Briefly, the biography and activities of Mao Zedong can be described in just a few words - the leader of the People's Republic of China, the founder of the Communist Party and its leader. Mao Zedong ruled China for 27 years. These were difficult years for the country: the formation of the PRC took place after the Second World War and the Civil War. Having considered the biography of Mao Zedong and interesting facts from his life, one can try to understand and analyze the actions of the leader, which left an indelible mark on the history of China. So let's get started.
Mao Zedong's biography: early years
The year of birth of the former head of the People's Republic of China is 1893. If we talk about communist leaders and their biographies briefly, like Mao Zedong, they were mostly born in ordinary families. Mao was born into an ordinary illiterate peasant family in 1893, on December 26th. His father, being a small rice merchant, was able to educate his eldest son. interruptedtraining in 1911. Then there was a revolution that overthrew the ruling Qing dynasty. After serving in the army for six months, Mao continued his studies, leaving for the main city of Hunan province - Changsha. The young man received a pedagogical education.
Speaking briefly about the biography of Mao Zedong, one can point out that his worldview was formed under the influence of both ancient Chinese philosophical teachings and new trends in Western culture. Patriotism and love for China directed the future leader towards revolutionary ideas and teachings. At the age of 25, he and his associates, in search of better ways for the country, created the New People social movement.
Revolutionary youth
In 1918, a young man, at the invitation of his mentor, the communist Li Dazhao, moved to Beijing to work in the library and improve education. Here a Marxist circle is organized, in which he takes part. But soon the future leader returns to Changsha, where he works as the director of a junior school and enters into his first marriage with Yang Kaihui, the daughter of his professor. Subsequently, the couple had three sons.
Inspired by the Russian Revolution of 1917, he becomes the leader of the Hunan Communist cell and represents it in Shanghai at the 1921 Founding Congress of the Communist Party. In 1923, the CPC united with the Kuomintang Party, which had a nationalist orientation, at the same time Mao Zedong became a member of the Central Committee. In his native province of Hunan, the revolutionary creates many communist communitiesworkers and peasants, which is why it is persecuted by local authorities.
Chinese Soviet Republic
In 1927, disagreements occur between the CCP and the Kuomintang. Chiang Kai-shek (leader of the Kuomintang) breaks relations with the CCP and rebels against it. In response, Mao Zedong, secretly from his comrades-in-arms, organizes and leads a peasant uprising, which was suppressed by the forces of the Kuomintang. The dissatisfied leadership of the Communist Party excludes Mao from their ranks. But his troops, having retreated to the mountains on the border of the provinces of Jiangxi and Hunan, do not give up the fight and attract more and more supporters.
In 1928, together with another former member of the CCP - Zhu De, Mao gathers forces, proclaiming himself the party commissar, and the commander - Zhu De. Thus, in rural areas in south-central China, under the leadership of Zedong, the Chinese Soviet Republic appears, which quickly gains popularity among the peasants, transferring to them land and taken from the landowners.
At the same time, Mao Zedong's army fought off the attacks of the Kuomintang. However, the Kuomintang succeeded in capturing and executing Mao's wife. After another attack in 1934, he had to leave his deployment, setting off on a "great campaign" 12,000 km long in Shanxi province. During the campaign, his army suffered heavy casu alties.
Chairman of the Central Committee
Then, under pressure from the Japanese invasion, the Kuomintang and the CCP reunite. Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong reconcile. Repelling the Japanese attacks, Mao did not miss a chance to strengthen his position in the renewed CPC. ATIn 1940, he was elected chairman of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee.
Carrying out leadership of the Communist Party, Mao Zedong regularly organized "purges" of its ranks, thanks to which in 1945 he became the permanent chairman of the CPC Central Committee. At the same time, his works were published, in which he applies the ideas of Marxism-Leninism to the realities of Chinese reality. They are recognized as the only true way for China. Since then, the personality cult of the new leader begins.
With more than a million members, about three million soldiers in the regular army and in the militia, the Communist Party was still not ruling. Southern and central China remained under the influence of Nanjing. The task of the Communists and Chairman Mao was to overthrow the rotten Kuomintang regime.
Establishment of the PRC
Having defeated the Japanese occupiers with the help of the Soviet Union, the Kuomintang and the Communists begin a fierce struggle between themselves. Having won this confrontation, Mao Zedong proclaims the People's Republic of China in 1949, October 1. Chiang Kai-shek flees to Taiwan.
Once in power, Mao again carries out mass purges and repressions in the party, getting rid of people objectionable to him in this way. The USSR renders all kinds of support to the young state. The political weight of Mao Zedong among the communists is increasingly felt, and after the death of Stalin in 1953, Mao is recognized as the main Marxist.
But already in 1956 (after Khrushchev's famous report on the debunking of Stalin's personality cult), relations between the PRC and the USSR cooled, as the Chinese leader considered the reportbetrayal of Stalin. During the reign of Mao Zedong, various experiments began, which in many ways worsened the life of ordinary people.
The Great Leap Forward
In 1957, supposedly out of good intentions, Mao organizes a movement under the slogan "Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a thousand schools of worldviews compete." His goal was to learn about the shortcomings in the party, using criticism. However, this movement turned out to be deplorable for all dissidents. In order not to fall under the hot hand of Mao, the party members began to sing odes, extolling the personality of the leader.
At the same time, Mao's pressure on the peasantry is taking place, people's communes are emerging, and private property and commodity production are to be completely destroyed. Millions of households suffered from dispossession. The so-called "Great Leap Forward" program has also been published, designed to accelerate industrialization throughout the country.
In less than a year, the results of Mao Zedong's new policy began to cause disproportions in China's industry and agriculture. The standard of living of people dropped several times, inflation grew, mass famine set in.
Before the Cultural Revolution
Unfavorable economic and natural conditions exacerbated the situation, administrative chaos appeared, many state institutions did not fulfill their functions. Mao Zedong decides to go into the shadows and resigns as head of the country. In 1959, Liu Shaoqi became head of state, but Mao could not come to terms with his position on the sidelines, so after 1.5 years he put forward ideasclass struggle in the "great cultural revolution".
In 1960-1965. Mao Zedong partially admits the mistakes of the Great Leap Forward policy, during this period his quotation book is published, the reading of which becomes mandatory. Mao's third wife enters political games, she actively stirs up passions about the political future of the PRC and compares her husband's activities with exploits. Mao takes back the chairmanship with the help of his wife and Defense Minister Lin Biao. The class struggle against dissenters was reflected in the "cultural revolution" of Mao Zedong, which began in 1966.
New repressions
A bloody "cultural revolution" begins after the release of a historical play that Mao likened to anti-socialist poison. In the play, he saw a brief biography of Mao Zedong (i.e. his own) as a dictator of the Chinese people. After the next convocation of party members and loud speeches about the ruthless destruction of enemies, the massacre of a number of leaders followed. At the same time, detachments for the "cultural revolution" were created, formed from students - Red Guards.
Schools and universities are cancelled, mass persecution of teachers, intellectuals, members of the Communist Party of China and Komsomol begins. In the name of the "cultural revolution" killings without trial, raids, searches are carried out.
Mao's foreign policy towards the USSR is also changing, all ties are broken, tension is growing on the border. China and the USSR mutually deport specialists from their countries. In 1969, at a regular meetingMao's government makes a statement unheard of in communist countries - proclaims Defense Minister Lin Biao as his successor.
The ranks of the Chinese Communist Party have thinned greatly during the repression and persecution of the "cultural revolution". Removed and hated Zedong Liu Shaoqi.
The end of the "cultural revolution"
By 1972, the Chinese people were tired of the ongoing atrocities and repression. The process of restoring the Komsomol, trade unions and other organizations begins. Some party members have been rehabilitated. Mao Zedong turns his eyes towards the United States and, in an attempt to improve relations with them, receives President Nixon.
In 1975, after a 10-year break, the Parliament begins its work and a new Constitution of the People's Republic of China is adopted. But the life of the people did not improve, the economy was in deep decline, this causes massive unrest and strikes.
In 1976, there were speeches condemning Mao's wife and other participants in the "cultural revolution". The ruler responds to this with a new wave of repression. But in the same autumn, he dies, thus stopping the repression and the "cultural revolution".
Results of the Board
Having outlined here a brief biography of Mao Zedong, one can understand the only motive that moved him - the desire for power and holding it at any cost.
According to conservative estimates, the "Great Leap Forward" claimed the lives of more than 50 million Chinese, and the "cultural revolution" - about 20 million. However, surveys of ordinary Chinese citizens conducted in the 21st century say that the people appreciate his position as the first communist,giving less weight to the consequences of abusive rule.
The leader has often said that he likes to be in constant struggle for a brighter future. But was it a fight? Or is it about a black cat in a dark room? One thing is clear, due to his tyranny, he has delayed the development of China for several decades.
