Power Struggles After Mao

But First

Paper 1 PracticeOPVL

Introduction

• 1976, Mao dead– In charge of China since

1949

• Similar problems of economic stagnation

• Will be able to achieve growth without losing one-party rule

Mao• Closest political ally Zhou

Enlai• Had consolidated the power

of the CCP• Attempted to assert his

independence of the USSR• Various political and

economic actions– Five-year plan– Hundred Flowers– Anti-Rightist– Great Leap Forward– Great Proletarian Cultural

Revolution

Great Leap Forward• Jan. 1958, attempt to

modernize agriculture and industry

• Grouped in communes• Initial successes, but

things go wrong, famine– 1959-61 Three Bitter Years– Some criticized Mao, led to

loss of influence• Liu Shaoqi took over as

president– Allowed private plots,

bonuses, recovery

Socialist Education and Rightist Deviations

• Mao concerned about creeping capitalism

• Corrected Rightist deviation with new movement, rallies, meetings

• May 1963, First Ten Points, set down socialist objectives– New versions by Deng

Xiaoping and Liu Shaoqi, less firm

• Mao supported by Lin Biao, minister of defense, used PLA to publish Quotations

Intellectuals and Revolutionary Successors

• 1964, sent intellectuals away to learn from peasants

• Wanted education combined with productive labor

• Further concerns about capitalists– 1965, Twenty-three

Articles– Start of Cultural Revolution

• Liuists versus Maoists divided

Cultural Revolution

• 1966, seeking to eliminate capitalism and restore power– Relied on PLA and youth

• Became violent, 400,000 died• Called for Four Olds to be

destroyed– Ideas, culture, customs, habits

• Liu Shaoqi dismissed, Deng Xiaoping sent down to the countryside

• Red Guards fought with one another, Mao calls in PLA

• Production had been distracted, declined

• Mao did gain power

Power Struggle• Divisions growing• Liu had issued strong

warnings about US in Vietnam– Had wanted to revive Soviet

alliance• Lin Biao attacked Soviet and

US imperialism• Mao and Zhou saw USSR as

main threat• Lin and Mao vying for party

control– 1970, attached Zhou’s foreign

and domestic policies

571 Affair• Lin Biao with doubts

about Mao’s direction– Minister of defense– Mao tried to remove

supporters around him, ordered his troops away

• 1970, Mao announces Nixon can visit

• 1971, Lin vanished from public view– Purge of military and

civilian admin.

Rightists Versus Leftists

• Liuists and Maoists still divided• 1973, Zhou Enlai helps Deng

return to Beijing• Mao’s health deteriorating• Several rightists being

restored– Led by Zhao and Deng

• Leftists led by Jiang Qing, three radical party members– Gang of Four

• 1973, rightists victories in elections

Gang of Four

• Jiang had headed GPCR– Yao Wenyuan, chief

propagandist– Wang Hongwen, trade

union leader– Zhang Chunqiao, deputy

sec. of Shanghai’s Mun. Comm.

– All favored more revolutionary approach

– Power base with cultural or media organizations• Little support from military

or in party

Turn to the US

• 1972, Nixon visit– Resulted in Shanghai

Communique, normalization of Sino-American relations

• Rightists wanted to build wealthy China

• Leftists wanted to revolutionary line

Four Modernizations

• Economic plan between 1974-76

• Favored by Rightists – Deng and Zhou working

together– Modernizations of

agriculture, industry, science, technology defense

• Jiang continued demands of CR

• Mao dying, giving influence to nephew Mao Yuanxin– Gave Gang of Four an

advantage

Power Struggle 1976-81

• 1976, Zhou and Mao both die– Gang of Four still around– Leftists versus Rightists– Deng versus Jiang– Those in the middle,

centrist group led by Hua Guofeng• No serious objections to

him ascending after Mao’s death

Qingming Festival, 1976

• April 1976, followed Zhou’s death in January

• Paid respects to ancestors• Gang cut it short• Support for him was also

critical of Mao and the Gang

• Hua asks Mao what to do, uses force

• Accusations against Deng, removed from power

Mao’s Death

• September 9, 1976– Jiang tried to make it

look life she was Mao’s choice successor

• Hua and Jiang attack one another

• Gang tries a coup in October– Military informs Hua,

fails

Defeat of the Gang of Four• Hua works with Deng to

arrest Gang• Called emergency meeting

of Politburo– Zhang and Wang arrested

there– Yao and Jiang caught later– Portrayed as power hungry

• Mao untarnished• Tried in 1980 for offenses of

CR, Jiang said she only acted under Mao’s orders

• All given life sentences, Yao 20 years

Rise of Deng Xiaoping• Politburo gives Hua three

tasks– Replace Mao– Rehabilitate Deng– Modernize

• Deng quickly re-admittted to Politburo, Central Committee, State Council, Military Commission, Chief of Staff of PLA

• Deng put in charge of Four Modernizations

• Hua announced end of CR

Hua and Whateversists

• Uphold whatever Mao’s policies were and follow whatever his directions were

• But many wanted to move on from him

• Hua’s power being reduced by Deng– Challenge whatever approach– Criticized Lin Biao and Gang

• Hua resigns as premier in 1980, replaced by Deng’s man, Zhao Ziyang– April 1981, Deng’s supporter Hu

Yaobang, became GS of CCP• 1981, Hua resigns from all other

posts• End of Mao era

– Now modernization