Maoist China Revision
Maoist China Revision
Items in this lesson
Maoist China Revision
Which pair of terms BEST illustrates key events of the Cultural Revolution campaigns?
Down to the Countryside and Purges
Open Door Policy and Special Economic Zones
Five Year Plans and Great Leap Forward
Long March and The Army
Which of the following BEST explains Mao Zedong’s main political objective in launching the Cultural Revolution in 1966?
To improve China’s diplomatic relations with both the United States and the Soviet Union simultaneously
To reassert his personal authority over the Chinese Communist Party and remove perceived ‘capitalist roaders'
To accelerate economic growth through industrialisation campaigns similar to the Great Leap Forward
To decentralise power away from Beijing and strengthen regional and local party leaders
Why were young people, particularly students, a key group in the early stages of the Cultural Revolution?
They were the only group in society with access to foreign media and underground political writings
They already held the majority of leadership positions in local party committees and government bodies
They had been raised under the People’s Republic and were seen as more ideologically pure and responsive to Mao’s appeals
They were legally required by the constitution to form Red Guard units and carry out class struggle campaigns
What was the main function of the Little Red Book during the Cultural Revolution?
It acted as a portable source of Mao’s ideological guidance, reinforcing his cult of personality and providing slogans that supported his actions
It functioned as a secret codebook for communication between rival Red Guard factions
It served primarily as an economic manual explaining detailed five‑year plans and industrial targets
It was used mainly as a private religious text in underground worship communities
Which statement BEST describes the impact of the Cultural Revolution on education and intellectual life in China?
Many schools and universities were closed or severely disrupted, teachers were persecuted, and academic standards declined
It functioned as a secret codebook for communication between rival Red Guard factions
Education shifted to a fully online model, allowing students to learn remotely while factories stayed open
Universities and schools expanded smoothly, with continuous classes and uninterrupted academic research
Mao
Zhou
Deng
Jiang
What do you remember about:
Mao Zedong
Zhou Enlai
Deng Xiaoping
Jiang Qing
What was the cultural revolution?
What Was the Cultural Revolution?
A campaign started by Mao Zedong in 1966 to reassert his control and strengthen communist ideology in China.
It was designed to remove opponents and to keep the revolutionary spirit alive after his position was weakened.
How was the cultural revolution enforced?
Propaganda
Pictures, posters and songs praised Mao and encouraged loyalty to him.
The PLA
The people's liberation army.
The military wing of the communist party.
Run by Lin Biao.
The Red Guards?
Groups mostly made up of students or peasants.
Created to attack people seen as enemies of Mao or communism.
They targeted teachers, destroyed temples, burned books, and attacked 'four olds'.
The Four Olds
Traditional beliefs, seen as not modern or supporting communism.
Ancient traditions, festivals, and arts, targeted for destruction.
Old Culture
Old Ideas
The Four Olds
Actions and ways of living seen as backward or non-revolutionary.
Old Habits
Traditional celebrations and manners, discouraged by the Red Guards.
Old Customs
What were the impacts of the cultural revolution?
Impact on Education
Schools and universities closed for years.
Many teachers and students were sent to the countryside.
A whole generation missed out on a formal education.
Impact on Culture
Traditional art, books, and temples were lost or destroyed.
Impact on People’s Lives
Millions were persecuted, imprisoned, or killed.
Families were torn apart.
Drag and Drop
1966
1967
1968
1964
1973
1976
The Cultural revolution begins
Mao Zedong Dies
Up to the mountains, down to the countryside movement
The first purge takes place
The red guard was founded
The red guard was abolished
Mao decided to rehabilitate some purged party members
Mango fever
The little red book was published
Arrest of the gang of four
Life After the Cultural Revolution
After Mao’s death in 1976, more moderate leaders took over and the violence stopped.
New leaders like Deng Xiaoping moved away from Mao’s extreme ideas and rebuilt the country.
Which of the following BEST explains why many officials and intellectuals were sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution?
To provide them with high‑level managerial positions in rural industries and increase their salaries
To protect them from violence in the cities by hiding them in remote villages without any work responsibilities
To punish and ‘re‑educate’ them through manual labour alongside peasants, reflecting Mao’s emphasis on class struggle
To prepare them for emigration by training them in agricultural skills useful in other countries
How did the Cultural Revolution affect the Chinese Communist Party’s internal leadership by the early 1970s?
It resulted in the permanent removal of Mao Zedong from power and his replacement by Liu Shaoqi
It led to purges, promotions of new radical figures, and later the re‑emergence of some previously purged leaders like Deng Xiaoping
It left the leadership entirely unchanged, with all pre‑1966 leaders remaining in their original positions
It abolished the party altogether and replaced it with a multi‑party democratic system
Who were the Gang of Four
A group of neutral communist part members who pushed reform during the cultural revolution.
A group of citizens who fought against the cultural revolution.
A group of Mao's supporters who are attributed with promoting some of the main events of the cultural revolution.
A group of people purged from the communist party during the cultural revolution.
Which of the following is a significant LONG‑TERM consequence of the Cultural Revolution for Chinese society and politics?
It produced a permanent ban on all economic reforms and market activity after 1976
It contributed to a later desire for stability and pragmatism, helping create conditions for Deng Xiaoping’s reforms and policies
It caused China to abandon socialism entirely and immediately adopt a Western‑style liberal democracy in 1977
It resulted in the complete disappearance of Mao’s image and legacy from Chinese public life
How did the importance of ideological factors and personal power struggles within the leadership contribute the the cultural revolution?
They argue that personal power struggles fully account for events, making ideology largely irrelevant
They generally conclude that ideology alone explains the outbreak, with personal rivalries playing almost no role
They maintain that neither ideology nor power struggles matter; only economic conditions caused the Cultural Revolution
They suggest that ideology and personal power struggles were deeply intertwined, with each shaping and justifying the other
Who was Hua Guofeng and what role did he play in the CCP following Mao's death?
