Key People¶
Mao Zedong was the Chairman (leader) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He was the guiding force behind the Great Leap Forward, which led to the Cultural Revolution.
Zhou Enlai was the Premier (2nd/3rd in command) of the CCP. He was a close ally of Mao, but helped curb extremist positions during the Cultural Revolution.
Lin Biao was a military leader that, at first, played a large role in the Cultural Revolution, but later (allegedly) planned to assassinate Chairman Mao and seize power. In 1971, he died in a plane crash while flying to the Soviet Union; historians still debate the exact nature of his death.
Deng Xiaoping was a moderate CCP member who endorsed practicality over strict ideological boundaries. This pragmatism led to his “purging” from the Communist Party at the Revolution’s start. However, it also led to him, 8 years later, succeeding Chairman Mao.
The Gang of Four was an ultra-hardline group composed of Jiang Qing (Mao's wife), Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, and Wang Hongwen. They fought Xiaoping for political control, but ultimately were arrested due to committing excesses during the Revolution.