Introduction from report titled ‘Eulogies of Mao Tse-Tung’, published 19 December 1967. This is a selection of quotations compiled over the previous six months by British officials, taken from various sources. Catalogue ref: FO 1110/2319
Transcript
December 19, 1967.
EULOGIES OF MAO TSE-TUNG.
During the past few months official Chinese sources, as well as Red Guard newspapers and posters, have revealed opposition to Mao Tse-tung’s policies during the past years. At the same time tributes to Mao have been paid by top-ranking leaders and ordinary people in greater volume than ever before.
This exercise may be intended to boost Mao’s image in order to counteract the damaging effect of revealed opposition, and to strengthen his position in the belief that at this time his is the only personality which can unite and propel the Chinese people forward. These expressions of loyalty and admiration are, however, couched in such sycophantic language that their sincerity is questionable, and the possibility that they are published as a device to bring Mao into ridicule cannot be ignored. In any case, whether sincere or not, the fact that they may make China look ridiculous in the eyes of the world has not escaped some of China’s more sophisticated leaders.
Look at sources 1a-d. These sources are about propaganda from the Chinese Communist Party during the Cultural Revolution.
- Define the term ‘propaganda’.
- What visual techniques (including colour) are used in the propaganda posters (1a & 1b) to communicate their messages?
- Look at the poster transcripts. Explain how the characters add to the messages of each poster.
- Why do you think propaganda like this was used during the Cultural Revolution to promote a cult of personality around Mao Zedong?
- How was Mao portrayed in official propaganda during the Cultural Revolution? Use sources 1c & 1d to explain.
- Referring to all sources 1a-1d: why did the Chinese Communist Party put so much effort into creating propaganda?
- What questions should we ask when considering propaganda as historical source material?