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How did political departments modeled on the People’s Liberation Army affect civilian government offices?

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Lin Biao, Zhou Enlai, and other Chinese officials stand in uniform, holding up Little Red Books during a 1967 Red Guard rally in China. — Lin Biao At a 1967 Red Guard rally, Lin Biao (left) and Zhou Enlai publicly display copies of *The Little Red Book*.

Starting in 1964, Mao Zedong mandated that political departments modeled after those in the People’s Liberation Army be established within all major government bureaucracies. This initiative was part of a broader effort to expand the military's organizational authority and political influence under the leadership of Lin Biao.12

The establishment of these departments effectively penetrated the civilian government apparatus, as many of these new bodies were staffed by political workers directly from the military. By integrating these structures into civilian offices, the leadership aimed to ensure that government institutions adhered to the rigorous political standards and ideological purity associated with the PLA, which was being promoted as a model organization for the nation.12