IntroductionThe Cultural Revolution period (1966-1976) was a time when every level of society was subjected to great suffering. Although the loss of life was greatest during the Great Leap Forward and the Second Sino-Japanese War, suffering is not measured only in terms of loss of life. Large parts of cultural heritage were destroyed, official institutions were disrupted, and everyone risked being accused of counter-revolutionary (so-called black) activities or tendencies. This might seem like the very definition of a society in a chaotic state, but this is not the case. It is interesting to discuss what is actually understood as chaos. The Red Guards movement, which was a major player in revolutionary activities during the Cultural Revolution, was created by Mao Zedong. Furthermore, the goals and privileges that the Red Guards had and enjoyed were also largely supported or instituted by Mao. Can it be said that a revolution initiated by the de facto head of state can fit into the traditional definition of what is understood as chaos? To evaluate this question, and given the enormous scope of the Cultural Revolution itself, I decided to examine some key incidents at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, the so-called Red Guards period. But before we can address these incidents, we must examine Mao's reasons for launching the revolution itself. Roots of the Revolution Most scholars seem to agree that the roots of the Cultural Revolution lie in the mind of Mao Zedong. Mao had long been concerned about the stagnation of the Chinese revolution and the bureaucratization of the Chinese Communist Party, a process he saw as a challenge to proletarian dictatorship as much as the b...... middle of paper ...the narrative is that a Revolution consists in overthrowing old structures, and these might even involve structures that Mao found necessary to maintain. There is a reason why no other government has ever launched a revolution against itself. It can only lead to complete chaos, and even if you manage to survive the storm, cleanup will take years. Which undoubtedly happened in the case of China. Works Cited Yung Lee, Hong. “Mao's Strategy for Revolutionary Change” In Gregor Benton, ed. Mao Zedong and the Chinese Revolution. Volume 2 Policies and strategies 1949-76. Routledge (2008) Jonathan D. Spence In Search of Modern China WW Norton & Company (1990) Mitter. A Bitter Revolution Oxford University Press (2004)Harding, Harry “The Chinese State in Crisis 1966-1969” In Roderick MacFarquhar, ed. Chinese Politics 1949-1989. Cambridge University Press (1993)