"Hundert Blumen" auf dem Lushan: eine Analyse der Reaktion Mao Zedongs auf die Kritik von Peng Dehuai und Zhang Wentian am "Großem Sprung nach vorn"(1958–61)

The Great Leap Forward (1958-61) as a major event in the history of the People’s Republic of China is the object of a myriad of studies. Nevertheless, questions remain regarding the elite politics of this period. This thesis deals with the Lushan conference (July – August 1959) as one of the important turning points of the leap to shed light on questions regarding the role played by Mao Zedong and the dynamics of the decision-making process during the Great Leap Forward. The paradox of the Lushan conference lies in the renewed radicalization of the Great Leap during a phase of “cooling down” of leftist excesses which had already caused massive damage to the economy and the people of China. By comparing three conference documents, the critical letter of Peng Dehuai and the speeches of Zhang Wentian and Mao Zedong, answers shall be provided as to how a Mao under pressure was able to use the harsh critique presented to him at the conference to rally the party leadership behind him in order to continue leaping forward in an even more confident way, even though problems have been evident and the controversies of the leap were treated with an unprecedented openness at that time. It will be shown that the use of specific formulations (提法 tifa) as well as a certain rhetorical strategy used by Mao Zedong based on emotions rather than rational argumentation had an enormous impact on the attitudes of the political leaders present at the conference. The outcome threw the whole nation into another round of devastating policies while critics were silenced in the aftermath of the purges of Peng Dehuai et al.