Mao Zedong
Definition
Mao Zedong was a Chinese communist leader and founder of the People's Republic of China. He ruled from 1949 until his death in 1976.
Analogy
Think of Mao Zedong as the captain of a ship navigating through stormy seas. The ship represents China, and the stormy seas represent the turmoil and changes that China went through during his leadership, including the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution.
Related terms
Great Leap Forward: This was an economic and social campaign led by Mao Zedong in China from 1958 to 1962, which aimed at rapidly transforming the country from an agrarian economy into a socialist society through rapid industrialization and collectivization but resulted in widespread famine.
Cultural Revolution: A sociopolitical movement in China from 1966 to 1976 launched by Mao Zedong to reassert his authority over the Chinese government, leading to massive social upheaval and political purges.
Communism: A political theory derived from Karl Marx advocating class war leading to a society where all property is publicly owned, and each person works according to their abilities and needs.
"Mao Zedong" appears in:
Subjects (2)
Study guides (3)
Practice Questions (9)
What was the goal of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward program in China and what was the result?
What could potentially happen if China did not follow Mao Zedong's vision for rapid industrialization during The Great Leap Forward?
In which year did China become communist under Mao Zedong’s leadership?
What if Mao Zedong had failed to consolidate power within the Chinese Communist Party?
In what direction might Chinese history have taken if Mao Zedong had not initiated The Great Leap Forward?
How might history have changed if Mao Zedong had been defeated in China's Civil War?
Which action most accurately represents Mao Zedong's response to calls for reform in China after World War II?
What does China's Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong indicate about international patterns after the year 1900?
What could've been a consequence if China had not undergone Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution from1966-1976?
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