ABSTRACT
Interregnum: 1976-1978 Hua Guofeng, having claimed Mao Zedong’s mantle by virtue of his conversation with the dying chairman, was duty-bound to preserve Mao’s legacy. He pledged himself to “support firmly whatever decisions Chairman Mao made, and to follow persistently whatever directives Chairman Mao gave.” This pledge, referred to as “the two whatevers,” would later cause Hua considerable discomfort.
