is playing dangerous games with history", "With whiffs of Cultural Revolution, Xi calls for struggle 50 times", "Remembering the dark days of China's Cultural Revolution", "How Many Died? She held tremendous influence with the radical camp. [12], The Great Leap's failure reduced Mao's prestige within the CCP. Red Guards | Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong & Student Activism [144], The overall failure of the Red Guards' and radical assimilationists' goals was mostly due to two factors. Or rather, you are struggling, but it's an armed struggle. Some are still trusted by us and are being trained as our successors, persons like Khrushchev for example, who are still nestling beside us. [28], Libraries full of historical and foreign texts were destroyed; books were burned. [19][161][162] In the post-Mao period, many of those forcibly moved attacked the policy as a violation of their human rights. User: what was the theory behind the Marshall plan. At the same time, a large number of "unjust, false, mistaken cases ()" appeared due to political purges. The effect on Tibet had been particularly severe as it came following the repression after the 1959 Tibetan uprising. and "Those who are against Chairman Mao will have their dog skulls smashed into pieces. When the PLA local garrison supported Mao's radicals, they were able to take over the local government successfully, but if they were not cooperative, the seizures of power were unsuccessful. The committees often split into rival factions and became involved in armed fights known as "violent struggles", to which the army had to be sent to restore order. [173]:42, Some of the most enduring images of the Cultural Revolution come from poster arts. A frieze damaged during the Cultural Revolution, originally from a garden house of a rich imperial official in Suzhou. [103][125][126][127], In the Zhao Jianmin Spy Case of Yunnan, more than 1.387million people were implicated and persecuted, which accounted for 6% of the total population of Yunnan at the time. Deng emphatically opposed Party factionalism, and his policies aimed to promote unity as the first step to restoring economic productivity. With the Cultural Revolution Mao was simply "returning to form", once again taking on the role of a guerrilla leader fighting against an institutionalized party bureaucracy. All images Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. It was felt that pushing minority groups too hard would compromise China's border defences. They acted through the media to impose a set of restrictions on overt public displays of mourning for Zhou. [186]:98. The Cultural Revolution Begins In the 1960s, Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong came to feel that the current party leadership in China, as in the Soviet Union, was moving too far in. [171] In poor and remote areas of China, movies and operas were shown for free. [103][128], In the Li Chuli case of Hebei, Li, the former deputy director of Organization Department of the Chinese Communist Party, was purged in 1968 and implicated around 80,000 people, 2,955 of whom were persecuted to death. It diluted blame on Mao himself by asserting that the movement was "manipulated by the counterrevolutionary groups of Lin Biao and Jiang Qing," who caused its worst excesses. Without pointing fingers at the Soviet Union, Mao criticized its ideological ally in the Balkans, the League of Communists of Yugoslavia. [38] For example, in Beijing, three separate revolutionary groups declared power seizures on the same day, while in Heilongjiang, the local party secretary Pan Fusheng managed to "seize power" from the party organization under his own leadership. In response to the Wuhan Incident, Mao and Jiang Qing began establishing a "workers' armed self-defence force", a "revolutionary armed force of mass character" to counter what he estimated as rightism in "75% of the PLA officer corps." China's crackdown on professors reminds many of Mao era. [154] As of 1968, among the 171 senior members who worked at the headquarters of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, 131 were persecuted.
mao zedong used propaganda during the cultural revolution to
