The Long March was led by Mao Zedong, the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 1934-35.
Mao, born into a peasant family in 1893, started his political career as a student of Marxism at Peking University in 1918. Following the collapse of the Chinese monarchy in 1912, and the subsequent fragmented control of China into warlord states, Mao’s focuses soon shifted away from theory and towards the practical application of Marxist principles in Chinese society.
In early 1921, Mao joined the newly founded CCP, where he gained increasing influence and eventually became chairman in 1935. Motivated by the belief that an empowered peasantry could form the backbone of revolution, he advocated for a communism built upon the needs of the rural population.
In response to the attempted extermination of the CCP by Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang (KMT) forces, Mao and the communists initiated the Long March in October of 1934.
Departing from Jiangxi Province in southeastern China, the Communists began the epic 6,000 mile journey through 11 provinces to Yan’an. Over the course of the march, they endured extreme temperatures, snow storms, steep mountains, and near-constant struggle with their pursuers.
To make matters worse, the ongoing civil war between KMT forces and the Communists had led to years of famine in the countryside, reducing the local population to near-starvation levels. Under Mao’s guidance, the marchers maintained discipline and organization, foraging for supplies and avoiding open conflict with their enemies whenever possible.
By early 1935, the marchers had reached their destination in Yan’an. Despite losses incurred along the way, some 90,000 Communists had survived the journey, thus ensuring the survival of the CCP.
Following the conclusion of the march, Mao continued to lead the CCP in resisting the KMT forces until the People’s Republic of China was formally established in 1949.
Throughout his life, Mao was a figure of both immense popularity and revulsion. His ruthless pursuit of power and the devastating influence of his policies remain controversial to this day. Yet there is no denying the impact of the Long March, which played an instrumental part in the eventual rise of the PRC. As such, Mao Zedong’s legacy is forever tied to the success of the Long March, and he will always remain its architect and leader.