Question

Explain the `Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution' of China.

Hint:

After Mao's death (1976), Deng Xiaoping reversed many Cultural Revolution policies and introduced market-oriented reforms in 1978, calling it ``Socialism with Chinese Characteristics''.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
After the failure of the Great Leap Forward, Mao Zedong launched another radical campaign to reassert communist ideology and eliminate perceived capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until 1976. Its key features were:
1. Ideological Objective: It aimed to instill pure socialist/communist values and eliminate all capitalist, feudal, and traditional elements from Chinese culture and the Communist Party itself.
2. Targeting the Educated Class: Intellectuals, teachers, and professionals were branded as ``counter-revolutionaries'' and subjected to public humiliation, imprisonment, or forced labor.
3. Rustication: Students (Red Guards) and professionals were sent to the countryside to learn from farmers and laborers, aiming to bridge the gap between mental and manual labor.
4. Economic Impact: The revolution severely disrupted China's economy, education system, and normal life for a decade.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The Cultural Revolution (1966) was Mao's campaign to enforce communist ideology, which resulted in persecution of intellectuals and major economic and social disruption.