Propaganda was extensively used throughout Mao’s tenure as party leader, as a means to indoctrinate the Chinese people to be obedient and adhere to Mao’s ideology. Mao used propaganda in two primary ways: to purge his enemies, and to spread his ideology. This propaganda established the cult of personality, which is instrumental to Mao’s consolidation of power in his eventual campaigns. The origins of Mao’s cult of personality can be traced back to the Long March (1934-1936). While Mao’s leadership was pivotal, the party’s accounts of this were shaped and manipulated by Mao and his followers. Mao’s leadership during the Long March, was painted as innovative, inspirational and strategically brilliant. Public perceptions of Mao’s leadership
…show more content…
Over the results of the first five year plan, and the future pace of economic change, Mao called upon intellectuals from outside the party to openly and freely criticise the government and its policies. However, with an ever increasingly denunciations against Mao and the new China, the ‘Anti Rightest movement’ was put in motion in 1957. This movement was a reaction to the surprising amount of dissatisfaction towards the Communist party. The aim of this movement was to supress those who weren’t supportive of Mao and his policies. Those who had spoken out were condemned as anti-socialist, were arrested and imprisoned. Mao’s true motives is argued amongst historians, with the first perspective being that Mao was not astute to the discontent from within the party, now revealed by the campaign. Alternatively, Mao used the campaign as a ploy to get non supporters to speak out against the regime, then using what they said as a reason to victimise them. Regardless of Mao’s true motive, the Hundred Flowers Campaign concluded with a relentless purge that proved to be instrumental in Mao’s consolidation of power. Mao’s power over China was absolute at this …show more content…
This was an attempt to modernise China into a superpower, similar to the first five year plan in which the aim was to boost her industrial and economic might. The Great Leap Forward proved to be a suppressive economic failure that plunged China into calamitous famine resulting in the deaths of millions. At the Lushan Conference 1959, The Minister of Defence, Peng Dehuai, openly expressed his concerns following the failed results of the Great Leap Forward. However, no other party delegates supported Peng’s claims, as they were unwilling to offend Mao. Mao saw his criticisms as an personal affront and resulted in Peng being purged and replaced by Lin Biao. This event didn’t consolidate Mao’s power, but rather reaffirmed his status and reputation that he built, that even at his lowest political standing, no one dared challenge his role as leader. The failure of the Great leap forward proved that Mao’s previous work laid the foundation for Mao to be seemingly
Over the results of the first five year plan, and the future pace of economic change, Mao called upon intellectuals from outside the party to openly and freely criticise the government and its policies. However, with an ever increasingly denunciations against Mao and the new China, the ‘Anti Rightest movement’ was put in motion in 1957. This movement was a reaction to the surprising amount of dissatisfaction towards the Communist party. The aim of this movement was to supress those who weren’t supportive of Mao and his policies. Those who had spoken out were condemned as anti-socialist, were arrested and imprisoned. Mao’s true motives is argued amongst historians, with the first perspective being that Mao was not astute to the discontent from within the party, now revealed by the campaign. Alternatively, Mao used the campaign as a ploy to get non supporters to speak out against the regime, then using what they said as a reason to victimise them. Regardless of Mao’s true motive, the Hundred Flowers Campaign concluded with a relentless purge that proved to be instrumental in Mao’s consolidation of power. Mao’s power over China was absolute at this …show more content…
This was an attempt to modernise China into a superpower, similar to the first five year plan in which the aim was to boost her industrial and economic might. The Great Leap Forward proved to be a suppressive economic failure that plunged China into calamitous famine resulting in the deaths of millions. At the Lushan Conference 1959, The Minister of Defence, Peng Dehuai, openly expressed his concerns following the failed results of the Great Leap Forward. However, no other party delegates supported Peng’s claims, as they were unwilling to offend Mao. Mao saw his criticisms as an personal affront and resulted in Peng being purged and replaced by Lin Biao. This event didn’t consolidate Mao’s power, but rather reaffirmed his status and reputation that he built, that even at his lowest political standing, no one dared challenge his role as leader. The failure of the Great leap forward proved that Mao’s previous work laid the foundation for Mao to be seemingly