Cultural Revolution In China

Student’s Name

Cultural Revolution in China

Introduction

The Chinese Cultural Revolution, also known as the Great Proletarian Culture Revolution

started in the year 1966. Many historians refer this Revolution as a large catastrophe in the

human history since it caused inestimable lose of properties and human lives in China. The

Cultural Revolution is said to have lasted for more than ten years and its dust is gradually settling

even in the present days, more than four decades after its end. It is indisputable that both direct

and indirect effects of these gave calamity are still affecting the people of China as they reform

and forge their future social developments.

Cultural Revolution was as a result of a ten year old movement that was established with

an aim of strengthening Maoism among the Chinese through eliminating feudalistic, capitalist

and other cultural elements that compromised Maoism

. This movement was to achieve this by

conducting ideological campaigns that would revive revolutionary spirit among the Chinese and

purge the county of “impure” elements.

Lu Xiuyuan, “A Step Toward Understanding Popular Violence in China's Cultural Revolution,

Pacific Affairs, Vol. 67, No. 4 (Winter, 1994-1995), pp. 533-563.

The formation of this movement lead to an internal power struggling quickly and spilled

over into all facets of the society. This ushered in outbreak of violence that led to destruction of

properties of inestimable cost. A lot of Chinese lost their lives as young Chinese people were

forced into countryside to learn the hard life that peasants were undergoing. During the Mao’s

rule, millions of the Chinese people were persecuted.

Causes of the Cultural Revolution

Lu Xiuyuan (1994) writes that the main reason why Mao made a decision of allowing

China to undergo Cultural Revolution was because the CCP and the government of Chin at that

time were becoming too remote from the Chinese people whom they were ruling. Lu Xiuyuan

furthers that Mao used to openly criticize experts and specialists who were involving themselves

with the China’s economy. Moa is also described to have come out strongly and condemned the

preference that was being given to children of members of the party hierarchy and those that

came from urban centers to those who came from rural areas and from poor backgrounds. Mao is

said to have opposed this preferences since they were forming the basis for the formation of the

privileged middle class China

Lu Xiuyuan, “A Step Toward Understanding Popular Violence in China's Cultural Revolution,

Pacific Affairs, Vol. 67, No. 4 (Winter, 1994-1995), pp. 533-563.

Stuart R. Schram (1986) asserts that main reason why Mao was criticizing Liu and Deng

policies that were encouraging the development of intellectuals such as technologists and

scientists who would in turn be so influential in the economy and the society of China was

simple, he just wanted to regain his position in the Party so that he would have enough power to

undermine the positions which Deng and Liu held. Stuart R. Schram furthers that Mao was doing

this to appeal the Chinese people more that the leaders of the Party so that he would regain the

influence that he had lost since 1959 so that he would have enough support d authority to greatly

influence policies and the culture of the masses of the China people

. Baoxu Zhao, a political

analyst asserts that undermining the positions and policies of Deng and Liu were the most

effective avenues through which Mao would use to win the mass of the Chinese people

In his attempts to undermine Liu and Deng’s positions, Mao expressed his views that

China should have a permanent revolution. He also made accusations against Liu and Deng that

they were the snitches who were betraying the revolution from within. Mao’s declaration lead to

continuous challenging of the authority and no particular class or group was allowed to fully take

control of the Revolution.

Jiang Qing, Mao’s wife used to indoctrinate Mao with ideologies that made him to push

further, more than what he had anticipated. Qing’s advice to Mao threatened to completely

destroy the Chinese traditional culture and replace it with pure socialist ideas.

Stuart R. Schram, “The Limits of Cataclysmic Change: Reflections on the Place of the "Great

Proletarian Cultural Revolution" in the Political Development of the People's Republic of China,

The China Quarterly, No. 108 (Dec., 1986), pp. 613-624.

These consequentially led to everything “new’ being accepted and embraced without any form of

criticism as attacks were launched on anything that was “old”.

Mao also was aiming to equalize mental and physical labor. Stuart R. Schram affirms that

one of the reasons why Mao allowed Cultural Revolution was to ensure that both mental and

physical labors were equally rewarded for their contribution in production process in various

industries in which they worked in. Even so, Schram furthers that this motive seemed to be

forgotten in the devastation that took place in China between 1966 and 1968

Benjamin Carlson affirms that Mao majorly employed the tactic that involved the use of

the Red Guards in the Cultural Revolution. The Red Guards which was established in 1966

comprised students and young adults who went all or China to advocate for Mao’s thoughts

through putting up posters which were published in a ‘Red Book”. In the rally that was held on

August, 1966, in the Tiananmen Square, ‘Chairman Mao’ was urged to launch a series of

attacks on the four ‘olds’ by one million Red Guards who attended it. The four ‘olds’ included;

old customs, old habits, old thoughts and old culture.

Following the incitement the Mao gave the Red Guard at the rally, the Red Guards

launched attacks against doctors, civil servants, teachers, intellectuals and scientist and anybody

who represented authority. The people who were captured by the Red Guards were tied up before

being forced to recite Mao’s Book.

Stuart R. Schram, “The Limits of Cataclysmic Change: Reflections on the Place of the "Great

Proletarian Cultural Revolution" in the Political Development of the People's Republic of China,

The China Quarterly, No. 108 (Dec., 1986), pp. 613-624.

They were then forced to accept being guilt and required to seek for forgiveness from Mao. Their

first confession where not accepted. The victims were forced to assume the ‘aeroplane’ position

and ask for forgiveness.

The Red Guard also took over radio and television networks. In order to deal with any

opposition in any part of China, the Red Guards also took control of public transport systems

through which they would use to move freely in China. It became impossible for even those

opposing the Cultural Revolution to air their view since the Red Guards prevented any news

from being broadcasted that would attack Cultural Revolution. Red Guards’ attacks involved

brutality of the highest order even to helpless women and children who fail victims of sexual

abuse from the members of the Red Guards

Later on, both President Lie and HIS Vice President Deng were captured by the Red

Guards and dismissed. The Vice President Deng was publically humiliated in front of over three

thousand members of the Red Guards. As if that was not enough, the members of the Red

Guards threw the Vice President’s son from a window and as a result, he broke his spine.

President Liu was arrested by the members of the Red Guards and imprisoned. In the year 1973,

he died while in prison.

Lu Xiuyuan, “A Step Toward Understanding Popular Violence in China's Cultural Revolution,

Pacific Affairs, Vol. 67, No. 4 (Winter, 1994-1995), pp. 533-563.

Consequences of Cultural Revolution

At the time the Cultural Revolution was taking place, Mao was the leader of the

Communist Party. He took that opportunity and implement policy OF Down to the Countryside

Movement. This policy ensured that educated youths moved to their rural homes where they

could live and learn.

In the year 1966, many schools were closed down as students started joining the Red

Guards who were to implement the thoughts of ‘Chairman Mao’s’ thoughts during the Cultural

Revolution Era in China.

Cultural Revolution led to many healthcare persons being deployed into countryside

where they trained farmers on medical practices and build healthcare facilities in those rural

areas. This not only improved the life in rural areas, but it also helped in increasing life

expectancy of the farmers

Schools and other educational centers where build in rural areas during the Cultural

Revolution era hence improving the education standards in those rural areas as children of the

farmers were being taught about new farming techniques. In turn, this led to improved

agricultural productivity in rural areas.

Lu Xiuyuan, “A Step Toward Understanding Popular Violence in China's Cultural Revolution,

Pacific Affairs, Vol. 67, No. 4 (Winter, 1994-1995), pp. 533-563.

Cultural Revolution facilitates the education of many villagers who with time started

raising up and challenging village officials in mass meeting, and public debates. Farmers also

started raising up and criticizing the government for their faults, particularly during the Great

Leap Forward years.

Towards the end of the Cultural Revolution Era, ordinary farmers were given more

control in the management of the affairs pertaining agricultural productivity

. Many committees

were formed that democratically elected their leaders who would lead them in production plans

hence China witnessed improved economic activities and higher economic growth rate.

Conclusion

Even though Cultural Revolution in China resulted to loss of inestimable properties and

lives, it brought positive effects that the Chinese people are enjoying up to now. Were it not for

the Cultural Revolution, many rural areas in China would still be abandoned as many people

would opt to stay in urban centers.

Bibliography

Stuart R. Schram, “The Limits of Cataclysmic Change: Reflections on the Place of the "Great

Proletarian Cultural Revolution" in the Political Development of the People's Republic of China,

The China Quarterly, No. 108 (Dec., 1986), pp. 613-624.

Lu Xiuyuan, “A Step Toward Understanding Popular Violence in China's Cultural Revolution,

Pacific Affairs, Vol. 67, No. 4 (Winter, 1994-1995), pp. 533-563.

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