Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-Tung,) also called Chairman Mao (1893–1976,) is undisputedly the foremost figure in modern Chinese history and a commanding presence in twentieth-century history. He was a revolutionary who served as the leader of the Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China 1949–76 and as China’s head of state 1949–59.
Born in Shaoshan, Hunan Provide, during the Qing Empire, Mao was the son of an educated Hunanese peasant. Mao was trained in Chinese classics and received a modern education.
As co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921 and its operative leader from the time of the Long March (1934–35,) Mao ultimately defeated both the occupying Japanese and rival Kuomintang nationalist forces to create the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and became its first head of state.
At the outset, Mao followed the Soviet Marxist-Leninist Communist model; however, from 1956, he introduced his measures, such as the brief period of freedom of expression known as Hundred Flowers and the economically-catastrophic Great Leap Forward (1958–60.)
Despite having resigned as head of state, Mao set off the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) to solidify his ideology and purge the party of revisionists. During these years, he fired political rivals and became the focus of a personality cult.
Mao is remembered for institutionalizing the pattern of struggle based on countryside guerrilla warfare that ultimately led to victory in the civil war and the overthrow of the Nationalists, the distribution of land to the peasants, the reinstatement of China’s independence and sovereignty, provided education and health care for the poor, and advanced rights for women. Mao’s record after 1949 is, however, a subject of debate: the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution are often viewed as ill-conceived elaborate programs that led to disastrous consequences. After his death, China loosened its economic restraints, allowing capitalism to develop.
On top of his political and military proficiency, Mao was a talented calligrapher and a poet in the classical style. The small corpus of work he left behind is well regarded. Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong (1967; popularly known as ‘The Little Red Book‘) continues to be a worldwide bestseller.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Mao Zedong
If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself. If you want to know the theory and methods of revolution, you must take part in revolution. All genuine knowledge originates in direct experience.
—Mao Zedong
Topics: Knowledge
Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.
—Mao Zedong
Topics: War, One liners, Politicians, Politics
Our attitude towards ourselves should be “to be satiable in learning” and towards others “to be tireless in teaching.”
—Mao Zedong
Topics: Education
We think too small. Like the frog at the bottom of the well. He thinks the sky is only as big as the top of the well. If he surfaced, he would have an entirely different view.
—Mao Zedong
Topics: Perception
So long as a person who has made mistakes… honestly and sincerely wishes to be cured and to mend his ways, we should welcome him and cure his sickness so that he can become a good comrade. We can never succeed if we just let ourselves go and lash at him.
—Mao Zedong
Topics: Mistakes
Classes struggle, some classes triumph, others are eliminated. Such is history; such is the history of civilization for thousands of years.
—Mao Zedong
Topics: Class
Weapons are an important factor in war, but not the decisive factor; it is people, not things, that are decisive. The contest of strength is not only a contest of military and economic power, but also a contest of human power and morale. Military and economic power is necessarily wielded by people.
—Mao Zedong
Topics: War
Letting a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend is the policy for promoting the progress of the arts and the sciences and a flourishing culture in our land.
—Mao Zedong
Topics: Culture
A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.
—Mao Zedong
Topics: Revolution
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
Abbie Hoffman American Political Activist
Joseph Stalin Soviet Leader
Che Guevara Argentine-Cuban Revolutionary
Vladimir Lenin Russian Revolutionary Leader
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi Hungarian-American Biochemist
Lillian Gish American Actress
Freya Stark British Explorer, Writer
Peter Gabriel English Singer-Songwriter
Christopher Hitchens Anglo-American Social Critic
Phil Collins British Rock Musician, Singer