Editing Jiang Qing (section)

==Downfall==

=== Protests ===
{{See also|1976 Tiananmen incident|Nanjing incident (1976)}}
By the mid-1970s, Jiang spearheaded the campaign against [[Deng Xiaoping]].<ref name=":19">{{Cite web |last=Demick |first=Barbara |date=2020-12-18 |title=Uncovering the Cultural Revolution's Awful Truths |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/01/chinas-rebel-historians/617265/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118182300/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/01/chinas-rebel-historians/617265/ |archive-date=18 January 2023 |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=The Atlantic}}</ref> Yet, the Chinese public became intensely discontented at politics and chose to blame Jiang, a more accessible and easier target than Mao.<ref name=":19" />

In January 1976, official news announced the death of Zhou Enlai. Zhou was highly respected in Chinese society, second only to Mao Zedong in influence. However, no official commemorative activities were organised following his death. On 5 March and 25 March, ''[[Wenhui Daily]]'' published two reports criticising [[Deng Xiaoping]], indirectly accusing Zhou Enlai of being the "biggest capitalist roader" who had supported and protected Deng. Starting on 21 March, students at [[Nanjing University]] began questioning and condemning ''Wenhui Daily'' and the criticisms of Zhou in Shanghai. On 29 March, the students escalated their protests by writing large slogans on trains departing from Nanjing, spreading their message nationwide. On 30 March, members of the [[All-China Federation of Trade Unions]], including Cao Zhijie, posted signed wall posters in Beijing. These posters transformed the veiled political dissent into open protest, marking the beginning of the Tiananmen protests in Beijing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=文革無法消滅異議！四五民主運動直接衝擊毛澤東政權 |url=https://insidechina.rti.org.tw/news/view/id/2147102 |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=Radio Taiwan International |language=zh-Hant |archive-date=29 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629152920/https://insidechina.rti.org.tw/news/view/id/2147102 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Many Chinese instinctively believe that it was Jiang Qing who ordered the removal of the wreaths dedicated to Zhou Enlai from Tiananmen Square. In response, slogans appeared, such as "Down with the [[Empress Dowager Cixi|Empress Dowager]], down with [[Indira Gandhi]]." Another individual placed a wreath in honour of Mao's revered second wife, [[Yang Kaihui]], who had been executed by Chiang Kai-shek in 1930. Jiang Qing was often referred to obliquely as "that woman" or "three drops of water," a reference to part of the Chinese character for her name.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web |last=Butterfield |first=Fox |date=1976-08-01 |title=The intriguing matter of Mao's successor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/01/archives/the-intriguing-matter-of-maos-successor-sometimes-the-struggle-in.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=29 November 2024 |archive-date=13 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813145331/https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/01/archives/the-intriguing-matter-of-maos-successor-sometimes-the-struggle-in.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The protests eventually evolved into a riot, with cars ignited by angry protesters and militia intervention.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |date=2016-05-22 |orig-date=1976-04-06 |title=Militia Steps in at End of a Day of Demonstrations in Peking |url=https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20160522/c22beijingriots-1976/zh-hant/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=The New York Times |language=zh |agency=Reuters |archive-date=29 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029024241/https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20160522/c22beijingriots-1976/zh-hant/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Coup d'état ===
{{see also|Smashing the Gang of Four}}

On 5 September 1976, Jiang Qing was informed of the critical illness of Mao Zedong and soon returned to Beijing.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=323}} On the evening of 8 September, she drove to [[Xinhua News Agency]] trying to find supporters, and returned to Zhongnanhai late in night, where high-rank Chinese officials and Mao's family members were present. Jiang could not fall asleep.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=324}} She needed to confront two other factions within the party, Hua Guofeng who had received a note from Mao saying, "[[With you in charge, I'm at ease|With you in charge, I am at ease]]," and Deng Xiaoping who was being attacked by Jiang.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=323}} She approached Hua secretly, proposing to expel Deng in the Politburo meeting before Mao's death, but she did not succeed.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=326}}

Mao died on 9 September. The funeral services were hosted by Wang Hongwen, with a million people assembled at Tiananmen Square to mourn his death. Jiang sent a large wreath of chrysanthemums and greenery, as his student and comrade, rather than his widow.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=325}} Hua was the designated successor of Mao and soon became the party chief and became embroiled in a power struggle with the Gang of Four.<ref name="zheng_2010">{{cite web |last1=Zheng |first1=Haiping |year=2010 |title=The Gang of Four Trial |url=http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/gangoffour/Gangof4.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171230122458/http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/gangoffour/Gangof4.html |archive-date=2017-12-30 |access-date=2017-12-31 |website=University of Missouri-Kansas City}}</ref> Jiang went to Baoding to rally the [[38th Army (People's Republic of China)|38th Army]], preparing to replace Hua as a party chief.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=326}} In response, both Ye Jianying, one of Deng's allies, and Hua mobilised their military forces in Beijing and Guangzhou. [[Xu Shiyou]] warned a north expedition from Guangzhou, if Jiang had not been arrested in Beijing.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=327}} In 4–5 October, Hua continued to negotiate with Jiang's allies on the personnel arrangement and agreed to continue the talk the following day.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=327}}

On 6 October, Zhang Chunqiao and Wang Hongwen were arrested when they arrived at Zhongnanhai.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=327}} Jiang Qing and Yao Wenyuan were arrested at their homes.{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=328}} Hua – supported by the military and state security – had Jiang and the rest of the Gang arrested and removed from their party positions. According to Zhang Yaoci, who carried out the arrest, Jiang did not say much when she was arrested. It was reported that one of her servants spat at her as she was being taken away under a flurry of blows by onlookers and police.<ref name=":15">{{cite web |title=Communist Party History: Memoirs of Jiang Qing on 6 October 1976 |url=http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64162/64172/64915/4671507.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226062508/http://cpc.people.com.cn/GB/64162/64172/64915/4671507.html |archive-date=26 February 2012 |access-date=13 December 2012 |publisher=Cpc.people.com.cn}}</ref> In May 1975, Mao Zedong once criticised the Gang of Four for leaning too heavily on [[empiricism]]. However, he downplayed the severity of their issue, stating that it was not a significant problem but needed to be addressed. Mao remarked,<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |last=Zhang |first=Lifan |author-link=Zhang Lifan |date=2014-08-25 |title=逮捕"四人帮"是毛泽东的生前部署吗？ |url=https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20140825/cc25zhanglifan/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=The New York Times |language=zh |archive-date=26 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026001137/https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20140825/cc25zhanglifan/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Blockquote|text=If it cannot be resolved in the first half of the year, then address it in the second half; if it cannot be resolved this year, then next year; and if not next year, then the year after.{{efn|{{lang-zh|s=我看问题不大，不要小题大作，但有问题要讲明白，上半年解决不了，下半年解决；今年解决不了，明年解决；明年解决不了，后年解决。}}}}}}

The remark served as a justification for Hua Guofeng to arrest the Gang of Four.<ref name=":16" />

===Televised trial===
[[Image:Jiang Qing at trial.jpg|thumb|Jiang at her trial in 1980]]
Hua was later replaced by [[Deng Xiaoping]], who proceeded with prosecuting Jiang.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Cook |first=Alexander C. |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cultural-revolution-on-trial/F1E731E8061754208A2D3EA1115FEE26 |title=The Cultural Revolution on Trial: Mao and the Gang of Four |date=2016 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-76111-6 |location=Cambridge |doi=10.1017/9780511980411 |access-date=2 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240602054839/https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cultural-revolution-on-trial/F1E731E8061754208A2D3EA1115FEE26 |archive-date=2 June 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> At the time of her arrest, the country lacked the proper institutions for a legal trial.<ref name=":8" /> As a result, she and the other members of the Gang of Four were held in a state of limbo for the first six months of their capture.<ref name=":8" /> Following prompt legal modernisation, an indictment was brought forward, formally titled "Indictment of the Special Procuratorate under the [[Supreme People's Procuratorate]] of the People’s Republic of China." The indictment contained 48 separate counts.<ref name=":8" />

In November 1980, the government announced that Jiang and nine others would stand trial.<ref name=":24">{{Cite web |date=1980-11-19 |title=Gang of Four trial starts Thursday |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1980/11/19/Gang-of-Four-trial-starts-Thursday/7394343458000/ |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref> She was tried with the other three members of the Gang of Four and six associates.<ref name=":8" /> She was accused of persecuting artists during the Cultural Revolution, and authorising the [[Burglary|burgling]] of the homes of writers and performers in Shanghai to destroy material related to Jiang's early career that could [[Kompromat|harm her reputation]].<ref name=":8" /> Xinhua News Agency reported that Jiang initially sought to recruit her own lawyers but rejected those recommended by the special team after interviews. Meanwhile, five of the ten defendants agreed to be represented by government-appointed lawyers who would act as their defence counsel.<ref name=":24" />

{{External media|image1=|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czl-MrXe6QM&t Trial of Jiang Qing I] <small>(footage edited by [[TVB]], [[Cantonese]] and Mandarin)</small>|width=220px|video2=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAOr8eLvB0Q Trial of Jiang Qing II] <small>(footage edited by TVB, Cantonese and Mandarin)</small>|video3=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNFVTiYgdo8&pp=ygUUIOaxn-mdkiDoj6_oppbmlrDogZ4%3D Jiang Qing sentenced to death] <small>(footage edited by [[Chinese Television System|CTS]], [[Mandarin Chinese|Mandarin]])</small>}}

Jiang was defiant in the court.<ref name=":8" /> She argued to the special prosecution teams that Mao should also be held accountable for her actions.<ref name=":24" /> Whenever a witness took the stand, there was a chance the court proceedings would devolve into a shouting match.<ref name=":8" /> She did not deny the accusations,<ref name="zheng_2010" /> and insisted that she had been protecting Mao and following his instructions. Jiang remarked:<ref name="modern">{{cite book |last=Hutchings |first=Graham |title=Modern China |year=2001 |publisher=MA: Harvard University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=0-674-01240-2}}</ref>

{{Cquote
| quote = I was Chairman Mao's dog. I bit whomever he asked me to bite.{{efn|{{lang-zh|s=我是毛主席的一条狗，毛主席叫我咬谁我就咬谁。}}}}
}}

Her defence strategy was marked by attempts to transcend the court room and appeal to history and the logic of revolution.<ref name=":8" /> Jiang sought to challenge Hua Guofeng's authority within the Party, with an appalling yet unverifiable claim,{{Sfn|Terrill|1999|p=343}}

{{Blockquote|text=[A]bout that night Mao Zedong wrote the words, "With you in charge, I'm at ease" for Hua Guofeng. [...] That was not all Chairman Mao wrote to Hua. He wrote six more characters: "If you have questions, ask Jiang Qing."{{efn|{{lang-zh|s=那天晚上毛主席给华国锋写“你办事，我放心”的话，这不是毛主席给华国锋写的全部内容，至少还写了六个字：“有问题，找江青”。}}}}}}

The court announced its verdict after six weeks of testimony and debate and four weeks of deliberations. In early 1981, she was convicted and [[Death sentence with reprieve|sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve]]. She was assigned the highest level of criminal liability among the defendants as a "ringleader" of a [[Counter-revolutionary|counterrevolutionary]] group. [[Wu Xiuquan]] recounted in his memoir that the court room erupted into applause as the verdict was read and Jiang Qing was dragged out of the court room by two female guards while shouting revolutionary slogans.<ref name=":8" />