Project 571

Project 571
Name	Project 571
Partof	Cold War military research
Date	Late 1960s – Early 1970s
Place	People's Republic of China
Result	Project terminated; objectives not fully realized
Combatant1	People's Liberation Army
Commander1	Lin Biao

Project 571. It was a clandestine military and political plan formulated in the People's Republic of China during the late stages of the Cultural Revolution. The project is most infamously associated with an alleged coup plot against Chairman Mao Zedong, orchestrated by high-ranking officials within the People's Liberation Army. Its discovery and the subsequent political fallout had profound implications for the leadership structure of the Chinese Communist Party and the direction of the nation's policies during a period of intense internal strife.

Introduction to Project 571

The plan, named using a numerical code where "571" is a homophone for "armed uprising" in Mandarin Chinese, represented a radical departure from established party discipline. It emerged from deep-seated political fractures between Mao Zedong and his designated successor, Lin Biao. The existence of the plot was revealed to the wider Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party following a series of dramatic events in 1971, fundamentally altering the political landscape. The affair is considered one of the most significant and mysterious episodes of the later Cultural Revolution.

Background and History

The origins of Project 571 are rooted in the escalating power struggle between Mao Zedong and Lin Biao in the early 1970s. Following the Ninth National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, where Lin Biao was officially enshrined in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China as Mao's successor, tensions grew over policy direction and military control. The backdrop included the Sino-Soviet split, which influenced strategic thinking in Beijing. Key planning meetings are believed to have occurred at military facilities, with the document outlining the plot allegedly drafted in Shanghai and Hangzhou.

Objectives and Strategies

The primary objective was the forcible removal of Mao Zedong from power, potentially through assassination, and the seizure of control by a faction led by Lin Biao. Strategies detailed in the plan reportedly included mobilizing units of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, securing key communication hubs in Beijing and Shanghai, and neutralizing political opponents within the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. The conspirators aimed to capitalize on Mao's inspection tours outside the capital to stage their operation, drawing inspiration from historical coups like the Xinhai Revolution.

Key Participants and Roles

The central figure was Marshal Lin Biao, the Minister of National Defense and Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party. His son, Lin Liguo, an officer in the PLA Air Force, is considered a chief architect and operational leader of the plot. Other alleged key conspirators included senior PLA generals such as Huang Yongsheng, Wu Faxian, Li Zuopeng, and Qiu Huizuo, who held pivotal positions in the Central Military Commission. These individuals controlled significant military assets, including the PLA Air Force and PLA Navy, which were crucial to the plan's proposed execution.

Outcomes and Impact

The plot unraveled in September 1971, leading to the infamous Lin Biao incident. Lin Biao, his wife Ye Qun, and son Lin Liguo died in a plane crash in Mongolia while allegedly fleeing after their scheme was discovered. The aftermath saw a massive political purge within the People's Liberation Army and the Chinese Communist Party, known as the Criticize Lin, Criticize Confucius campaign. This event discredited the People's Liberation Army's political role, strengthened the position of more pragmatic leaders like Zhou Enlai, and indirectly paved the way for the later rise of Deng Xiaoping.

Criticism and Controversy

The official narrative of Project 571, as presented by the Chinese Communist Party, has been met with skepticism and alternative interpretations by historians and scholars outside China. Some, like writer Jung Chang and historian Jonathan Spence, have questioned the completeness of the evidence, suggesting the plot's details may have been exaggerated for political expediency. The entire episode remains shrouded in secrecy, with many party archives from the Cultural Revolution era still classified. The controversy underscores the opaque nature of high-level power struggles during one of China's most turbulent periods.

Category:Cold War history of China Category:Political history of China Category:1971 in China