• Mao believed that communist was the only way for the future

• Mao believed that if there was no peasants, there would be no revolution

• He taught the Chinese people that ‘intellectuals’ were their enemies along with anything western or bourgeois.

• Everyone should be equal

• Wanted to smash the Four olds: ‘old ideas, old culture, old customs, and old habits

• Like the Nazi’s, Mao also used a lot of propaganda posters.

•During the cultural revolution, communist ideas had to spread.

•Propaganda was used to influence the Chinese people instead of using media.

•Propaganda was more effective

•Many posters were placed up for every campaign created such as the steel campaign in 1960’s

•Most posters featured Mao which was effective because he was the leader of the Chinese people and many people worshiped him.

-China decided to re-educate its people by forcing them into labour

-The system of re-education by labour was formed in 1955 (Communist China was founded in 1949)

-Millions were forced into labour while tens of thousands were executed

-The purpose of China’s re-education program was to “brainwash” its citizens so they would have any illicit thoughts and actions

-A typical labourer had to get up at 5 am and work up until 12 am. They worked for around 14 hours a day

-Owned by Chairman Mao ze Dong

-Members of the communist party were encouraged to carry copies of the little red book

-It was mandatory not only to study it in school but also in peoples workplaces

-The industrial, commercial, agricultural, civil service, and military sectors, organized group sessions for the entire workforce to study the book during working hours. Quotes from Mao were either bold-faced or highlighted in red, and almost all writing, including scientific essays, had to quote Mao.

The Red Guards>Created by Chairman Mao

>It was a mass movement of civilians (mostly

students and other young people)

>The Little Red Book was their ‘body of

principles’

• During the Cultural Revolution, many things were banned and people were not allowed to ever see or use them – or else they were imprisoned (at the very least) or sent for re – education.

• Western Books• Western culture in general• Old Chinese literature and

some of the customs

• Religion

Banned Items

•Before Mao’s reign, Landlords would control the peasants land and treat them harshly

•However, when Mao rose to Fame, he allowed the peasants to talk badly towards the landlords and humiliate them in front of a large crowd.

•The peasants would often be verbally abusing the landlord.

•Sometimes these humiliation trials became so violent that its mostly led to deaths (of the land lords)

• Dai sijie grew up in a middle class family and was sent to reeducation camp in Sichuan in 1971-74 during the cultural revolution.

• He was 17 when he was sent

• After he returned from camp he completed high school and university before writing a fictionalized biography on his experiences in camp called “Balzac and the little seamstress”