Cultural Revolution One Slider Mike Murray, Macy Biles, Amaya Tucker, and Kevin Humphreys

Thesis: The Cultural Revolution successfully helped Mao regain political power, because of the devotion of the Red Guards. 16 year old Chinese girl: “Some Red Guards in her school made her kneel on broken glass in front of all the students. For an intelligent person it was about the worst thing that could happen---to be made to feel so small” “Every letter in Chairman Mao’s words is gold and every sentence is the truth. Mao Zedong’s thought is the red sun in the hearts of the entire Chinese people and of the revolutionary people the world over; it is their life line and their treasure. Fish cannot live without water and without Mao Zedong’s thought how can people make revolution?” (Red Guard chant) Mao, “We have to depend on them to start a rebellion, a revolution, otherwise we may not be able to overthrow the demons and monsters. We must liberate the little devils. We need more monkeys to disrupt the palace.” Central Committee of the Communist Party: “Although the middle class has been overthrown, it is still trying to use the old ideas, culture, customs, and habits of the exploiting classes to corrupt the masses, capture their minds and endeavor to stage a comeback”

Thesis Rationale Thesis: The Cultural Revolution successfully helped Mao regain political power, because of the devotion of the Red Guards. Mao had such authority over the Red Guards; they didn’t know anything else except for what Mao said. The Red Guards were brainwashed into thinking that anything Mao said was the right thing to do. They were composed of mostly students and young children. The Red Guards had a book that they lived by to justify their actions, it was called the Little Red Book. It helped boost military morals and it was uncommon for followers to have parts of the book memorized. As a result Mao gained full control of China again. 80% of the CCP was new and the country now slavishly obeyed Mao. The Red Guards were a big help to Mao in this Cultural Revolution. They helped him with propaganda and spreading the message of revolution. Their one and only goal was to destroy the four olds, old customs, culture, habits, and ideas. When there was a revolt members became violent. They beat parents, intellectuals, and burned building. Anyone who was counterrevolutionaries were humiliated, persecuted, and even executed by the Red Guards. The Red Guards were completely committed to Mao. When he said jump, they said how high. An example was on August 18th, 1966 in Tiananmen Square. More than one million Red Guards carried portraits of Mao and marched through the streets. As they walked they destroyed all symbols they thought were “feudal, capitalist, or radical”. They named and renamed street signs and buildings.

Key Red Guard Student Picture at top right shows a female Red Guard, who believed in Mao’s teachings and attacked teachers and professors. She did such things as hanging signs around their necks. Green Quote next to picture on top right represents the old ideas, culture, customs, and habits that the Red Guard were trying to get ride of. Mao wanted these gone, so he had the Red Guards ransack museums and destroy old books and art. Red Quote under green quote represents what some things the Red Guard did to the people who did not believe in Mao’s teachings. They would humiliate them and make them kneel on glass as punishments.

Key Picture under the red guard girl picture shows Red Guards rallying holding and waving their red books of Mao’s teachings. The red books were used to justify their actions for the rebellion. Red book picture next to the Red Guards rallying picture shows the red book. The red book is a book that contains the thoughts of Mao and his teachings. They are excerpts from things Mao has said during his time as leader of China. Blue quote under red book picture represents how much Mao depends on the Red Guards to do his “dirty work”. He uses them like monkeys and anything he says they will listen to and think is the right thing to do.

Key Propaganda poster next to blue quote shows Mao in the middle with all the Red Guards around him, praising him. Mao was seen as the one and only god, and they listened to everything he said. They renamed street signs and buildings because Mao told them to. Yellow quote next to propaganda poster is a Red Guard chant that is chanted during rallies and when the Red Guard take teachers and professors and humiliated them. They would make them kneel on glass and humiliated them. Picture above yellow quote shows 2 teachers being humiliated in public, by hanging signs around their necks, calling them “class enemies”. Millions of Red Guards would march through Tiananmen Square, destroying symbols which were thought to be feudal, capitalist, and radical.