The Legacy of Mao’s Cultural Revolution
Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution (CR), launched in 1966, aimed to revolutionize Chinese society fundamentally. It mobilized millions of young Chinese, known as Red Guards, to challenge the old order, including Party officials perceived as elitist and disconnected from the masses. The CR sought to empower the rural population, historically marginalized and impoverished, by promoting equality and redistributing resources.
During this tumultuous period, rural communities experienced significant social and economic changes. The emphasis on literacy and education in the countryside led to unprecedented levels of literacy among rural citizens. They gained a voice in national politics, participating in discussions and decision-making processes that previously excluded them.
By the end of the Cultural Revolution, China had achieved remarkable advancements in agriculture and infrastructure development, spearheaded by rural communities. The mechanization of agriculture improved productivity, contributing to a robust economic growth rate that outpaced many Western nations. Rural Chinese, once labeled as peasants, emerged as empowered citizens with rights and aspirations equal to their urban counterparts.
Today, the legacy of the Cultural Revolution continues to influence China’s socio-political landscape. It remains a pivotal chapter in Chinese history, shaping modern attitudes towards governance, equality, and national identity. Understanding this transformative period provides essential insights into China’s journey towards becoming a global superpower and its ongoing efforts to balance tradition with modernization.
Me:
90% of actual participants in the CR were delighted by it. Millions still gather to celebrate it annually because, 16 years after the Communists took power, nothing had changed in peasants’ lives.
Mao, dismayed by urbanite Party officials already living privileged lives, initiated the CR to emancipate 400,000,000 voiceless peasants whose social status was unchanged in 3,000 years.
He drove inequality to the lowest level ever recorded and grew the economy 6% pa, twice America’s rate, and mechanized agriculture.
By the CR’s end, rural literacy was taken for granted and rural people (no longer ‘peasants’) were as intolerant of oppression and corruption, as vocal about their priorities, as enthusiastic about voting, and as eager to voice complaints as their urban cousins.
For the first time in history they were full citizens who could point to the infrastructure they built, the agricultural advances they had made, and the problems they had solved.
