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Effects and end of the Cultural Revolution, 1966 to 76

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The Cultural Revolution shook every part of China. By 1968 Mao had to use the army to restore order, but the power struggles continued until his death in 1976.

Effects

Political: the party was purged. Liu Shaoqi died in prison (1969); Deng Xiaoping was sent to work in a tractor factory. Lin Biao rose to be Mao's chosen successor, then died in a plane crash in 1971 after an alleged plot.
Social: schools and universities closed; a generation lost its education.
Economic: industry was disrupted and experts were removed from their jobs.

Ending the Red Guards

By 1968 the Red Guards were out of control.
Mao used the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to restore order.
In the "Up to the mountains and down to the villages" campaign, millions of young people were sent to the countryside to learn from peasants.

To 1976

Zhou Enlai gained influence and Deng returned to power in 1973.
The radical Gang of Four (including Jiang Qing) competed with them for power.
Zhou died in January 1976. Mao died on 9 September 1976, and the Gang of Four was arrested a month later.
Worked example

Why did Mao send young people 'up to the mountains and down to the villages'?

  1. The Red Guards had become violent and out of control.
  2. Sending them to the countryside broke up their groups.
  3. It also let them 'learn from the peasants'.

Answer: To break up the Red Guards and restore order, while claiming they would learn from peasants.

Key idea

Effects: party purged (Liu died, Deng exiled), Lin Biao rose and fell (1971), education collapsed, the economy was disrupted. The PLA restored order from 1968 and youths were sent to the countryside. Zhou and Deng returned; Mao died in 1976 and the Gang of Four was arrested.

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