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Oct 30, 2023

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Your personalities have passed their 50th birthdays. How are they and their families experiencing the Cultural Revolution? What are their feelings about China, the Party, themselves? Are they safe? During the 1950’s, my village in Shiyan Beicun within the province of Zhejiang in China, was going through first few years of the Chinese Cultural Revolution initiated by Mao Zedong to renew the spirit of the Chinese Revolution. However, leading up to this period, in the 1950s, China experienced significant political changes. Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party had established the People's Republic of China in 1949 and in the 1950s, Mao introduced a series of socio-political and economic reforms, including land redistribution and the nationalization of industries. One significant event was the "Great Leap Forward" (1958-1962), which aimed to rapidly transform China from an agrarian society into a socialist industrialized nation. However, this policy led to economic hardships and a massive famine. What are their feelings about China, the Party, themselves? The Cultural Revolution brought on mixed emotions and perceptions. Many young people, especially the Red Guards, were fervent supporters of Mao and believed in his vision for a continuous revolution to purge capitalist and traditional elements from society. They felt a sense of duty to protect the revolutionary spirit of China and the Communist Party which led them to take drastic actions, including public humiliations, persecutions, and even physical violence against those deemed counter revolutionary. However, as the Cultural Revolution progressed and the violence escalated, many Chinese citizens grew disillusioned. The constant purges, public humiliations, and the chaos disrupted daily life and the economy. Intellectuals, professionals, and educated individuals, who were often targets of the Red Guards, felt persecuted and marginalized. The general populace suffered from the socio-political upheavals, and many began to lose faith in the Party and Mao's leadership. Therefore, the 1950s was a pivotal decade for China, laying the groundwork for the turbulent Cultural Revolution that followed in the 1960s and 1970s. To grasp the political dynamics of the 1950s, one needs to examine the socio-political context of that era. This decade saw the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under Mao Zedong's leadership strengthen its control over China. Having emerged victorious from the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the CCP established the People's Republic of China, marking the beginning of communist rule. This decade was characterized by significant political, economic, and social reforms aimed at reshaping the fabric of Chinese society. One of the earliest and most impactful reforms was land redistribution. The CCP initiated agrarian land reforms to dismantle the feudal landholding system. Land was taken from landlords, many of whom faced severe punishments or even execution, and redistributed to peasants. This move was seen as a method to rectify social inequalities and consolidate the Party's support among the rural masses. References He Liyi. He Liyi: A Villager ‘s Life (2nd ed.) History.com. (2020, April 3). Cultural Revolution - Definition, Effects & Mao Zedong. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/topics/asian-history/cultural-revolution Jung Chang. Jung Chang: Three Daughters of China Klaus Mühlhahn. Making China Modern: From the Great Qing to Xi Jinping, China at War, pp. 298-357

Lieberthal, K. G. (2023, October 19). Cultural Revolution | Definition, Facts, & Failure. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Cultural-Revolution Phillips, T. (2017, November 29). The Cultural Revolution: all you need to know about China's political convulsion. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/11/the-cultural-revolution- 50-years-on-all-you-need-to-know-about-chinas-political-convulsion Stanford University. (2019, November 1). How violence unfolded during China's Cultural Revolution | Stanford News. Stanford News. https://news.stanford.edu/2019/10/29/violence-unfolded-chinas- cultural-revolution/ Szczepanski, K. (2019, August 9). Overview of the Chinese cultural Revolution. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-was-the-cultural-revolution-195607

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