Mao

Mao Zedong• Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-Tung), the son of a peasant

farmer, was born in Chaochan ,China, in 1893. He became a Marxist while working as a library assistant at Peking University and served in the revolutionary army during the 1911 Chinese Revolution.• Inspired by the Russian Revolution the Chinese

Communist Party (CCP) was established in Shanghai by Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao in June 1921. Early members included Mao, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and Lin Biao. Following instructions from the Comintern members also joined the Kuomintang.

Born-December Born-December 26, 189326, 1893

• Mao was responsible for commanding a part of the CPC's Red Army.• In 1949 Mao proclaimed the foundation of the People's Republic of

China, a one-party socialist state controlled by the Communist Party.• Mao enacted sweeping land reform, overthrowing the

feudal landlords before seizing their large estates and dividing the land into people's communes.• He proceeded to lead a nationwide political campaign known as

the Great Leap Forward from 1958 through to 1961, designed to modernize and industrialize the country, however agrarian problems worsened by his policies led to widespread famine.• In 1966, he initiated the Cultural Revolution, a program to weed out

counter-revolutionary elements in Chinese society, which continued until his death.

The Controversial Part•Mao is regarded as one of the most important individuals in modern world history•Supporters praise him for modernizing China and building it into a world power, through promoting the status of women, improving education and health care, providing universal housing and raising life expectancy.•Mao is still officially held in high regard by many Chinese as a great political strategist, military mastermind, and savior of the nation. Maoists furthermore promote his role as a theorist, statesman, poet, and visionary, who has inspired revolutionary movements across the globe.

Died: September 9, 1976, Beijing, China