Red Guards (China)
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In the People's Republic of China, the Red Guards (Simplified Chinese: }}}; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ) were a mass movement of civilians, mostly students and other young people, who were mobilised by Mao Zedong and his allies to defeat their enemies within the struggle for power officially called the Cultural Revolution, between 1966 and 1969.
Initially under the control of the Cultural Revolution Group within the Communist Party leadership, led by Mao's principal allies, Vice-Chairman Lin Biao and Mao's wife Jiang Qing, the Red Guards soon got out of control and divided into many factions, some of which fought against each other, bringing the country to the brink of civil war by 1969. The Red Guards nevertheless achieved Mao's objectives of removing from power his rivals, led by Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping, along with thousands of others, by a process which appeared from the outside to be a "spontaneous" mass movement.
Many young Chinese were enthusiastic about the prospect of "being politically influential at such a young age." With Little Red Books in their hands, squads of Red Guards formed and began to go from house to house looking for potential elements of corruption, which sometimes included teachers, relatives, and then their own families. The accusations against their victims were becoming more and more ridiculous as well. Someone might be punished for not owning an "extra set" of the Chairman's publications. These punishments could be exceptionally cruel. Some victims were forced to chew on shattered glass, while others were forced to strip naked and march through town. The number of people who perished during the period was estimated by some to be in the millions.
There were cases where particular members would start by targeting their parents (Pavlik Morozov-style) in order to demonstrate uncompromising fairness and absolute obedience to Mao. Then others were required to measure up or even surpass these efforts, resulting in a vicious cycle of competition.
Resolution
By 1969, the Red Guard factions were dismantled entirely; Mao feared that the chaos they caused might harm the very foundation of the Communist Party of China.
Following Mao's death and the Gang of Four's demise in 1976, the Cultural Revolution officially ended. During the late-1970s and early-1980s, numerous ex-Red Guards who were identified as having committed serious crimes against humanity during the revolution were finally tried and sentenced to prison; some were even executed. However, the physical and psychological scars they inflicted on their victims may never heal. Those ex-Red Guards who escaped punishment are not rejoicing either, as most have missed their chance for education; they are now left helplessly at the bottom of the food-chain despite mainland China's booming economy. In retrospect, the ex-Red Guards who were celebrated so early in their lives, are now collectively referred to as the Lost Generation.
The Red Guard in popular culture
- In the film The Last Emperor, the Red Guard appeared near the end of the film parading the kind prison warden who treated Puyi nicely.
- In the film "Life Story" Directed by Zhang Yimou, the Red Guards appear in a few scenes, showing the many and different facades of their activity.
- Only in Hong Kong TVB and ATV depicted the barbarism of red guard in movies and TV dramas. They appear rarely in mainland Chinese movies.
Aftermath
Those who suffered from the Red Guard's during the Cultural Revolution are allowed to claim back the property they lost from the PRC government as long as they have some sort of "evidence" to prove their property; for example, a photo or ownership paper.
A majority of the victims, however, face difficulty in claiming the property or belongings because they lost the "evidence" due to the Red Guards vandalism, burning, and stealing.
See also
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