Hundreds Of Flowers Campaign Flashcards
What did Mao originally do to intellectuals ?
They were branded as “capitalist enemies”
They had to admit guilt and face abuse
What did Mao do in 1956?
He called for discussion
“Let a hundred flowers bloom”
He believed to economy needed the catch up with the west so he asked for help and advice
What was the reaction from the people in 1956 when Mao said he wanted to “let a hundred flowers bloom”
Little impact
Intellectuals were unwilling to risk freedom and they did not want to be labelled as counter revolutionaries
Part leaders were also afraid
Got what 4 reasons did Mao launch the hundred flowers campaign?
Feb 1956- Khrushchev critiques Stalin’s violence and personality cult. Mao then invites a less dictatorial approach as he had similar violent systems and level of personality cult as Stalin
Rectification of the party
Mao feared the party were becoming less revolutionary. Mao wanted the intellectuals to criticise the less revolutionary communists so he could remove them
Mao was overconfident and thought the peasants loved him as his polices of rounding up bandits and drug dealers were popular. He had an improved reputation since the Korean War and first five year plan
What does Mao do in 1957?
He tries again!
He admits CCP made mistakes and 800,000 were killed
He said he wrongfully identified intellectuals as enemies. This speech was played to them
What was criticised ? (3)
Intellectuals criticised party’s failure to provide rights of expression in art and culture
They compared Mao’s violence to Hitler
They criticised Mao personally. E.g. A poseur earned that the peasants should put his picture in the toilet
What was the anti rightist campaign?
In response to criticisms of hundred flowers campaign’s personal attacks
He said “poisonous weed” had grown amongst “fragrant flowers”
This was defined broadly so Mao could get rid of more people
Cadres were given quotas of 5% of people in danwei so innocent people were dammed as rightists
What was effected by the anti rightist campaign?
More people were purged in this campaign than any other
400,000-700,000 were purged or sent to Laogai
