The Chinese Cultural Revolution

1. The Chinese Cultural Revolution

2. What do you think is going on in this picture, can you see any connection to past events in our history…? What are the men in the center wearing on their heads…? Why does it seem that everyone is looking at these men…? What are the small group of people behind these men doing…? What do you think is the purpose of this…? Where do you suppose all of this is occurring…? Who set this whole thing up…?

3. What are the men in the center wearing on their heads/What is going on in this picture…? As you can see these men are wearing dunce caps with different Chinese words on their heads, used as a public form of humiliation. These men are in fact leaders of numerous “Anti-Revolutionary Groups” (probably educated, or normal Chinese citizens) who were sentenced probably for trying to reverse or go against the “cultural revolution.” What sounds do you think that you would be hearing in an environment like this…?

4. Why does it seem that everyone is looking at these men/What do you think is the purpose of this event…? These men are purposely being displayed to a group of normal Chinese citizens as a public form for the people to see “what not to do, and its punishments.” Punishments like this (making a public example) were actually considered very light as apposed to many of the others enforced throughout the Cultural Revolution. What do you think the people are thinking…? What about the men in the dunce caps…?

5. What are the small group of men behind the “dunces” doing…? These boys were known throughout the Cultural Revolution as “Red Guards.” Red Guards were young people across China who “guarded the culture of the revolution” through things like, imprisoning or humiliation (shown-holding dunces out). These young people caused chaos by raiding homes or destroying anything even associated to the “four olds.” Do you think that punishments were justified of even needed in the Cultural Revolution…?

6. Where do you suppose all of this is occurring/Who set this whole thing up…? These men are being carried around on a large truck through the busy streets of Beijing. The overseeing Red Guards are all lead by the communist leader Mao Zedong who was in power before and until the end of the Cultural Revolution. Mao saw that many apposed his Cultural Revolution so he formed the Red Guards for help, which soon turned into chaos. Overall what people seem to (like/dislike) the Cultural Revolution…? Why…?

7. So What Is The Cultural Revolution...? • After the unsuccessful Great Leap forward, communist Mao’s main focus was on rebuilding what he considered the now ruined economy • Mao feared that the economic success had created upper and lower economic classes • So without having money as the main target, Mao concluded that China needed to get rid of what he referred to as the “four olds;” old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits that were pre-revolutionary-1966 • To guard the culture of Mao’s new revolution from many of the communists, he called upon young people across China to enforce his politically correct ideas through means of humiliation and imprisonment if need be • Mao published a book of quotes that became known to westerners as the Little Red Book, which outlined the main ideas of the Cultural Revolution for all Red Guards to carry • The Little Red Book lead many Red Guards in marches as they chanted its slogans in marches, raided; homes museums and temples, and destroyed anything even close to the four olds • As Mao regained the support of the Communist Party and all seemed well, the Red Guards were going crazier, killing thousands to the point that even Mao couldn’t justify it • In 1969 after thousands of deaths and ruined; temples, monuments, books, etc. Mao realized that the Red Guards had to be disbanded, and the military would now have to be trusted with law enforcement • Mao became ill in the early 1970’s and died in 1976

8. The Cultural Revolution...Continued? • As Mao started getting older and sicker, his wife, Jiang Qing, somewhat took her husbands place in the communists Cultural Revolution • When Mao died in 1976, his wife and 3 infamous radical colleagues (the Gang of Four) were arrested for trying to overthrow the government and causing around 34,000 deaths during the Cultural Revolution. Some consider this the official end of the Cultural Revolution • By 1979 Deng Xiaoping, a leader twice beat out by Mao, took control of the Communist Party and once again swayed from the Cultural Revolution to encouraging economical development (“Less empty talk and more hard work”-Xiaoping)

9. The End Kyle Martinez Rahotep Alkebulan Josh Thompson Blake Butler And Kind of Sina Chehrazi