Updated Aug. 1, 2024 at 1 p.m.
On this day in 1966, a group of Red Guard factions clashed with the local authorities and army units in the city of Wuhan during China’s Cultural Revolution. The Red Guards, consisting primarily of students and young activists, had been encouraged by Mao Zedong to challenge and disrupt what he perceived as bourgeois and capitalist influences in society.
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What was China's Cultural Revolution?
The purge of intellectuals and imperialists in 1966 in China refers to the tumultuous period known as the Cultural Revolution. It was a socio-political movement initiated by Chairman Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that aimed to eliminate perceived capitalist, traditional, and bourgeois influences from Chinese society.
What were the repercussions of the Red August on the Cultural Revolution?
The Red August had a profound impact on the Cultural Revolution. It further radicalized the movement, encouraging young Red Guards to rebel against established authority, including teachers, intellectuals, and officials. It fueled the mass mobilization and chaos that characterized the subsequent years of the Cultural Revolution.
How long did the effects of the Red August last?
The effects lasted for the entire duration of the Cultural Revolution, which officially ended with Mao Zedong's death in 1976. Intellectuals and teachers were publicly humiliated and brutally punished, resulting in 1,772 killed in Beijing and 85,196 families forced to leave.