Question

Question
Why did Mao Zedong launch the Cultural Revolution?

Responses

to rid China of capitalist traces and Western influences
to rid China of capitalist traces and Western influences

to restore Confucian teaching in Chinese schools
to restore Confucian teaching in Chinese schools

to punish Japanese emigrants for wartime atrocities
to punish Japanese emigrants for wartime atrocities

to promote a greater understanding of European culture

Answer 1

to rid China of capitalist traces and Western influences

Mao launched the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) to reassert his control, purge perceived “bourgeois” and counter‑revolutionary elements, and eliminate the “Four Olds” (old ideas, culture, customs, habits), promoting Maoist ideology through mass mobilization (e.g., the Red Guards).