From 1956-57 Mao and the CCP elite engaged in a series of liberalisation policies: working conditions of intellectuals were improved (including monthly wage), criticisms of the Party were encouraged and Mao seemed to avert himself from the Stalinist economic and political model. 

This sprang from Khrushchev’s secret speech in which Stalinist methods were denounced and the soviet economic model was acknowledged as only one possible method to socialism which may be more harmful than beneficial in different countries. Unfulfilled Promises of destalinisation led swiftly to the Hungarian Revolution, after which Mao announced it occurred due to failings of Hungarian leadership. Premier Zhou recommended easing restrictions on the intellectual class to stop a burgeoning Hungarian style revolt.

However Mao had been preparing for rapid industrialisation in the first five year plan which saw a huge increase in intellectual cooperation in China- he remarked in 1957 that “the intellectuals are now in support of socialism”.

Did Mao recognise that economic aggrandisement necessitated the support of the skilled and cultured intellectual class, or did he prepare the Hundred Flowers as a continuation of his previous goal- extermination of the intellectual class- disguised as a policy of liberalisation, to draw out dissidents?

If the latter was the case, why did Mao not operate so extensively as to eliminate all enemies who spoke out, a measure which would have precluded the need for the Cultural Revolution?

Mao himself admits the policy was a deceptive tool “to lure the snakes out of their lairs”, however his personal doctor who helped him recover from stress when criticisms became overwhelming during the 
 campaign, believes the policy was an arrogant one from which Mao thought he could avoid criticism while appearing liberal to incorporate the aid of intellectuals into the new Chinese economic model.

This seems to be a unique event in history- of which the intentions are still heavily debated today, what do you think is the case?