The personality cult

• What is a personality cult?


  An idealised and heroic view of a leader
• What was the east is red?


  A song about how great the party was
• What did people have to do at work each morning?

  Bow to a portrait of Mao and ask for instructions for the day
• How did switch board operators greet people?

  Long live chairman Mao
• What did Lin Biao divise to help this?


  The little red book which had Mao’s thoughts on a range of topics
• Why did Students join the red guards?


  Peer pressure to join

  Huge rallies in Tiananmen square

  Lack of opportunity if your family had the wrong class label

  Chance to prove themselves

  Only children of soldiers, workers, peasants or existing party officials had good opportunity

  Felt they had been treated badly by the party

  Gave them a sense of purpose

  Annoyed they had been moved back to the countryside.