Mao Zedong led the Communist Party of China during the Cultural Revolution, which lasted from 1966 to 1976. Mao is widely credited as the architect of the Cultural Revolution, which he initiated in an effort to reassert his authority within the Party and re-establish the revolutionary spirit of the Chinese people.
The Cultural Revolution saw the full formation of Mao’s political ideology, known as Maoism, as well as the emergence of numerous Maoist organizations and figures. These included the Red Guards, a student-led paramilitary force which was formed at the start of the Cultural Revolution to enforce Mao’s policies and the “Gang of Four”, a group of high-ranking party leaders who played a major role in initiating and executing the Cultural Revolution.
In terms of party leadership, Mao held the title of Chairman of the Communist Party of China throughout the Cultural Revolution. He was considered to be the supreme leader of the country and did not tolerate criticism from other members of the party. This attitude was extended to the rest of the Chinese population, allowing Mao to maintain the tight control necessary to implement his ideas and policies.
Mao’s own power was largely maintained through the use of propaganda and control over the media. During the Cultural Revolution, Mao used his “Little Red Book” of quotations from his works as a tool for indoctrination. He also set up various organizations such as the Beijing Broadcasting Company and the People’s Daily newspaper to spread his message and keep Chinese citizens in line.
Despite this, the Cultural Revolution was a period of great upheaval and violence and led to the downfall of many of Mao’s key allies and supporters, including Deng Xiaoping, who would later become the leader of China. It also led to the eventual downfall of Mao himself, who died in 1976.