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In the 1960s, Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong came to feel that the current party leadership in China, as in the Russia, the Soviet Union was moving too far in a revisionist direction, with an emphasis on expertise rather than on ideological purity. Mao’s own position in government had weakened after the failure of his “Great Leap Forward” (1958-60) and the economic crisis that followed. Chairman Mao Zedong gathered a group of radicals, including his wife Jiang Qing and defense minister Lin Biao, to help him attack current party leadership and reassert his authority. (History 29)

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Mao’s decision to launch the “revolution” in May 1966 is now widely interpreted as an attempt to destroy his enemies by unleashing the people on the party and urging them to purify its ranks. (History 3)

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Through 1967-98 there was a mass student-led paramilitary social movement mobilized and guided by Chairman Mao Zedong called the red guards. The Red Guards were sent to attack the Four Olds of Chinese society which was the old culture, old ideas, etc. For awhile the Red Guards marched across China in a campaign to get rid of the old customs that were in play from the Four Olds. (Xia 2)

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In 1969, Lin was officially assigned to be Mao’s successor. He later used the excuse of border clashes with Soviet troops to institute martial law. A disturbance by Lin’s power grab, Mao began to maneuver against him with the help of Zhou Enlai, China’s premier, split between the ranks of power atop from the Chinese government. In September 1971, Lin died in an airplane crash in Mongolia, while trying to escape to the Soviet Union. (History 4)

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Zhou tried stabilizing China to be able to bring back the educational system and bring former officials to power. In 1972 Mao suffered a stroke and was later found out by Zhou that Mao had actually had cancer. Both Mao and Zhou supported Deng Xiaoping, Deng and her allies formed a group named the Gang of four. The radicals in China several years later convinced Mao to purge Deng in April 1976, a few months later Zhou died, then that same year in September Mao died as well. The civil police and military coalition later on pushed out the Gang of Four. (History 5)

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The Cultural Revolution crippled the economy, ruined millions of lives and thrust China into 10 years of turmoil, bloodshed, hunger and stagnation. (Phillips 5)