Explain the Causes and Effects of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution
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Explain the causes and effects of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.                 The world knew nothing of the worst genocide of all time. The failures of Chairman Mao’s Great Leap Forward were hidden, leaving forty five million deaths in vain. After Joseph Stalin’s death, Chairman Mao knew he was the popular socialist at the time and he did not want the world to know of his Communist Utopian failures. Instead, the Chairman retreated and had China’s President Liu Xiaoqi, along with his Chief supporter Deng Xiapin—patch up his mistakes. Their choice of economic reforms, however, angered the Chairman.        Together, Liu and Deng both used Capitalistic reforms to boost the economy, and their efforts proved successful. However, Chairman Mao was not impressed. Chairman Mao was a smart man, and he knew Capitalism would diminish his socialist agenda. In an effort to remove all Capitalism, reintroduce Socialism, and regain his political power—Chairman Mao orchestrated a campaign of unspeakable abuse and terror…otherwise known as The Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution.         The Chairman had President Liu Xiaoqi killed, and Deng Xiapin was exiled. The Chairman also encouraged the youth to torture and murder anyone who was an enemy of socialism. Counterrevolutionaries were beaten to death and eaten. Teachers were bombed, shot to death in public, or buried alive. The death toll was estimated around three million with the oldest victim being eighty years old, to the youngest being thirty-two days old. Chairman Mao was viewed as a God.
With the support of the military strategist Lin Biao, the movement created an Insane Cult of Personality. Lin Biao’s creation of the Little Red Book of Mao’s philosophy became the bible of The Red Guards (brainwashed youth). In addition to carrying the Little Red Book everywhere, the Red Guards also performed rituals everyday—asking the portrait of Chairman Mao for daily instructions. The Red Guards attacked all bureaucracies, intellectuals, official and experts. No one was immune. Everything had to be red.        In addition to Lin Biao, the other main leaders of the Cultural Revolution were known as the Gang of Four. Most notably however, was the Chairman’s wife—Jiang Qing.  Madame Mao was a vague and ambitious woman. Under her leadership as Artist Advisor, the propaganda war destroyed China’s heritage. The peace theatre was changed to the revolutionary theatre; she had books destroyed, art destroyed, and previous ex lovers killed.         The Chairman’s revolution caused the economy of China to collapse. The revolution destroyed the leadership of China, destroyed the education of China and it destroyed the culture of China. When the Chairman died, the revolution was finally over. The gang of four was arrested, and the Red Guards were shut down.  Deng Xiaoping returned to power and fixed Mao’s utopian failures again with Capitalism.