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Establishment and consolidation of Mao's rule - How did Mao maintain political control between 1954-76 - Flowers Campaign, 1956-57

Q: What quote by Mao summarizes the fundamental principles behind the 100 flowers campaign?

'Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought to contend is the policy for promoting progress in the arts and the sciences and a flourishing socialist culture in our land.' - February 1957

Q: What was the July 1957 'Anti-Rightist' Campaign?

'The Second Rectification' Punished the intellectuals that had spoken out; about half a million were branded as 'rightists' and subjected to persecution: imprisonment time in labour camps 're-education' in the countryside

5 important questions on Establishment and consolidation of Mao's rule - How did Mao maintain political control between 1954-76 - Flowers Campaign, 1956-57

What was the 100 Flowers Campaign?

Mao lifted censorship restrictions and encouraged open circism of the way the party had been working

What quote by Mao summarizes the fundamental principles behind the 100 flowers campaign?

"Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought to contend is the policy for promoting progress in the arts and the sciences and a flourishing socialist culture in our land." - February 1957

When was the height of 'the peoples' response to the 100 flowers campaign and what did this entail?

May- June 1957:

Letters of complaint to central government
Magazine articles
Posters
Rallies in the streets
Students at Beijing University created a 'Democratic Wall'

Important complaints were:

political corruption
Russian influence
low living standards
censorship of foreign literature
economic corruption
privileged lifestyle of party cadres
leadership of the CCP itself
government inclined to over centralisation
CP stifled discussion and debate, particularly with the Sanfan and Sufan campaigns

What happened in early July 1957 to the 100 flowers campaign?

Mao said that the criticism went beyond 'healthy criticism' and the critics were denounced as 'poisonous weeds'

What was the July 1957 'Anti-Rightist' Campaign?

"The Second Rectification" Punished the intellectuals that had spoken out; about half a million were branded as 'rightists' and subjected to persecution: