Question

On whom did Mao Zedong rely to destroy "bourgeois" elements of Chinese society in the Cultural Revolution?

a) Red Guards
b) Confucian scholars
c) Foreign diplomats
d) Capitalist entrepreneurs

Answer 1

Mao Zedong relied on the Red Guards, consisting of militant student activists, to enforce his communist doctrine and persecute those seen as bourgeois during the Cultural Revolution in China.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the Cultural Revolution in China, Mao Zedong relied on Red Guards to destroy "bourgeois" elements of Chinese society. In August 1966, Mao galvanized millions of these student-led militant activists in Beijing to purge the country of the "Four Olds": old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas. This group was highly active in silencing dissent, targeting intellectuals, and enforcing Maoist ideology. They caused widespread chaos, which included the destruction of cultural artifacts and persecution of those considered to be part of the bourgeois class, at times leading to death and violence. The Cultural Revolution, which aimed to reinforce communist doctrine, profoundly disrupted Chinese society and impeded economic and educational development.