Mao Ze Dong and Cultural Revolution - Essay Example

Mao Ze Dong and Cultural Revolution Biographical Background of Mao Zedong Mao Zedong, commonly known as Chairman Mao amongst in Chinese, was a communist leader born on December 26, 1893 to a peasant family. Chairman Mao remains famous within political history books as the founder of People’s Republic of China and as an enthusiastic communist leader. Chairman Mao remains responsible for the known disastrous political and economic policies including Cultural Revolution and Great leap forward era. The revolutionary leader was born in within the province of Hunan in central China to a peasant family residing in Shao Shan. Chairman Mao trained as a schoolteacher and thereafter worked as university Librarian for some time. It is imperative to understand the Chairman Mao influence in Marxism started while he worked as a University librarian. During his working days in the Library, the revolutionary leader read many literary books relating to Marxist. At 28 years in 1921, Chairman Mao fostered establishment of Chinese communist party and consequently became its founding member. Thereafter, Mao established a branch for the CPP in Hunan province (Karl 21). It is indispensable that Mao’s veracious reading culture and ability to lead began from an early age. At a tender age, Chairman Mao preferred to read the famous historical books and novels relating to unconventional and rebellion military heroes. While still studying in a local primary school, his father forced him to forgo education and join him in farming. Consequently, Mao who had attained an age of thirteen years left school after studying for only five years. However, Mao’s desire to continue with education did not seize as the veracious reader embarked on self-studies at home until he attained an age of sixteen years when he went to Hunanese capital of Changsha to complete his studies. During his time at the Hunanese, Mao experienced the need for revolution within the Chinese society. Chairman Mao continued to read many historical books and witnessed the fall of China’s last dynasty. In 1918, Chairman Mao traveled to Beijing after graduating from Normal School. In Beijing, Mao became a librarian as aforementioned at Beijing University. During his life between 1919 and1920, Mao got employment in various sectors though he devoted most of his time to reading novels and writing until he founded CPP in July 1921. Based on his writings and ideas, Mao is a fundamental participant within the United Front and consequently, he became appointed as the leader of KMT. It is during his duty at KMT institute while performing organizational and ideological instructions mainly for peasant farmers that Mao realized the need for revolution within the Chinese peasantry sector. In 1921, Mao got married to Yang Kaihui who later died after execution in 1930. Mao later got married to Zizhen with whom they had five children. Thereafter, Mao’s marriage life changed, divorced Zizhen and married Jiang Qing. Mao Zedong and Cultural Evolution Mao Zedong experiences as the head of KMT institute and an advocate for Chinese peasantry, felt the urgency in initiating economic reforms within the country. Consequently, in 1966, Chairman Mao launched a significant historical event that currently remains known as Cultural Revolution. Chairman Mao aimed at asserting his assured position within the Chinese government using Cultural Revolution as a formidable strategy. Mao had believed that the contemporary leaders who governed CPP had established wrong steps and consequently the country remained headed in the wrong direction. Based on the aforementioned factors, Mao Zedong initiated a national youth’s purge aimed at reviving revolution spirit and elimination of the awful elements within the economy that derailed its development. The Cultural Revolution initiated by Mao Zedong occurred between 1966 and 1976 during which, very many young revolutionary individuals rose up with the central aim of purging the existing four olds. The four olds that Mao and the revolutionary group aimed at eliminating included old culture, old ideas, old customs, and old habits. During the start of the 1966 Cultural Revolution era, Chairman Mao promoted the establishment of Red Guards groups. The red guards groups functioned by punishing individuals and party officials who indicated signs of bourgeois tendencies. It is imperative to understand that the creation and success of Cultural Revolution was essential for Mao’s leadership mainly after the failure of Greta leap forward policies. The Great proletarian Cultural Revolution era aimed at helping Chairman Mao in affirming his perceived position within the communist party and preventing his opponents from taking over leadership of CPP. Chairman Mao had also believed that the only amicable method of preventing capitalist ideologies remained in making Cultural Revolution era to be continuous. In addition, the Cultural Revolution aimed at mitigating the leaders who may believe had planned to marginalize him. Consequently, to avoid the aforementioned problems, Mao directly launched an appeal to his supporters and formed formidable movement of youths, which aimed at implementing the revolutionary agenda of eliminating capitalist ideas and the marginalizing leaders. In eliminating the four olds, the purging youths formed the aforementioned formidable Red Guards army that demolished old cultures and practices within the republic. The Red Guards army movement under guidance by Chairman Mao started the Cultural Revolution era by demolishing mosques, churches, and Buddhist temples. In addition, the Red Guards burned Confucian writings and sacred texts within the religious premises. Moreover, the purging group also burnt religious statutes and other associated artifacts. It is imperative to comprehend that during the Cultural Revolution era; the Red Guards burnt or destroyed all the objects that had direct connection with the pre-revolutionary state. The Red Guards who pushed for Cultural Revolution also publicly humiliated or killed capitalists’ individuals. The army tortured and prosecuted individuals whom they thought had closer association with capitalist ideas. Mostly, the group persecuted and tortured by the Red Guards army consisted of educated individuals, monks, and teachers. The persecution sessions coupled with torture normally ended with death or detention of individuals within reeducation camps for many years (Kraus 36). It is imperative to restate that the activities conducted by Red Guards army contributed to approximately 1,800 deaths of individuals in 1966 September, the year Cultural Revolution began. By 1967, the activities of Cultural Revolution had contributed to great confusion and Chaos within China republic. Red Guards had begun attacking and abusing army generals who talked ill about Cultural Revolution. As the revolution progressed, the Red Guards groups had started internal wars as the purging youths started to fight over themselves. During the process Jiang Qing, who remained as Chairman Mao’s wife encouraged the youths to conduct raids within the People’s Liberation Party seize their army weapons and replace the entire structure of the party. In December 1968, Cultural Revolution had started getting out of control even by Mao Zedong himself. Cultural Revolution had resulted into Weakening China economy that had also suffered under the Great leap forward policies advanced by Mao Zedong. Consequently, the activities of Cultural Revolution resulted into fall in industrial production nearly by 12 percent within 2 years. The industrial economy had declined due to workers boycotting duties and the Red Guards army activities aimed at torturing and demolishing capitalists associated objects. As Mao struggled to decrease the effect of Cultural Revolution by regrouping the Red Guards army, power issues started within CPP. Lin Biao and Chairman Mao had started plotting assassination attempts against each other. Later on, Li Biao died alongside his family in an alleged plane crush as they tried to escape the country. It is imperative to note that Li Biao acted as the second in command of Mao Zedong within CPP. As Mao aged, his death neared and political stability within the country had begun to deteriorate. Jiang Qing, Chairman Mao’s wife played a fundamental role in the subsequent succession. It is important that Qing involvement in the famous Gang of four resulted to an end of Cultural Revolution. After the death of Zhou Enlai who was a supposed member of the gang of four in 1976 January, political favors turned against Qing and Mao Zedong. During the burial ceremony of Zhou Enlai, mourners publicly denounced Mao and Qing as the enemies of China. Thereafter, Mao’s leadership ended and Hua Guofeng succeeded him. The communist leader later died on September 9, 1976. The Cultural Revolution event remained important to both Mao and the republic of China. Through Cultural Revolution, China developed into a communist party that has now remained as a remembrance of Mao Zedong. Cultural Revolution was also imperative in enabling the people of China to realize the urgent need for economic and political change besides giving them an experience in political leadership. It is imperative that the end of Cultural Revolution marked an era of national unity when the China nation realized the urgent need for development. Besides the importance of Cultural Revolution to China republic and its citizens, the era remained of great essentiality to Mao Zedong and Qing. Cultural Revolution helped Mao Zedong to affirm his position within CPP. The revolution also enabled him to remain in power and mitigate the marginalizing communist leaders who had planned to overthrow him. Summary Summary and Evaluation of His Life Mao Zedong remains as the most successful politician in the history of China. He was p from a humble family that did not value education but his persistence and determination enabled him to become a great revolutionist and founder of communist republic of China. It is imperative that his love for reading novels enabled him to develop into a charismatic leader who could influence Cultural Revolution era. Mao’s ability to interact with people and cause radical changes steered his leadership success. Chairman Mao remains as the most successful Chinese leader who managed through the era of politics without assassination. Though creation of Cultural Revolution would remain significant for his political security, Mao had no intentions that the era would cause serious deaths and economic stagnation. He was a radical leader who cherished success and greatness mainly in education and leadership. Lessons Learnt Throughout the biography and event related research, I have learnt various historical issues relating to Cultural Revolution era and Mao Zedong. The assignment enabled me gain insights into the history of Mao Zedong and his relation to the famous Cultural Revolution. Moreover, I have comprehensively understood China’s history in relation to different influences. It would be all-inclusive to restate that the study was imperious in understanding the inherent ability of politicians in influencing citizens believes. Works Cited Karl, Rebecca. Mao Zedong and China in the Twentieth-Century World: A Concise History. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 2010. Print. Kraus, Richard. The Cultural Revolution: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print. Read More