Mao's Reasons for launching the Revolution Flashcards
when did the cultural revolution start?
May 1966 when the central cultural revolution group was set up
what was the cultural revolution?
Beginning as a internal party purge by Mao, the Cultural Revolution tuned into a national mass campaign in which Mao used young people to attack anything that could be seen as opposing Mao or communism
what were the main reasons for Mao launching the Cultural revolution
Divisions within the communist party between ideologues (theoretical thinkers) and pragmatists (power struggle)
The quest for permanent revolution
Attacks on the bureaucracy
Divisions within the party between supports and opponents of Mao’s policies
How did the divisions within the CCP between ideologues and pragmatists lead to the Cultural Revolution?
Mao was uncomfortable with the measures taken to revive the damage caused by the GLF because it meant his vision of peoples communes had failed
Liu and Deng’s measures were too pragmatic for Mao and labelled them as ‘capitalist roaders’.
Mao thought the ideology of the ruling class still existed in the assumptions and behaviour of people as it was embedded in education, art and culture Mao wanted to destroy this.
Why did Mao want a permanent revolution?
Mao was worried that the revolution shouldn’t lose impetus otherwise gains made since 1949 would slip away back to old attitudes
Mao though Russia stopped its revolution and feared the same fate for China as he thought Khrushchev hurt Lenin’s legacy and de-Stalinisation was taken too far
Mao felt younger members of the party hadn’t been tested as civil war was years ago, so engaging them in violence and murder would help them become fully committed to the revolution
Why did Mao attack the bureaucracy which helped lead to the Cultural revolution?
Mao feared a new bureaucracy created to run China was becoming self-satisfied elite motivated by power
So he thought he had no choice but to cleansed the party in order to root out complacency and corruption.
Who were Mao’s supporters in the cultural revolution?
Mao’s supporters were Lin Biao (head of PLA), Jiang Qing (Wife), Kang Sheng (chief of secret police) and Chen Boda
who were Mao’s opponents in the cultural revolution and why where they Mao’s ‘opposition’?
Mao policies were opposed by Liu Shaoqi (head of state), Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yun and Bo Yibo as they wanted technical experts to play a greater role in the economy and due to Mao’s economic failures e.g. great leap forward
what happened at the party conference of 1964?
Mao accused Liu of choosing the capitalist road and accused Deng of trying to run an independent kingdom
