The Red Guard and its impact on China under Mao

Peoples Republic of China Under Mao

The Red Guard and its Impact on China

In 1966 and 1967, Chairman Mao Zedong encouraged a cultural revolution that was designed to transform China. It started by pushing young adults and college students to become involved in purging those elements that were not outwardly communist from society. The basic idea was to organize on a national level and then go after the undesirable influences. This was achieved through the creation of paramilitary units (a.k.a. The Red Guard). ("Red Guards," n.d.)

According to one Red Guard leader, the movement was based upon objectives set by Mao with his saying, "Chairman Mao has defined our future as an armed revolutionary youth organization. So if Chairman Mao is our Red-Commander-in-Chief and we are his Red soldiers, who can stop us? First we will make China red from the inside and then we will help the working people of other countries. This is making the world and then whole universe red." This is showing how the Red Guard is focused on creating lasting social changes. To fully understand what is happening, there will be an emphasis on the Red Guard, its activities and the long-term impact on China. Together, these elements will show their legacy on the country and its policies. (Chong, 2002)

The Red Guard

The Red Guard was focused on protecting the rights of the proletariat. These are the poor and middle class who do not have the wealth / power to fight against social injustices. Instead, they must endure hardships at the hands of terrible working conditions that are exploited by the upper class. China was facing challenges in maintaining the spirit of the revolution with some groups still being influenced by certain ideals from the past (i.e. more liberal attitude towards capitalism). This created a situation where many of the younger generation believed that society must be cleansed of these influences. To achieve the objectives a new tool was utilized in the process. This is when different paramilitary units were created under the guidance / encouragement of Chairman Mao. They were responsible for purging these elements from society. ("Red Guards," n.d.) (Chong, 2002)

A good example of this can be seen with observations from the most common thinking among the Red Guard (with one individual writing), "To be moderate toward the enemy is to be cruel to the revolution! You say we are going too far? Frankly, your 'don't go too far' is reformism. It is a 'peaceful transition.' And this is what your daydreams are about! Well, we are going to strike you down to the Earth and keep you down!" This is illustrating how the Red Guard is focusing on purging society from any influences that are considered to be moderate or reformist. ("Red Guards," n.d.) (Chong, 2002)

The Red Guards Lasting Impact on China

The Red Guards lasting impact on China was to serve as the final symbol of Mao's 1949 communist revolution. This is when there was a focus on going after those remnants from society who were still embracing the ideologies of the past. However, during this process is when these practices became so extreme that ordinary people who supported the Communist party line were targeted. ("Red Guards," n.d.) (Chong, 2002)

This created a form of radicalism that pushed China to embrace many of the ideas of openness and moderation from the 1970s onward. These attitudes were the cornerstone in implementing changes to the economy. This allowed the country to become friendlier to the West and it helped to encourage China's modernization. In many ways, one could argue that this radicalism pushed Chinese society to want to embrace ideas that were more open and understanding. This enabled reformers to run China after Mao's death. ("Red Guards," n.d.) (Chong, 2002)

However, the close association that the Red Guard had with the military, meant that they became more nationalistic. This created a sense of radicalism that is affected the mindset of military personnel. In the future, these contrasting views helped to keep the Communist party in power. While at the same time, it introduced changes economically and ignored them politically. This meant that China became conflicted by wanting to maintain its close ties to the revolution and the need to embrace more liberalized ideas. In this aspect, one could argue that China became radicalized from the Red Guard and the ideas they imposed upon the military. ("Red Guards," n.d.) (Chong, 2002)

The lasting impacts of Red Guard on China were to transform the way that the country looked at itself. This created changes in cultural norms and social attitudes. Over the course of time, this invited policies that were considered to be more liberal and open towards the West. This set the stage for China's modern economic development and rapid growth that was experienced from the 1970s onward. ("Red Guards," n.d.) (Chong, 2002)

Yet, it also helped to radicalize the Communist party. This is from these views on Chinese nationalism being embraced by many hardliners in the army and government. As the more liberal reforms were taking place, they ensured that many of the traditional policies remained. This helped to make China a society that was dealing with internal conflicts about its attitudes and the way it interacted with the world. These issues are still being dealt with to this day. ("Red Guards," n.d.) (Chong, 2002)

Conclusion

Clearly, the Red Guard wanted to promote more radical ideas of Communism. During this process, is when they became so extreme that they pushed China to embrace attitudes of openness and radicalism. This created a change that helped to modernize the nation. but, it also made the country more conflicted about the scope of these reforms. As a result, China has become a nation which is divided among itself from these conflicting views.