The Red Guards and the Red Terror (Four Olds), Lin Biao and the PLA, radicalisation campaigns

Red Guards

Red Guards and Red Terror

Mao encouraged his loyal supporters to denounce bourgeois ideas embedded in academic writing. He encouraged students from universities and colleges to rebel against their teachers, who were anti-revolutionaries.

As the students responded enthusiastically to Mao's heeds, he called them the Red Guards.

Mao summoned the Red Guards for a mass rally in Tiananmen Square on 18 August 1966. For six hours, the people listened to speeches by Mao loyalists. Mao gave free rein to these people in attacking those who were against Mao's socialism. When the group grew by one million members in Beijing, the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution began.

Four Olds

1. Old Culture

2. Old Customs

3. Old Habits

4. Old Ideas

Mao further encouraged the Red Guards to attack the Four Olds. Since Mao's order to condemn bourgeois ideas and destroy the Four Olds was not given with specific directives, the Red Guards followed it zealously. They distributed pamphlets, plastered cities with dazibao (big character posters), organised rallies and delivered speeches.

Forbidden City

China's old culture was destroyed, specifically elements linked to its imperial history. Literary works were destroyed and burned. Authors and owners were harshly punished. Intellectuals, capitalists, Chinese wearing foreign outfits, and Catholic nuns were targeted as they were cowed and physically attacked.

Private homes and properties were also raided. Landmarks were destroyed, except for the Forbidden City as per Zhou Enlai's order; signs and street names were changed, and some were changed to include Mao's name.

Purging of the Red Guards

Upon the establishment of the Red Guards in 1966, its members swore to protect Mao Tse-tung's socialist ideals and strictly followed Chairman Mao's statement to rebel against the system and to destroy the Four Olds.

In February 1967, after serving their purpose, Mao tried to shut down the movement, which was primarily led by students, in order to stabilise the government. The argument was based on the notion that these young students were too radical and violent and could cause an uncontrollable upheaval.

Red Guards raising their Little Red Books

Political slogan by the Red Guards

Through the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the Red Guards were suppressed in rural areas such as Anhui, Fujian, Hubei, Hunan and Sichuan. They were strictly ordered to continue their education, and radical movements were deemed 'counter-revolutionary'.

The Red Guards reacted aggressively against the turn of events, which resulted in conflict with the PLA. Through Mao's orders, the PLA was instructed to restore order in the country on 5 September 1967.

Violence occurred towards the movement, even resulting in a mass execution of Red Guards in Guangxi province. By 1968, the movement had ended with Mao's remorseful order to shut it down.

Jiang Qing

Jiang Qing, also known as Madame Mao, was Mao's fourth wife. She was well-known in cultural circles for promoting Maoist themes in the arts, being a former artist herself.

Jiang also focused on reforming Chinese culture, the arts, opera and ballet. She turned Mao's 'Four Olds' slogan into a programme for the eradication of traditional Chinese culture and the creation of something brand new.

Mao with his wife Jiang Qing

Jiang used her contacts in the CCP propaganda department to encourage the students and children of China to support Mao, and a Red Guard was created. She was the one who pressured Liu Shaoqi's children into denouncing him. Liu was put on trial and forced to write his confessions as an anti-revolutionary. He died in 1969, having refused medical treatment for diabetes.

Peng Dehuai purged

Provincial and municipal governments were also targeted. Prominent CPP figures were also targeted, as were Liu Shaoqi, Deng Xiaoping and Peng Zhen. Liu's home was raided and he and his wife were attacked. Two of his children were also forced by the Red Guards to denounce him. Mao's critic Peng Dehuai was also targeted and subjected to harsh beatings and numerous public 'struggle sessions'.

Lin Biao

Lin Biao

In April 1969, defence minister Lin Biao was designated as Mao's successor. Lin gained popularity in the CCP as he was supported by the PLA, the Party's military arm.

In 1969, a territorial dispute occurred between the Soviet Union and China regarding a shared border. Lin took advantage of this event to declare martial law. He used this to purge some of his rivals in the government and further strengthened his position.

Mao became wary of Lin's motive and his quick rise in power. Together with Premier Zhou Enlai, they urged the reduction in power of the PLA in order to downplay Lin's position. However, Mao's assistant, Chen Boda, supported Lin. Hence, a power struggle emerged.

In 1970, Mao criticised Chen Boda and the latter lay low from the public until August of the same year. This served as a warning to Lin. In September 1971, Lin was killed in a plane crash that was presented as his attempt to flee to the Soviet Union due to his participation in Project 571, a failed assassination plot against Mao.

Historians were not able to verify the cause of Lin's death as the records were highly confidential. Many Chinese people saw this as political manipulation that occured due to a power struggle in the government.

Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping

After the death of Mao Tse-tung's successor, Lin Biao, in 1971, Premier Zhou Enlai ensured stability in the country. Being one of Mao Tse-tung's closest allies, the latter trusted him. However, he did little to reform the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and most officials still received better wages and extra privileges.

Lin Biao and Mao Tse-tung

Death of Mao

Purged officials by Lin Biao were reinstated by Zhou. The returned CCP ministers brought experience and ability back to the government with a guarantee they would be obedient to Mao. Furthermore, he also revived the educational system of China. Economically, the country began to increase its trade with other countries and even forged ties with other nations.

Benefitting from the reforms initiated by Zhou, Mao approved of the premier's decisions, though he remained wary that it may cause conflict with the aims of the Cultural Revolution. In 1972, Mao suffered a severe stroke. Moreover, at the same time, Zhou discovered that he had a fatal malignancy. Hence, the issue regarding Mao's successor became more uncertain.

In 1973, Deng Xiaoping again rose in power as per Mao and Zhou's decision to reinstate him despite being a victim of the purge of officials caused by the radicals. He was positioned to become Mao's successor and became a threat to several officials, specifically Mao's wife, Jiang Qing.

In 1973, a political struggle occurred between Zhou, Deng's group and Jiang Qing's group. Jiang Qing's group comprised another three members: Wang Hongwen, Zhang Chunqiao and Yao Wenyuan. Known as the Gang of Four, they became prominent due to the literary scandal involving Wu Han's Hai Rui Dismissed from Office.

During the Cultural Revolution, they controlled the Red Guards as well as other aspects of the revolution. Furthermore, they focused on purging the CCP of officials such as Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping. They aimed to promote their socialist ideology, the significance of class-struggle, anti-intellectualism and xenophobia. On the other hand, Zhou and Deng supported economic stability and growth, progress in education, and strong political ties with other nations. With Mao's weak health, he found it hard to maintain a balance between the two groups.