Mao Zedong, born on December 26, 1893, in Shaoshan, Hunan Province, China.¹⁾

was a Chinese Communist revolutionary and the founding father of the People's Republic of China.²⁾

He was the son of a wealthy farmer and grew up in a rural peasant household.³⁾

Mao's early education was sporadic, but he eventually attended a teacher training college.⁴⁾

He later worked as a librarian at Peking University, where he was introduced to Marxist ideas.⁵⁾

Mao was a founding member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), established in 1921.⁶⁾

He became the chairman of the CCP in 1935 and remained in power until his death in 1976.⁷⁾

Mao led the Long March, a strategic military retreat undertaken by the CCP in 1934-1935 to evade the Kuomintang forces.⁸⁾

Mao's leadership during the Long March solidified his position within the CCP and earned him widespread support among party members.⁹⁾

In 1949, Mao proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China, becoming its first chairman.¹⁰⁾

Under Mao's rule, China underwent significant social, economic, and political transformations.¹¹⁾

Mao implemented land reforms and redistributed land to peasants, aiming to eliminate feudalistic practices and empower the rural population.¹²⁾

He launched various campaigns, such as the Great Leap Forward (1958-1962), aimed at rapidly transforming China into an industrialized socialist society.¹³⁾

The Great Leap Forward resulted in economic mismanagement and famine, causing millions of deaths due to starvation.¹⁴⁾

Mao's cult of personality reached its peak during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), a socio-political movement aimed at purging perceived capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society.¹⁵⁾

The Cultural Revolution led to widespread chaos, political persecution, and the destruction of cultural heritage.¹⁶⁾

Mao's Little Red Book, officially titled “Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong,” became a symbol of his ideology and was widely distributed during the Cultural Revolution.¹⁷⁾

Despite his authoritarian rule, Mao was also revered as a symbol of Chinese nationalism and anti-imperialism.¹⁸⁾

Mao's health declined in his later years, but he remained a powerful figure within the CCP.¹⁹⁾

Mao's wife, Jiang Qing, played a prominent role in Chinese politics during the Cultural Revolution and was a key figure in promoting Mao's ideology.²⁰⁾

Mao's relationship with the Soviet Union was complex, marked by periods of cooperation and ideological rivalry.²¹⁾

He advocated for self-reliance and emphasized the importance of maintaining China's independence from foreign powers.²²⁾

Mao's policies led to the formation of communes, large-scale collective farming units intended to increase agricultural productivity.²³⁾

Despite initial enthusiasm, the commune system faced numerous challenges and ultimately proved unsustainable.²⁴⁾

Mao's leadership style was characterized by a blend of populism, nationalism, and authoritarianism.²⁵⁾

He emphasized the importance of mass mobilization and grassroots participation in political movements.²⁶⁾

Mao's writings and speeches, often characterized by revolutionary rhetoric, were widely disseminated and studied by party members.²⁷⁾

Mao's vision of communism differed from that of the Soviet Union, emphasizing the importance of rural revolution and the role of the peasantry.²⁸⁾

He promoted the concept of “continuous revolution” and viewed class struggle as a driving force for social change.²⁹⁾

Mao's policies had a profound impact on Chinese society, influencing everything from education and culture to family structure and gender roles.³⁰⁾