China's Cultural Revolution

Following the genocide from starvation caused by Mao's Great Leap Forward Mao decided he was losing a grip on power inside China. In 1966 using the student population Mao began the Cultural Revolution. Mao's stated goal was to reignited the revolution. Actually, Mao's goal was to rid himself of what he termed the "privileged class" This class consisted of engineers, scientists and anyone else Mao considered a rival. Sounds more like an attack on the middle class that had developed and where enjoying their status.

There are three phases of the CR the needs to be discussed.

The Activist Phase from 1966-68. It was during this time period that Mao purged his enemies. During this time two sides developed. The first was led by Lin Biao and support by the PLA and the other side was led by Deng Xiaoping and the party machine. Mao sided with the PLA and used the students (Red Guard) to destroy outdated symbols and values. These phases would continue until a border clash with the Soviet Union in March 1969.

The second phase with the 9th National Party Congress. With the Maoist in control the rebuilding of the party machine and economic stabilization became priorities. Pragmatism replaced idealism as the central theme. In 1971 Lin Bao attempted a coup that failed and died in a plane crash fleeing China. This led to a purging of all Lin Bao supporters.

The final phase started with Deng Xiaoping becoming vice premier in 1973 until Mao's death in 1976. It was been estimated that between 2-7 million people died during the CR, most during the Activist Phase. (Poon)

I understand that there is presently political discussion inside China about the effects of the CR. Some have used it as a rejection of revolution and Maoism while others are showing more nostalgic toward it.

Poon, Leon. Home Page. 6 August, 2008. http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/welcome.html