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Essay about Life for Teenagers in China During the Late 1960s

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Have you ever wondered how life must have been for teenagers in China during the late 1960s? Most teenagers were inspired to fight in the Cultural Revolution. The Cultural Revolution was a movement in 1966. Mao Zedong motivated millions of chinese youths to challenge authority in order to depart from socialism. To further control the actions and ideas of the people in China, a group of youths called the “Red Guards” followed Mao’s beliefs and humiliated non-believers. These adolescents joined the cause because they wanted to have a better economic status and have power over authorities. The Red Guards experienced what it is was like to be an elder by inflicting violence on others. In an attempt to advance China’s economic and political …show more content…

Every five years starting in 1953, the Chinese government issued an outline of the countries economic outline for the next five years. The First Five-Year Plan followed the Soviet model, which focused on stimulating economic growth by developing heavy industry such as mining and iron/steel manufacturing. The plan was effective, but because of China's late start it caused them to fall back behind other industrial nations. Mao mobilized the Chinese people to speed up the process of industrialization in order to catch up with the other nations. Mao needed to change direction but he faced disapproval with the Chinese Communist Party because of his massive failing for the Great Leap Forward. Mao became concerned that China was moving away from socialist ideals to capitalism. In 1958 he promoted a self-reliant “Great Leap Forward” campaign in rural development. The failure of the Great Leap Forward weakened Mao’s position in the communist party factions and they started to form against him. He called for a “Great Revolution” to create a “Proletarian Culture” or Cultural Revolution. Mao collected farms, moved people into communes and established local factories to produce steel. These people were not trained to use this technology and their products were low quality. Agriculture production fluctuated as the land was given over for industrial activity which forced farmers to work in factories instead of tending crops. The result of this decline was called the Great

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