Zedong Mao(1893-1976)
- Art Director
Tse-tung Mao, along with Yat-sen Sun and
Kai-Shek Chiang, was one of the most
important figures to modern Chinese history. Born to a peasant
family--his father was a farmer--in Shaoshan, China, on December 26,
1893, Mao was raised in the grinding poverty of rural Hunan province,
where he developed a hatred of the Imperial Chinese government while
still a boy. In 1911 Mao left school to join the revolution against
Manchu rule. In the years that followed, Mao grew increasingly more
radical, and in 1921 became one of the founding members of the Chinese
Communist Party. When a power struggle between the Communists and
Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists erupted into open warfare in 1927, Mao
proclaimed "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun" and
eagerly joined the fight. Badly outnumbered by Chaing's army, the
Communists were slowly driven out of eastern China and, on the brink of
defeat, Mao led a retreat to the mountains of the northwest in 1934, a
6,000-mile trek that became known as "The Long March". Mao emerged as
one of the top field commanders and became the chairman of the Chinese
People's Communist Party.
After forming a new headquarters at Yenan, Mao remodeled the shattered
Red Army into a powerful guerrilla force. By 1937 they were fighting
the invading Japanese army from their bases in Manchuria. Striking a
truce with the Nationalists, the Communists formed an uneasy alliance
with Chaing's army to fight the invading Japanese. After the defeat of
Japan in World War II in 1945, Mao's forces soon renewed their struggle
against the Nationalists for control of China. By striking where Chiang
was weak and cultivating the support of the rural peasants, the
Communists were able to negate the Nationalist army's overwhelming
superiority in men and materials, and by late 1948 the tide had turned
against Chiang. In January 1949 Peking fell to the Red Army, forcing
Chaing to flee into exile in Taiwan. In October, 1949 Canton, the last
Nationalist stronghold, surrendered and on December 7, 1949, the last
Nationalists fled to Taiwan, leaving Mao as the undisputed leader of
the newly formed People's Republic of China.
Mao established control on China with a "rule of law" similar to the
one in the Soviet Union and began to rebuild the war-torn country. A
cunning, intelligent and frequently ruthless leader, Mao slowly helped
China grow to become a world power. Relations with the US remained
cold, and Mao sent Chinese "volunteers"--who were actually regular
troops of the Chinese army--to fight with his Communist allies in North
Korea in the early 1950s when they were on the verge of defeat after
having initially invaded South Korea. Relations remained cold after
China tested its first nuclear weapon in the late 1950s. Mao's
so-called "five-year plans" to rebuild the farming and industrial
economy cost the lives of millions of peasants and political opponents
who spoke out against his policies. As relations with the Soviet Union
deteriorated in the late 1960s, relations with the US slowly improved
and in 1972 the US and China officially established diplomatic
relations, with the US officially recognizing the People's Republic of
China.
As he got older, Mao's legendary large appetite resulted in his being
grossly overweight by age 60, and his being a heavy smoker also
contributed to his growing health problems, but he still remained in
firm control of his country. Mao died in 1976 at age 82.
Kai-Shek Chiang, was one of the most
important figures to modern Chinese history. Born to a peasant
family--his father was a farmer--in Shaoshan, China, on December 26,
1893, Mao was raised in the grinding poverty of rural Hunan province,
where he developed a hatred of the Imperial Chinese government while
still a boy. In 1911 Mao left school to join the revolution against
Manchu rule. In the years that followed, Mao grew increasingly more
radical, and in 1921 became one of the founding members of the Chinese
Communist Party. When a power struggle between the Communists and
Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists erupted into open warfare in 1927, Mao
proclaimed "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun" and
eagerly joined the fight. Badly outnumbered by Chaing's army, the
Communists were slowly driven out of eastern China and, on the brink of
defeat, Mao led a retreat to the mountains of the northwest in 1934, a
6,000-mile trek that became known as "The Long March". Mao emerged as
one of the top field commanders and became the chairman of the Chinese
People's Communist Party.
After forming a new headquarters at Yenan, Mao remodeled the shattered
Red Army into a powerful guerrilla force. By 1937 they were fighting
the invading Japanese army from their bases in Manchuria. Striking a
truce with the Nationalists, the Communists formed an uneasy alliance
with Chaing's army to fight the invading Japanese. After the defeat of
Japan in World War II in 1945, Mao's forces soon renewed their struggle
against the Nationalists for control of China. By striking where Chiang
was weak and cultivating the support of the rural peasants, the
Communists were able to negate the Nationalist army's overwhelming
superiority in men and materials, and by late 1948 the tide had turned
against Chiang. In January 1949 Peking fell to the Red Army, forcing
Chaing to flee into exile in Taiwan. In October, 1949 Canton, the last
Nationalist stronghold, surrendered and on December 7, 1949, the last
Nationalists fled to Taiwan, leaving Mao as the undisputed leader of
the newly formed People's Republic of China.
Mao established control on China with a "rule of law" similar to the
one in the Soviet Union and began to rebuild the war-torn country. A
cunning, intelligent and frequently ruthless leader, Mao slowly helped
China grow to become a world power. Relations with the US remained
cold, and Mao sent Chinese "volunteers"--who were actually regular
troops of the Chinese army--to fight with his Communist allies in North
Korea in the early 1950s when they were on the verge of defeat after
having initially invaded South Korea. Relations remained cold after
China tested its first nuclear weapon in the late 1950s. Mao's
so-called "five-year plans" to rebuild the farming and industrial
economy cost the lives of millions of peasants and political opponents
who spoke out against his policies. As relations with the Soviet Union
deteriorated in the late 1960s, relations with the US slowly improved
and in 1972 the US and China officially established diplomatic
relations, with the US officially recognizing the People's Republic of
China.
As he got older, Mao's legendary large appetite resulted in his being
grossly overweight by age 60, and his being a heavy smoker also
contributed to his growing health problems, but he still remained in
firm control of his country. Mao died in 1976 at age 82.