Lin Biao’s Role in the Cultural Revolution

Overview of the Cultural Revolution

Given below is a brief overview of the timeline of the Cultural Revolution for better understanding:...

The Beginning of the Cultural Revolution in China

Mao Zedong’s attempts to revive communist ideology...

Lin Biao’s Role in the Cultural Revolution

Around 1967, Lin Biao was sent by Mao with army troops in to restore order in many Chinese cities that were on the brink of collapse and fallen to anarchy. The army soon suppressed the Red Guards into retreating however the bloodshed it caused was immense. Lin Biao was officially appointed as Mao’s successor in 1969. He began finding excuses to institute martial law in cities, and bothered by Lin’s desire for power, Mao began to plot against him with the help of Zhou Enlai, China’s premier, leading to a split of ranks in the Chinese government. Lin died in an airplane crash in Mongolia, apparently while attempting to escape to the Soviet Union in 1971, which led to Lin’s loyalists to be purged....

End of the Cultural Revolution and Gang of Four

Mao’s death in 1976 and the downfall of the Gang of Four (a group of radical pro-Mao CCP members) brought an end to the cultural revolution. In order to avoid discrediting Mao and his legacy, party leaders ordered for Mao’s widow, Jiang Qing, and a group of her radical accomplices to be publicly tried for being responsible the chaos and terror. Jiang was sentenced to death in 1981, which was later reduced to life in prison.; She hung herself in 1991. Mao and Zhou had rallied behind and given support to Deng Xiaoping, before their deaths, however after a lot of falling in and out with the radicals Gang of Four, Deng rose back to power in 1977 and maintained control over the Chinese government for the next 20 years....

Effects of the Cultural Revolution on China

There were both short term and long term effects of the cultural revolution on China, both of which are discussed in detail below:...

Conclusion

We find that historians today speculate that Mao Zedong used the cultural revolution in China as a smokescreen to weed out his enemies. The official reason for the launch of this cultural revolution in 1966 still remains the revival of communism and revolutionary spirit in people and purging of the “bourgeois” leaders in the ruler party; However we can also conclude that Mao very tactfully hit two birds with a stone and went after his enemies by launching this revolution to reassert his authority in the government. The cultural revolution caused widespread destruction and chaos in many Chinese cities and completely overturned any sign of normalcy for people. The youth was radicalized and manipulated, the intellectual class was persecuted, all of which had after effects for the country. The revolution ended after Mao’s death and to this day remains as a dark past for the communist party of China....

FAQ’s on Cultural Revolution in China

What are the Red Guards in the Cultural Revolution?...