Over the next ten years, Mao sent Red Guards to the countryside and targeted political enemies and began a campaign to wipe out the "Four Olds"--customs, habits, culture, and ideas.
By 1976, when Mao died, over 500,000 people were killed. Some estimates go as high as eight million.
The leader, Deng Xiaoping, was purged twice but returned to power after Mao's death.
The New York Times has several excellent articles about the Cultural Revolution. One called Explaining China’s Cultural Revolution breaks down the events in a readable and concise who, what, where, and when format. The story includes a terrific slide show of images form the revolution.
In another Times article, historian Jeremy Brown, answers questions about the revolution.
The Nation has a story with an excellent review of the revolution in an essay called How Will China Mark the 50th Anniversary of the Cultural Revolution?
Seeker Daily has a good three minute overview of the Cultural Revolution along with an essay.
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