China Under Mao:1961-76China Under Mao:1961-76

Power Struggle, the Cultural Power Struggle, the Cultural Revolution, and Mao’s LegacyRevolution, and Mao’s Legacy

The Power The Power Struggle, 1961-66Struggle, 1961-66 Great Leap Forward had Great Leap Forward had

damaged Mao’s reputation damaged Mao’s reputation in Partyin Party

He called on President Liu He called on President Liu Shaoqi, Prime Minister Shaoqi, Prime Minister Zhou Enlai, & Party Zhou Enlai, & Party General Secretary Deng General Secretary Deng Xiaoping to end chaosXiaoping to end chaos

They called for market They called for market reforms to provide reforms to provide incentive for peasants to incentive for peasants to produce surplus produce surplus

Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping

Increase production & Practice thrift, food stuffs and steel to the

center

Propaganda & Propaganda & PurgesPurges

Mao, uneasy w/ Liu & Mao, uneasy w/ Liu & Deng’s ideas, feared he Deng’s ideas, feared he was losing his grip on the was losing his grip on the PartyParty

He turned to Lin Biao, a He turned to Lin Biao, a loyalist who co-edited loyalist who co-edited The The Little Red Book,Little Red Book, a a collection of Mao’s quotes collection of Mao’s quotes given to every citizen given to every citizen

Mao’s wife Jiang Qing led Mao’s wife Jiang Qing led Shanghai Forum, which Shanghai Forum, which attacked Liu & Deng and attacked Liu & Deng and other rivals such as the other rivals such as the Group of FiveGroup of Five

Study and respect comrade Jiang Qing

Lin BiaoLin Biao

Hold aloft the Red Banner of Maoist Thought, Smash the reactionary line of Liu and

Deng

Great Proletarian Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution Cultural Revolution

BeginsBegins Aug. 18 1966—over 1 million Aug. 18 1966—over 1 million

youths packed Tiananmen youths packed Tiananmen Square for pro-Mao rallySquare for pro-Mao rally

This started the Cultural This started the Cultural Revolution, Mao’s attempt to Revolution, Mao’s attempt to reassert his will on China by reassert his will on China by enlisting the youth as his enlisting the youth as his instrumentinstrument

““Great disorder across the Great disorder across the land leading to great order.” - land leading to great order.” - MaoMao

Revolutionary Committees are Good

Enthusiastically welcome the creation of the Peking Revolutionary Committee

Attacks on the “Four Olds”Attacks on the “Four Olds” Mao urged the young Red Mao urged the young Red

Guards to attack Guards to attack – Old cultureOld culture– Old thoughtsOld thoughts– Old customsOld customs– Old habitsOld habits

Confucian thought banned as Confucian thought banned as rightist & reactionary rightist & reactionary

To do this, Mao needed to To do this, Mao needed to subvert the party bureaucracy subvert the party bureaucracy & appeal directly to the people& appeal directly to the people

Afraid of Soviet-style “reforms” Afraid of Soviet-style “reforms” taking hold in China taking hold in China

Down with Soviet revisionism

Mao’s Attacks on the Mao’s Attacks on the IntellectualsIntellectuals

To preserve the To preserve the revolution as a peasant revolution as a peasant movement, Mao attacked movement, Mao attacked the urban intelligentsia the urban intelligentsia who had criticized the who had criticized the Great Leap ForwardGreat Leap Forward

He saw the bureaucrats & He saw the bureaucrats & intellectuals as privileged, intellectuals as privileged, soft, and in need of “re-soft, and in need of “re-education”education”

The Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution thus turned into an anti-thus turned into an anti-intellectual vendettaintellectual vendetta

A Swarm of UgliesA Swarm of Uglies

Cultural Revolution—First Cultural Revolution—First PhasePhase

Summer ’66—poster campaign on Summer ’66—poster campaign on college campuses—Red Guard college campuses—Red Guard attacks on professorsattacks on professors

Mao swims the Yangzi RiverMao swims the Yangzi River (Video)(Video) Summons Central Committee & Summons Central Committee &

condemns opponentscondemns opponents Replaces Deng & Liu with Lin Replaces Deng & Liu with Lin

Biao, who addresses Red Guard Biao, who addresses Red Guard rallies in Tiananmen Squarerallies in Tiananmen Square

Jiang Qing helps organize actionsJiang Qing helps organize actions

Red Guard Terror TacticsRed Guard Terror Tactics Mao had shaped Red Guards Mao had shaped Red Guards

as loyal, willing, & brutal forceas loyal, willing, & brutal force Not necessarily irrational, but Not necessarily irrational, but

they adored Mao and saw him they adored Mao and saw him as nearly divinely inspiredas nearly divinely inspired

Used youthful idealism, peer-Used youthful idealism, peer-group conformity, & brutality group conformity, & brutality to stoke hatred of traditions or to stoke hatred of traditions or Western capitalist decadenceWestern capitalist decadence

Teachers, professors, writers, Teachers, professors, writers, doctors especially targeted doctors especially targeted

Nuns being publicly shamed

‘‘Struggle Sessions’Struggle Sessions’

Five categories targeted for Five categories targeted for public humiliation—landlords, public humiliation—landlords, rich peasants, reactionaries, rich peasants, reactionaries, bad elements, & rightistsbad elements, & rightists

Those deemed most guilty of Those deemed most guilty of counter-revolutionary activity counter-revolutionary activity were subjected to a set of were subjected to a set of humiliations known as humiliations known as ‘struggle sessions’:‘struggle sessions’:– Forced study of MaoismForced study of Maoism– Self-criticism & confessionSelf-criticism & confession– Rejection of confessionsRejection of confessions– Physical & verbal torturePhysical & verbal torture

Struggle Session

The victims humiliated

LaogaiLaogai Trans. – “re-education through labor”Trans. – “re-education through labor” Mao’s prison camps for counter-Mao’s prison camps for counter-

revolutionariesrevolutionaries 10,000 camps by 197610,000 camps by 1976 Average # of prisoners each year = Average # of prisoners each year =

10 mil10 mil 25 million prisoners dead25 million prisoners dead

A doctor who was terrorized during the Cultural Revolution—exiled to the western reaches of the country, where his wife committed suicide—later said this of the lesson he learned: To survive in China you must reveal nothing to others. Or it could be used against you… That’s why I’ve come to think the deepest part of the self is best left unclear. Like mist and clouds in a Chinese landscape painting, hide the private part behind your social persona. Let your public self be like rice in a dinner: bland and inconspicuous, taking on the flavors of its surroundings while giving off no flavor of its own.

Who led the Cultural Who led the Cultural Revolution?Revolution?

Although it appeared to be Although it appeared to be led by youthful Red Guards, led by youthful Red Guards, not sonot so

The Cultural Revolution was The Cultural Revolution was directed from the top, with directed from the top, with Mao’s assent, by Jiang and Mao’s assent, by Jiang and Lin, w/ Army & Party Lin, w/ Army & Party enforcing itenforcing it

Conflicts between PLA & Conflicts between PLA & Red Guards; & students & Red Guards; & students & workersworkers

Long Live the Great Chinese People’s Liberation Army!

“ “The Great Cultural The Great Cultural Revolution….caused the most Revolution….caused the most devastating setback and heavy devastating setback and heavy losses to the party, the state, and the losses to the party, the state, and the people in the history of the People’s people in the history of the People’s Republic, and this Great Cultural Republic, and this Great Cultural Revolution was initiated and led by Revolution was initiated and led by Comrade Mao Zedong” – CPC 1981Comrade Mao Zedong” – CPC 1981

Key Figures to KnowKey Figures to Know Deng Xiaoping Deng Xiaoping – Party Secretary-General – Party Secretary-General

54-66 – purged – early successor to Mao54-66 – purged – early successor to Mao Lin Biao Lin Biao – helped create Cult of Mao – 2– helped create Cult of Mao – 2ndnd

successor to Maosuccessor to Mao Zhou Enlai Zhou Enlai – Foreign Minister – moderating – Foreign Minister – moderating

influence on GPCRinfluence on GPCR Liu Shaoqi Liu Shaoqi – Vice-Chairman – attacked – Vice-Chairman – attacked

during GPCR – died in prison 1969during GPCR – died in prison 1969 Jiang Qing Jiang Qing – Mao’s Wife – helped radicalize – Mao’s Wife – helped radicalize

GPCRGPCR

Reshaping Chinese CultureReshaping Chinese Culture

Jiang Qing led suppression of Jiang Qing led suppression of traditional Chinese society traditional Chinese society through censorshipthrough censorship Anything related to “four olds”Anything related to “four olds” Anything “non-proletarian”Anything “non-proletarian” All Western classical musicAll Western classical music

Only Deng dared disagree—Only Deng dared disagree—and he was persecutedand he was persecuted

Result of Cultural Result of Cultural Revolution = “no culture”Revolution = “no culture”

Revolutionary Operas are good

There is “no such thing as There is “no such thing as art for art’s sake, art that art for art’s sake, art that stands above classes, art stands above classes, art that is detached from or that is detached from or independent of politics. independent of politics. Proletarian literature and Proletarian literature and art are part of the whole art are part of the whole revolutionary cause.”revolutionary cause.”

-Mao-Mao

Final Phase of Cultural Final Phase of Cultural RevolutionRevolution Deciding matters had gone Deciding matters had gone

far enough, Mao ordered far enough, Mao ordered work of Red Guards to be work of Red Guards to be taken over by PLA unitstaken over by PLA units

Over 12 million urban Over 12 million urban youths (many Red Guards) youths (many Red Guards) sent to live in countryside sent to live in countryside to experience “dignity of to experience “dignity of labor”labor”

Chinese disillusionment Chinese disillusionment increased, but no criticism increased, but no criticism of Mao until after his deathof Mao until after his death

Protect the great results of the Great Cultural Revolution

The Youth must got to the countryside to be reeducated by the poor peasants

Lei FengLei Feng: For me, : For me, Chairman Mao’s works are Chairman Mao’s works are like food, weapons and like food, weapons and the steering wheel of my the steering wheel of my truck. One cannot live truck. One cannot live without eating. A war without eating. A war cannot be won without cannot be won without weapons. A truck cannot weapons. A truck cannot be driven without a be driven without a steering wheel. One steering wheel. One cannot make revolution cannot make revolution without studying without studying Chairman Mao’s works.Chairman Mao’s works.

Four Pests CampaignFour Pests Campaign RatsRats FliesFlies MosquitoesMosquitoes SparrowsSparrows

LOCUSTS!LOCUSTS!

““The more brutal, the more revolutionary” children The more brutal, the more revolutionary” children should knock the heads off of flowers to show their should knock the heads off of flowers to show their rejection of bourgeois concepts of beauty. - Maorejection of bourgeois concepts of beauty. - Mao

Fall of Lin BiaoFall of Lin Biao

Lin, seeing himself as a Lin, seeing himself as a potential victim of the potential victim of the Cultural Revolution, Cultural Revolution, was involved in plot to was involved in plot to assassinate Maoassassinate Mao

Upon discovery, plane Upon discovery, plane with Lin & family with Lin & family “mysteriously” crashed “mysteriously” crashed on way to escape to on way to escape to USSR in Sept. 1971USSR in Sept. 1971

‘Deepen criticism of Lin & Confucius, energetically increase production’

Lin Biao’s Plane wreckage

Rise of Zhou & DengRise of Zhou & Deng

Zhou Enlai re-emerges as Zhou Enlai re-emerges as leader in efforts to leader in efforts to improve ties with West, improve ties with West, especially President especially President Nixon’s visit in 1972 Nixon’s visit in 1972

Deng Xiaoping comes out Deng Xiaoping comes out of solitary confinement of solitary confinement with new credibility as with new credibility as moderatemoderate

Zhou’s deathZhou’s death—’Tiananmen incident’ —’Tiananmen incident’ leads to dismissal of Deng leads to dismissal of Deng as Party Secretaryas Party Secretary

‘At the side of Comrade Zhou’

Deng Xiaoping

The Death of The Death of MaoMao

Last 3 years of his Last 3 years of his life, Mao was life, Mao was incapacitatedincapacitated

Left Jiang Qing & Left Jiang Qing & Gang of Four in Gang of Four in controlcontrol

Summer 1976—Summer 1976—massive earthquake massive earthquake kills 250,000kills 250,000

Sept. 1976—Mao Sept. 1976—Mao diesdies

Gang of Four

Smash the Gang of Four

Earthquakes don’t scare us, the people will surely vanquish

nature

Gang of Gang of Four…….ModernizationsFour…….Modernizations

Arrested Arrested Scapegoats -AgricultureScapegoats -Agriculture Death/Life in Prison -IndustryDeath/Life in Prison -Industry Jiang Qing commits -Science/Tech.Jiang Qing commits -Science/Tech.

suicide in 1991 -Defensesuicide in 1991 -Defense

Legacy of Cultural Legacy of Cultural RevolutionRevolution

Disastrous economicallyDisastrous economically– Education/training ceasedEducation/training ceased– Industrial/agricultural slumpIndustrial/agricultural slump

Organized terror Organized terror culture culture of callousness & brutalityof callousness & brutality

Overall death figures run Overall death figures run in the millionsin the millions

Biggest victim: “Truth Biggest victim: “Truth itself”itself”