What was the meaning of the name ‘Cultural Revolution’?

China – The Cultural Revolution, 1966-76

In this course, Professor Michael Dillon (Durham University) explores the Cultural Revolution in China through nine key questions: (1) What was the meaning of the name ‘Cultural Revolution’?; (2) Why did Mao launch the Cultural Revolution when he did?; (3) Is it accurate to describe the Cultural Revolution as the ‘decade of disaster’?; (4) To what extent were Mao’s motives ideological rather than political?; (5) What was the role of the Red Guards in Mao’s strategy?; (6) Why was traditional Chinese culture a prime target in the Cultural Revolution?; (7) What part did Mao’s wife, Jiang Qing, play in the Cultural Revolution?; (8) How important was Lin Biao in the Cultural Revolution?; and (9) To what extent was the Cultural Revolution a success?

What was the meaning of the name ‘Cultural Revolution’?

In this module, we explain why the events of 1966-76 – a period characterised by the violent oppression of tens of thousands of people – came to be known by such as mild-sounding term as ‘Cultural Revolution’.