
China's Cultural Revolution, 1966-1976
A social experiment aimed at suppressing counterrevolutionaries and purifying the Chinese Communist Party launched in 1966, the Cultural Revolution was a disaster for China and created chaos across the country. For other collections on China’s modern political history, see: Chinese Civil War, 1945-1950; Purges in 1950s China; China’s Great Leap Forward, 1958-1961; Reform and Opening in China, 1978-; and China, 1989.
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June, 1966
Memorandum of Conversation, between the Delegation of the People’s Republic of China, Led by Comrade Zhou Enlai, and the Leadership of the Party and Government of the People’s Republic of Albania [Excerpts]
Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai meets with a delegation from Albania, and discusses with them Mao Zedong's 'Ten Theses on the Work in the Village.' The Albanians reaffirm their belief in the philosophical teachings of Mao, especially about opposing the dangers of revisionism. The group agrees that there were points at which Stalin was wrong, but that it would be wrong to publicly proclaim it.
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September 08, 1966
Cable from the Yanbian Military District Party Committee, 'Implementing the Shenyang Military District's Opinion “Guidance on the Activities of Red Guards in the Border Area”'
With Red Guards stirring up trouble on the Sino-Korean bounder, authorities in Yanbian consider how to handle the situation.
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December 02, 1966
First Secretary of the Soviet Embassy in North Korean Reports on Sino-Korean Relations in 1966
A. Borunkov evaluates Sino-North Korean relations in 1966, focusing on the divergences between China and North Korea over the Vietnam War, interpretations of Marxism-Leninism, and the Cultural Revolution.
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1967
CSSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 'Information: The Most Recent Developments in the Chinese People’s Republic and the CSSR-Chinese Relations'
Extensive account of CSSR-Chinese relations, including controversy surrounding the Cultural Revolution and Chinese extremism, anti-Soviet proclivities within the Chinese leadership, and the Chinese hydrogen bomb test on June 17th.
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February 09, 1967
Note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Prague
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns Chinese authorities responsible for threats to the Czech Embassy in Peking, including the forceful holding of the ambassador of the CSSR and other officials and the tearing of the flag.
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May 01, 1967
Remarks from [Mao Zedong's] Audience with an Albanian Military Delegation
In a meeting with Albanian military officials, Mao explains his reasons for starting the Cultural Revolution. He emphasizes that the purpose is to solve current problems in the world and dig out the roots of revisionism [within the Chinese Communist Party].
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May 01, 1967
[Mao Zedong's] Conversation with Distinguished Guests from Albania during the "May First" [Labour or International Workers' Day] Holiday
In a meeting with visitors from Albania, Mao explains that China needs to "criticize, struggle, and achieve the 'Three Combinations' [for reorganizing the government] as soon as possible.