Political developments: issues of leadership and purges of the CCP; the…

The idea

Between 1952 and 1962, Mao consolidated control through intense political manoeuvring. Leadership issues and purges of the CCP, like the 1954 expulsion of Gao Gang and Rao Shushi, eliminated rivals and centralised authority. In 1956, Mao launched the 100 Flowers campaign, inviting intellectuals to criticise the regime. When criticism escalated, Mao reversed course, launching the Anti-Rightist Campaign to purge critics. In April 1959, before the full catastrophic failure of the Great Leap Forward was acknowledged at Lushan, Mao enacted his resignation as Chairman of the PRC. He was succeeded by Liu Shaoqi, though Mao retained ultimate power as Chairman of the CCP to focus on ideology, setting the stage for future factional conflict.

What earns the marks

• Explain the motivations behind the 100 Flowers campaign, distinguishing between a genuine desire for feedback and a trap to expose dissidents.
• Assess the impact of the Anti-Rightist Campaign on the CCP's relationship with intellectuals and the stifling of technical expertise.
• Analyse the significance of the Gao Gang and Rao Shushi purge in establishing Mao's intolerance for factionalism within the CCP leadership.
• Evaluate the political consequences of Mao's resignation as PRC Chairman, noting the division of labour between Mao focusing on ideology and Liu Shaoqi managing administration.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Claiming Mao resigned from all leadership positions in 1959.

  Put it right: Specify that Mao only resigned as Chairman of the PRC (Head of State), but retained his crucial role as Chairman of the CCP.

• Confusing the 100 Flowers campaign with the Cultural Revolution.

  Put it right: Place the 100 Flowers campaign in 1956 to 1957, focusing on intellectuals, whereas the Cultural Revolution began in 1966 with broader societal upheaval.

• Assuming the CCP leadership was entirely united before the Great Leap Forward.

  Put it right: Highlight the Gao Gang affair of 1954 to demonstrate early factionalism and leadership disputes.

Exam tips

• Link political purges to economic policies; for example, explain how the Anti-Rightist Campaign silenced experts who might have warned against the Great Leap Forward.
• When discussing Mao's resignation as PRC Chairman, evaluate whether this was a strategic retreat or a genuine loss of political influence.
• Use the 100 Flowers campaign to demonstrate Mao's complex and often contradictory approach to mass mobilisation and party discipline.