ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by explaining why Mao insisted on the necessity of what came to be called the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and how he regained the power he needed to launch its policies in 1966. The emergence of the Red Guards and other developments that so shook China are covered, along with descriptions of the violence that brought such destruction and grief to millions of people. The roles and importance of Jiang Qing and Lin Biao are described, as is the power struggle between Mao and Lin that resulted in Lin’s death. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the rise and fall, after Mao’s death, of the “Gang of Four” and an overview of the legacy of this destructive event.
