Question

Why did Mao start the Cultural Revolution?

He wanted to speed up change and eliminate Western, capitalist influence.


He wanted to speed up the economy by promoting capitalism.


He thought government officials had promoted a very narrow view of communism.


He wanted to restore traditional Chinese culture.

Answer 1

The answer is "He thought government officials had promoted a very narrow view of communism." Mao Zedong started the Cultural Revolution in China in 1966 because he believed that the Chinese Communist Party had become too bureaucratic and had lost its revolutionary spirit. He felt that government officials had promoted a narrow and elitist view of communism, and that the party was becoming corrupt and disconnected from the masses. The Cultural Revolution was Mao's attempt to cleanse the party of these perceived problems and to reinvigorate the revolutionary spirit of the Chinese people. It involved massive mobilization of young people, known as the Red Guards, to attack and criticize those who Mao felt were promoting bourgeois and revisionist ideas, and to promote Maoist ideology and values. The Cultural Revolution had a profound impact on Chinese society and politics, causing widespread social upheaval, political repression, and economic disruption.

Answer 2

Mao started the Cultural Revolution because he believed that the Chinese Communist Party had become too bureaucratic and that the party leaders were promoting a revisionist version of communism. He wanted to remove from power those who he considered capitalist roaders or counter-revolutionaries and promote a return to revolutionary communist values. Therefore, the option "He thought government officials had promoted a very narrow view of communism" is the most accurate.