IB History Power Struggle Following Death of Mao Including Hua Guofeng and Emergence of Deng Xiaoping Key Definitions

Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997) was the paramount leader of China from 1978 to 1992 and the architect of China's economic reform programme. He was twice purged during the Cultural Revolution but returned to power after Mao's death. Deng introduced the Four Modernizations (agriculture, industry, defence, science/technology), Special Economic Zones, and the "opening up" of China to foreign investment, while maintaining CCP political monopoly. He authorised the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989. His reforms produced approximately three decades of ~10% annual GDP growth.

The Gang of Four were four senior Communist Party officials (Jiang Qing, Zhang Chunqiao, Wang Hongwen, and Yao Wenyuan) who were arrested in October 1976, one month after Mao Zedong's death. They were held responsible for the excesses of the Cultural Revolution. Jiang Qing, Mao's wife, was the most prominent. They were convicted at a televised trial in 1980-81. Their arrest ended the Cultural Revolution period and opened the way for Deng Xiaoping's reforms.

Hua Guofeng was Mao Zedong's chosen successor, who became premier and party chairman after Mao's death in September 1976. He authorised the arrest of the Gang of Four within a month of taking power. His political legitimacy rested on Mao's personal designation, and he defended Mao's policies (the "Two Whatevers": whatever Mao said was correct, and whatever Mao decided must be upheld). He was gradually outmanoeuvred by Deng Xiaoping, who rejected the Two Whatevers. Hua resigned as party chairman in 1981.