Red Guard chant used during the Cultural
Revolution: “Fish cannot live without water
and without Mao Zedong’s thought how can
people make a revolution?”
A 16 year old girl's view on the
Cultural Revolution: “In the cultural
revolution they [Communists]
locked her [a teahcer] up for a year
and a half because her father was
a well-known scholar whom they
said was a ‘capitalist’. Some red
guards in her school made her
kneel on broken glass in front of all
the students.”
Thesis: The Cultural
Revolution of Mao and
Madame Mao
destroyed aspects of
the rich culture and
history of China
because it led to the
closing of schools,
destruction of historical
sites and works, and
the complete brainwashing of the younger
generations.
Thesis Rationale
• Thesis: The Cultural Revolution of Mao and Madame Mao destroyed aspects of the rich culture
and history of China because it led to the closing of schools, destruction of historical sites and
works, and the complete brain-washing of the younger generations.
• During the Cultural Revolution, millions of uneducated youths were sent to rural areas to work
in the countryside and learn from the peasants. The Red Guards were shocked at how poor the
peasants were and how hard their lives were. Even though the Communist thought they were
doing a lot for the peasants, they weren't and Mao knew their was a lot left to do.
• Starting in 1966, the Red Guard destroyed historical buildings, temples and churches because
they were feudal, capitalist, and radical. They ransacked museums and destroyed old books,
works of arts, many famous temples, and shrines and heritages (4,922 out of 6,843). Streets
signs and buildings were named and renamed to pro-communist titles. Also, people in realms of
education, academic, media, literature and punishment were abused and their houses were
robbed because they were "capitalist roaders" or "anti-revolutionaries."
Brenna Ruhnke, Charlotte Briskin, Ximena Gonzalez,
Joey Oldt, Nate Graeff
Thesis Rational
• Mao and Madam Mao brain-washed people to purge the Chinese Communist party of anyone
who did not fully support him. Red guards were also brain-washed into acting enthusiastically
toward the Cultural Revolution. Madam Mao brain-washed the communist community by only
allowing them to watch movies that she starred in and they had to wear clothes that were
made in China and not western countries. Madam Mao created the “Gang of Four,” a radical
political alliance.
• Mao told young people to rebel because he wanted to be reinstated as president. The young
Chinese listened and proceeded to burn down schools and schools had to be closed because
articles were being written attacking teachers and principals. This all did great damage to the
party, nation and people themselves. The young people killed thousands of people who did not
agree with Mao's teachings.
• In August of 1966, at a meeting of the Plenum of the Central Committee Mao shut down the
nation’s schools calling for a massive youth mobilization. The Red Guard units were authorized
to set out to destroy the Four Olds. These Four Olds are known as the old ideas, old customs,
old culture, and old habits.
Brenna Ruhnke, Charlotte Briskin, Ximena Gonzalez,
Joey Oldt, Nate Graeff
Key
• The quote by a 16 year old Chinese girl addresses the threats against teachers that lead to the
closing of schools and the destruction of an entire generation’s education.
• The quote by the 16 year old represents how brutal the Red Guards were. The Red Guards were
made up of Chinese students and they traveled throughout China such as going through
schools, Universities and institutions spreading teachings of Mao and torturing or killing those
who were against communism. Mao thought this could be a way he could be reinstated, so
young students went on a rampage against those against communism and targeted teachers
and principals in schools.
• The following picture of a Chinese college student standing in front of a closed college shows
how the Red Guard is a huge threat.
• The college student isn't happy that the college is closed but is being brainwashed into thinking
communist thoughts and that is right to join Mao and the Red Army. In 1957-1958 students at
the university of Beijing produced half a million wall posters attacking west and intolerance in
Chinese society and ran out of wall space to put more posters to use as propaganda. After the
Cultural Revolution ended it was known as China's lost generation of youth because they could
not teach the cultural revolution to students because the country didn't make good choices and
killed millions of their own citizens.
Brenna Ruhnke, Charlotte Briskin, Ximena Gonzalez,
Joey Oldt, Nate Graeff
Key
• The propaganda poster of a red guard member holding a hammer represents the destruction of
aspects in the Chinese culture.
• This propaganda poster shows how the Red Guard destroyed many things that had to do with
the old Chinese views like the music and ideas, he did this with his giant sledgehammer
metaphorically meaning his support of millions. This is known as the destruction of the Four
Olds. The Four Olds include old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas. The Red Guard
would be the ones destroying many things that had anything to do with the Four Olds because
those ideas did not go with what Mao wanted for China. The Red Guard also attempted to wipe
out Confucian thought because it was part of the old culture of China.
• The picture in the right corner and the picture on the bottom of the slide both represent the
destruction of historical sites and art that was done by the Red Guard during the Cultural
Revolution.
• The pictures on the right hand side of the slide show how the destruction of historical statues
took place and the Red Guard did not care if it was public or private property. Since these
historical works of art did not portray what the Red Guard and Mao wanted them to portray,
the art pieces would be destroyed so no one could see them. Mao took over the minds of young
people and told them that many aspects of the old Chinese culture would weaken society. The
Red Guard was in charge of all of the destruction that was needed by Mao.
Brenna Ruhnke, Charlotte Briskin, Ximena Gonzalez,
Joey Oldt, Nate Graeff
Key
• The following Red Guard chant addresses the Brainwashing that destroyed Chinas’ rich culture
and history.
• This chant, yelled over and over again by the Chinese people brainwashed them into thinking
that without Mao Zedong, the revolution, along with themselves would die. The chant equates
the Chinese people and their revolution to fish and Mao Zedong to water. The fish need water
or else they will die. Mao brainwashed the Chinese citizens by enforcing himself as a lifeblood
in which they could not survive without. This thought imposed on the Chinese people forced
them to feel as though they needed Mao.
• The following Time magazine cover shows the brainwashing that occurred during the Cultural
Revolution and hurt China's culture and long history.
• The Time magazine cover shows a sea of Red Guard members. Mao used the propaganda
technique of bandwagoning to influence the youths to join the Red Guard. The bandwagon
technique worked in the Cultural Revolution because it made those who didn’t feel strongly
about communism think that they were wrong because it appeared as everyone else did. This
fear that they would be ganged up on brainwashed the youth to join the sea of red. Mao
targeted youths to revolt and destroy the adults who revolted and destroyed him. Mao
brainwashed the youth into join the Red Guard, take his little red book and help him destroy
the rich culture and deep history of China.
Brenna Ruhnke, Charlotte Briskin, Ximena Gonzalez,
Joey Oldt, Nate Graeff