Gang of Four Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes. The gang's leading figure was Jiang Qing (Mao Zedong's last wife). The other members were Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, and Wang Hongwen. The Gang of Four controlled the power organs of the Communist Party of China through the later stages of the Cultural Revolution, although it remains unclear which major decisions were made by Mao Zedong and carried out by the Gang,
Gang of Four 6 October 1976, Hua had the four leading radicals and a number of their lesser associates arrested. Han Suyin gave a detailed account of their overthrow: According to historian Immanuel C.Y. Hsü, the operation was not completely bloodless — Wang Hongwen killed two of the guards trying to capture him, and was wounded himself before being subdued. Beginning on 21 October, nationwide denunciations of the Gang began, which culminated in the December release of files related to the Gang's alleged crimes to the public. Chinese media blamed the Gang of Four for all the excesses of the Cultural Revolution. Celebrations