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An Overview of China's Cultural Revolution

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  1. Mao Zedong's attempt to reclaim power (1966)

    Mao Zedong, whose political standing had narrowed after the failure of the Great Leap Forward in 1958, launched the Cultural Revolution in 1966 in an attempt to oust the pragmatist leadership under figures like Liu Shaoqi and reclaim power. He framed it as a movement to purge "capitalist-roaders within the party" and revive the spirit of revolution.

  2. The activities of the Red Guards

    Youths and students across the country who responded to Mao Zedong's call organized into Red Guards and swept the nation under the banner of destroying the "Four Olds" β€” old ideas, culture, customs, and habits. The Red Guards frequently halted classes at schools and publicly criticized and assaulted party and government officials, intellectuals, and even their own family members.

  3. The persecution of intellectuals and traditional culture

    Intellectuals such as teachers, scholars, and artists were branded "reactionaries" or "capitalist-roaders," subjected to public criticism sessions (struggle sessions), imprisoned, and assaulted, with many losing their lives or taking their own. Traditional cultural heritage, including temples, cultural artifacts, and old books, was also regarded as "old" and destroyed on a massive scale.

  4. The "sent-down" policy

    As the chaos intensified, Mao Zedong implemented a policy from around 1968 known as "up to the mountains, down to the villages" (rustication), sending urban Red Guards and educated youth to the countryside to engage in labor. As a result, countless young people had their education interrupted and were sent to remote rural areas, creating a gap in education for an entire generation.

  5. Economic and social damage

    During the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese economy suffered severe damage due to political chaos and the paralysis of production activity, and countless people are estimated to have died or had their lives destroyed by the persecution. The collapse of the education system also created a major gap in cultivating an entire generation of talent.

  6. Its end and later official assessment

    With Mao Zedong's death in September 1976 and the arrest that October of the "Gang of Four," who had led the Cultural Revolution, the decade-long Cultural Revolution came to a close. In 1981, the Chinese Communist Party, through an official resolution, defined the Cultural Revolution as "an internal turmoil that brought serious disaster to the party, the state, and the people," acknowledging it as Mao Zedong's error.

A decade of chaos born of political struggle

The Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) was, on its surface, a mass movement to revive the spirit of revolution, but in reality, it had a strong character as a political struggle Mao Zedong launched to reclaim his power base. In the process, Chinese society as a whole was engulfed in extreme chaos and violence, leaving deep scars on modern Chinese history afterward.

Cold War upheaval unfolding on another continent at the same time

During this same period, as Mao Zedong shook China to its core with the Cultural Revolution, another brutal war was raging under the Cold War order in neighboring Vietnam. You can learn about the war fought by North Vietnam, which received Chinese support, in our overview of the Vietnam War.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who does the "Gang of Four" refer to?

The Gang of Four refers to four core figures who led the Cultural Revolution: Mao Zedong's wife, Jiang Qing, along with Wang Hongwen, Zhang Chunqiao, and Yao Wenyuan. They were arrested and put on trial in 1976, immediately after Mao Zedong's death.

How many people were harmed by the Cultural Revolution?

Exact statistics vary greatly by source, but the number of deaths from persecution alone is estimated to reach several million, and a far greater number of people are known to have suffered harm such as property confiscation, forced labor, and social stigma.