Revision with unchanged content. Perhaps no other figure in contemporary
Chinese history stirs as much controversy as the enigmatic Lin Biao.
After an alleged attempt to assassinate Chairman Mao Zedong, Lin, along
with his wife; Ye Qun, and son; Lin Liguo, died mysteriously in a plane
crash during an attempt to supposedly flee to the Soviet Union in
September, 1971. Controversy quickly surrounded the incident as Lin
instantly transformed from Chairman Mao's second-in-command to the
ultimate counter-revolutionary. Shrouded in so much mystery and
controversy, performing a direct and completely objective analysis of
Lin Biao is nearly impossible. This study aims not to focus directly on
the events of September, 1971, but on Lin's behavior in private while
being at the pinnacle of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during the
most tumoltuous years of the Cultural Revolution (1966-1969). Utilizing
a variety of private memoirs from Lin's personal staff, this study will
reveal the true Lin Biao, a man plaugued by personality deficiencies
that inhibited his abilities as a politician and husband. When
considering Lin's personality deficiencies, this study will probe and
challange traditional political interpretations of Lin Biao and question
the actual degree of political involvement he had during various events
during the Cultural Revolution.
