Mao used terror and repression constantly in the years from 1949 to 1953, however there were also other methods which he used to consolidate his power, and it is hard to decide whether both methods were equally successful or whether one of them was vital to the survival of the communist party with Mao as its dictator.Mao used terror and repression most notably to eliminate political threats to his power. The best examples of this are the purges of the CCP, including those of Gao Gang and Rao Shushi, who supported him but appeared slightly too ambitious, and the Suppression of Counter Revolutionaries campaign. Mao imprisoned Rao, who died in prison 20 years later, and caused Gao to com ...view middle of the document...
People sent there often died or committed suicide before they went. Another common feature of dictatorships that Mao too decided to use was the method of encouraging neighbors and friends to spy on each other and report any suspicious activity or talk to the government. This prevented any people gathering ogether to plan an uprising and also ensured that Mao controlled even peoples personal lives. For this reason it was one of the best methods of power consolidation.Mao wanted the whole nation to fear him enough to refrain from challenging him or his form of government, relying on the executions of people to not only literally eliminate the threat they posed, but also to terrorise the rest of the population into submission. He did this through public executions. Jung Chang wrote Mao intended most of the population children and adults alike to witness violence and killing. His aim was to scare and brutalise the entire population In this way he managed to indoctrinate young people and also instill fear and respect in the adult population. It is a perfect example of how he used terror and repression to consolidate his power.Some histori...
