The Red Guard were factionalised into Old Red Guards, conservative Red Guards, rebel Red Guards and ultra-left Red Guards.
The Old Red Guards were the initiators of the Red Guard movement. They mainly attacked the intellectuals, overthrown ‘class enemies’ and some leaders in the educational and cultural fields. The core members of the Old Red Guards were children of leaders. They stressed their red family background and strove for political and social superiority and privilege.
The conservative Red Guards followed the example of the Old Red Guards but depended on and defended the local Party's leadership.
The rebel Red Guards mainly attacked the power holders and the organs of the Party and government. They came from the social groups that had been out of power. In politics, they relied on the support of Mao and the left wing of the Party.
The ultraleft Red Guards negated and criticized the political leadership and the existing system as a whole.
Without a unified military to stamp them out or a leadership struggle resulting in unclear hierarchy with each group only taking orders from who they wanted to.
Through in a CIA/Indian backed Tibet, Soviet intervention in East Turkestan and a Nationalist invasion in the south, China could enter a second warlord era.