4.2

• Who told the young students of China to form themselves into Red Guards?

  Mao
• What was the primary purpose of the Red Guards?

  To struggle against teachers and support the aims of the Cultural Revolution
• Who supported the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution?

  The PLA under Lin Biao and Mao’s wife Jiang Qing
• What campaign did Lin Biao launch against the 'Four Olds'?

  A campaign to attack Old Culture, ideas, customs, and habits
• What types of items did the Red Guards attack during their campaign?

  Churches, cultural sites, jewellery, and books
• What did Jiang Qing urge the Red Guards to attack in August 1966?

  Individuals she called ‘black dogs, slippery backsliders and rotten eggs’ within the CCP
• Who was the main target of the Red Guards' attacks?

  Lin Shaoqi
• What happened to Lin Shaoqi as a result of the Red Guards' actions?

  He was physically attacked and forced to write his own confession
• When did Lin Shaoqi die and what was the cause?

  He died in 1969 after being refused medical treatment for diabetes
• What societal impact did the Red Guards have during the Cultural Revolution?

  Children denounced their own parents, schools closed, and many teachers were beaten
• What was the result of the Red Guards' actions by 1967?

  Law and order had broken down with over 400,000 deaths across China
• What actions did the Red Guards take against Western influences?

  • Shaved off girls' hair with Western haircuts
  • Ripped off Western-style clothes
  • Smashed windows of shops selling Western merchandise
  • Burnt bookstores, libraries, and closed cultural institutions
  • Stopped couples from holding hands
• What significant event occurred in August 1967 involving the British Embassy?

  The British Embassy in Beijing was stormed
• What was the 'Cult of Mao' during the Cultural Revolution?

  • Mao was worshipped as a God
  • Seen as the hero who saved China from foreign domination
  • Developed through a propaganda campaign
  • Most successful with the young
• What was one essential element of the Cult of Mao?

  The 'little red book'
• How many copies of the 'little red book' were printed between 1966-1969?

  740 million copies
• What happened to the Red Guards by 1967?


  They began to divide into rival factions
• What was the purpose of sending the Red Guards to the countryside?

  To 're-educate' themselves by learning from the peasants
• What was the campaign called that sent Red Guards to the countryside?

  'Up to the mountains and down to the villages campaign'
• What was the outcome of the Cultural Revolution by 1969?

  Law and order had been restored in most areas
• How many people were estimated to have been killed during the Cultural Revolution?

  1. 7 million people