Gang of Four

The Gang of Four were four radical Chinese Communist leaders arrested in October 1976, weeks after Mao Zedong died. Their downfall ended a central faction of the Cultural Revolution.

Cultural Revolution: A political campaign in China from 1966 to 1976 that mobilized youth against alleged enemies of Maoism. The Gang of Four gained influence by directing campaigns and institutions during this upheaval.
Jiang Qing: A Chinese political figure, actress, and Mao Zedong’s wife who became a leading member of the Gang of Four. She was the group’s most prominent member and a powerful cultural-policy official.
Hua Guofeng's coup: The October 1976 seizure of power by Hua Guofeng and allies that arrested the Gang of Four. It was the decisive operation that ended the group’s control.
Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party: A 1981 Chinese Communist Party document that assessed Mao’s rule and the party’s history since 1949. It condemned the Cultural Revolution while preserving Mao’s central place in the party’s account.
Mao Zedong: A Chinese Communist revolutionary who led the People's Republic of China from its founding in 1949 until his death in 1976. Mao elevated the group’s members and their political influence.
Zhang Chunqiao: A Chinese Communist politician and writer who became a leading member of the Gang of Four. His rise through Shanghai politics gave the faction organizational and ideological influence.
1976 Tiananmen Incident: A mass protest in Beijing in April 1976 mourning Zhou Enlai and criticizing radical Cultural Revolution politics. Its suppression intensified opposition to the radicals before Mao’s death.
Chinese economic reform: The economic policy shift begun in China in 1978 toward market incentives and expanded foreign trade and investment. The group’s defeat cleared political space for a different governing agenda.
Shanghai Commune: A short-lived revolutionary government established in Shanghai in January 1967 during the Cultural Revolution. The group’s Shanghai political base emerged from this revolt and its aftermath.
Yao Wenyuan: A Chinese literary critic and politician whose 1965 essay attacking a historical play helped precipitate the Cultural Revolution. His polemical writing launched the campaign that became a route to national power.

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