APUSH+Mao+Zedong

[|Mao Zedong] (1893- 1976) was the founder of the People's Republic of China and a stauch Communist leader. Born into a peasant family, Mao helped found the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1921. The CCP was often at odds with the rival Kuomintang (KMT), a nationalist party that attempted to purge Communism from China several times. On October 1, 1949, the two parties began a civi war. The CCP emerged victorious, with Mao as their leader. The party founded the People's Republic of China and forced the leader of the opposition, Chiang Kai-shek, to Taiwan.

Mao's major efforts during his rule was to reshape Chinese socitey in his image. Much of the work force came under state rule. Any rebellions were quickly and concisley overruled. In 1958, Mao inaugurated the [|"Great Leap Forward",]his concept for propelling China forward. It was a disaster. A drop in agricultural production and poor harvests combined in a horrible famine. It is estimated that a total of 45 million perished over a period of four years. Accounts of cannabalism, beatings, and forced burial have been stated. The "Great Leap Forward" helped reduce Mao's credibility and damanged his national standing.

Mao next instated a "Cultural Revolution" in 1966. This was an effort to purge China of things that were "impure", or contrary to Mao's hard-line account of Communism. Many historically significant objects were destroyed, and more than a million were killed. Mao asserted his control by sending the army into major cities in 1967.

In 1972, Mao met with U.S. President Richard Nixon. This helped create routes of trade and communication between the Western world and the largely cloistered Chinese nation. These trade routes evolved into the healthy trade of imports and exports that the United States and China engage in today.

If you're really interested in the "Great Leap Forward", I recommend the book [|"Tombstone" by Yang Jisheng]. I have not read it myself, but I understand that it's a very concise and interesting account of the famine.

Also, one of my cats is named Mao Zedong.