In this deck, we will explore one of the most chaotic and destructive periods in modern Chinese history: the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976. We'll examine why Mao Zedong launched this movement, the role of the fanatical Red Guards, and the devastating impact it had on China's politics, society, and economy. Understanding this topic is key for your exam, as it reveals the extremes of Mao's power and ideology.

The Cultural Revolution didn't happen in a vacuum. It grew out of the power struggles that followed the disastrous Great Leap Forward. Senior communists like Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping had gained influence by fixing the economy with more moderate policies. Mao felt his power was being undermined and that the revolution was losing its way, becoming too bureaucratic and unequal. He decided to launch a new, radical movement to reassert his authority and purify communism.

To carry out his revolution, Mao turned to China's youth. He encouraged students to form groups called the Red Guards. Armed with the 'Little Red Book' of Mao's quotations, they were told to attack anyone or anything representing old, pre-communist China. Mao held massive rallies in Tiananmen Square, where millions of passionate Red Guards waved their books and chanted slogans, ready to enforce his will.