CHAIRMAN MAO
and the Chinese Cultural Revolution

Perhaps Mao Tse-Tung (1893-1976) will be remembered as the greatest revolutionary. His Great Leap Forward for the Chinese people, which was the collectivization of Farming and Reorganization of Industry was one of the major experiments of the Communist ideology. In 1965, his great experiment was in jeopardy. There was growing discontent and a perceived failure of his policies.

Hoping to correct the balance by removing from positions of power Mao's enemies, party officials and certain people who oposed him, Mao instigated the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-1977). Mao found new recruits to his revitalized revolution in the younger generation having been indoctriated in his idealism throughout their lives. Peasants and the disenfranchised by the stagnation and bureaucracy of China's Communist rule were eager to embrace the return to the basic tenets of communist idealism.

This was a move to equalize the whole country, unfortunately revolutionary committees seized power from the local government and party authorities, which created animosity and resentment from everyone because of the harassment and attacks that ensued on anyone suspected of being disloyal to Mao's thoughts based on the interpretation of rivaling committee members. Schools were closed and students were sent to farms to work and be re-educated. It was another experiment went bad. The rampage by over-zealous red guards and out of control citizenry even prompted Mao to call the Red Army.

Because of the cultural revolution, a whole generation of youth missed out on their education, production of farms and factories ceased and the whole of China fell behind the industrialized powers of the world. The revolution was not declared officially over until 1977.

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