Mao Zedong (also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung
listen (help·info)), commonly referred to as Chairman Mao
(December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), was a Chinese communist revolutionary, political theorist and
politician. The architect and founding father of the People's Republic of China
(PRC) from its establishment in 1949, he governed the country as Chairman of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
until his death in 1976. Politically a Marxist-Leninist, his theoretical contribution to
the ideology along with his military strategies and brand of policies are
collectively known as Maoism.[1]
Born the son of a wealthy farmer in Shaoshan, Hunan, Mao adopted a Chinese nationalist and anti-imperialist outlook in early life,
particularly influenced by the events of the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 and May Fourth Movement of 1919. Coming to adopt
Marxism, he became an early member of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), soon
rising to a senior position. In 1922, the Communists agreed to an alliance with
the larger Kuomintang, a nationalist revolutionary party,
and Mao joined up to the latter, helping them to organize a revolutionary
peasant army. In 1927, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the Kuomintang's military
leader, set about on an anti-communist purge. Mao rose to power of the Communist
Party by commanding the Long March, forming a united front with the Kuomintang during the Second Sino-Japanese War to repel an Imperial Japanese invasion, and leading the CPC
to victory against Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang (KMT) in the Chinese Civil War. After solidifying the
reunification of China through his Campaign to Suppress Counterrevolutionaries, Mao
enacted sweeping land reform, by using violence and terror to
overthrow the feudal landlords before seizing their large
estates and dividing the land into people's communes.[2]
Nationwide political campaigns led by Mao, such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, are often considered
catastrophic failures; and his rule is believed to have caused the deaths of 40
to 70 million people.[3][4] Severe
starvation during the Great Chinese Famine, mass suicide as a result of
the Three-anti/five-anti campaigns, and political persecution during both the Anti-Rightist
Movement and struggle sessions all resulted from these
programs. In addition, millions died in the Laogai prison camps instituted under his
rule.[5][6][7][8] His
campaigns are further blamed for damaging the historical culture and society of
China, as relics and religious sites were destroyed in an effort to rapidly
modernize the consciousness of the nation.
However, during the years when Mao was China's "Great Helmsman", a range of
positive changes also came to China. These included promoting the status of
women, improving literacy, doubling the school population,
providing universal housing, increasing health care access, and dramatically
raising life expectancy.[9][10] In
addition, China's population almost doubled during the period of Mao's
leadership[11] (from
around 550 to over 900 million).[10][original research?] As a
result, Mao is still officially held in high regard by many[who?] in China as a great
political strategist, military mastermind, and savior of the nation. Maoists
further promote his role as a theorist, statesman, poet, and visionary,[12] while
anti-revisionists continue to defend most of his
policies.
Although Mao's stated goals of combating bureaucracy, encouraging popular participation,
and stressing China's self-reliance are generally seen as laudable—and
the rapid industrialization that began during Mao's reign is credited for laying
a foundation for China's development in the late 20th century—the harsh methods
he used to pursue them, primarily terror, have been widely rebuked as being
ruthless and self-defeating.[1] Mao is
still regarded as one of the most important figures in modern world history,[13] and
was named one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century
by Time magazine
Rest of story at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong
listen (help·info)), commonly referred to as Chairman Mao
(December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), was a Chinese communist revolutionary, political theorist and
politician. The architect and founding father of the People's Republic of China
(PRC) from its establishment in 1949, he governed the country as Chairman of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
until his death in 1976. Politically a Marxist-Leninist, his theoretical contribution to
the ideology along with his military strategies and brand of policies are
collectively known as Maoism.[1]
Born the son of a wealthy farmer in Shaoshan, Hunan, Mao adopted a Chinese nationalist and anti-imperialist outlook in early life,
particularly influenced by the events of the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 and May Fourth Movement of 1919. Coming to adopt
Marxism, he became an early member of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), soon
rising to a senior position. In 1922, the Communists agreed to an alliance with
the larger Kuomintang, a nationalist revolutionary party,
and Mao joined up to the latter, helping them to organize a revolutionary
peasant army. In 1927, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, the Kuomintang's military
leader, set about on an anti-communist purge. Mao rose to power of the Communist
Party by commanding the Long March, forming a united front with the Kuomintang during the Second Sino-Japanese War to repel an Imperial Japanese invasion, and leading the CPC
to victory against Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang (KMT) in the Chinese Civil War. After solidifying the
reunification of China through his Campaign to Suppress Counterrevolutionaries, Mao
enacted sweeping land reform, by using violence and terror to
overthrow the feudal landlords before seizing their large
estates and dividing the land into people's communes.[2]
Nationwide political campaigns led by Mao, such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, are often considered
catastrophic failures; and his rule is believed to have caused the deaths of 40
to 70 million people.[3][4] Severe
starvation during the Great Chinese Famine, mass suicide as a result of
the Three-anti/five-anti campaigns, and political persecution during both the Anti-Rightist
Movement and struggle sessions all resulted from these
programs. In addition, millions died in the Laogai prison camps instituted under his
rule.[5][6][7][8] His
campaigns are further blamed for damaging the historical culture and society of
China, as relics and religious sites were destroyed in an effort to rapidly
modernize the consciousness of the nation.
However, during the years when Mao was China's "Great Helmsman", a range of
positive changes also came to China. These included promoting the status of
women, improving literacy, doubling the school population,
providing universal housing, increasing health care access, and dramatically
raising life expectancy.[9][10] In
addition, China's population almost doubled during the period of Mao's
leadership[11] (from
around 550 to over 900 million).[10][original research?] As a
result, Mao is still officially held in high regard by many[who?] in China as a great
political strategist, military mastermind, and savior of the nation. Maoists
further promote his role as a theorist, statesman, poet, and visionary,[12] while
anti-revisionists continue to defend most of his
policies.
Although Mao's stated goals of combating bureaucracy, encouraging popular participation,
and stressing China's self-reliance are generally seen as laudable—and
the rapid industrialization that began during Mao's reign is credited for laying
a foundation for China's development in the late 20th century—the harsh methods
he used to pursue them, primarily terror, have been widely rebuked as being
ruthless and self-defeating.[1] Mao is
still regarded as one of the most important figures in modern world history,[13] and
was named one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century
by Time magazine
Rest of story at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_Zedong