The core impact of the Cultural Revolution on Chinese society in the 1960s was a drive toward ideological purity and the suppression of perceived bourgeois influences. Initiated by Mao Zedong, the movement encouraged mass mobilization to eradicate capitalist elements and revisionist thought, leading to widespread social upheaval. Intellectuals, professionals, and traditional cultural artifacts were persecuted, resulting in a significant loss of cultural heritage. The Cultural Revolution fundamentally altered social structures, reinforced the Communist Party's control, and left a complex legacy of trauma that still influences Chinese society today.