Contents
Mao Zedong
Founding the People’s Republic of China and ruling through revolutionary campaigns that caused immense suffering.
On Guerrilla Warfare · Great Leap Forward
- Born
- 26 December 1893
- Birthplace
- Shaoshan, Hunan, China
- Died
- 9 September 1976
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Mao Zedong was the Chinese Communist leader who established the People’s Republic in 1949. His rule transformed the state while mass campaigns, repression and disastrous economic policies devastated millions of lives.
Early life
Hunan childhood
Grew up in a farming family near Shaoshan.
Teacher training
Studied in Changsha and became involved in political organising.
Career
- 1921
Communist Party
Participated in the founding congress of the Chinese Communist Party.
- 1930s–1940s
Revolutionary leadership
Rose to party leadership during the Long March and civil war.
- 1949
New state
Proclaimed the People’s Republic after Communist victory.
- 1958–1960s
Mass campaigns
Launched the Great Leap Forward and later the Cultural Revolution.
Policies & writing
On Guerrilla Warfare
Set out ideas on revolutionary warfare.
Great Leap Forward
A forced development campaign that helped cause catastrophic famine.
Cultural Revolution
A campaign that unleashed persecution and widespread social destruction.
Beyond work
Poetry and calligraphy
Wrote poetry in classical Chinese forms and practised calligraphy.
Personality cult
His image and quotations became pervasive instruments of political authority.
Sources & photo credit
Biography ↗Life and work ↗Photo: Chen Zhengqing (1917–1966). Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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