Cultural Revolution: Desaster and Distruction
"Marxism consists of thousands of truths, but these truths can be summarized in the statement: It is right to rebel against reactionaries" Mao Zedong Although Mao Zedong is known for bringing together the people of China before, during, and after the Chinese communist revolution, he actually caused mass economic disaster and was responsible for the death of tens of millions of innocent people. Mao had several good ideas that can be rationalized to some extent such as the Hundred Flowers Campaign and the Great Leap Forward. However, these Campaigns turned our for the worst. As a child Mao enjoyed the life of a rich peasant family. There was always enough to eat and a warm house and his parents could afford a good education for him (Major 49). In 1911, while in his mid-twenty's, Mao joined the Revolutionary Army in Hunan Province where he served for many years (Britannica 805). In 1919, while attending Peking University, Mao took part in the May Fourth Movement. The May Fourth Movement was inspired by the Treaty of Versailles because under the Treaty the Chinese land taken by the Germans was not to be returned to China, but instead it was to be given to the Japanese. The news reached China on May Second and two days later stud
ents all across the country were protesting it. The Communist Party was secret for a few years but then Cheng Kai Shek took Power in China and formed the Nationalists Party. In 1931 Mao was named the Leader of The Communist Party (Britannica 805). Mao's plan worked for a short time but then people stopped working and stopped producing and the system fell apart. After being taken from power Mao was not through with what he had been hoping to do. But Mao was sure that his plan would work and pushed it even harder than before. 4 million people were rounded up and killed (Wikipedia "Mao Zedong" 1). Fewer products were being produced than at any other time in the recent history of China. It wasn't until 1963 that China was able to get back on its feet from the mass famine that came about as a direct result of Mao's Great Leap Forward. In 1963, after being removed from power, Mao started what is known as the Chinese Cultural Revolution. In 1958 Mao started the Great Leap Forward, a campaign to stimulate the economy and get the country moving again. In 1963 Mao's plan to collectivize agriculture had seriously backfired. He still viewed the country as needing to make a clean break from its old ways and customs.
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