Cultural Revolution

period known as the “long eighties”, which stretches from the late 1970s all the way until 1989 with the Tiananmen Massacre. In direct contrast to Maoist policies decrying capitalism and certain traditional elements of Chinese society, post-Cultural Revolution China saw economic reform moving them towards a market economy with greater openness to the West. Over time, people began calling for other reforms such as democratization, free speech, and a fix to government corruption. In Wei…

before and after 1911 Revolution The late Qing reform was introduced in the early 20th century. The reform was totally a waste of time as the people started to realize that it was beyond the bounds of possibility for China to survive in the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, many people in China started joining the revolutionary movements led by Dr. Sun Yixian, and as a result, this led to the outbreak of the 1911 Revolution. However, during the Qing Dynasty and after 1911 Revolution, China was in chaos…

The Tiananmen square protests of 1989 quickly turned into The Tiananmen square massacre was the most gruesome historical event in Chinese history, killing hundreds. Tens of thousands are arrested, many are imprisoned, and an unknown number are executed. Chinese troops bombarded Tiananmen Square in Beijing, killing and arresting thousands of pro-democracy protesters. The brutal Chinese governments assault on the protesters shocked the West and brought denunciations and sanctions from the United…

while peasants were living there dream. In document number 7 by an Unknown author that was a photographer wanted people interested in the effects of the cultural revolution to be informed on the negative effects of the cultural revolution in China 1996. He was a photographer that was able to take pictures of the negative effects of the cultural revolution. In this document, it gives information on how religion was being thrown away, not allowed. This reveals on how the society was not ecstatic…

“History does nothing; it does not possess immense riches, it does not fight battles. It is men, real, living, who do this.” This was said by communist philosopher Karl Marx. His words essentially mean that the past has no use, the only thing that matters is the present. This greatly shaped the revolutionary communist leader Mao Tse-Tung’s thought process. Mao Tse-Tung led China between 1945-1976. During his time in power, he implemented many changes, both economically and socially. Mao…

As Mao and his administration came through into politics and the public eye, Mao’s vision of a New China began. In this, it was officially named the Cultural Revolution—due to its goal to restore the “vitality” of communism in China. The reality of said revolution differed greatly from China’s new government’s claims about it, through the morality blindness that society faced throughout the 60s. China’s new communist-style government has marketed and made Mao Tse-tung one of China’s biggest…

Han Shaogong captures the emotion and experiences of the Cultural Revolution, and the Down to the Countryside Movement from the perspective of an educated youth in his novel, “A Dictionary of Maqiao.” In the novel, the reader follows an educated youth as he travels to the countryside as a part of Mao’s “Down to the Countryside Movement.” The “Down to the Countryside Movement” was an effort by Mao Zedong to eradicate the anti-bourgeois thinking that he believed was prevalent in his country. Mao…

The Cultural Revolution severely delayed the development of Chinese technology, so Deng sent students to foreign countries to learn and bring back the technological ideas to China. Not only were students a part of this new movement, so were the professionals. “As…

Son of the Revolution is an autobiography written by Liang Heng, which recounts his personal experience during the Chinese cultural revolution. During this time, Mao Zedong reclaimed his position to power in China; his goal was to preserve the original ideals of the communist party. In hopes of ending all ideals of capitalism, Mao created the Red Guards, a class struggle, and “re-education” programs. These aspects come together and are shown throughout Liang’s which show the effects of Mao’s…

In his poem "The Answer," Chinese poet Bei Dao responds to the grim conditions that Chinese citizens-particularly artists-faced during the Cultural Revolution. A few thousand miles west, Polish poet Zbigniew Herbert uses the poem "The Envoy of Mr. Cogito" to reflect on life in Poland during the long years of repression under Soviet occupation. During the 20th century, in both Poland and China, post-totalitarian regimes suppressed free expression and held power in an iron fist. Political…