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Conflict between Jiang Qing and Lin Biao (1972)
Introduction
The confusion caused by the Cultural Revolution grew worse and worse. The lawfully elected Chairman (Liu Shoaqi) was persecuted to death, and government was not working normally. Any modern nation would find it difficult to survive under these circumstances. The government needed to be rebuilt the National People's Congress reconvened.
Lin Biao
Lin Biao's group had been gradually formed through personal conspiracy since the Cultural Revolution started. Because Lin had been in the position of "sub supreme commander" at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, some the military command took his side. Its authority developed rapidly, reaching its greatest strength through congresses such as the Ninth Congress. At that point Lin's position as "successor" to Mao was formally written down in the party's rule. Besides, main members of Lin's group and many of his men were in the Politburo or central committee. Actually they had forcibly taken a great deal of power. The more the authority of Lin's group expanded, the more their conspiracy expanded too.
Conflict between Jiang Qing and Lin Bao
Conflict between Jiang Qing and Lin Bao. At the same time, Jiang's group was expanding its authority through the Ninth Congress as well. Although Jiang Qoing, Zhang Chunqio, and Yao Wenyuan didn't have any position in the CCP before, they became members of the Politburo at the Congress. They had needed the support of Lin Biao, at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, but both had already been enemies, which increased their authority over each other.
And as the power of Jiang's group grew, Lin awaked the fact that Jiang's group had become more powerful than his and that this might jeopardise Lin's position as "successor" to Mao. In addition he had health problems. As he felt his position to be weak, he was encouraged to resort to conspiracy.
Ambition of Lin Biao
Lin was trying to realise his plan, "of becoming chairman", taking advantage of the National People's Congress. He planned to agree outwardly that Mao should become chairman by praising him as a "genius", winning his trust and expanding his influence. And in this way Lin tried to grasp the authority, placing Mao in a position that was only a title with no power.
Although Mao had said that the position of chairman would not be set, and he would never become the chairman, Lin insisted on the subject because of his thirst for power. Such an open bid for power by Lin brought to the light the contradiction between his group and Jiang's group.
In the conflict between the two groups, Mao clearly supported Jiang's group. Mao didn't agree with "the theory of genius" for himself according to Lin, which dealt a heavy blow to Lin's group which then began to plan a coup d'tat and foolishly attempted to steal power with violence. Their destruction was coming gradually.
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