Maoism

Maoism is a form of communism based on the teachings of the Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Mao led the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to victory in the Chinese Civil War, and he ruled China from 1949 until his death in 1976.

Maoism is a version of Marxism–Leninism that Mao adapted to fit the conditions of China, which was a mostly farming country at the time. Mao believed that peasants (farmers), not just workers in factories, could lead a communist revolution to change society.

Statue of Mao Zedong in Lijiang

Overview

Maoism is based on the ideas of Mao Zedong. Like Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, Mao believed in a society where there is no class difference and where the means of production are shared by everyone.

In traditional Marxism, it is the urban working class (called the proletariat) who lead the revolution. But in China, most people were peasants working on farms. Mao believed that the peasants could be the main force of the revolution.

Mao also wanted China to become industrialized. He led campaigns like the Great Leap Forward (1958–1962) to try to quickly change China from a farming society into an industrial one. However, the Great Leap Forward failed and led to a severe famine where millions of people died due to lack of food.

Cultural Revolution

In 1966, Mao started the Cultural Revolution to reassert his control over the CCP and to remove what he considered "capitalist" or "traditional" elements from Chinese society. He encouraged young people to join the Red Guards, who attacked and publicly humiliated people they saw as enemies of the revolution.

The Cultural Revolution caused chaos in China. Schools and universities were closed, historical and cultural sites were destroyed, and many people were persecuted or killed. It lasted until Mao's death in 1976.

After Mao's Death

After Mao died, leaders like Deng Xiaoping changed many of his policies. They moved China towards a "socialist market economy" by introducing economic reforms that allowed private businesses and foreign investment. While the CCP still controls the government, China's economy today includes both state-owned and private companies.

Influence

Maoism has influenced communist movements in other countries, especially in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Some groups have tried to use Mao's ideas of "people's war" and peasant-led revolution. Examples include movements in Nepal, India, and Peru.

Related pages

• Chinese Civil War
• Communism
• Karl Marx
• Vladimir Lenin
• History of the People's Republic of China

Other websites

• Guiding Thought of Revolution: The Heart of Maoism – International project
• Marx2Mao.org – Mao Internet Library
• The Encyclopedia of Marxism – Mao Zedong Thought
• The Encyclopedia of Marxism – Mao's life
• Monthly Review January 2005 Archived 2011-03-17 at the Wayback Machine Text of the leaflets distributed by the Zhengzhou Four.
• World Revolution Media Archived 2015-10-16 at the Wayback Machine Maoist revolutionary film, music, and art archive
• Batchelor, J. Maoism and Classical Marxism Archived 2018-09-02 at the Wayback Machine, Clio History Journal, 2009.