Cultural Revolution

By maxkwok906

  • Setting the stage for the Cultural Revolution

    Mao Ze Dong's wife, Jiang Qing and Yao Wen Yuan criticize a play which symbolically attacks Mao. Jiang Qing later criticizes literature and art in general within China, starting the Cultural Revolution.

  • Unofficial beginning of the Cultural Revolution

    The CCP publishes the "May 16 Circular", which informs the public that they should oust the "bourgeoisie" within the Communist Party. Schools are cancelled, and with Mao Ze Dong's encouragement, students criticize the school authorities at Beijing University.

  • First DaZiBao

    A Teacher at Beijing University writes a Big Character Poster criticizing other professors as anti-Party. Many people soon followed.

  • Red Guards form at Beijing University

    Students at Beijing University form the Red Guards to eliminate Mao's enemies. Many join because of personal struggles such as power, equality and marriage, etc...

  • Mao writes a DaZiBao

    Mao Ze Dong writes a DaZiBao attacking Liu Shao Qi, and he inspires others to do so with him.

  • Sixteen Points Directive

    The Central Committee passes the "Sixteen Points" which support Mao Ze Dong and the Cultural Revolution to purge Capitalists in the Party. This makes the Revolution more legitimate and official.

  • First Red Guard rally in Beijing

    Mao Ze Dong greeted the Red Guards at Tiananmen Square, and allowed them to smash the "Four Olds". There was about 13 million Red Guards present in the square.

  • Chaos escalates

    The Red Guards have violently destroyed many peoples property and killed more than 1700, there were also different factions who disagreed with each other. There are many people falsely accusing of others as anti-Party just for their own power.

  • Effects of Chaos escalating

    Short term effect: This Chaos kills about two thousand people and many people's homes were destroyed.
    Long term effect: With the destruction of the Four Olds, many important historical items were also destroyed, and it results in the loss of historical artefacts in modern China. Also with all the violence, many Chinese people now are uncivilized, not loving and caring for the people around them.

  • Campaign to promote Mao's cult of personality

    Lin Biao and Jiang Qing began promoting Mao Ze Dong as a god-like figure, and his face was seen everywhere. A book filled with his quotes was required to be carried and studied.

  • Red Guards dismantled

    Mao Ze Dong ordered the People's Liberation Army to quell the Red Guards because they caused too much chaos, and schools are reopening again.

  • "Down to the Countryside" Movement

    Mao Ze Dong sent more than 16 million young people to the countryside to be re-educated through labour, many of them die.

  • Effects of "Down to the Countryside" Movement

    Short term effect: Some of the young people cannot handle the labour and died of malnutrition and starvation.
    Long term effect: A generation of people in China was uneducated about urban life, and possibly developed poor manners and habits. And the countryside was more populated.

  • Ninth Congress of the CCP

    The meeting puts Lin Biao to succeed Mao Ze Dong, and setting the goal to be rebuilding the Party, and stabilizing the economy, increasing grain production, and establishing foreign relations.

  • "The Lin Biao Affair"

    Mao becomes suspicious towards Lin Biao, and Lin failed to assassinate Mao, which destroys his reputation. Lin dies in a mysterious plane crash afterwards.

  • "Criticize Lin Biao, Criticize Confucius" Campaign

    The CCP goes through lots of inner changes, and Jiang Qing fails to initiates a campaign to criticize Lin Biao and Confucius (Zhou En Lai) to make them the scapegoat for the failed Revolution.

  • Tienanmen Incident

    Many people attended Zhou En Lai's funeral because he was a moderate leader and loved by the people. This event was initially marked as counter-revolutionary but has since been rehabilitated

  • Events leading to the end of the Cultural Revolution

    The Cultural Revolution ended after mao's death and the Gang of Four being blamed. This shift of blame keeps Mao Ze Dong's great status unharmed.

  • Effects of Events leading to the end of the Cultural Revolution

    Short term effect: The chaos and destruction of the Cultural Revolution have ended, and life is returning to normal for many people.
    Long term effect: By shifting the blame, Mao Ze Dong's god-like status remains in China, and few dare to criticize him even till this day.