What was Mao Zedong's intent with the Cultural Revolution?
(1 point)
Responses
to purge the nation of peasants
to purge the nation of peasants
to eradicate intellectuals, bureaucrats, and Western influences
to eradicate intellectuals, bureaucrats, and Western influences
to jump-start a rebirth of the arts and humanities
to jump-start a rebirth of the arts and humanities
to spread his Communist doctrine to other countries
to eradicate intellectuals, bureaucrats, and Western influences
Mao Zedong's intent with the Cultural Revolution was to eradicate intellectuals, bureaucrats, and Western influences [Option C]. To understand this, we can dive into the historical background.
The Cultural Revolution was a social and political movement initiated by Mao Zedong in China from 1966 to 1976. Mao aimed to regain control and eliminate perceived threats to his leadership within the Chinese Communist Party.
Mao viewed intellectuals and bureaucrats as potential rivals who could challenge his authority. He believed that they were influenced by capitalist and bourgeois ideas, which he saw as corrupting the revolutionary spirit of communism. Therefore, one of Mao's objectives was to eradicate intellectuals and bureaucrats from positions of power and influence.
Additionally, Mao wanted to eliminate Western influences, which he saw as a threat to the Chinese Communist Party's ideology. He believed that the Chinese people should embrace their traditional values and reject bourgeois ideas and Western capitalism.
It is important to note that the Cultural Revolution was not intended to jump-start a rebirth of the arts and humanities [Option E] as suggested by one of the options. On the contrary, many cultural artifacts and historical sites were destroyed during this period, and the focus was primarily on promoting Maoist ideology and enforcing strict adherence to communist principles.
Lastly, while spreading communist doctrine to other countries was a long-term goal for Mao, it was not the immediate intent of the Cultural Revolution [Option F].
To summarize, Mao Zedong's primary intent with the Cultural Revolution was to eradicate intellectuals, bureaucrats, and Western influences from Chinese society.