By Hannah Davenport
Ananth Manimaran
and Tony Topol
Mao's purges was a movement called the Proletarian Cultural Revolution-an internal affair where he killed off all of his political opponents and tried to spread Communism.
Who was targeted? Who was responsible?
Have things been reconciled? What is the impact of the genocide on the nation/region today? Does this genocide have a lasting legacy?
Did the Hedgemon take the correct course of action?
Works Cited
"China : Consequences of the Cultural Revolution." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 10 June 2013. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/111803/China/71859/Consequences-of-the-Cultural-Revolution>.
"Cultural Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 05 June 2013. <http://www.history.com/topics/cultural-revolution>.
"The Legacy of Mao Zedong Is Mass Murder." Heritage.org. The Heritage Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 June 2013. <http://www.heritage.org/research/commentary/2010/02/the-legacy-of-mao-zedong-is-mass-murder>.
"Mao Zedong (1893-1976)." BBC News. BBC, 2013. Web. 05 June 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/mao_zedong.shtml>.
Trueman, Chris. "The Cultural Revolution." The Cultural Revolution. HistoryLearningSite.co.uk, n.d. Web. 05 June 2013. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/cultural_revolution.htm>.
What
Who was the world power at the time? Did they help?
Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong launched the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, aiming to revive revolutionary spirit among the nation’s youth and to regain his power in the government. He believed that the ideology behind the nation back then focused more on expertise rather than culture. He wanted to empower himself by establishing a communist regime with him at the helm, and killed all in his way. He created a youth movement called the Red Guard, a paramilitary force which killed enemies and caused havoc.
The United states was in power at the time.
However they were locked in the Cold War with Russia, who was backing China, so if they did anything, war would break out.
Yes
The Cold war with Russia was very close to developing into a nuclear war. Any small movement from either side would push the dial closer to War. If the US tried negotiate peace, their Communist Soviet allies as well as China would be angry which would lead to catastrophic nuclear war.
Political:
- Mao wanted to reassert authority in the Communist party
- Believed that he was losing power to other leaders
- Wanted to expand Communism
Cultural:
- Wanted to take out anyone who had any authority in the government
Social:
- Wanted to empower youth and fill them with ideas of nationalism
- Tried to bring ideas of Communism closer to the people
- Wished to gain more support for himself or rid himself of enemies
Economic:
- Tried to collectivize the agricultural system
- ended up severely crippling the Nation’s economy
- Primarily wanted to have control of all food production and cash flow
Who was Targeted:
- Capitalists
- Traditionalists
- political opponents of Mao
Mao's Purges
Who was Responsible:
- Mao Zedong and government
- Red Guard- paramilitary group formed by China’s youth
- The Chinese Army
How many died?
About 1.5 million people lost their lives directly
as a result of the red guards, China's army
and any other forces under Mao's control.
From 20-60 million people were estimated to have died from problems
resulting from Mao's revolution. For example,
poverty, famine, imprisonment, etc.
- Politics has been changed
- Mao is regarded as the most radical Communist leader ever
- China's economy is now flourishing
- There is censorship as a result
Happened?