The Wuhan Incident
The 1967 “Wuhan Incident,” in which violent clashes between factional elements inspired by the Cultural Revolution resulted in Mao’s attempt to shift the Revolution in a new direction, is exemplary of Wuhan’s experience during the Cultural Revolution and deserving of its own unit. This section begins with a discussion of the factionalizing of Wuhan society leading up to the Cultural Revolution, focusing on divisions between workers, intellectuals, bureaucrats, and military staff. We follow this with an overview of the Cultural Revolution in Wuhan, identifying the major factions and their formation, the military’s initial responses, and the increasing gap between Beijing’s authority and the activities of leaders in Wuhan. This is then followed by a retelling of the incident itself, where we follow the development of multiple narratives perpetuated by disparate factions and the center, ultimately concluding with a discussion of the consequences of the incident for Wuhan and China.