Causes of the Hundred Flowers Campaign, 1957

Question 1

intro

Answer 1

Mao did not want to give intellectuals freedom shown in Anti Hu Feng campaign and later proved by the Anti-rightist campaign, he was suspicious of intellectuals as education was expensive most had bourgoise landlord backgrounds and trained abroad or by missionary schools and freedom of self expression was seen as bourgoise self indulgence, ‘after the Three antis campaign no one wanted to be in control money, after the anti rightist campaign no one opens their mouth’ Mao successfully silenced opposition and secured his infallible power, he also needed to prevent similar uprisings to Hungary and Poland following Khruschev’s secret speech as Mao began to fear revisionist silencing the population made his position more secure

Question 2

Rectification campign
ideology debate

Answer 2

Mao’s position as chairman of the ccp was to keep the ideology debate alive, the party had removed Mao Zedong Thought and Mao needed to regain his power over the party similar to the Yan’an Rectification Campain as his job was to continue the revolution

Question 3

Rectification campaign
need support

Answer 3

‘democtraic centralism’ meant Mao needed popular support from politburo not enough to be able to lead debate. He needed to stifle it following debates over pace of change as the 1.F.Y.P achieved a year early and Deng wanted collective readership

Question 3

Rectification camapign
mass line

Answer 3

But the party did agree to the general line having deviated from the mass line, that the PRC would transsform to socialism over 15 years which would be different to the Soviet model following Khruschev’s secret speech also indirectly attacking Mao

Question 4

intellectuals
critcise party

Answer 4

Hundred flower campaign allowed freedom to criticise party policy so mao could win support ‘let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend’, but not expect criticism against him, shown at Beijing poster Mao called for him to step down, abused human rights in counter revolution campaign, slavishly follow Ussr model

Question 5

intellectuals
anti hu feng

Answer 5

Anti-Hu Feng Campaign, wrote PRC limiting culture stifled art and creativity, removed from the writers union, agent of GMD, imprisoned. Campaign to rid ‘Hu Feng elements’ 2,000 supporters criticised, 100 arrested, showed Mao not want intellectuals to have freedom

Question 6

intellectuals
Anti-rightist campaign

Answer 6

Anti-rightist campaign 1957, ‘eradicate poisonous weeds’ Mao’s actual intention to reveal and purge enemies of the revolution 500,000 intellectuals denounced as ‘rightists’, quotas met, a girl arrested for praising shoe polish, lots of suicides. Few students shot

Question 7

Consolidate power
Purge Peng Dehuai

Answer 7

Purge Peng Dehuai, defence minister return from home province Henan wants a meeting not happen writes ‘letter of oppion’, Mao publishes criticized specific failings but said policy was correct, reputation independent minded, charged deviating from ‘general line’ denounced as rightist and ‘aiding class enemies’ (situation in USSR), house arrest, leading figures not safe to criticize, another purge low level cadres struggle meetings and self critism

Question 8

Consolidate power
Purge Gao Gang and Rao Shushi

Answer 8

Purge Gao Gang and Rao Shushi 1953, Gao key posts in Manchuria, head of central planning commission responsible for dirrecting first 5 yr plan, tried to ursup Zhou for disagreeing with pace of change with help of Rao, thought he had Mao’s support, revealed by Deng, Mao accused of ‘running independent kingdoms’ suicide and Rao died in prison

Question 9

Consolidate power

Answer 9

His motives were to consolidate has power with the anti rightist movement that followed and to end debate within the party

But showed less power stepping down as chairman of PRC, but this was only symbolic still chairman of CCP and held the power in 1958