...History 103 001 Cultural Revolution in China: views on Mao’s Era. Yi Jie Yang 40223109 Professor: Steven Hugh Lee Chinese culture has had great misunderstandings particularly in the western countries owing to the views represented by socio-cultural scholars, historians and literature writers. This paper reviews two books that explore the Cultural Revolution in China with a major focus on the Authors’ Writing Style and their views on Mao’s Era. Writing Style In the book “Born red: a chronicle of the Cultural Revolution.” The author, Yuan Gao, explores the first violent years of China’s Great Proletarian culture revolution. Gao provides an account of his own experience as a Red Guard in the Cultural revolution bringing out the readers as close as they can get to the political vortex that shaped the views of millions of teenagers behind the national movement that brought China to the blink of civil war[1]. Born Red entails more than the recollection of a political nightmare including a concise narrative of an adolescent torn by conflicting loyalties as the author is called upon to participate in the destruction of the world that has nurtured him. The author’s story provides tribute to the durability of cultural traditions at a time when nihilism was at its best. Gao clearly outlines the Cultural Revolution in China in an attempt to create a way for a more egalitarian and...
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...Question: What Was the Cultural Revolution? Answer: Between 1966 and 1976, the young people of China rose up in an effort to purge the nation of the "Four Olds": old customs, old culture, old habits and old ideas. In August, 1966, Mao Zedong called for the start of a Cultural Revolution at the Plenum of the Communist Central Committee. He urged the creation of corps of "Red Guards" to punish party officials and any other persons who showed bourgeois tendencies. Mao likely was motivated to call for the so-called Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in order to rid the Chinese Communist Party of his opponents after the tragic failure of his Great Leap Forward policies. Mao knew that other party leaders were planning to marginalize him, so he appealed directly to his supporters among the people to join him in a Cultural Revolution. He also believed that communist revolution had to be a continuous process, in order to stave off capitalist-roader ideas. Mao's call was answered by the students, some as young as elementary school, who organized themselves into the first groups of Red Guards. They were joined later by workers and soldiers. The first targets of the Red Guards included Buddhist temples, churches and mosques, which were razed to the ground or converted to other uses. Sacred texts, as well as Confucian writings, were burned, along with religious statues and other artwork. Any object associated with China's pre-revolutionary past was liable to be destroyed. In their...
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...The Cultural Revolution lasted for a decade and saw the fragmentation of China only ending after yielding seemingly little benefit to anyone involved. Mao Zedong was foremostly, and most successfully, a revolutionary and much of his life had been spent seeking to fundamentally transform China. Mao’s goal, to form a new strong and prospering China, required the creation of a new national sense of being through the Cultural Revolution. To forge a new society and culture, rid of entrenched feudal ways was considered absolutely necessary with the omnipresent shadow of the New Culture Movement, which had been frustrated by the size of the task. Only a mass movement by the entire nation to reform themselves could succeed. Mao found his answer in the political philosophy of Marx and Lenin whose work he synthesised and altered, eventually focusing on the potentially revolutionary aspects of widespread revolution. Mao made a significant contribution to Marxist philosophy by concluding that in order to keep the results of a revolution in place, the revolution too had to be permanent. Mao launched the Cultural Revolution, motivated by this genuine desire to preserve and protect the revolution by making it impossible for China’s leaders to become comfortable and lead the nation to regress to capitalism. The Communist victory in 1949 and subsequent decade of control saw some slow improvements in the life of the ordinary Chinese, and few leaders of the CCP were adamant that a revolution was...
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...PowerPoint presentations and hand out sheets. | -Early Chinese History; Qing Dynasty-Mao Zedong’s reign (Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution etc..)-Deng Xiaoping reign (rebuilding China) | | | | Deng Xiaoping and the transformation of China – Ezra. F. Vogel (author) | -Deng Xiaoping reign (how it differed to Mao Zedong’s, economic zones, -Chinese socialism – against traditional Marxist beliefs. | | | | Access to History, The People’s Republic of China, 1949-1976 – Michael Lynch (author) | -Mao Zedong’s reign (Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution etc..)-Deng Xiaoping reign (rebuilding China) | | | | The Search for Modern China – Jonathan. D. Spence (author) | -Life in China before Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping-The Chinese Empire; Qing Dynasty | | | | A Bitter Revolution: China’s struggle with the modern world – Rana Mitter (author) | -China before the present day/before it became so powerful worldwide-Mao Zedong’s and Deng Xiaoping’s reignModern Day China | | | | China: From Empire to People’s Republic 1900-1949 – Michael Lynch (author) | -Mao’s communist victory/takeover.-Mao speeches/quotes. | | | | China: A History – Harlod Miles Tanner (author) | -Mao Zedong’s reign (Great Leap Forward, -Cultural Revolution etc..) | | | | Mao Zedong’s Dictatorship – Kathlyn Gay (author) | -Mao Zedong’s reign (Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution etc..) | | | | Mao’s China: A nation in...
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...Dong Won Moon Ms. Jana Russ World Civilizations: China 23 July 2009 What were the reasons which caused Qing Dynasty to fall? And why is that important? What was the opportunity that does China got a foothold in modernization? What is the last Kingdom of the history of China? The Qing dynasty was the last kingdom ever lasted in Chinese history. In fact, the fall of the Qing dynasty facilitated modernization of China, however there were three main reasons which caused collapse of Qing dynasty: Empress Dowager Cixi, Opium war and rebellions during Qing period. First, who is Empress Dowager Cixi? As the textbook “CHINA: A Cultural, Social, and Political History” by Patricia Buckley Ebrey said the Cixi was most powerful person during the self-strengthening period. To maintain her authority, she chose her four years old cousin after her son’s death. The record also said that Cixi was a skillful political operator (p.223). However, Cixi was sided with conservative parts which caused French fleet attack on China (p.224). So this was the reason why Qing got attacked from foreign forces which the dynasty gradually got weakened, so Cixi was one of the reason why Qing dynasty got perished. This was also pretty interesting issue that it was kind of opposite view comparing to Kangxi who lived to perceive the Qing Empire firmly established (p.190). Another big issue that caused Qing dynasty to fall was the Opium War. As the textbook by Ebrey, it said that by the late 18th century...
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...Name: Course: Tutor: Date: The Hundred Flower Movement and its impact on Chinese culture today: Introduction: In Chinese history, specifically the years 1956 and 1957, Mao Zedong the then paramount leader of People's Republic of China (PRC) launched the Hundred Flower Movement which was a movement that encouraged open intellectual and political debate. The main intention of the campaign was to cause a stir in the bureaucracy and at the same time weaken the Chinese Communist Party’s position as a dominant pro-Soviet right wing and slacken its tight grip over the freedoms of thought and expression. However, the situation went rapidly out of hand resulting in an uncalled for censure of party members. Background information: The movement began in May 1957 after a secret speech by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev attacking the excesses of Stalinism came to light. Its founder, Mao adopted the slogan ‘Let a hundred flowers bloom together, let the hundred schools of thought contend’. He then invited Chinese intellectuals to openly voice their criticism over government policies and party cadets. Mao’s intention was to win over alienated intellectuals by giving them a certain degree of intellectual freedom. Such incentives included: increased access to foreign publications for intellectuals working in schools, colleges and universities since the people had began losing faith in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after it introduced a Soviet-style education system to China in 1949...
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...not have happened without Richard Nixon’s trip to China in 1972 that ended more than two decades of Cold war hostility. This trip allowed journalist’s access to china for the first time in two decades, and created an appetite for China. This appetite was insatiable after many of American top journalists describe it as like “going to the moon.”, and therefore when US – Chinese relations were reopened in 1979. Many top Journalists jumped on this, including Fox Butterfield. This was historically important because it gave firsthand knowledge of the struggles that occurred within Chinese society especially with the destruction of intellectuals in Mao’s Cultural Revolution, and allowed for the first time in 30 years the ability for Americans to understand what was occurring overseas in China. Relevant Events background The Chinese revolution of 1949 was based on the majority of the Chinese against imperialism, feudalism, and capitalism. This was displayed quite well in the previous presenters by Mao in “the foolish old man“, speech in which Mao explains that the Chinese people hold two large mountains on their shoulders and one being imperialism, and “the other is feudalism.” However, afterwards much of the economic surplus was placed in the hands of the state for industrialization and in turn allowed elites the power to control. These elite found power and...
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...Mao’s reinvention: the destruction of the Capitalist Roader The Great Proletarian Revolution was filled of bloodshed and terror in an attempt for a dictator to regain long lost power. This revolution was to undertake the cleansing of political capitalist roaders trying to undermine Communist China. To do so, Mao needed the support of the masses in which he employed millions of students to begin to find capitalist opposition to his ideas, and regain political stature amidst the removal of opposing ideas. This event was to make use of the members of the Communist Red Guard, which Mao created to occupy the strength of teenage masses in china. The Red Guard, although great in strength, had eventually become a major weakness for the revolution. Mao used the Cultural Revolution to regain political stature through the removal of capitalist opposing thought, and did so using the removal of four olds to cover over this. This was significantly effective, but created lasting effects that he struggled to control until his death. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution had begun in 1966. The revolution was based on a sixteen point decision made by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party relating to the removal of capitalists. This decision was to remove all “old ideas, culture, customs and habits” from the bourgeoisie (a social class based on capital) and replace them with the “new ideas, culture, customs and habits of the proletariat to change the mental outlook of the...
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...China during the Cultural Revolution was a place where you were told what to do, and what to say. Today I will be speaking to you about Mao’s Last Dancer, the film adaption of the autobiography of Li Cunxin. To begin with, I will speak about the Cultural Revolution in China, where the story is set. Li’s story took place during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution of China, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution. This revolution took place from 1966 to 1976, lead by Mao Zedong, who was the leader of the Communist Party of China at the time. The Cultural Revolution led to millions of people being persecuted and thousands more being killed. Because of the Cultural Revolution, people no longer had freedom of speech and actions. If anyone was found criticising the Government or taking part in anti-communist operations, they would be arrested immediately. Generally, the people of China took to the idea of communism because they had been convinced and continually told that communism would bring great wealth to China. This was great news to the people of China because they had suffered a famine, which lead to the death of millions of people. The Cultural Revolution officially ended in 1976, after Chairman Mao died. Those found to be part of The Gang of Four, a group of Chinese Communist Officials, were arrested for treasonous crimes. In Mao’s Last Dancer, it is shown how Li was taught at school in Shandong that Chairman Mao would end poverty in China. After he arrived at...
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...The Chinese Cultural Revolution "A revolution is not a dinner party or writing an essay or painting a picture or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous"- Mao said in 1927 to a youth activist The reason for china to trying to become such a new generation was solely the opinion of Mao and his followers. Mao had seen the way the Russian revolution had gone astray and worried China would follow in its path. He mad four goals: to rectify China's communists, replace his successors with one more faithful, provide youth's with a revolutionary experience and achieve policy changes to make education, health care and cultural systems less elitist. Obviously, the goals were purely a show when his real concern was his place in history. When he launched the revolution schools were shut down and officials were publicly humiliated to test them. Elders and intellectuals were physically and verbally abused. Many died of ignorant causes, without a second thought from Mao. So as the revolution tolled on Mao truly only had himself in mind. Mao went through great lengths to make sure that everyone was Maoist. He had Lin Bao his defense minister make his whole army maoist. He shut down schools in August 1966 Mao encouraged his red army to attack all traditional values and the bourgeois. He even publicly criticized officials to see how they would react....
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...The Cultural Revolution, formerly known as the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement which occurred from 1966-1976. The revolution came to an end when the leader, Mao Zedong passed away, and the other communist leaders, known as the Gang of Four, all got arrested. Mao Zedong led the revolution in China because his position in the government was weakened after his failed attempt at “The Great Leap Forward” (History.com Staff). His way of trying to regain power was to convince everyone that the current leaders were taking China in the wrong direction and not is not going to improve their living situations, so he decided to change and get rid of many of the traditional aspects in Chinese life and tried a communist...
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...charge of their businesses and even government for which they work. Working class citizens, more than not, had no choice in whether or not to work, in most cases they became thrust into positions because their family needed the money to survive. Socially this class of people had no other choice in what to do, because they did not have the opportunity to escape the clutches of their social class. The laborers of history showed time and time again that trying to escape the class was one of the hardest and most difficult endeavors to undertake. Social factors led to the men working in the printing shop of Jacques Vincent to have a workers revolt in which they were to kill their bosses cat (Workers Revolt: The Great Cat Massacre of the Rue Saint-Severin, Darnton, 75). Cultural...
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...Events that Change the World JaShavea Everett American Intercontinental University Professor Whitehead Events that Change the World In the very end of the 18th century, a revolution occurred, and it took the world by storm; and they weren’t ready for it. The revolution was not one to that had to deal with anything necessarily politics, but in the future would lead to many findings later in its place of existence. The revolution had no cultural or social impact; this revolution was economic. The Industrial Revolution changed the world. It changed the way the world’s production of their goods. The IR changed the societies in the times back then; it went from being agriculture society, to then being taken over by manufacturing. The IR began in Great Britain, in the middle of the 18th century, when they were the most powerful force in the world. It was hard to even imagine that Britain was leading this revolution, they had the most wealth. Shortly after England was adopted, other countries began to play a part in the IR, countries like Germany, France, and the United States. During the time of the IR people began to invent new technology, and thus far technology began to advance and this bought the coming forth, cultural problems, as well as socioeconomic. The steam power was one of the biggest advancements in technology. Fuels like coal and petroleum were included in the newly steam engines. This invention revolutionized many of the industries, including manufacturing...
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...STALIN, THE GREAT PURGE, AND RUSSIAN HISTORY: A NEW LOOK AT THE ~EW by MARSHALL SHATZ Paper No. 305 1984 CLASS' STALIN, THE GREAT PURGE, AND RUSSIAN HISTORY: A NEW LOOK AT THE 'NEW CLASS' ~ MARSHALL SHATZ Paper No. 305 1984 Marshall S. Shatz received his B.A. from Harvard College and his M.A., Certificate of the Russian Institute, and Ph.D. from Columbia University. He edited The Essential Works of Anarchism (New York: Bantam Books, 1971; Quadrangle Books, 1972) and is the author of Soviet Dissent in Historical ¥erspective (Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1980). He is Professor of History, University of Massachusetts at Boston. 1 STALIN; THE GREAT PURGE; AND RUSSIAN HIsroRY: A NEW IOOK AT '!HE • NEW CLASS' Though nearly fifty years in the past; Stalin •s Great Purge of the 1930s still loans as one of the nost enigmatic events of the twentieth century. Whether we think of the Great Purge as a IOOre or less continuous process fran the assassination of Kirov in 1934 to Ezhov's replacement by Beria as head of the secret police at the em of 1938; or limit it to the EzhoVshchina of 1937 and 1938; When the terror reached its peak; operation is astounding. the sheer nagnitude of the The nuniber of arrests; deportations; imprisonments; and lives lost in these years is impossible to measure; and attempts to do so have varied wildly. Even the lOi/est estimates; however; are staggering.l It ...
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...Mao Zedong is considered to be one of the most controversial political leaders of the twentieth century. He has been known both as a savior and a tyrant to the Chinese people. From his strategic success of the Long March, to his humiliating failure of the Great Leap Forward, to the Cultural Revolution that shocked the country and took countless lives, Mao has significantly influenced the result of what China is today. From humble origins, Mao Zedong rose to absolute power, unifying with an iron fist a vast country torn apart by years of weak leadership, imperialism, and war. This astute and insightful account by Jonathan D. Spence brings to life this modern-day ruler and the tumultuous era that Mao Zedong did so much to shape. Mao Zedong was born on December 26, 1893 in Shaoshan village in Hunan. He experienced a middle peasant upbringing that was “rooted in long-standing rural Chinese patterns of expectation and behavior” (Mao, 10). Mao went to Shaoshan village school where he learned the customary Chinese curriculum as well as studied the “time-honored texts from the Confucian canon” (Mao, 11). At this time in his childhood, the whole country could foresee the fall of the previous dynasty, the Qing. Mao studied to be a teacher at The First Provincial Normal School, in Changsha, which influenced his future thinking and beliefs. He believed that the Chinese way of thinking needed reform, therefore fixated on younger people and peasants to build his political career. In 1912...
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