This study examines the unfolding of the Cultural Revolution over a period of ten years which the Chinese now describe as the most disastrous era of their recent history. It also analyzes the ideological origins and political causes of the Cultural Revolution, focussing on Mao Zedong as the principal instigator of this political movement which, in his own words, was one of the most important achievements in his lifetime. The book also analyzes the factional struggles which were rampant during the Cultural Revolution, penetrating all levels of Chinese society. At the leadership level, it led to power struggles which often took the form of palace intrigues. And at the grass-roots level, it led to periodic outbreaks of violence which the leadership found difficult to control. The approach of this study is essentially historical, taking into account an extensive body of Western and Chinese academic literature on the subject. It also draws on the memoirs of, and off-the-record interviews with, Chinese personalities who have lived through the period.