Introduction

The Red Guards. Mao's little generals. They go by many names, but the Red Guards were notable for one thing. Chaos. The Red Guards committed many unimaginable acts upon the people around them, establishing beatings, torture and "public humiliation rallies" as normal everyday activities.

Some Red Guards even went as far as to denounce their own family members and have them arrested for criticizing Mao. The Red Guards were known throughout China for their ruthless behavior. “God bless me, I didn’t beat anyone back then. If I had beaten anyone how could I have lived with myself all these years?” Said Yu, a former Red Guard.

Many Red Guards look back at their actions and now regret horribly what they have done. So what influenced them to commit such terrible acts? What were the ordinary students, who became perpetrators of mass violence overnight, thinking when they committed such acts?  Why did they do it?