The Chinese Cultural Revolutions of the 20th Century

The Chinese Cultural Revolutions of the 20^th Century

Many countries around the world have experienced revolutions at one time in their history. However, China is unique as it experienced two revolutions during the 20^th century. The first was the May Fourth Movement of 1919 against the traditional Chinese dynasties, while the second was the Great Proletarian Cultural revolution of 1966 caused by Mao Zedong. One difference between the two revolutions is that the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was a decade long revolution that saw the decimation of Chinese lives and culture. The two revolutions also have common similarities as they were both instigated by the Chinese communist party and primarily involved the youth. The cultural revolutions of the 20^th century are responsible for modern-day China and have had a considerable impact on numerous aspects of the Chinese way of life. The focus of the two cultural revolutions was the aversion of Ancient Chinese culture in favor of new communist ideals. Consequently, this makes the May fourth Movement and the Great Proletarian Cultural revolution analogous, if not identical to each other.

May 4^th Movement

The May fourth Movement occurred in china in 1917-21 and had the objective of overthrowing the old Chinese traditions. The Movement was a socio-political reform and intellectual revolution that was directed toward emancipation of the individual, national independence and rebuilding of the Chinese culture and society (Chunmei). The Movement is considered by many scholars to be the start of modern Chinese history. The May fourth Movement signaled the transition from traditional Confucian ideals to new communist beliefs that changed the Chinese society and governance.

(Chunmei) states that this Movement “saw the political awakening of Chinas young, growing student population and an intellectual attack on the foundations of traditional Chinese culture.” The Movement began on May fourth, 1919, when more than 300o college and university students assembled in front of the Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The spark that started this revolution was the humiliation of China at the treaty of Versailles (Thornton). The proposal to transfer Chinese lands under German rule to japan deeply angered the students and consequently started the revolution. The students’ protests in Beijing, in turn, sparked numerous demonstrations around the country that called for the punishment of officials involved in betraying the national interests of China.

Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution

The second Chinese revolution of the 20^th century was the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, which occurred between 1966 and 1976. This Cultural Revolution unleashed by Mao Zedong lasted for a decade that spelled violent effects throughout china. In essence, the revolution was fundamentally about elite politics in which Mao strived to reassert his control in the communist party (Ramzy). Mao incited radical youths against the communist party hierarchy by painting them as enemies to China’s progress. While the causes of the cultural revolution are quite complex, consensus points to Mao Zedong’s efforts to regain dominance as China’s chief policymaker and the evolution of the ‘cult of Mao’ as the main contributors (Ramzy). The great proletarian Cultural Revolution spelled a dark decade for China, which was characterized by widespread persecution, criticisms, incriminations, beatings, imprisonment, torture and massacres of Chinese citizens. This revolution was also focused on destroying elements of pre-communist china, which were commonly referred to as the ‘Four Olds’ (Thornton). They included Old culture, old Habits, Old customs and Old Ideas. The campaign to destroy the past and perform Mao Zedong’s bidding led to the creation of the Red Army, which has become synonymous with the great proletarian Cultural Revolution.

Comparisons

The May Fourth Movement and the Great Proletarian Cultural revolution are considered to be forms of social resistance and rebellion against Chinas ancient culture. Firstly, the May Fourth Movement was a complete social revolution that was targeted at the traditional Chinese culture and beliefs that were built on Confucian teachings (Chunmei). The protests by students opposed the traditional forms of governance that the protesters viewed as retrogressive to Chinese progress. The protesters advocated for the abandonment of the old ways of governance and culture in favour of communist beliefs. This led to the evolution of communism and the establishment of the Chinese communist party. Therefore, the Movement brought an end to the patriarchal society of ancient china, leading to a reorganization of the Chinese nation. On the other hand, the great proletarian Cultural Revolution was fundamentally based on Mao Zedong’s view of a society built on ideological purity. The revolution created a cult following of Chairman Mao’s ideologies called the Red Army (Ramzy). This group followed Mao’s doctrines to the letter and was responsible for the widespread persecution, torture and murder of Chinese intellectuals and leaders who were viewed as enemies to communist beliefs. Therefore, the origins of the two revolutions are related to the socio-cultural aspects of China.

One common feature among the cultural revolutions that rocked 20^th-century china is their strong links to the Chinese intellectual community. For starters, both revolutions mostly included participation by the young university and college students. While the May fourth Movement included more than 3000 students in colleges and universities around Beijing, the great proletarian Cultural Revolution included radicalized students and youth who formed the Red Guard (Thornton). Both revolutions also included the persecution of intellectuals and scholars who posed opposing ideologies contrary to those of the protesters. The May fourth Movement saw the persecution and exile of scholars who practiced Confucian Philosophy and promoted ancient Chinese culture and beliefs. Intellectuals with views contrary to Mao Zedong’s ideologies were also painted as enemies of Chinese communist progress (Ramzy). These intellectuals were subsequently persecuted, imprisoned and massacred during the decade long upheaval.

Chinese political elements of governance and communism form the foundation of the cultural revolutions that characterized the country in the last century. The May Fourth Movement gave birth to the communist party and its ideals, while the great proletarian revolution reinforced them (Chunmei). The protest by students in Beijing was targeted at the current Chinese officials who were viewed as traitors by conceding Chinese land to japan in the treaty of Versailles. The Movement also sought to end the patriarchal dynasties that ruled ancient china and usher in the new communist leadership. While the 1919 revolution was partly political, the subsequent cultural revolution of 1966 was entirely political. The main objective of the great proletarian revolution was the reinstatement of Mao Zedong as the supreme leader of the communist party (Ramzy). The start of the 1966 revolution included the targeted persecution of Mao’s enemies within the communist party through the radicalization of the youth. Furthermore, the two revolutions have had a far-reaching effect on Chinese politics.

It can be argued that modern-day china still exemplifies the impact of the cultural revolutions of the twentieth century. Conversely, the two revolutions have had different historical consequences on the nation and its people. To start with, the May Fourth Movement had the effect of transforming Chinese society from the ancient Confucian based culture to the modern-day communist based culture. This transformation was not entirely violent and had little physical effect on the Chinese people. This is in contrast with the great proletarian that had more violent effects. The formation of Mao’s red army led to the persecution, torture and murder of numerous Chinese individuals considered enemies of the state (Ramzy). This left many people and families either mentally traumatized or physically injured. The mistrust and suspicion that characterized the decade long upheaval continues to date. The authoritarian rule employed by Mao is still evident in modern-day china, where the rights of individuals are seriously curtailed by the communist government. Ultimately, the May Fourth Movement and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution are seen to be extensively analogous, and their influence is still felt today.

 

Works Cited

Chunmei, Yang. “The May Fourth Movement in Chinese History.” Sixth Tone. May 4, 2019. www.sixthtone.com/news/1003904/the-may-fourth-movement-in-chinese-history. Accessed March 17, 2020.

Ramzy, Austin. “China’s Cultural Revolution, Explained.” The New York Times. May 14, 2016. www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/world/asia/china-cultural-revolution-explainer.html. Accessed March 17, 2020.

Thornton, Patricia M. “Afterlives of Chinese Communism: Political Concepts from Mao to Xi. ” ANU Press, 2019.