Editing Criticize Lin, Criticize Confucius (section)

{{Short description|Political and intellectual campaign started by Mao Zedong}}
[[Image:Pi lin pi kong.jpg|right|thumb|200px|A poster from 1974 by Zhang Yan (张延). It reads "Criticize Lin, criticize Confucius – it's the most important matter for the whole party, the whole army and the people of the whole country."]]
The '''Criticize Lin (Biao), Criticize Confucius Campaign''' ({{Zh|s=批林批孔运动|t=批林批孔運動|p=pī lín pī kǒng yùndòng}}; also called the '''Anti-Lin Biao, Anti-Confucius campaign''') was a political and intellectual campaign started by [[Mao Zedong]] and his wife, [[Jiang Qing]], the leader of the [[Gang of Four]]. It lasted from 1973 until the end of the [[Cultural Revolution]], in 1976.

The campaign continued in several phases, beginning as an academic attempt to interpret Chinese history according to Mao's political theories. In 1974 the campaign was joined with another, pre-existent campaign to criticise [[Lin Biao]], who had allegedly attempted to assassinate Mao in a [[Project 571|failed coup]] before his death in 1971. In early 1975 the campaign was modified to indirectly criticise China's Premier, [[Zhou Enlai]], and other senior Chinese leaders. In mid-1975 the Gang of Four introduced debate on ''[[Water Margin]]'' as a tool for criticism of their opponents. The campaign ended in 1976, when the Gang of Four were arrested.