1957+The+Anti-Rightists+Campaign

1957 Anti-Rightist Movement:

1) Description

The Anti-Rightist Movement of 1957 was a reaction to the Hundred Flowers Campaign, a time of fierce repression instead of freedom of expression. The people who had spoken out against Mao and the Communist regime were now forced to retract their statements and subject themselves to 're-education' by the party. CCP purged many of the people who had been too free with their criticism, and victims ranged from common individuals to scholars to even high-ranking officials of the CCP itself, such as Zhou Enlai.

2) Significance in Mao's Rule

The 1957 Anti-Rightist Movement was Mao's method of using terror and fear to consolidate power. By using Zhou Enlai as an example, all the members of the CCP was given this message by Mao: if Zhou Enlai, Mao's most trusted supporters, was not safe from the Anti-Rightist Movement, no one else, no matter how highly ranked a person, is safe as well. The purging and fierce re-education of all levels of society demonstrated that Mao was willing to use any methods, no matter how extreme, to protect his authority, suppressing any chances of being overthrown. This way, no officials would dare cross Mao or go against his wishes, thus ensuring his absolute authority over the government and the nation.