The impact of the cultural revolution

• What years did the Cultural Revolution take place in China?

  1966-1976
• How did the Cultural Revolution affect economic activity in China?

  It disrupted economic activity significantly
• What was a consequence of workers starting their days with meetings during the Cultural Revolution?

  Production suffered due to lost time
• What happened to managers and technicians during the Cultural Revolution?

  They were purged and replaced by Revolutionary Committees
• What was the impact of the PLA requisitioning trains during the Cultural Revolution?

  It reduced freight movement and caused shortages
• What was the effect of political struggles on factories in cities like Shanghai in 1967?

  Strikes shut down factories and docks
• What trend did industrial production follow after 1967?

  It began to revive and exceed 1966 levels
• How did agricultural production change during the Cultural Revolution?

  Grain production increased in several years
• Why was the Cultural Revolution considered largely an urban phenomenon?

  Red Guard activity was concentrated in cities
• Where were most reports of rural disorder located during the Cultural Revolution?

  Within 30 miles of large cities
• Who directed the Chinese economy in the early 1970s?

  Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping
• What was the Four Modernisations programme initiated in 1979?

  A plan to modernize China's economy
• What was the purpose of the technology transfer deals signed by China?

  To close the technology gap with capitalist countries
• What happened to the pace of technology transfer in 1975 and 1976?

  It slowed due to the Gang of Four's influence
• What slogan summarized the Gang of Four's economic policy approach?

  Learn from Dazhai
• What was the impact of the conflict over economic policy during the Cultural Revolution?

  It resulted in a slowdown of economic growth
• What was the recorded economic growth in 1976?

  No growth was recorded
• How were schools and universities affected in the early stages of the Cultural Revolution?

  They became battlegrounds against 'incorrect ideas'
• What happened to teachers during the Cultural Revolution?

  They were targeted and often abused
• When were schools and universities closed during the Cultural Revolution?

  In the summer of 1966
• When did many high schools reopen after the Cultural Revolution?

  Not until 1971
• How did the reopening of schools and universities change after 1969?

  Curriculum included physical labor alongside study
• How many young people were sent to the countryside between 1968 and 1976?

  Over 12 million
• What roles did educated young people take in rural areas?

  Teachers and 'barefoot doctors'
• What was the impact of the Cultural Revolution on young people's education?

  Many were denied qualifications for careers
• How were young people affected by their experiences in the countryside?

  They became disillusioned with Mao and politics
• What was the term used to describe the young people affected by the Cultural Revolution?

  China's 'Lost Generation'
• What was the impact of the Cultural Revolution on birth control policies?

  Birth control was virtually abandoned in 1966
• What was the impact of the Cultural Revolution on industrial production in China?

  Industrial production fell by 13% in 1967
• Why did industrial production suffer during the Cultural Revolution?

  Workers had to start their days with meetings to recite quotations from Mao, production suffered
• When did industrial production in China begin to recover from the impact of the Cultural Revolution?

  By 1969, industrial production was higher than it had been in 1966
• How did the impact of the Cultural Revolution differ between urban and rural areas in China?

  The Cultural Revolution was largely an urban phenomenon, with less disruption in remote rural areas
• Why was agricultural production less severely impacted by the Cultural Revolution compared to industrial production?

  Peasants were not as drawn into the power struggles of the Cultural Revolution as urban workers
• What was the impact of the Cultural Revolution on grain production in China?

  Grain production increased in 1966, 1967 and 1969
• What was the slogan that summarized the radicals' approach to economic policy during the Cultural Revolution?

  "Learn from Dazhai"
• How did the conflict over economic policy during the Cultural Revolution impact economic growth?

  It resulted in a slowdown in economic growth, with no growth recorded in 1976
• When did schools and universities in China begin to reopen after being closed during the Cultural Revolution?

  Primary schools and middle schools began to reopen in 1967, but many high schools did not reopen until 1971
• How did the curriculum change in schools and universities that reopened after the Cultural Revolution?

  They had to include physical labor alongside study from books to reflect the new political reality
• How many young people were sent to the countryside to "learn from the peasants" during the Cultural Revolution?

  Over 12 million young people were sent to the countryside between 1968 and 1976
• How did the experience of being sent to the countryside impact young people during the Cultural Revolution?

  It caused many to feel disillusioned with Mao and the political system, but for others it was a formative experience