Attacks upon the "Four Olds" Red Guards

the remains of ming dynasty wanli emperor @ ming tombs. red guards dragged remains of wanli emperor , empresses front of tomb, posthumously denounced , burned.

the 11th plenum of cpc central committee had ratified sixteen articles in august 1966, document stated aims of cultural revolution. highlighted role students asked play in movement. after 18 august rally, cultural revolution group directed red guards attack 4 olds of chinese society (old customs, old culture, old habits , old ideas). rest of year, red guards marched across china in campaign eradicate 4 olds . old books , art destroyed, museums ransacked, , streets renamed new revolutionary names , adorned pictures , sayings of mao. many famous temples, shrines, , other heritage sites in beijing attacked.

the cemetery of confucius attacked in november 1966 team of red guards beijing normal university, led tan houlan. corpse of 76th-generation duke yansheng removed grave , hung naked tree in front of palace during desecration of cemetery. attacks on other cultural , historic sites happened between in 1966 , 1967. 1 of greater damages ming dynasty tomb of wanli emperor in , empress’s corpses along variety of artifacts tomb destroyed student members of red guard. between assaults on wan li , confucius’ tombs alone, more 6618 historic chinese artifacts destroyed in desire achieve goals of cultural revolution.

the property of individuals gone after red guard members if considered represent 1 of 4 olds. commonly religious texts , figures confiscated , burned. other times items of historic importance left, defaced, examples such qin dynasty scrolls having writings partially removed , stone , wood carvings having faces , words carved out of them. re-education came alongside destruction of previous culture , history, throughout cultural revolution schools target of red guard groups teach both new ideas of cultural revolution; point out ideas represented previous era idealizing 4 olds. example, 1 student, mo bo, described variety of red guards activities taken teach next generation no longer norms. done according bo wall posters lining walls of schools pointing out workers undertook “bourgeois” lifestyles. these actions inspired other students across china join red guard well. 1 of these people, rae yang, described how these actions inspired students. through authority figures, such teachers, using positions form of absolute command rather educators gave students reason believe red guard messages. in yang’s case exemplified through teacher using poorly phrased statement excuse shame student legitimize teachers own position.

attacks on culture descended attacks on people. ignoring guidelines in sixteen articles stipulated persuasion rather force used bring cultural revolution, officials in positions of authority , perceived bourgeois elements denounced , suffered physical , psychological attacks. on august 22, 1966, central directive issued stop police intervention in red guard activities. in police force defied notice labeled counter-revolutionaries. mao s praise rebellion endorsement actions of red guards, grew increasingly violent.

public security in china deteriorated rapidly result of central officials lifting restraints on violent behavior. xie fuzhi, national police chief, said no big deal if red guards beating bad people death. police relayed xie s remarks red guards , acted accordingly. in course of 2 weeks, violence left 1 hundred teachers, school officials, , educated cadres dead in beijing s western district alone. number injured large calculated.

the gruesome aspects of campaign included numerous incidents of torture, murder, , public humiliation. many people targets of struggle no longer bear stress , committed suicide. in august , september 1966, there 1,772 people murdered in beijing alone. in shanghai there 704 suicides , 534 deaths related cultural revolution in september. in wuhan there 62 suicides , 32 murders during same period.

intellectuals suffer brunt of these attacks. many ousted official posts such university teaching , allocated manual tasks such sweeping courtyards, building walls , cleaning toilets 7am 5pm daily encourage them dwell on past mistakes . official report in october 1966 reported red guards had arrested 22,000 counterrevolutionaries .

the red guards tasked rooting out capitalist roaders (those supposed right wing views) in positions of authority. search extend highest echelons of cpc, many top party officials, such liu shaoqi, deng xiaoping , peng dehuai being attacked both verbally , physically red guards.

liu shaoqi targeted, had taken mao s seat chairman of people s republic following great leap forward. although mao stepped down post sign of accepting responsibility, angered capitalist roader liu take reins of communist china.