Toronto Face: Face Figures: The most tragic president - Liu Shaoqi! Why was Liu Shaoqi struggled? The first generation of technocrats Liu Shaoqi! How many steps does it take to overthrow a president? The Seven Thousand Cadres Conference | Cultural Revolution

Because the Three Years of Great Famine exposed numerous problems, the Seven Thousand Cadres Conference was convened. Officials expressed dissatisfaction with the Great Leap Forward at the conference, forcing Mao Zedong to make self-criticism and step back to the second line of leadership, while Liu Shaoqi took over frontline economic management authority.

Mao Zedong posted the big-character poster 'Bombard the Headquarters' at the plenary session, pointing the spearhead directly at Liu Shaoqi. Liu Shaoqi's ranking within the party plummeted, marking his loss of power.

A mass rally to criticize Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping was held in Tiananmen Square. Liu Shaoqi held up the Constitution to protest and was beaten by Red Guards, while Wang Guangmei was also publicly humiliated and subsequently arrested.

After enduring prolonged and brutal persecution and detention in Kaifeng, Henan, Liu Shaoqi passed away from illness in the early morning of November 12, 1969, and was cremated immediately.