Thursday, 14 April 2016

The Cultural Revolution Timeline

May - June 1966

  • May 1966 Peng Zhou ousted
  • Ministry of culture purged
  • Attacks on artists and writers like Wu Han
  • Criticisms spread into universities
  • Work teams were sent in by Liu and Deng but this only escalated the problems
  • Students were issued with red arm bands and told they were Red Guards by cultural revolutionary radicals (supporters of the gang of four)
July 1966
  • Mao swam in the Yangtze River to emphasise his health and power
August 1966
  • August 1966 - 16 points on the cultural revolution "be conducted by reasoning not the coercion of force"  "Special care" of scientists and technical personnel
  • From August onwards there were lots of parades
  • Lin Biao helped to promote the cult of Mao "our great teacher, great supreme commander and great helmsman"
  • In Autumn schools and college were closed
  • Red guards were encouraged to:
  • Demolish old buildings, temples, art objects, attack teachers, party leaders and parents
September - October 1966
  • Liu and Deng removed and subjected to mass criticisms and humiliation (and their families)
November 1966
  • Call for attacks on the four olds elements
  • Red Guards to take their own initiative - led to attacks on western education, business men missionaries and intellectuals
  • Dorms of punishment and humiliation included Dunce hats, placards, the 'airplane' position, imprisonment and beatings
December 1966
  • Dec 1966 - call for radical reforms
  • Calls for complete nationalism, eviction of all land lords, elimination of private 
January 1967
  • Power seizure
  • Exempt no one in the struggle (unlike 1949)

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