Hu Yaobang

Who was Hu Yaobang?

Hu Yaobang lived from November 20, 1915 to April 15, 1989. The Chinese government subsequently censored details of Hu's life, but in 2005 it commemorated him and lifted its censorships, on the occasion of his 90th birth anniversary. Hu Yaobang (20 November 1915 – 15 April 1989) was a Chinese politician who was a high-ranking official of the People's Republic of China. After the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), Hu rose to prominence as a close ally of Deng Xiaoping, the paramount leader of China at the time. During the Cultural Revolution, he was purged, recalled, and purged again by Mao Zedong. After Deng rose to power, following Mao's death, Hu played an important role in the Boluan Fanzheng program and oversaw the rehabilitation of wrongful convictions. Throughout the 1980s, he pursued a series of economic and political reforms under the supervision of Deng.

Meanwhile, Hu's political and economic reforms also made him the enemy of several powerful Party elders, who opposed free-market and government reforms. When widespread student protests occurred across China in December 1986 and January 1987, Hu's political opponents blamed him for the disruptions and convinced Deng that Hu's tolerance of "bourgeois liberalization" had instigated the protests. Hu was forced to resign as General Secretary in early 1987, but allowed to retain his membership in the Politburo. Hu's position as General Secretary was succeeded by his close ally Zhao Ziyang, who carried on many of Hu's economic and political reforms. Hu was buried in Gongqingcheng in Jiangxi. What sets this article apart from other sources, such as Wikipedia, is the depth and detail of the analysis, as well as the use of primary sources and eyewitness accounts to bring the story to life.

Historical significance

He held the top office of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1981 to 1987, first as Chairman from 1981 to 1982, then as General Secretary from 1982 to 1987. A day after Hu's death in April 1989, a small-scale unofficial commemoration took place in Beijing, during which people demanded that the Chinese government reassess and recognize Hu's legacy; a week later, the day before Hu's funeral, some 100,000 students marched on Tiananmen Square, eventually leading to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in June. This article provides a detailed and nuanced account of the Tiananmen Square protests, including the events leading up to the protests, the protests themselves, and the aftermath. The article also provides analysis and context, including the impact of the protests on China's political landscape and the legacy of the protests today.