The Cultural Revolution - The Red Guards and Red Terror Flashcards
(17 cards)
1
Q
Why did Mao target young people?
A
- Younger people where more likely to believe in the cult of Mao
- Many had little recollection of the GLF
- Indoctrination through education and the little red book
- ‘Dare to rebel against authority’
2
Q
Why did young people join the Red Guards?
A
- Some were children of party cadres
- Offered a chance of glory for revolutionary heroism
- Students could advance their careers
- restrictions on ‘black elements’ lifted, determined to prove loyalty to Mao and overcompensate for their family background
3
Q
What was the cult of Mao?
A
- regime urged total commitment to Maoist thought
- people bowed to portraits of Mao asking for ‘instructions’
- some believed the little red book worked miracles
- Mao was near divine being worthy of worship ‘The east is red’ song became an unofficial anthem
4
Q
What were the mass rallies of 1966?
A
- red guards from Tsinghua University sent poster to Mao ‘Long live the proletarian revolutionary spirit of rebellion! ‘
- Mao urged the people to ‘Bombard the headquarters‘, message to attack party leaders
- PLA transported students around China to Beijing
- Rallies held in Tiananmen Square and attended by Mao
5
Q
What was the ‘four olds campaign’?
A
- Mao launched August 1966
- ‘Four olds used by exploiting classes to corrupt the masses’
- Red Guards told to ‘put daring above everything else‘
- Attacked visitors to restaurants
- Bird owners were attacked as keeping a bird seen as traditional
- old ‘feudal’ signs changed to read ‘permanent revolution’ or ‘defend Mao Zedong’
- childrens names changed to ‘Red Glory’
- British embassy stood on ‘Anti-Imperialism road’
6
Q
How did the red guards attack old culture?
A
- Temples, sculptures, statues and artefacts were destroyed and defaced
- Confucian texts were burned
- 1/3 libraries closed, 7 million books lost
- Zhou Enlai had to send PLA to protect forbidden city
7
Q
What happened at the confucious temple in Shangdong, Hai Rui’s burial site, Wu Xun and the Qing era archway?
A
- Shandong temple attacked by 200 red guard, 2000 graves defaced
- Hai Rui burial site was defaced and Wu Xun was denounced and his corpse broken into little pieces
- 200 year old Qing era archway attacked
8
Q
How was Tibet affected during the cultural revolution?
A
- Destruction was particularly widespread in Tibet
- All aspects of Tibetan culture was targeted
- Statues were defaced
- Buddhist scriptures used as toilet paper
9
Q
How did the use of terror arise?
A
- Autumn and winter 1966 violence from red guards spread out of control in the ‘ red terror’
- Party members, landlords and businessmen were subject to torment
- ‘class enemies’ sent for ‘re-education’ through physical labour in prison camps
- intellectuals kidnapped or killed, many committed suicide
10
Q
How did the cultural revolution become even more chaotic?
A
- Maoist indoctrination forced rival red guards to turn on each other
- Radical groups sprung up in anarchic and uncoordinated attempts to join the violence
- violence broke out between red guards and farmers who resented the young people telling them what to do
- China stood on the edge of civil war
11
Q
What was the January Storm?
A
- Underprivileged workers destroyed party establishment in Shanghai and created their own form of control
- Modelled of Paris commune of 1871
- 100,000 radical rebel red guards attacked and defeated 20,000 scarlet guards who were moblisised by local party
12
Q
What was the February adverse current?
A
- February 1967, Zhu De (PLA commander) and Chen Yi (foreign minister) protested against Mao encouraging chaos
- Mal criticised them and dismissed their complaint as ‘February Adverse current’, flowing against revolutionary tide
13
Q
How did Mao futher the violence?
A
- Mao told red guards ‘have no fear of chaos’
- Wuhan, summer 1967, army sided with local party and arrested radical red guards
- Led to clashes between red guards and PLA
- Members of the government flew to Wuhan to criticise PLA, kidnapped by PLA supporters
- August, rebels seized foreign ministry in Beijing for 2 weeks
14
Q
Why did Mao establish Revolutionary committees?
A
- by Sep 1967, Mao concerned anarchy may lead to a challenging of the party legitimacy itself
- Merged role of party, state and army
- party remained dominant
15
Q
How did the PLA restore order?
A
- by 1968, Mao realised only the PLA could curtail the violence
- PLA were ordered to crush red guard and violently re-establish the control of the central party
- red guards protested a ‘black hand’ was seeking to surpress them, Mao admitted ‘I am the black hand’
16
Q
What happened during the ‘cleansing the class ranks’ campaign?
A
- Dedicated to completely eradicating capitalism
- PLA launched massive wave of terror led by unit 8341
- 1.84 million arrested for being alleged spies, bad elements or newly emerged counter revolutionaries
- In Yunnan, party records suggested 7000 died from ‘enforced suicide’
17
Q
When did the violence finally end?
A
- Violent phase of CR ended at Ninth party congress in April 1969
- Lin Biao was named as Mao’s successor
