May 16: May 16 Notification in China (1966)
Prayer Idea
Pray for people in power who want to impose their views on others. Pray that they will think about how their choices make life difficult for others.
History Note
Mao Zedong was the leader of Communist China from 1949 to 1959 and leader of the Chinese Communist Party until his death in 1976. During the last decade of his life, he oversaw what is known as the Cultural Revolution in the country.
During the 1960s, Mao came to believe that China was losing its revolutionary devotion to the Communist cause. At a meeting of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee on May 16, 1966, the group issued a document known as the May 16 Notification. It called for the expulsion of anyone not loyal to Communism from the party, the government, the military, and all spheres of culture.
Mao encouraged young people to express publicly their commitment to Communism and to criticize those who supported “bourgeois” values. They formed groups known as Red Guards, who competed with each other to show loyalty to Mao. Schools shut down and people, particularly older people, were verbally and physically attacked. Prominent leaders and everyday citizens were publicly humiliated or even killed.
New Communist leadership emerged after Mao’s death, but the effects lingered for many years as citizens who had been pitted against each other during the Cultural Revolution sought to rebuild their country’s institutions.
During the Cultural Revolution, people vandalized this artwork by knocking the heads off the figures. Photo by Udo Schoene / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0.
Learn More
Saul Yeung was a member of the Red Guards. In this video, he shares his memories of that time and the guilt he still carries.
Find other resources at Homeschool History.
