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cultural revolution Flashcards

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1
Q

What elements of the collectivisation during GLF led to famine?

A

The chaos which accompanied the introduction of larger communes, poor labour performance which led to reduced productivity, the culture of secrecy and a willingness to pretend the harvests after 1958 were bumper ones, as well as the rationing and distribution system which was designed to extract grain from rural areas to feed industrial development in the cities

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2
Q

How many people were killed in the Great Famine?

A

36 million

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3
Q

Which provinces were effected the most during the Great Famine?

A

Anhui, Chongqing and Sichuan

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4
Q

What happened during the Seven Thousand Cadres Conference?

A

Liu Shaoqi delivered an important speech that formally attributed 30% of the famine to natural disasters and 70% to man-made mistakes

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5
Q

What was the impact of Liu’s speech at the Lushan conference?

A

The policies of Mao Zedong were criticised, and Mao also made self-criticism

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6
Q

Who, other than Mao, took responsibility for the famine?

A

Zhou Enlai who took personal responsibility for excessive grain procurements, inflating production figures and the draining of grain from the provinces

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7
Q

Who took over the economic policies after Mao’s semi-retirement?

A

Liu and Deng

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8
Q

What was the policy that allowed free market and household responsibility for agricultural production introduced by Liu and Deng?

A

sanzi yibao

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9
Q

What was Liu and Deng’s policy of three freedoms and one quota?

A

plots free for private use, free markets and free enterprises to resume responsibilities for their own profits and one fixed quota which was the fixing output of quotas based on individual households

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10
Q

What happened to economy by 1965?

A

Chinese industrial growth was at 20% and agricultural production was back to its 1957 levels

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11
Q

What were some of the implications of Liu and Deng’s economic policies?

A

Increasing inequality due to measures which encouraged productivity, such as incentive bonuses. The strengthening of the authority of the managers and technological personnel in the urban industrial sector widened the distinction between mental and manual labour, state fiscal policies favoured bureaucrats and intellectuals, rural and part time schools de-emphasised in favour of urban educational institutions

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12
Q

What happened to the collectivist values by late 1950s?

A

Collectivist values declined and Marxian socialist goals became increasingly divorced from social and political practices

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13
Q

How would you characterise the ideological stance of the Communist party in 1950s?

A

Conservative, unwilling to share Mao’s desire for the “permanent revolution” and instead more concerned with economic development

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14
Q

What happened to the party by 1960s?

A

the Party had grown into an enormous organisation of some 20 million members, functioning in accordance with the Leninist organisational principles laid down by Liu Shaoqi

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15
Q

What was the Socialist Education Movement (4 cleanups)?

A

A movement launched by Mao in 1963, aimed to “purify politics, purify economics, purify the organisation, and purify thought” in opposition to revisionism

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16
Q

How did Mao describe the Socialist Education Movement?

A

“lifting the lid” on class struggle in rural China and exposing the ox-demons and snake-spirits working against socialism

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17
Q

How many cadres and students were sent to implement the Socialist Education movement?

A

3.5 million

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18
Q

Why did the socialist education movement fail?

A

Higher level cadres often did not want to be sent to rural areas of China.  In a technique described as “turning away the spearpoint,” local cadres often sought to blame problems on former landlords or those who had been criticised during the 1957 Anti-Rightist Campaign.

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19
Q

What was the impact of the Socialist Education Movement?

A

Mao became frustrated with resistance to the Socialist Education Movement and the experience further developed his view that the relationship between cadres and the people needed to be improved

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20
Q

What did the Wu-Han play depict?

A

the dismissal of a loyal Ming dynasty official, Hai Rui, who critised the emperor

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21
Q

What was Mao’s reaction to the play?

A

Mao praised Hai Rui as a model of bravery and honesty at the Lushan Conference, but in early 1966 expressed his own criticism of the play.

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22
Q

What did the February outline (issued by Peng and the Five Man group) said in relation to the play?

A

stated that the play had nothing to do with contemporary issues

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23
Q

What was Yao’s interpretation of the play that lead to Mao opposing the February Outline?

A

play as an allegory attacking Mao; flagging Mao as the emperor, and Peng Dehuai, who had previously questioned Mao during the Lushan Conference, as the honest civil servant

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24
Q

When was the February outline revoked and what followed that?

A

In May 1966, however, February Outline is revoked, Five Man Group disbanded and May 16 Notification issued

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25
What was the significance of the Lushan conference?
Led to the political purge of Peng Dehuai, whose criticism of some aspects of the Great Leap Forward was seen as an attack on the political line of CCP Chairman Mao Zedong, resulting in a massive "Anti-Right Deviation Struggle" within the CCP
26
What was the "Anti-Rightist Deviation Struggle"?
a political campaign launched by Mao Zedong in 1959 after the Lushan Conference, aiming at purging the "right-deviationists" or "right-opportunists" within the CCP
27
What was the impact of the "Anti-Rightist Deviation Struggle"?
3 million CCP members were purged or penalised during the campaign, including Peng Dehuai
28
What was the 16th May Notification?
an official document condemning Peng and his "anti-party allies", disbanding his "Five Man Group", and replacing it with the CRG
29
What did Khrushchev do in 1956?
denounced Stalin and his policies in the secret speech on "The Cult of Personality and its consequences" and began implementing economic reforms
30
What involved the process of de-Stalinization?
Monuments to Stalin were removed, his name was removed from places, buildings, and the state anthem, and his body was removed from the Lenin Mausoleum and buried.
31
What was Mao's reaction to the events in USSR in 1956?
Mao took this is as both an attack on his own position and policies as well as a foreshadowing of what might happen in the PRC.
32
When did Mao condemn revisionism?
April 1960
33
When did the CCP began to renounce USSR?
1963 (published nine polemics)
34
What was the influence of Lin Biao?
As head of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) from 1959, Lin actively encouraged the dissemination of The Little Red Book, a collection of Mao's quotations. Lin publicly denounced Liu's moderate policies, framing them as revisionist and counterrevolutionary — a narrative that Mao would later adopt to justify Liu’s purge.
35
What did Lin Biao do in August 1966?
In August 1966, Lin Biao delivered a speech at the Central Committee Plenum that endorsed Mao’s call to purge counterrevolutionaries. He directly linked Mao’s ideas to national security, arguing that deviation from Maoism risked undermining China’s revolutionary achievements.
36
Who was Chen Boda and what was his influence?
He was Mao’s political secretary in Yanan, he played a key role in developing Mao cult and Mao Zedong thought (responsible for the rectification campaign in 1940s). Red Flag was founded under his editorship in 1958, and it effectively became Mao’s mouthpiece by 1960s.
37
What was the significance of Jiang Qing?
began promoting operas and plays with revolutionary content in 1960 and becoming a leading critic of traditional themes from the pre-revolution era, forming alliances with Shanghai propaganda apparatus, including Yao Wenyuan. She organised forums on literature and art under protection of PLA as well as Shanghai Party Committee, during which she expressed harsh criticism of the laxity of Beijing cultural and propaganda officials.
38
What did the PLA began to do after April 1961?
Began carrying a quotation from the Chairman prominently displayed on the front page
39
When was the compendium of these quotations published?
In Jan 1964, with a fuller version distributed to the PLA in May
40
How did Mao embrace the PLA?
“The merit of the Liberation army is that its political ideology is correct”
41
What was the influence of the PLA?
Fostered a more martial atmosphere: summer camps for students and workers were organised in the countryside, in primary schools, children were taught how to use airguns by shooting at portraits of American imperialists and Chiang Kaishek and military training camps were set up for older students from reliable backgrounds, where they learned how to throw grenades and shoot with live bullets.
42
How many students spent a week in a military camp in Shanghai in the summer of 1965?
More than 10 000 university students and 50 000 middle school students
43
When was the first rally?
18 August 1966
44
What did the demonstrators do eat the first rally?
The demonstrators waved the Little Red Book and sang “Mao Zedong is the red sun rising in the east”
45
What did Lin Biao do at the first rally?
gave a speech where he identified four olds as targets for the young to attack: old ideas, old culture, old customs and old habits
46
How many rallies were held in Tiananmen Square between August and November 1966?
8
47
What was the January storm in 1967?
coup d'état in Shanghai, which led to the creation of the Shanghai People's Commune on 5 February 1967
48
How did Mao respond to Red Guards' letter in August 1966?
Mao responses by writing his own big-character poster entitled Bombard the Headquarters, rallying people to target the "command centre of counterrevolution."
49
What were Revolutionary Committees, and when were they fully set up across China?
New local governments formed by Red Guards, Workers Groups, and PLA; all provinces had them by September 1968.
50
What happened during the Wuhan Incident of July 1967?
Armed fighting between the Million Heroes (supported by PLA) and Wuhan Workers’ General Headquarters (Red Guards and workers).
51
Where and how did factional fighting escalate in summer 1967?
In Chongqing (tanks used) and Changchun (dirty bombs tested) during August 1967.
52
What was the May 16 Conspiracy of 1967?
Campaign to root out a counterrevolutionary plot; 10 million investigated; Mao protected Zhou Enlai while purging ultra-leftists.
53
What were the Three Loyalties and Four Boundless Loves promoted in 1968?
Loyalty and boundless love for Mao, Mao Zedong Thought, and the revolutionary line; ritualized cult of Mao.
54
What happened to the British Mission in Beijing in August 1967?
It was attacked, looted, and burned by protesters
55
What was the Cleansing the Class Ranks Campaign?
Campaign to purge enemies of revolutionary unity through torture, forced confessions, and mass killings.
56
What was the impact of the Cleansing the Class Ranks campaign?
Around 30 million persecuted and between 1/2 million and 1 and 1/2 million killed
57
What was the impact of the "Up to the Mountains, Down the Valleys" campaign?
12 million urban youth (10% of the urban population) was rusticated
58
What major decisions were made at the Ninth Party Congress in April 1969?
New constitution ratified the purge of Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping confirmed; Lin Biao named Mao’s successor, as well as an increase of PLA delegates to Congress
59
What was the purpose of the One Strike, Three Anti Campaign (1970–1973)?
Crackdown on "counterrevolutionary destructive activities" and economic crimes graft and embezzlement, profiteering, and waste.
60
What was the impact of One Strike, Three Anti campaign?
Almost 300,000 arrested in first ten months
61
When did Lin Biao die?
September 1971
62
What was the official story behind Lin's death?
Lin was attempting to flee after a failed attempt to assassinate Mao
63
What did Mao use Lin's death as an opportunity for?
Reduce the role and influence of the PLA
64
What was the "Criticize Lin, Criticize Confucius" campaign (1973–1976)?
Attack on Lin Biao and Confucianism, later used by radicals to attack Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping.
65
What happened at the Tenth Party Congress in August 1973?
Gang of Four given key roles in new Central committee, Deng rehabilitated, Lin Baio formally condemned, Wing Hongwen became second vice premier
66
What happened at the Fourth National People's Congress in January 1975?
New constitution ratified; Revolutionary Committees made permanent but without policymaking power; Zhou Enlai introduced Four Modernizations.
67
What positions did Deng Xiaoping hold by 1975?
Deng controlled the Politburo, State Council, and Military Affairs Commission; worked to restore the economy.
68
What was the Tiananmen Incident of April 1976?
Mass protests mourning Zhou Enlai turned into riots criticizing the Gang of Four and Mao’s policies; Deng was blamed and purged.
69
When and how did Mao Zedong die?
Mao died on September 9, 1976, after a heart attack and coma; life support was disconnected.
70
What was the CCEG?
a government organization established in May 1966 during the Cultural Revolution in China, with Liu Shaoqi presiding. It was tasked with investigating, persecuting, imprisoning, and torturing revisionists and counterrevolutionaries within the highest levels of the Communist Party.
71
What happened to the CCEG in 1967?
it grew in size and was reorganized into three offices to function effectively. It became a permanent institution with a staff of thousands and attached PLA soldiers.
72
Who were the first students to call themselves Red Guards?
The first students to call themselves "Red Guards" in China were from the Tsinghua University High School, who were given the name to sign two big-character posters issued on 25 May – 2 June 1966.
73
How did Mao give a public boost to Red Guards during Red August?
Mao appeared atop Tiananmen wearing an olive green military uniform, the type favored by Red Guards, but which he had not worn in many years. He personally greeted 1,500 Red Guards and waved to 800,000 Red Guards and onlookers below.
74
How many countries had local Red Guard activity by October 1966?
Eighty Five Percent
75
When was the cemetery of Confucius attacked and by who?
The Cemetery of Confucius was attacked in November 1966 by a team of Red Guards from Beijing Normal University, led by Tan Houlan.
76
What happened to the corpse of Duke Yansheng during Reg Guards' attack on the cemetery of Confucius?
The corpse of the 76th-generation Duke Yansheng was removed from its grave and hung naked from a tree in front of the palace during the desecration of the cemetery.
77
What was one other key example of an attack on cultural and historic sites?
Ming Dynasty Tomb of the Wanli Emperor in which his and the empress' corpses, along with a variety of artifacts from the tomb, were destroyed by student members of the Red Guard.
78
How did the Red Guards take control of communication and transport networks?
They seized public transport, radio, and television networks.
79
What behaviours could lead to public humiliation by the Red Guards?
Wearing Western-style clothes, jewellery, or makeup was seen as 'decadent.'
80
What was the 'aeroplane' position used by the Red Guards?
Victims bent their knees, thrust their heads down, and raised arms behind their backs while confessing alleged crimes.
81
How were those who refused to confess treated by the Red Guards?
They were systematically punched, kicked, and subjected to mental and physical torture.
82
How many people were murdered in Beijing during August and September 1966?
1,772 people were murdered.
83
What were the suicide and death figures related to the Cultural Revolution in Shanghai in September 1966?
704 suicides and 534 deaths.
84
What were the suicide and murder figures for Wuhan during the same period (September 1966)?
62 suicides and 32 murders.
85
How did the PLA respond to radical Red Guard groups in early 1967?
They forcibly suppressed radical groups in Sichuan, Anhui, Hunan, Fujian, and Hubei in February and March.
86
What new orders were given to students after the PLA suppressed the Red Guards?
Students were ordered back to school; radicalism was declared 'counterrevolutionary' and banned.
87
How many people were killed during Red August in Beijing, and how many families fled?
1,772 killed; 85,196 families forced to flee.
88
How many firearms were distributed during the violent struggles of 1967?
About 18.77 million guns.
89
How many Tibet monasteries survived the Cultural Revolution?
Only 8 monasteries remained intact out of over 6,000.
90
What happened to Tibetan monks?
An estimated 600,000 monks and nuns lived in Tibet in 1950, but by 1979, most were dead, imprisoned or had disappeared
91
Why did the factory operation halt due to the Cultural revolution?
Factory workers either joined the Red Guards or sent to the countryside for re-education. Managers and engineers often were labelled as "bourgeois experts" and removed and persecuted, which led to decline in productivity
92
What happened to the output value of industry?
Fell by 5% in 1968, whilst steel production dropped by 12%
93
What happened to the grain production?
Declines by 4% in 1968
94
What was the political impact of the Cultural Rev?
Routine governance was paralysed, ministries and local governments were taken over by revolutionary committees
95
What happened to the rule of law as a consequence of CR?
Essentially became arbitrary
96
What happened to Deng during CR?
Condemned as party's "number two capitalist roader" after Liu, purged twice by Mao and exiled to work as a traitor factory for 4 years
97
Who did the massacres target and how many people died?
targeted the members of the Five Black Categories as well as their children, 300 000 died, with biggest collective killings in Guanxi and Guangdong
98
What was the impact of CR on ethnic minorities?
Languages and customs of ethnic minorities labelled as part of the Four Olds, texts in ethnic languages burned and bilingual education suppressed
99
How many cadres and teachers in education were persecuted?
142 000
100
How were writers and artists seen?
Black Line figures and reactionary literati
101
How many people were persecuted in the creative field?
2600
102
What happened to the ministry of Culture?
Dissolved in 1970 and instead a cultural group was established in the State Council
103
What was the impact on theatre?
Traditional operas condemned as seen as feudalistic, but revolutionary (such as The Legend of the Red Lantern) promoted
104
Why were historical sites targeted?
Thought to be at the root of old ways of thinking
105
What were the Five Black Categories?
Landlords, Rich farmers, Counter-revolutionaries, Bad influencers, Right-wingers

China 1839-1989 (8 decks)

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