Author William Johnson, in his Murderous Marxism book, narrates the history of communism, authoritarian regimes, and their horrors, all historians have been hiding. He sheds light on the brutality of the China Cultural Revolution and the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution that will shock you to the core.
William Johnson’s Murderous Marxism is among the books about China’s Cultural Revolution that unveil how Mao Zedong’s radical Red Guards turned Marxist ideology into a nationwide nightmare. You will also learn how it left a devastating mark on Chinese society that people are still feeling.
China’s Cultural Revolution: Effects On Chinese Society
After the failure of Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward, the Chinese leader decided on yet another wide-scale social experiment in Marxist revolutionary fervor, i.e., the Cultural Revolution. Mao wanted to suppress the traditional ways, ideas, culture, and customs to make communism successful in China.
Critics assert that Mao had an agenda, which entailed removing potential political rivals and the purging of bureaucrats who were not sufficiently loyal to him. A noted Sino-historian declared that:
“In promoting and manipulating this social convolution, Mao staged an instinctive attack on the establishment, even though he set it in place.”
Only class struggle would usher in a true communist state. The most likely scenario is that the Great Helman did not want to lose his grip on power.
The Cultural Revolution In China: The Beginning
By the early 1960s, Mao was the equivalent of a Chinese emperor; he was all-powerful, and he used his status to blatantly manipulate the young people of China. Mao understood that young adults and teenagers were apt to embrace revolutionary fervor and would do anything for the Great Helmsman.
Researchers estimate that over one hundred million people participated in the Cultural Revolution China. Most of them, unfortunately, were victims. Known as the Red Guard, these newly minted zealots began assailing Chinese institutions. Red Guards forcefully transformed government bureaucracy, commerce, industry, culture, and history.
Asian culture gives lots of respect to parents, the elderly, teachers, educationists, and people of authority. China is no different. To assail these institutions and these deeply held values was akin to attacking the very fabric of Chinese culture and society. Yet “Mao was undeterred, ‘Long live the red terror.’”
1966: The Beginning Of The Violent Era
By mid-1966, violence engulfed China. Mao’s followers, the Red Guard, acted on his every word. The Great Helmsman’s fiery speeches emboldened this impressionable army of young people to “learn revolution by making revolution.” ’ Hundreds of thousands of Red Guards waved copies of Mao’s “little red book” and would do anything for the Chairman.
A famous Chinese historian likened these fanatical zealots to the Hitler Youth that burned books at Nazi rallies. Hooligans roamed the streets, attacking individuals they deemed to be revisionists. These “revisionists” were supposedly counter-revolutionary and might be prone to backsliding into capitalistic activities.
They targeted the elderly, artists, writers, professors, and those who represent the old order. It is because Mao thought they were standing in the way of his futuristic vision. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed and injured. Tens of thousands of others committed suicide. It was a common practice in China to publicly disgrace people and force them to parade in the streets while wearing dunce caps.
The Red Guards Cultural Revolution
The Red Guard took over universities, schools, government institutions, factories, libraries, and museums. They wanted to force their will upon a group. Not only was the general populace attacked, but bureaucrats who were part of a faction at odds with Mao were also purged. Minority groups within China suffered worse, especially Muslim groups. An eyewitness in Kashgar witnessed Red Guards swarming the Great Mosque of the Uighurs.
The radicals burned the copies of the Koran and forced the Muslims to take part in it. They also attacked the Buddhist monasteries and burned and smashed them. Moreover, the Red Guards also destroyed graves, art pieces, paintings, and anything related to the past. They invaded hundreds of thousands of homes and stole money, gold, and jewels.
Enough Is Enough: The End Of The Cultural Revolution
Eventually, Mao concluded that the chaotic role of Red Guards in Cultural Revolution. It had gone too far. The Red Guard had paralyzed local governments, councils, and even the governing body of China, the Politburo. The loss in productivity for the economy was staggering; whole industries were hobbled, and the whole country bore the cost. Literally, the country could not function.
In the end, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) crushed the Red Guard. Also, the other splinter groups that were causing chaos were under the radar. Those who survived were sent to the rural countryside to work on farms. It was banishment and punishment rolled into one. When the final casualties list was tallied, it would be the Red Guard that suffered the most fatalities. It is estimated that 400,000 to a million died. The Cultural Revolution failed miserably. And the only legacy was sheer, unmitigated misery.
While teaching at a community college, author William Johnson met a student born in China. He was moved to the US at a young age. When they covered the topic of the history of China Cultural Revolution, the student was shocked to learn about the horrors. He was wondering why his mother did not talk about it. It proves that communist countries always deny their terrible history. It’s really alarming how people think that talking about it is taboo.
