Mao would then have complete and total control over the society, and the population would be mobilized for a possible confrontation, while at the same time, waiting to do his bidding. Another domestic factor that forced Mao's hand was the failure of the Hundred Flowers Movement. One possible reason that Mao started the Hundred Flowers Movement was to gain the support of the people of Taiwan. This could de-legitimize Chiang and make the liberation of Taiwan easier. The Hundred Flowers Movement failed and the ensuing criticism drove away, rather than pulled closer, the people of Taiwan. These are two of the domestic situations that helped lead to Mao's decision to shell Quemoy. The fact that Taiwan still represented an unfinished civil war between the Communists and Nationalists also, no doubt, contributed to a desire to do everything possible to topple the Nationalists. If the Communists could win over the troops stationed on Quemoy, then they have stepping-stone to liberating the population of Formosa. The idea was that through propaganda the Communists could persuade the troops on Quemoy that surrendering would be a good idea. .
Outside of domestic concerns, there were also international developments that contributed to Mao's decision calculus. On August 20th the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) called for the U.S. and British troops to remove themselves from Lebanon and Jordan, who were there to put down the rebellions that were taking place and provide support the pro-west regimes that were in power at the time. Based on this call from the UNGA, the PRC announced that the US should withdraw from Taiwan as well since the circumstances were very similar to what was happening in the Middle East. Mao wanted the US out of Taiwan, but this was not the only reason for him to shell Quemoy. The communists felt that by resisting the US they would be able to show their support of the liberation causes and the anti-imperialist movements that the Arabs were making in the Middle East.