The Communist revolution in China was led by Mao Zedong (1893-1976), who served as the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and the leader of the People’s Republic of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976.
Mao was born in a peasant family in Hunan Province and trained as a librarian. He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1921 and became a radical Marxist. In the 1920s, he participated in the chinese revolution, led by the CCP and its allies. During this period, Mao began to conceive his own political theories, which centered on the idea of a peasant-based guerrilla warfare as a path for revolution against the existing Chinese government.
In 1931, Mao was elected to the Central Committee of the CCP, and in 1934, he wrote the first of three volumes of his book, “On Protracted War”. This work laid the foundation for his theory of guerrilla warfare and inspired Mao’s successful strategies during the subsequent civil war.
In 1937, Japan invaded China and the CCP formed a united front with the Nationalists, then led by Chiang Kai-shek, to fend off the invasion. In 1949, the Chinese Civil War ended with the victory of the Communists and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China led by Mao.
As the leader of China, Mao declared class struggle and land reform as the primary goals of the Communist revolution. He also embarked on the goal to “sever the country’s dependence on foreign imperialism” and pushed for fast industrialization and collectivization of agriculture. His policies caused both successes and failures and have been debated since his time.
During the Great Leap Forward of 1958–62, Mao encouraged rapid industrialization and increased agricultural output, but these goals were not realized and ultimately led to a famine that killed millions. In 1966, Mao launched the Cultural Revolution, which saw mass public disorder across China and targeted individuals deemed to be enemies of the Communist Party.
Mao was an autocratic leader and his policies caused tremendous social upheaval and suffering for the Chinese people. However, he is still revered by many as the father of modern Chinese Communism. His contributions to the CCP, the People’s Republic of China, and the implementation of his revolutionary ideas make him one of the most influential figures in Chinese history.