建国后，随着“左倾”思潮影响不断扩大，出于“防修反修”的目的，毛泽东在1966年5月发动了“文化大革命”（简称“文革”）。破“四旧”运动发生于“文革”初期，运动以彻底破除一切剥削阶级所造成的“旧思想、旧文化、旧习惯、旧风俗”，创造和形成无产阶级的“新思想、新文化、新习惯、新风俗”为目的，力图“改变整个社会的外观和人民群众的精神面貌”，由于运动自身及参与者等原因，运动以失败告终。这场运动全面揭开了“文革”帷幕，为“文革”的发展及其最终的结果埋下了伏笔。“文革”初期，除毛泽东之外的中共中央领导对如何进行“文化革命”没有明确和统一的意见，基本形成了两种解读“文革”的思路，一个是进行破“四旧”，另一个是向高校派驻工作组。这两种不同思路的演进，造成了破“四旧”运动、红卫兵运动、高校学生与工作组的纠葛等事件交织在一起，使得“文革”初期呈现出混乱迭起、矛盾重重的历史画面。也正是由于这些事件的相互作用和影响，使得破“四旧”这一建国后唯一一次“破旧立新”运动草草收场。本文以破“四旧”运动发展为主线，按时间顺序梳理运动发展的历史脉络并探讨其原因，对红卫兵与破“四旧”运动的互动关系、破“四旧”运动草草收场两个问题进行了理论分析。文章采取点面结合的方式，以全国破“四旧”运动为着眼点，对清华大学及附中进行个案分析。选取清华大学及附中作为参照，原因在于清华大学及附中在“文革”初期的表现具有一定示范性，能够代表和反映全国“文革”初期的基本状态。为便于后来者研究，本文梳理了破“四旧”运动进展始末，文后附有大事年表及清华“8.24事件”亲历者访谈记要。

After founding of the People’s Republic of China, there was a rapidly growing left trend. To “fight and guard against revisionism”, Mao Zedong launched the “The Great Culture Revolution” in May 1966. Eradicating “the Four Olds（old thought、culture、custom and tradition）”Movement , one of the most important means in this “revolution”,was started to mobilize the whole nation. However, as we do know today , it is Eradicating “the Four Olds”Movement that lifted the curtain on and set the keynote for the Great Culture Revolution.In the early days, almost all people, including the enthusiastic students and even the high-ranking officials didn’t know what exactly“the Great Culture Revolution”was and what to do particularly. As a result , Eradicating “the Four Olds”Movement、the Red Guard Movement and the conflicts between students and officials send to campuses were interlaced together. This confusion is why the former failed.According to authoritative information，Eradicating“the Four Olds” Movement didn’t last much longer. This paper gives a detailed account of the beginning developmental process and end of the movement. The paper focuses on Eradicating “the Four Olds” Movement, and conducts a case study of Tsinghua University and the middle school attached to it, where the first Red Guard organization first emerged. The author believes this case to be typical and from it we can discern the state in the early days of the Great Culture Revolution.Moreover, the appendices include a chronicle of events and some oral history materials.