Chinese government and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region during 1966-1969: from dialogue to political struggle

The beginning of the Cultural Revolution in China was not only the most dramatic period in the history of Inner Mongolia, but it also triggered the deterioration of relations between the central government of China and the local government of Inner Mongolia. The main goal of the Cultural Revolution in Inner Mongolia was the purging of the political cadres, which directly concerned Ulanhu and his fellows. The central government was afraid of the comparative political independence of Hohhot, and the political pressure of the central government forced the local Mongolian government to take the side of the Cultural Revolution. After that step, the Mongolian leader discrediting campaign was launched in mass media; later in 1966, Ulanhu was removed from the head position of the Mongolian branch of the CPC. He was accused of national unity desolation and wrong comprehension of the Cultural Revolution. Afterward, the CPC made an order to create pro-Maoist guardsmen groups of the Cultural Revolution - the Red Guards that were sent to the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and other regions of China with the purpose of "purging the old cadres" propaganda. The pro-Maoist Red Guards faced with the resistance of not only the local administration elite but also local citizens. In Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia, the Red Guards organized a lot of demonstrations trying to engage more local citizens by slogans that discredited the local Mongolian government activities. Such demonstrations were cores of tension between pro-Maoists and local citizens. One of the demonstrations led to victims among students, the Red Guards and local workers. This event forced the central government to bring the troops of the People's Liberation Army into Hohhot and to impose curfew in the city. During the curfew, tortures of assumed suspects in anti-revolution activity were conducted. Hans and Mongols were among the suspects. Moreover, the tensions between Ulanhu's fellows and the troops of the People's Liberation Army continued in Hohhot. These events were a ground for Ulanhu's arrest and removal of his fellows from the head positions in the Inner Mongolia government. After the arrest of Ulanhu, Deng Haiqing was appointed the new leader of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region who led the policy that was fully supervised by Beijing. The result of the political struggle was the establishment of revolution committees in the cities and villages of Inner Mongolia. Moreover, due to the possibility of spreading the tensions in the other areas of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the central government made a decision to hand over some regions of Inner Mongolia to the neighboring Chinese provinces, due to which the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region lost the biggest part of its territory.

Keywords

Authors

References