What was the primary goal of the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution?

The primary goal of the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution was to eliminate perceived class enemies. The Red Guards were a youth-led paramilitary social movement initiated by Mao Zedong in 1966, aiming to enforce communist ideology by removing those considered counter-revolutionaries or bourgeois remnants within Chinese society. This included intellectuals, party officials, and anyone associated with the traditional values or capitalist practices that Mao and his followers deemed detrimental to the communist cause.

The Red Guards played a significant role in attacking and denouncing individuals who were thought to oppose the revolutionary objectives, often resorting to violence and public humiliation as methods of enforcement. Their actions reflect a broader goal of transforming Chinese society according to a radical version of Maoism, which sought to root out any threatening influences to the communist revolution and reshape the cultural landscape of the nation.

In contrast, the other options do not align with the primary objectives of the Red Guards. The movement was not focused on improving international relations, promoting economic reforms, or fostering scientific advancements; rather, it was intensely focused on ideological purity and the removal of perceived threats to communist ideology within China.