The Cultural Revolution in China
- Date
- 1966–1976
- Category
- Politics & governance
- Region
- East Asia (China)
- Era
- Contemporary
- Significance
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 to reassert his authority and purge supposed capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society and the Communist Party.
Mao mobilised millions of young Red Guards, who attacked teachers, officials, intellectuals, and perceived class enemies, destroyed cultural and religious sites, and plunged the country into factional violence. Senior leaders including Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping were purged. The most chaotic phase ran from 1966 to 1969, after which the army restored order; politics remained turbulent through the fall of Mao's designated successor Lin Biao in 1971 and the rise of the radical Gang of Four. The movement ended with Mao's death in September 1976 and the subsequent arrest of the Gang of Four. Estimates of deaths range from several hundred thousand to a few million, with tens of millions persecuted. The upheaval devastated education, the economy, and cultural heritage, and discredited Maoist radicalism, paving the way for Deng Xiaoping's later reforms.
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Empires active in 1966–1976
- Soviet Union1922 CE – 1991 CE
- British Empire1583 CE – 1997 CE
- Spanish Empire1492 CE – 1976 CE
- Portuguese Empire1415 CE – 1999 CE
- Solomonic dynasty1270 CE – 1974 CE
- Dutch Empire1581 CE – 1975 CE
Related politics & governance events
- Founding of the People's Republic of China1 October 1949
- Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown15 April – 4 June 1989
- Construction of the Berlin Wall13 August 1961
- Iranian RevolutionJanuary–February 1979
- Establishment of Apartheid in South Africa1948
- Gorbachev's glasnost and perestroika1985–1991 (from 11 March 1985)
Further reading
The wider story
China: A History
Sweeping, readable single-volume narrative of China from its beginnings to today.
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