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- Began: May 16, 1966
- Launched by Chairman Mao Zedong
- An attempt to regain power after the Great Leap Forward
- Led to the death or displacement of millions of Chinese and the destruction of innumerable pieces of art and antiquity
- Ended: Declared over by Mao in 1969; Most historians place the end date in 1976 when the Gang of Four was arrested
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The Cultural Revolution, also known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a struggle for control of the Communist Party of China.
Launched by Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Communist Party of China, in 1966, the campaign was Mao's attempt to rid China of the influence of the "liberal bourgeoisie." Historians recognize it, however, as Mao's attempt to wrest power of the Party back from his rivals Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping.
During the Cultural Revolution, Mao empowered his youth militia of Red Guards to overthrow his perceived enemies and seize control of the state by replacing local governments with revolutionary committees. In the violence that ensued, nearly half a million people were persecuted and died, including artists, authors, religious figures and revolutionary elders.
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Key Dates
- 1963: Mao Zedong establishes the Socialist Education Movement
- May 29, 1966: First group of Red Guards formed
- June 1, 1966: The People's Daily calls for a purge of "imperialists" and "imperialistic intellectuals"
- August 8, 1966: "16 Points" decision passed defining the extent and nature of the revolution
- August 20, 1966: Red Guards gather in Bejing and begin the "Destruction of the Four Olds" campaign
- December 1968: "Down to the Countryside Movement" begins
- September 8-10, 1971: String of assassination attempts on Mao occur as part of Lin Biao's coup plot
- September 13, 1971: Lin Biao killed in a plane crash
- September 9, 1976: Mao Zedong dies
- October 11, 1976: Gang of Four arrested
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Gang of Four
The Gang of Four was a group of Communist Party of China officials who were arrested after the death of Mao Zedong and held responsible for the events of the Cultural Revolution. The members of the Gang of Four were Jiang Qing, Yao Wenyuan, Zhang Chunqiao and Wang Hongwen. -
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The Cultural Revolution Questions
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What was the Copernicus revolution? 1 AnswerCopernicus was a big contributor in the Scientific Revolution of the 1500's, he helped change the world's perception of an Earth-centered universe, where God or... read more -
What are the unique characteristics of the Etruscan culture? 1 Answer----quote---- Much of the actual work in Etruria was done by the native population, who were subject to, though probably not slaves of, their conquerors; the n... read more
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What are the customs and culture of the Chippewa Indian? 2 AnswersChippewa (US) , ojibwe (ojibwe) are two names of same indian tribe in two different locations . These people live in groups. ( known as BANDS) with a sedentar... read more
view more questions...
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The Cultural Revolution Books and Research
- University of Maine: The Cultural Revolution Bibliography
- University of California at San Diego: The Cultural Revolution as History
- China News Digest: "Student Attacks Against Teachers: The Revolution of 1966" (1996)
- Google Books:
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The Cultural Revolution Timeline
- 1959: The Great Leap Forward is officially criticized as a failure and dismantled
- 1959-1962: The Three Years of Natural Disasters leads to the death of 38 million people through famine
- 1963: In an attempt to rebuild political strength, Mao Zedong establishes the Socialist Education Movement
- 1964: After officially attacking Liu Shaoqi, Mao begins the "Four Cleanups Movement"
- 1965: Jiang Qing publishes a criticism of the popular play "Hai Rui Dismissed from Office" by Wu Han
- 1966: May 16, An official denunciation of Wu Han's play
- 1966: May 18, Lin Biao declares Mao and his denunciation of Wu Han "a genius"
- 1966: May 29, The first group of Red Guards is formed
- 1966: Jun 1, The People's Daily calls for a purge of "imperialists," "imperialistic intellectuals," and others
- 1966: June 28, Mao issues his article "Bombard the Headquarters" beginning the Cultural Revolution
- 1966: August 8, The "16 Points" define the extent and nature of the revolution
- 1966: August 20, Red Guards gather in Bejing and begin the "Destruction of the Four Olds" campaign
- 1967: January 3, Jiang Qing and Lin Biao begin extensive purges known as the "January Storm"
- 1968: December, The "Down to the Countryside Movement" begins
- 1969: April 1, Lin Biao is named Vice-Chairman
- 1971: September 8-10, A string of assassination attempts on Mao occur as part of Lin Biao's coup plot
- 1971: September 13, Lin Biao is killed in a plane crash while attempting escape to the Soviet Union
- 1973: The Gang of Four begin the "Criticize Lin, Criticize Confucius" campaign
- 1976: September 9, Mao Zedong dies
- 1976: October 11, After purges and brutal reprisals, opinion turns and the Gang of Four are arrested
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On Twitter powered by Twitter
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mothafuckas need to KNOW RT @Blisspop: Pls take a minute to appreciate the cultural revolution that is Vamos A La Playa http://bit.ly/1Zm2ZQ
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RT @moftasa: In the metro, trying to pull people out of their apathy to start a cultural revolution.
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In the metro, trying to pull people out of their apathy to start a cultural revolution.
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RT @azolnai BBC retrospect of social, political & cultural impact of the web revolution: http://ow.ly/15o8E #bbcrevolution
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New fave doco: The Virtual Revolution - awesome BBC look back at social, political & cultural impact of the web. Watch it! #bbcrevolution
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