mschenhistory - Contenders for Mao's Power

Contenders for Mao's Power

Historical Context:

Failure of the Great Leap Forward led Mao to adopt a less prominent role in politics in the 1960s
However, Deng Xiaoping and Liu Shaoqi, the two officials in charge of China's recovery after the disastrous Great Leap Forward led Mao to suspect those two of plotting to challenge his authority
Mao, in order to regain his iron grip on the CCP, turned to Lin Biao (general of the PLA) and began reasserting his authority through methods such as the production and distribution of the "Little Red Book", purging (e.g. Wu Han Affair), propaganda, etc.
Deng and Liu were thus disgraced by Mao in the late 1960s with the onset of the Cultural Revolution

Contenders for Power During the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976 - the Factions in the Power Struggle

Leftist-oriented: Gang of Four (main members include Lin Biao, Chen Boda, Kang Sheng, and Mao's wife, Jiang Qing); the Gang of Four was an extreme leftist wing of the Cultural Revolution and the core of the Central Cultural Revolution Group (CCRG), which was formed to direct the cultural revolution. Grew extremely powerful in the early years of the Cultural Revolution
Center-oriented: Group of Five; consists of moderate officials led by Peng Zhen
Rightist-oriented: Deng Xiaoping and Liu Shaoqi; encouraged an economy consisting of a combination between communist and capitalist concepts (stopped the collectivization of agriculture after Mao stepped back in the early 1960s); disgraced and dismissed from positions in 1966

China After Mao - What Happened to the Contenders?

Gang of Four

Deng Xiaoping

Regained status and Mao's favor in early 1970s
Lin Biao's fall greatly enhanced his importance, along with that of Zhou Enlai
Mao's death left Gang of Four with no 'real' authority
Deng, in his experience and excellent ability in politics, allowed him to step up and become the next leader