The Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), known in the Chinese language as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a period of political, ideological, and social turmoil within the People’s Republic of China. During this period of upheaval, millions of people were persecuted and violently attacked by Red Guards and other revolutionary activists due to their perceived deviation from the revolutionary revolutionary ideology espoused by the Communist Party of China.
The cause of the Cultural Revolution was rooted in the economic and political policies of Mao Zedong, China’s leader at the time. After the death of the influential former leader Liu Shaoqi in 1969, Mao believed that the country had lost its revolutionary zeal and was losing its way politically and ideologically. To address this issue, Mao launched a campaign of mass mobilization to encourage the Chinese people to involve themselves in the revolutionary process.
The Cultural Revolution was officially launched in 1966 after Mao Zedong declared the “Four Olds” – old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas – to be abolished. Mao encouraged mass movements of students and other revolutionaries to smash symbols of traditional Chinese culture and destroy the “four olds”. The Cultural Revolution also saw Mao Zedong introducing new policies, such as the Chinese version of the Soviet Union’s volunteer labor program, which required citizens to work on collective farms and construction projects.
In addition, Mao encouraged students to criticize those who were seen to be reactionary or opposed to his plans. These critics, dubbed the ‘Four Olds’, were targeted, publicly denounced, and often subjected to physical violence. Furthermore, certain elements of the army were mobilized to help ensure the implementation of Maoist ideas and to protect Mao’s reputation.
The Cultural Revolution initially had broad support in China and was welcomed by many rural workers and peasants who saw it as an opportunity to improve their standard of living. However, most of the benefits promised during the early days of the Cultural Revolution failed to materialize, and the program soon fell out of favor. Discontent amongst the populace grew, and a number of localized uprisings and protests occurred in various parts of the country.
At the same time, the increasing power of the Cultural Revolution and its proponents led to a marked deterioration in the condition of intellectuals, artists and other educated people. These groups were persecuted, arrested, and ostracized, and some were even sent to labor camps or executed. Economic decline was also felt during this period, with industrial production dropping significantly in comparison to the preceding decade.
As discontent continued to mount, Mao Zedong responded by instituting increasingly repressive measures, including arresting and torturing suspected counter-revolutionaries. This culminated in the infamous Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989, when student protesters were killed by Chinese troops for demonstrating against government policies.
By 1976, the Cultural Revolution had largely run its course and Mao Zedong died shortly thereafter, bringing the era to an unofficial end. In the aftermath of the Cultural Revolution, there was much soul-searching within the People’s Republic of China. In 1980, the Chinese Communist Party passed a resolution denouncing the Cultural Revolution and declaring it a “grave error,” a admission that has since been central to official Chinese accounts of the period.
In the decades since the end of the Cultural Revolution, China has experienced remarkable economic growth and liberalization, and many of the Cultural Revolution’s excesses have been repudiated. Nonetheless, the legacy of the Cultural Revolution remains highly controversial: while some praise it as a rejuvenation of Chinese culture and ideals, others view it as a traumatic period of suppression and violence.