The cultural revolution

• What is the commonly used name for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution?


  Chinese Cultural Revolution
• When was the People's Republic of China officially established?


  1949
• What event led to the establishment of the People's Republic of China?

  The Communists' victory over the KMT Nationalists in the Chinese Civil War
• When did the Chinese Cultural Revolution officially begin and end?

  1966 to 1976
• How long did the mass phase of the Cultural Revolution, known as the Radical Period, last?

  From 1966 to 1968
• What characterized the period after the Radical Period of the Cultural Revolution?


  A period of factional warfare resembling a civil war
• What was the role of the People's Liberation Army during the Cultural Revolution?


  They put down the Cultural Revolution
• What is a common misconception about the Cultural Revolution according to the study material?

  It is deeply misunderstood and oversimplified in many accounts
• What were the dual aspects of the Cultural Revolution?


  • Anti-authoritarianism and authoritarianism
  • Freedom of speech and self-censorship
  • Creativity and destruction
  • Naive utopianism and cynical opportunism
  • Hyper politicization and de-politicization
• What inspired the video documentary on the Cultural Revolution?

  An essay titled Underground Theory
• Who headed the post-Mao Communist Party of China (CPC) after 1976?

  Deng Xiaoping
• How did the post-Mao CPC officially characterize the Cultural Revolution?


  As a ten-year catastrophe
• What was the CPC's stance on Mao after the Cultural Revolution?


  They avoided condemning him directly and co-opted his iconography
• What narrative does the CPC enforce regarding the Cultural Revolution?


  That it was a time of anarchic chaos
• How does the Western narrative of the Cultural Revolution differ from the Chinese state narrative?


  Western narratives often depict it as totalitarian, while the Chinese narrative describes it as chaotic
• What was the Great Leap Forward?


  An ambitious plan to industrialize China and build egalitarian social relations
• What was the outcome of the Great Leap Forward?


  A catastrophic famine leading to the starvation of millions
• Who took over as head of state after the Great Leap Forward?

  Liu Shaoqi
• What was Mao's status within the CPC after the Great Leap Forward?


  He retained symbolic status but had reduced political power
• How did Mao feel about his political power after the Great Leap Forward?


  He felt like a corpse at a funeral
• What event is said to have provoked Mao's paranoia regarding his legacy?

  Nikita Khrushchev's secret speech denouncing Stalin's crimes
• What was the Sino-Soviet split presented as a conflict over?


  Revisionism and the abandonment of class struggle
• What did Mao use as an excuse to mobilize his supporters during the Cultural Revolution?


  Revisionism and paranoia about capitalism's restoration
• What is a common flaw in many historical narratives about the Cultural Revolution?


  They ignore the agency of the masses
• What were the key aspects of Mao Zedong Thought compared to Soviet Marxism-Leninism?


  • Emphasis on class struggle
  • Focus on the leading role of the masses
  • Greater emphasis on the peasantry
  • Encouragement of mutual learning among peasants, workers, students, and leaders
• What method did Mao implement to ensure the party remained connected to the masses?


  The mass line
• How was the structure of the Communist Party of China different from that of the USSR under Stalin?


  The functions of the head of state were divided among different powerful figures
• What did the Cultural Revolution challenge in China?

  The authority of the Communist Party of China
• How did the Cultural Revolution begin?

  It was ignited by a debate surrounding the play Hai Rui Dismissed from Office
• Who wrote the play Hai Rui Dismissed from Office?


  Wu Han
• What was the main criticism of the play Hai Rui Dismissed from Office?


  It portrayed peasants as politically impotent
• What did the Hai Rui Controversy provoke in Chinese society?


  Public debates about corruption and revolutionary path
• What did Mao believe was necessary to avoid regression away from communism?


  Raising the political consciousness of the masses
• What was Mao's initial call for a cultural revolution focused on?


  A revolution in the superstructure, specifically culture and ideology
• What did Mao do to purge conservative elements from the cultural state apparatus?


  He got rid of them with the help of his allies
• What was the role of the Cultural Revolution Group (CCRG)?


  To guide the Cultural Revolution and assume powers of the party's central committee
• Who was responsible for governing everyday affairs during the Cultural Revolution?

  Premier Zhou Enlai
• Who were some of Mao's key allies in the military during the Cultural Revolution?


  Kang Sheng and Marshal Lin Biao
• What was Lin Biao's role during the Cultural Revolution?


  He was one of Mao's closest allies and Minister of Defense
• What were the main events leading up to the Cultural Revolution?


  1. The Hai Rui Dismissed from Office controversy
  2. Critique by Yao Wenyuan
  3. Public debates on party corruption
  4. Mao's call for a cultural revolution