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Mao's legacy - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Defend whatever Mao decided.
      - Obey whatever Mao directed.
- - - - Lacked Mao’s charisma + authority.
      - Overly committed to Maoist ideology.
      - Adapted Zhou Enlai’s Ten-Year Plan unrealistically (“Hua’s Great Leap”).
      - Industrial targets based on ideology, not data.
      - Failed to recognise economic damage from CR.
  - - - Long March veteran → revolutionary legitimacy.
      - Strong networks in CCP + PLA.
      - Supported by regional military leaders (e.g., Xu Shiyou).
      - Seen as pragmatic, experienced, stable.
    - - Favoured: Economic growth over class struggle, rehabilitation of CR victims, four modernisations
      - Rejected continuous revolution.
      - Promoted stability + expertise.
      - Deng rejected Mao’s cult of personality: No status/propaganda, mass worship
      - BUT still held real power without official titles- controlled party via secretariat + military
    - - July 1977 → Deng reinstated to senior posts.
      - 1978 → Tiananmen demonstrations of 1976 reclassified as “revolutionary.”
      - December 1978 → Third Plenum: Shifted from class struggle to economic development,
      - 1981 Resolution: Mao= 70% correct, 30% wrong, preserved CCP legitimacy while enabling reform
      - Democracy movement
        
        “Democracy Wall” in Beijing.
        
        Groups demanded a “Fifth Modernisation” (democracy).
        
        Deng initially tolerant → then crackdown (Jan 1979).
        
        Introduced Four Cardinal Principles: Socialism, party leadership, People democratic dictatorship
        
        Economic reform allowed; political reform rejected.
      - Methods
        
        Gradual reform: 'Crossing the river by feeling the stones'
        
        Controlled experimentation e.g small private business allowed first
        
        Push → consolidate → push again: slow but strategic reform
    - - Governed indirectly: Read reports instead of attending meetings + used trusted intermediaries e.g Wang Rulin
      - Decisions made through: Secretariat= key power centre
      - Consesus- then Deng gives final approval- slap the table