The Chinese People’s Liberation Army is the great school of Mao Zedong thought

During Mao’s reign as Chairman of China, he used propaganda as a major force of influence. This propaganda poster was created after the Great Leap Forward where Mao put millions who opposed his ideas in to concentration camps around China in order to further progress China ("PLA and Cultural Revolution."). He used methods practiced by the Nazis and Lenin. During this time, Mao had just restored order to China after a period of internal struggle ("PLA and Cultural Revolution."). This piece propagandizes Mao’s thought, claiming that the army is Mao’s school of thought. Methods such as media censorship are still practiced in China to brain wash people.  This piece demonstrates one of the methods the government used to change the way people thought.

                This poster is a part of a series of propaganda posters spread throughout China after the Great Leap forward. In the poster, Mao is the main figure whose thought is being glorified. There are three different types of people underneath Mao, the soldier, the army officer, and the worker. This represents the vast majority of the people in China at that time. Each of the men holds red pamphlets called “Little Red Book”. The men are painted so that they all look as though they support the ideals behind the pamphlet. The “Little Red Books” were passed out during this time to propagandize Mao thought. Furthermore, there are millions in the background holding up flags that support Mao thought. This piece demonstrates a method of how the government oppressed the people by brain washing them.

                China has always been using methods in order to suppress independent thought. This is one of the many forms of oppression that the founding fathers of China used to control the people to establish order.