Hundred Flowers Campaign
Mao Zedong invited open criticism of the Party with the slogan "Let a hundred flowers bloom," but swiftly reversed course, using the expressed criticisms to identify and purge intellectuals in the subsequent Anti-Rightist Campaign.
Origins of the Campaign
Inspired by Khrushchev's de-Stalinisation speech and unrest in Poland and Hungary in 1956, Mao invited open criticism of the Party under the slogans "Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend." Initially, intellectuals were reluctant to speak out; the campaign lay dormant through late 1956. In spring 1957, Mao personally urged more vigorous criticism, and suddenly a torrent of complaints emerged — targeting cadre privilege, Party dogmatism, and the Soviet model.
The Crackdown
In June 1957, the campaign abruptly reversed. Mao declared that "poisonous weeds" had exposed themselves; the expressed criticisms were now used as evidence of "rightist" thinking. The Anti-Rightist Campaign (反右运动) began: an estimated 300,000–550,000 people were labelled "rightists" and subjected to public criticism, dismissal, imprisonment, or exile to labour camps. Prominent victims included writers Ding Ling and Ai Qing, and economist Chen Qitong.
Historical Debate
Whether the Hundred Flowers Campaign was a deliberate trap — designed to lure critics into the open — or a genuine initiative that Mao panicked and reversed remains debated. Historian Roderick MacFarquhar argued Mao was genuinely surprised by the scale of criticism. Others, citing the swiftness of the crackdown and the pre-prepared lists of targets, contend it was calculated. Either way, it destroyed the intellectual class's trust in the Party for a generation.
Narrative Comparison
| Source | Narrative |
|---|---|
| PRC Official Narrative | The campaign encouraged constructive criticism to improve socialist construction, and corrective measures became necessary when some critics exceeded permissible bounds. |
| Western Academic Assessment | Most historians view the campaign as either a calculated trap or a panicked reversal. An estimated 300,000–550,000 people were labelled "rightists" and persecuted. (MacFarquhar, 1974) |