3.3: Attacks on Political Enemies

Question 1

Liu Shaoqui: WHY?

Answer 1

President, pragmatist
Mao believed he would be his “Khrushchev”
Allowed restoration of private farming
Top->down approach (e.g Socialist Education Movement 1963)

Question 2

Liu Shaoqui: HOW?

Answer 2

Accused of ‘taking capitalist road’
Instigated attack on Wu Han (supporter)
Criticised by Party Central Committee, August 1966D
Dismissed October 1966

Question 3

Liu Shaoqui: OUTCOME

Answer 3

Denounced publicly by wall posters
Beaten by a mob, struggle sessions, imprisoned and denied doctor’s help.
Wife publicly humiliated.
Died November 1969
MAO: STRENGTHENED: removing pragmatist leader = weakening, support outside politburo built

Question 4

Deng Xiaoping: WHY?

Answer 4

Party General Secretary, pragmatist
Mao did not trust him with the future of the revolution
Left collectivist approach behind

Question 5

Deng Xiaoping: HOW?

Answer 5

Accused of acting independently, Mao built support outside of Polit.
Criticised by Party Central Committee, August 1966
Dismissed October 1966

Question 6

Deng Xiaoping: OUTCOME

Answer 6

Denounced publicly by wall posters
Corrective labour in a tractor factory in Jiangxi province, rehabilitated into Party by Zhou 1973
Son left permanently paralysed by Red Guards
MAO: strengthens temporarily by weakening pragmatists

Question 7

Lin Biao: WHY?

Answer 7

Reactive not proactive: failed to support PLA against Red Guards, delegated due to poor health
Too popular: confirmed successor 1969 Constitution amendment

Question 8

Lin Biao: HOW?

Answer 8

Died in plane crash 1971 in Mongolia with his son while escaping
supposedly planned a coup against Mao
News not revealed until 1972
Campaign accusing him of being a Soviet spy by Jiang Qing

Question 9

Lin Biao: OUTCOME

Answer 9

Mao seen with increasing scepticism, Lin was very popular & loved
WEAKENED

Question 10

Purge of CCP membership

Answer 10

By 1966, only 9/23 Politburo members remained
70% of provincial/regional officials purged
2/3 of Central Committee that met in 1966 were purged by 1968
Local level: 3M cadres sent to reeducation (brutal, even fatal)

Question 11

Power shift

Answer 11

Power of the Party swung to the army (25/29 Provincial Party officials lost jobs to PLA officers) (45% of new Central Committee)
Power of party significantly reduced

Question 12

Purge of Bourgeois

Answer 12

Fall in industrial production, Down by 13% in 1967 and only recovered when persecution stopped
Over 100,000 deaths of bourgeois

Question 13

Purges Result

Answer 13

Increases political power, removal of pragmatists and opposition
Ideological cleansing, improves society towards a communist utopia
Less powerful members of the CCP: less threats
Young Chinese through experience of revolution to maintain Maoist legacy