Mao's Cultural Revolution

Amamihe Nnodum 5/4/2013
Kolbe Cathedral Mao 's Cultural Revolution Grade 10

After the collapse of China 's Great Leap Forward, initiated by the Communist Party, Mao Zedong had lost a lot of momentum he had gained in the pursuit of his ideal nation. In an attempt to take back the control he once had in reforming China 's political and economic policy, Mao launched the Cultural Revolution, a movement that intended to disintegrate Chinese culture, tradition, and social aspects of life from the superpower Mao sought to create, so that it may translate to a leveled Communist environment. This revolution emphasized hard labor and impoverished workers to push the country forward, rather than the working class. Mao 's new ideas were seen as an even better “leap forward” by him and his supporters. However, to the people, being the majority of the Chinese population and those being oppressed by Communist rule, things may have been viewed on the contrary to Mao 's ideals. The outcome of the Cultural Revolution, as well as its benefit or harm to the stature of China, remains to the speculation of the groups involved in the move: the Communist government and the Chinese people. Mao Zedong was proud of the effect of the Cultural Revolution on a national scale. Mao had imposed his pride through countless propaganda posters of happy- looking Chinese communist people and Mao himself, looked upon as a god or some type of savior (Source 1 and Outside Source 1).Upon changing what seemed to be the overall culture of the face of China, the country quickly became a superpower on a global scale. The Chinese people were all on equal ground to one another, and Mao set his totalitarian system so that the “equal” people would work in uniform belief. People worked as farmers and peasants, only to make equal salaries based on the Communist government 's standard of wages. Mao 's communist officials praised what the revolution was doing at the time and what it will do for China 's future. (Source 5). According to the government, the Cultural Revolution would be an absolute success to the economy and living of the Chinese people. From the government 's view, the Cultural Revolution was one of the greatest moves the Communist Party had made in the right direction, and the people were ever so gracious for it, as shown by the people 's education and work ethic (Source 6). But in reality, the Chinese people were in disarray. Communism was a veil over the people, and the Cultural Revoluton only strengthened Mao 's grip on China (Outside Source 2).The old ways of China had been obliterated. Many Chinese stripped themselves of old beliefs and traditions; many of these beliefs being Daoist and Confucianist (Source 3). The Cultural Revolution had brought upon the financial and political gain of the rapidly growing country of China for Mao Zedong and his Communist party. But this was at the cost the people 's livelihoods, beliefs, and successes from labor in the understanding that the hardworking prosper and become the nation 's backbone. In Mao 's China, everyone is the same and no one prospers, as there is nothing to gain from working hard as an individual, and there is no gratification for effort. This oppression affected the majority of the Chinese population, and therefore, the Cultural Revolution did more harm than good to the overall stature of China.
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Works Cited

“While I listened to the words of homage to Mao, I remembered Mao’s awesome power, like a blanket over China threatening to smother whomever he chose. Pg. 218”
― Nien Cheng, Life and Death in Shanghai ; (Outside Source 2)

1: Guocheng, Sun, (孙国成). "The Mao Cult." The Mao Cult. Important Art of New China 1949-1979 (China Guardian Auction Catalogue 1997, Beijing) Zhongguo Meishuguan (ed.), 中国美术年鉴 1949-1989 (Guilin: Guangxi Meishu Chubanshe, 1993), n.d. Web. 09 May 2013.
2: Chang, Nien. "Quotes About Cultural Revolution." (8 Quotes). Goodreads Inc., n.d. Web. 09 May 2013.

Cited: “While I listened to the words of homage to Mao, I remembered Mao’s awesome power, like a blanket over China threatening to smother whomever he chose. Pg. 218”  ― Nien Cheng, Life and Death in Shanghai ; (Outside Source 2) 1: Guocheng, Sun, (孙国成). "The Mao Cult." The Mao Cult. Important Art of New China 1949-1979 (China Guardian Auction Catalogue 1997, Beijing) Zhongguo Meishuguan (ed.), 中国美术年鉴 1949-1989 (Guilin: Guangxi Meishu Chubanshe, 1993), n.d. Web. 09 May 2013. 2: Chang, Nien. "Quotes About Cultural Revolution." (8 Quotes). Goodreads Inc., n.d. Web. 09 May 2013.