Mao Seeking Through The Cultural Revolution

What was Mao seeking through the Cultural Revolution? According to Simon Leys, ‘the cultural revolution’ had nothing revolutionary about it except the name, and nothing cultural about it except the first tactical excuse….” Simon Leys was a Chinese Literature teacher, his opinions could be seen as bias as he was a Chinese studies professor, this is supported by Chris Trueman who states : “The cultural revolution was how Mao planned to reassert his power over the Chinese Government, Mao had been less than a dynamic leader from the late 1950’s on, and feared others in the party might be taking on a leading role that weakened his power within the party and the country, Mao believed that the Chinese Government were taking China in the wrong direction,

The Red Guards were used to persuade the people of china to join the Cultural Revolution. Chris Trueman believes that the enthusiasm of the Red Guards nearly pushed China into social turmoil, schools and colleges were closed and the economy started to suffer. This information can be seen as reliable as Chris Trueman was a history teacher and has shown both of the Cultural Revolution, both the good and the bad. Groups of Red Guards fought Red Guards, as each separate unit believed that it knew best how China should proceed , Posters were plastered everywhere by the Red Guards but the main source of persuasion was Mao’s Little Red Book which were quotations of himself and his sayings. The people of China saw Mao as a god-like figure and his Little Red Book as the bible of china, they worshiped Mao and his book; posters and pictures were created and were guarded by red guards, the posters showing a picture of Mao with a glowing aurora around his head. The main propaganda for The Cultural Revolution was posters, the first poster shown is of a group of Red Guards walking side by side with Mao’s little red books In their right hands, they all show serious facial expressions and they are all walking in sync, to show a mass group of movement, the message reads ‘Chairman Mao teaches us: It is up to us to organize the people. As for the reactionaries in China, it is up to us to organize the people to overthrow them. Revolutionary Rebel factions unite to wage the Proletarian Cultural Revolution to the end!’, The Cultural Revolution was about getting everyone in china to support Mao’s decision, the propaganda used is the reason for china becoming modern china it is today. The second poster portrays the way the people of china saw chairman Mao, he