Changes

In August 1966 all schools were closed. During this time Mao told the Red Guards to question things that traditionally had great value and importance, and question the activities of government officials by slighting them in a way that was visible to all.  The party itself was also purged:

In August 1966 all schools were closed. During this time Mao told the Red Guards to question things that traditionally had great value and importance, and question the activities of government officials by slighting them in a way that was visible to all.  The party itself was also purged:

{{quotebox|The "investigations" inside the government administration, carried out by policemen dressed as Red Guards, were massive and sometimes murderous: there were 1,200 executions in the purge of the Ministry for Security; 22,000 people were interrogated and many imprisoned during the investigation into Liu Shaoqi; 60 percent of the members of the Central Committee (which hardly ever met) and 75 percent of all provincial Party secretaries were expelled and usually also arrested. In all, for the whole period of the Cultural Revolution, between 3 million and 4 million of the 18 million cadres were imprisoned, as were 400,000 soldiers, despite the banning of Red Guards in the PLA. 197 Among the intellectuals, 142,000 teachers, 53,000 scientists and technicians, 500 teachers of medicine, and 2,600 artists and writers were persecuted, and many of them were killed or committed [[suicide]]. In [[Shanghai]], where intellectuals were especially numerous, it was officially estimated in 1978 that 10,000 people had died violent deaths as a result of the Cultural Revolution.<ref>''Black Book of Communism'', Pg, 524.</ref>}}  Chairman Mao said,

{{quotebox|The "investigations" inside the government administration, carried out by policemen dressed as Red Guards, were massive and sometimes murderous: there were 1,200 executions in the purge of the Ministry for Security; 22,000 people were interrogated and many imprisoned during the investigation into Liu Shaoqi; 60 percent of the members of the Central Committee (which hardly ever met) and 75 percent of all provincial Party secretaries were expelled and usually also arrested. In all, for the whole period of the Cultural Revolution, between 3 million and 4 million of the 18 million cadres were imprisoned, as were 400,000 soldiers, despite the banning of Red Guards in the PLA. 197 Among the intellectuals, 142,000 teachers, 53,000 scientists and technicians, 500 teachers of medicine, and 2,600 artists and writers were persecuted, and many of them were killed or committed [[suicide]]. In [[Shanghai]], where intellectuals were especially numerous, it was officially estimated in 1978 that 10,000 people had died violent deaths as a result of the Cultural Revolution.<ref>''Black Book of Communism'', Pg, 524.</ref>}}   

According to Prof. R. J. Rummel of the University of Hawaii, 7,731,000 people died in the Cultural Revolution.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rummel|first=R. J.|url=https://books.google.com/?id=iIEPoEL4lG0C&pg=PA263&lpg=PA263&dq=7,731,000+cultural+revolution#v=onepage&q=7,731,000%20cultural%20revolution&f=false|title=China's Bloody Century: Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1900|date=2011-12-31|publisher=Transaction Publishers|isbn=978-1-4128-1400-3|language=en}}</ref>  Others place estimates as high as 20 million.  Incidents of [[cannibalism]] were also reported.  Mssacres were mainly led by the local Communist Party branches, governmental agencies, the militia, and military.

According to Prof. R. J. Rummel of the University of Hawaii, 7,731,000 people died in the Cultural Revolution.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Rummel|first=R. J.|url=https://books.google.com/?id=iIEPoEL4lG0C&pg=PA263&lpg=PA263&dq=7,731,000+cultural+revolution#v=onepage&q=7,731,000%20cultural%20revolution&f=false|title=China's Bloody Century: Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1900|date=2011-12-31|publisher=Transaction Publishers|isbn=978-1-4128-1400-3|language=en}}</ref>  Others place estimates as high as 20 million.  Incidents of [[cannibalism]] were also reported.  Mssacres were mainly led by the local Communist Party branches, governmental agencies, the militia, and military.