Although 11 years of the Cultural Revolution is usually defined as a holistic period, it is better to view it as consisting of two parts. The movement began with a sudden and strong explosion of radicalism of the Red Guards, angry workers and ambitious petty officials. This massive mobilization of the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, successfully helped Mao to unseat his rivals. The second period of the Cultural Revolution lasted from 1968 to 1976 and established a new order through the negotiations and the use of force, as well as controlling the rebel groups.
The revolution was followed by repression, the rebuilt party suppressed the uprising in 1966. The apogee of the second period was the death of Mao Zedong's successor, Lin Biao in 1971. This event has excited a lot of Chinese in China and abroad and provoked a continuation of the movement, while the ailing Chairman Mao ruled in absentia and could not cope with the factional strife until his death in 1976. So what was the reasons for such a terrific page of the Chinese history?
In 1949, after several years of civil war, the Communists came to replace the corrupt regime of the nationalist Kuomintang party. They exercised the agrarian reform, giving land to the peasants, nationalized industrial and commercial enterprises. Due to this policy, in China for several years the best indicators of agricultural pre-revolutionary period were surpassed, industry, which until 1949 was only in its infancy, began to flourish.
But even these rates did not suit Mao Zedong, the leader of the People Republic of China. In 1958, he announced the course of the "Great Leap Forward", which in the short term aimed to turn backward China into an advanced socialist country. Serious backwardness in the means of production, the Chinese Communists attempted to compensate by labor enthusiasm of the masses.
The case is that the total value of the gross output of industry in China in the years 1958-1960 increased by 2.3 times, and in heavy industry output increased by 3.4 times. But then a terrible drought, lack of transport and, most importantly, a recalling of Soviet technicians by Nikita Khrushchev, who wanted to punish Mao for being too independent and "left" policies, nullified the efforts of previous years. In this context the "Great Leap Forward" was a real disaster for the economy. Following the failure of the "Great Leap Forward" in the first ranks of the party moved supporters of the moderate course - Prime Minister Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping, general secretary of the Central Committee. Mao appeared, in his own words, "a buddha with mouth sealed". In fact, Liu and Deng moved chairman aside from making significant decisions.
The Cultural Revolution began when the chairman of the CPC Central Committee, Mao felt oppressed his more conservative-minded comrades and wanted to regain its influence. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution began in May 1966 and differed from all previous campaigns that were conducted in the first 17 years of the People's Republic of China, because it was directed against the Chinese Communist Party. When Mao Zedong was preparing for the Cultural Revolution, he realized that Beijing is under the control of his rivals. He appealed for support to the second biggest city of China - Shanghai. There Maoist authors were allowed to publish articles with such a content, which never would have got in the publication in Beijing.
Under the influence of Mao Zedong Shanghai writer and publicist Yao Wenyuan published a critical article on the 1961 play "Hai Rui dismissed from office." Although the play was written during the Ming Dynasty, it could be interpreted as an excuse Marshal Peng Dehuai for his criticism of Mao Zedong and the policy of "Great Leap Forward". Playwright Wu Han was not a political newcomer, he was vice mayor of Beijing. Mao strategy was to isolate the conservative party leaders through the destruction of their lower standing. When the chairman of the municipal government of Beijing Peng Zhen was unable to withstand criticism and protect one of the members of the political environment, he was removed from power. Immersing the Beijing branch of the CPC in the chaos, Mao Zedong could easily get to Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping.
Promoting the CPC to the right, Mao overcame resistance by the inclusion of new members, their associates. Expanding the area of political participation, Mao turned to the students. Students responded with the formation of spontaneous organizations of "red guards", who were eager to confrontation with teachers, local party leaders, generally, any superior. In an authoritarian society where opportunities to speak freely there was very little, Mao encouraged teenagers to attack their enemies. Red Guards quickly organized mass rallies, published newspapers, datsibao pasted in public places raided houses imaginary enemies and even created a prison for the overthrown of teachers and officials. Their youth and lack of social obligations fueled not only their activity, but also their internal feuds and reckless behavior.
In 1968, the army increasingly participated in the restoration of order, especially in those places where the Red Guards had kindled a real civil war. An ambitious policy to curb feral Cultural Revolution began in 1968. By the time cleaning the CCP from conservative officials such as Liu Shaoqi and other "revisionists" has been completed.
But the ongoing conflicts among the Red Guards and rebel organizations were destroying the economy. Maoists have also felt the pressure in foreign policy. In the north, increased military tensions with the Soviet Union, in the south of the United States began the invasion of Vietnam.
Triumphant Maoists have taken several measures to restore order. Firstly, the rival radical organizations were merged. Negotiations on rebuilding the local authorities were stacked, and the new political role of the army, the Maoists with weapons, was dominant. The army stood behind the new revolutionary committees, local administration, based on the "alliance of three": rebel activists, left bureaucrats and military commanders. Military leaders have acted as intermediaries in the arrangements on the ground, province by province came under their influence.
Secondly, the Red Guards were sent to the village to farm work, in the framework of the "up to the mountains, down to the village" program. The expansion of this program would clean the political field by the Red Guards, causing them to harden life and work side by side with their peasant comrades. Thirdly, a secret campaign to "clean up the class ranks" personal dossier examined and subjected to purge many who were not welcome in the Maoist affairs. These were the cruelest aspect of cleaning throughout the Cultural Revolution, although less public than bright events heyday Red Guards.
IX Congress of the CPC in April 1969 noted the establishment of a new conception of political normality. Cleaning personnel in the CCP paved the way for the promotion of loyal Maoists on the top party position. About 70% of the CPC Central Committee of the eighth convocation not included in the ninth, who was elected at the IX Congress of the CPC. First secretaries of the 25 provincial party offices of 29 were removed from their posts. Jiang Qing, and other members of the Group for the Cultural Revolution enjoyed the new high position, as well as the commanders of the People's Liberation Army of China, especially in the days of the conflict on the border of the Soviet Union over the disputed islands in the river May 1969. Towered over the whole mass Defense Minister Lin Biao, deputy chairman of the Party Central Committee, and as "the closest comrade-in-arms of Mao Zedong," said his alleged successor.
The remaining years of the Cultural Revolution, shared general rhetoric and the usual measures were still qualitatively different, since the Maoists were busy consolidating their power, not its grip. Policy at the central level was variable. Although the CCP opposed factionalism, apparent division broke civil radicals, pragmatic officials led by Premier Zhou Enlai, and military officers (with its domestic division). All fighting for attention of Chairman Mao Zedong, who in turn skillfully maneuvered among disputants.
China looked more harmonious outside than in the heart of the headquarters of the CPC in Chzhonnanhae. After five years of political instability, the nation was shocked to learn of the brutal death of Lin Biao in September 1971. Lin Biao (or, more likely, his subordinates) organized an unsuccessful coup against Mao Zedong. Many details of the official version not credible, but the result was a deadly plane crash in the skies over Mongolia, when Lin Biao and his wife and son flew to China.
Political consequences of repression became the principal assistant Lin Biao, the crisis of public confidence and rehabilitation of some officials who were repressed in the early years of the Cultural Revolution. A characteristic feature of the last years of the Cultural Revolution began Fractional intrigue in the center, where the group fought for a place in the immediate vicinity ailing chairman. Mass politics, by contrast, was the most peaceful, since 1966, as the inhabitants retreated from the extravagant forms of political participation. On the ground, China looked more normal, while in the center were played serious passions.
The fall of left generals after the situation with Lin Biao increased two groups. One consisted of civic activists associated with Mao after his wife, Jiang Qing, and the second consisted of moderate trade officials led by Zhou Enlai. On the X Congress of the CPC Central Committee in 1973, 40 members of the Central Committee were rehabilitated by repression of the Cultural Revolution, including Deng Xiaoping, who was criticized as a "second person in authority who should be capitalist road". Liu Shaoqi, "Chinese Khrushchev", died under mysterious circumstances in 1969. Mao Zedong Deng Xiaoping considered not as prevalent, he defended him from expulsion from the CPC, together with Liu Shaoqi. After the internal links in the province of Guangxi, Deng Xiaoping was called to Beijing for the post of deputy prime minister in 1973, to work together in Zhou Enlai to develop a program of modernization. In 1975, Deng Xiaoping was restored in the inner circle of power, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, with the expectation of Zhou Enlai replacement, due to the deterioration of his health.
During the 1970s the rivalry played out in the elite through public political campaigns. They were often difficult to understand and pursue far-fetched goal. A good example was a campaign to "criticize Lin Biao and Confucius." All the progressive part of the population of China was happy to criticize Confucius as a symbol of the old society, within the framework of the "movement of the 4th of May". But why Confucius associated with Lin Biao? Such initiatives are not credible.
In contrast to these sophisticated political campaigns were delivered last appeal Zhou Enlai to the "4th modernization" of agriculture, industry, science and technology, national defense. His rhetoric has met the requirements of the Cultural Revolution, however, disclose the contents of the economic practicality of Deng Xiaoping and other rehabilitated cadres.
Politics was in a state of paranoia. Deteriorating health of Mao Zedong (he had Parkinson's disease and heart disease) to remove him from the political life, and he alone could resolve disputes rival factions. Zhou Enlai died in January 1976, the April demonstration in the square Tyananmen in Beijing, dedicated to his memory, Mao persuaded not to punish Deng Xiaoping for the second time. Public Safety Minister Hua Guofeng, who rose during the Cultural Revolution, was named acting prime minister of the State Council and First Deputy Chairman of the CPC Central Committee. By June, Mao Zedong was already too weak to receive foreign guests. His speech and writing become difficult to understand. When in July in the Tien-Shan earthquake were killed a quarter of a million of the population of this city, superstitious people started talking about the loss of "heaven's mandate".
After the death of Mao Zedong, September 9, 1976, began the decisive clash of rival factions. Hua Guofeng became chairman of the party. One group of Maoists arrested another. Major civil radicals widow of Mao Zedong, Jiang Qing, writer and politician Yao Wenyuan, secretary of the Shanghai City Committee of Zhang Chunqiao and vice chairman of the CPC Central Committee Wang Hongwen - were arrested by the heads of the army and bodyguard of Mao Zedong. Radicals, which have been called "Gang of Four", were originally charged with the demolition of the Cultural Revolution, but, in fact, China began a long process to expose the last large-scale movement of Mao Zedong.
Summing up, the Maoist idea of the appearance of revisionism and the need to strengthen the fight against it came from the period of heightened political struggle for power in connection with the reform of China's Maoist recipes. The emergence of serious opposition put forward by the rate of Mao Zedong Mao forced to seek a theoretical justification complicated by social processes in the country. It has been suggested that a large number of revisionists from among the representatives of the Chinese bourgeoisie has penetrated into the party headquarters, army, government, science and culture. Onl realizing proletarian cultural revolution, power can be won , usurped by the capitalist elements. Thus, the "cultural revolution" was aimed at removing from the governing bodies of the party and government of all who disagreed with the policy of the "Great Helmsman". The idea of "barrack's communism", imposed on the Chinese people, was accompanied by increased resistance to Maoist course and sharp political struggle for power.
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