1956 Hundred Flowers Campaign

named for a line of poetry, “Let a hundred flowers bloom. Let a hundred schools of thought contend”
in part a response to demoralization among intellectuals
Mao’s speech, “On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People”, marked its beginning
political motive was to weed out competition – a deliberate campaign to lure out and destroy opposition
- Mao referred to it later as “enticing the snakes out of their lairs”
letting the CCP open up to criticism would allow it to not develop and be seen as a privileged elite
a form of social control; to avoid a buildup of citizenry’s grievances
- akin to opening a valve a little to release pressure
culminated in a harsh crackdown
ultimately brought to an end after repeated demands for power-sharing in critical letters

Interpretations behind launch

Mao’s great political plan to draw out all his opponents
- BUT how did he know it would work?
- by subscribing to this interpretation we’re giving Mao almost god-like powers of foresight and making multiple assumptions
Mass Line; enhance party ideas & image, legitimize & strengthen party
- show the Party follows what it preaches
build Mao’s legacy as a great benevolent, wise leader; let the people let off steam before resentment can build into something more solid
- especially in context of intellectuals in the years before
to preserve Mao’s authority; self-cultivation and -preservation in the context of external events
- Mao was very fearful that, should he fall, the next leader would de-Mao the entirety of China
Shame bureaucrats
- to Mao, bureaucrats were all corrupt or lazy, with not enough patrioism – they didn’t love communism enough to not drag their feet
  - opening a space for educated, literate people to complain about various things generated political pressure on bureaucrats for reform
- BUT this is back to Omnipotent Mao Theory – how would he know it would work?