Yan’an Rectification Campaign (1942-1944)

Chairman Mao Zedong and others at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art

The Yan’an Rectification Campaign was an ideological mass movement carried out by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1942 to 1944 which attempted to correct the ‘work style’ of the Party. To understand the Yan'an Rectification Campaign, one must consider the circumstances in which it took place. At the time, the CCP was engaged in the Second Sino-Japanese War and faced internal divisions and external threats from the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party). Therefore, the campaign was launched to solidify ideological unity, increase the political power of Mao Zedong through the purge of all internal opposition and promote the long-term goals of national liberation, which were crucial for the CCP’s survival and future successes. Consequently, it played a significant role in the CCP’s victory in the Chinese Civil War (1945-49) and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

Firstly, the Yan’an Rectification Campaign was launched to solidify ideological unity amongst its members. The movement began in a speech on 1 February 1942 as Mao urged the party to ‘fight subjectivism’ and instil a new ‘style of study, style in party relations and style of writing’ in the future ruling elite – the Communist cadres (activists). Mao felt that the party suffered problems in attitude and behaviour that had to be corrected, noting that many of ‘our comrades have frequently departed from the correct stand’. Peter Zarrow wrote CCP membership had grown massively to over 700,000 so Mao sought to teach students, intellectuals, and peasants party discipline. Intellectuals had too much independence of mind whilst peasants also needed rectification and socialized into Communist ways. Through a series of study sessions and group discussions, the cadres were re-educated to learn the story of China’s imperialist past and the rise of revolutionary forces under the tutelage of Mao. Mao insisted that the campaign was not about destroying people but that through self-criticism or struggle they would come to the creation of a new self. In Mao’s words, it would ‘cure the disease’ not ‘kill the patient’. As a result, the vast majority of cadres became a tighter, more disciplined body, and this resulted in the growth of a collective revolutionary zeal. Zarrow concluded convincingly that the campaign ‘established the basis for the later cult of Mao’ and achieved its ultimate goal of the ‘conversion of the masses’. Yet, one must also note that the ideological discipline of the campaign restricted the growth of individualism and alternative ideas that would have led to a more vibrant intellectual environment in China. Thus, on the surface, the Yan’an Rectification Campaign was launched to educate the masses and enhance party discipline, which fostered a coherent sense of loyalty to the CCP and its leadership.

Secondly, the Yan’an Rectification Campaign was launched to solidify Mao’s leadership. Zarrow argued that the campaign cemented Mao’s position as the head of the CCP in two distinct ways. First, by creating a new orthodox version of theory and policy, which can be described as the Sinification of Marxism, the CCP leaders agreed that ‘Mao Thought’ and thus Mao’s word became the final ideological truth and source of correct knowledge for the entire CCP. Second, those who criticised Mao or the party were attacked for their individualism and for putting themselves before the party. One notable victim was the writer Wang Shiwei, who was executed after he wrote an essay that criticised Mao’s sexual appetites. In a series of purges overseen by Mao’s security chief Kang Sheng, more than 1,000 cadres were tortured, 40,000 were dismissed and 60 top party officials committed coerced suicide, which further cemented Mao’s authority. This marked a shift towards vilification and harsher punishment of political dissidents to induce greater conformity. Conclusively, the campaign had significant consequences for the CCP’s internal dynamic and led to the ascension of Mao through the purge of dissenting voices and the promotion of his ideological line, which pushed the CCP in a more unified direction.

Thirdly, the Yan’an Rectification Campaign was launched to promote wider Communist goals which contributed to the CCP’s victory in the Chinese Civil War in 1949. In a speech in 1942, Mao spoke of following the path of rectification to facilitate the eventual ‘overthrow of our national enemy and the accomplishment of the task of national liberation’. Peter Seybolt commented that during the War of Resistance against Japan, Mao sought to develop practices and principles that would carry the CCP to victory in the Civil War to follow. Zarrow also concluded that the unified mobilization of the peasantry played a key role in the triumph of the CCP in the Chinese Civil War five years later in 1949. These conclusions appear convincing as the establishment of a secure, unified headquarters in Northern China enabled the CCP to fight against Nationalist forces. This was achieved through integrating political education within the military ranks, as the campaign instilled the Red Army with loyalty, discipline, and a sense of purpose. In 1936, Journalist Edgar Snow argued that the superiority of the Red Army came from the belief that it was fighting for something. It can be argued that those who underwent rectification would have gained this same revolutionary spirit and determination, which likely contributed to the successes of the CCP in 1949.

In conclusion, the Yan’an Rectification Campaign had far-reaching consequences for the CCP and played a key role in shaping the future trajectory of the party. On the surface, it was launched to strengthen party discipline through the rectification of the masses. However, it also solidified Mao Zedong’s leadership which formed the basis of his cult of personality and purged members who displayed any form of individualism or dissent. These consequences provide a great insight into the transformation of the CCP and its organisational and ideological development during the 1940s, which led to its success in the Civil War at the end of the decade. Thus, the Yan’an Rectification Campaign had significant political and ideological consequences for China and paved the way for the creation of the People’s Republic in 1949.