The Cultural Revolution (2) Flashcards
(12 cards)
What were Mao’s beliefs about revolution?
Mao believed that the process of revolution should continue until a classless society was formed.
Why did he label the Soviet Union as revisionist?
He felt that the Soviet Union had betrayed Marxist principles because the revolution had ended and there were still divisions in Soviet society. He feared that the original ideas of Marx and Lenin were in danger of being forgotten.
What was the cultural revolution?
Cultural Revolution, upheaval launched by Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong to renew the spirit of the Chinese Revolution. He wanted to purify China of any influences that took it away from a communist path. To do this, he introduced what became known as the Cultural Revolution, between 1966 and 1969.
What happened to anyone who did not support the revolution?
Anyone who did not support ongoing peasant-based revolution was called ‘revisionisť’ and needed to be ‘re-educated’ (brainwashed into believing communist beliefs) or eliminated.
Who were the Red Guards and what were their actions based on?
Student militia, known as the Red Guards, attacked anyone and anything that was considered to be revisionist. Their actions were based on the famous Little Red Book (The Thoughts of Chairman Mao).
What were some of the outrageous things the Red Guards did? (3)
- The Red Guards forced schools and universities to close down, and sent teachers and lecturers to work in the fields with the peasants.
- They invaded factories, offices and homes, destroying anything they accused of being a revisionist.
- Thousands of innocent people were beaten, tortured, or imprisoned and possibly one million were killed.
What did the Cultural revolution cause?
The Cultural Revolution caused chaos in China, disrupting the education of millions of young people and affecting industrial production. It also caused many people to lose faith in the CCP.
What are the two interpretations from Historians about the Cultural Revolution?
- Some historians have interpreted the Cultural Revolution as an attempt by Mao to regain the position of power and control which he had before the failure of the Great Leap Forward.
- Another interpretation is that it reflected a struggle between the left (Maoist) and right (supporting aspects of capitalism) wings within the CCP at the time, with Mao using the Cultural Revolution to get rid of rivals within the CCP.
What brought an end to the revolutionary period in China?
Mao’s death in 1976 brought an end to this period of revolutionary change in China.
Who tried to seize power when Mao died?
After his death, the ‘Gang of Four’ tried to seize power. They were a radical group (including Mao’s widow, Jiang Qing) who had played a key role in directing the Cultural Revolution. The coup failed and all four were arrested, put on trial and found guilty of treason.
The leaders who succeeded them were not as revolutionary as Mao had been, and they introduced policies to ‘_____’ China.
Modernise
Mao’s role in stirring up the Cultural Revolution was never publicly acknowledged (until ____ years after his death when his’ ____’ and ‘confused thinking ‘were blamed for some of the failures and ______).
Five
Mistakes
Excesses
