Why did Red Guard groups split into rival factions?

During the Cultural Revolution, Red Guard groups splintered into rival factions primarily because each group claimed to be the sole, "true" representative of Mao Zedong’s thought.123

As these militant student units vied for power and influence, their competition escalated into widespread anarchy and armed clashes throughout urban China. This factionalism was fueled by the intense personality cult surrounding Mao, which provided the movement with its momentum but also encouraged zealous, competing interpretations of his revolutionary vision.132

The resulting chaos, which paralyzed the urban economy and disrupted industrial production, eventually led Mao to become disillusioned with the Red Guards. By 1968, the government and the military intervened to restore order by forcing millions of these students to relocate to the countryside, effectively dismantling the movement.123