Mao Zedong
- Born:
- December 26, 1893, Shaoshan, Hunan, China
- Died:
- September 9, 1976, Beijing, China
- Nationality:
- Chinese
- Profession(s):
- Revolutionary, Politician, Marxist Theorist, Military Strategist
Early Life and Education
- Born to a peasant family in Shaoshan, Hunan.
- Received a traditional Confucian education.
- Early exposure to revolutionary ideas and nationalist sentiments.
- Attended Hunan First Normal School in Changsha.
Career and Major Achievements
- Founding member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1921.
- Led the CCP through the Chinese Civil War against the Kuomintang (KMT).
- Established the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949.
- Chairman of the Communist Party of China from 1949 until his death in 1976.
- Implemented significant land reforms and industrialization policies.
- Launched the Great Leap Forward (1958-1962), a period of economic and social upheaval.
- Initiated the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), a period of political and social turmoil.
Legacy and Impact
Mao Zedong remains a highly controversial figure. While credited with unifying China, modernizing its economy, and improving the status of women, he is also held responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of people during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. The complexities of his leadership are often examined through various sources, including resources like the "bbc mao tse tung biography youtube" provides.
Notable Works
- Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan (1927)
- On Practice (1937)
- On Contradiction (1937)
- Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung (commonly known as the "Little Red Book")
- Numerous military and political writings collected in the Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung.