Editing Cultural Revolution (section)

===''Bombard the Headquarters'' (July)===
{{multiple image
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| header = Mao–Liu conflict
| footer = In 1966, Mao broke with [[Liu Shaoqi]] (right), then serving as [[President of the People's Republic of China|President]], over the work-teams issue. Mao's polemic ''[[Bombard the Headquarters]]'' was widely recognized as targeting Liu, the purported "bourgeois" party headquarters
| image1 = 1966-09 1966年毛泽东.jpg
| alt1 = Mao Zedong, Chairman
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| image2 = LiuShaoqi_Colour.jpg
| alt2 = Liu Shaoqi, President
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[[File:1966-10 1966年毛泽东游长江2.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.04|Mao waves to the crowd on the banks of the Yangtze before his swim across, July 1966]]
In July, Mao, in Wuhan, crossed the Yangtze River, showing his vigor. He then returned from Wuhan to Beijing and criticized party leadership for its handling of the work-teams issue. Mao accused the work teams of undermining the student movement, calling for their full withdrawal on 24 July. Several days later a rally was held at the [[Great Hall of the People]] to announce the decision and reveal the tone of the movement to teachers and students. At the rally, Party leaders encouraged the masses to 'not be afraid' and take charge of the movement, free of Party interference.<ref name=Mac/>{{rp|81–84}}

The work-teams issue marked a decisive defeat for Liu; it also signaled that disagreement over how to handle the CR's unfolding events would irreversibly split Mao from the party leadership. On 1 August, the Eleventh Plenum of the [[8th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|8th Central Committee]] was convened to advance Mao's radical agenda. At the plenum, Mao showed disdain for Liu, repeatedly interrupting him as he delivered his opening day speech.<ref name=Mac/>{{rp|94}}{{multiple image
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| header = Red Guards in Beijing
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| image1 = 1967-11 1967年 北京师范大学大字报批评刘少奇.jpg
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|footer = From left: (1) Students at [[Beijing Normal University]] making big-character posters denouncing [[Liu Shaoqi]]; (2) Big-characters posted at [[Peking University]]; (3) Students at No. 23 Middle School in Beijing reading ''[[People's Daily]]'' during the "Resume Classes" campaign}}

On 28 July, [[Red Guards|Red Guard]] representatives wrote to Mao, calling for rebellion and upheaval to safeguard the revolution. Mao then responded to the letters by writing his own big-character poster entitled ''[[Bombard the Headquarters]]'', rallying people to target the "command centre (i.e., Headquarters) of counterrevolution." Mao wrote that despite having undergone a communist revolution, a "bourgeois" elite was still thriving in "positions of authority" in the government and Party.<ref name="Tang">{{Cite book |last=Tsou |first=Tang |author-link=Tsou Tang |title=The Cultural Revolution and post-Mao reforms: a historical perspective |year=1988 |publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]] |isbn=978-0-226-81514-5}}</ref>

This statement has been interpreted as a direct indictment of the party establishment under Liu and Deng—the purported "bourgeois headquarters" of China. The personnel changes at the Plenum reflected a radical re-design of the party hierarchy. Liu and Deng kept their seats on the Politburo Standing Committee, but were sidelined from day-to-day party affairs. Lin Biao was elevated to become the CCP's number-two; Liu's rank went from second to eighth and was no longer Mao's heir apparent.<ref name="Tang"/>

[[File:Guangmei cultural revolution.jpg|thumb|A [[struggle session]] targeting Liu Shaoqi's wife [[Wang Guangmei]]]]
Along with the top leadership losing power the entire national Party bureaucracy was purged. The extensive [[Organization Department of the Chinese Communist Party|Organization Department]], in charge of party personnel, virtually ceased to exist. The top officials in the Propaganda Department were sacked, with many of its functions folded into the CRG.<ref name=Mac/>{{rp|96}}