Mao Zedong Hero

Mao Zedong was born to a peasant family in Hunan, Southern China on
December 1893. By the age of six, he already started toiling in the farm. Mao lacked adequate education, but he loved to read and had a strong sense of adventure. At the age of fourteen, Mao’s father set him up with a wife, but he did not want this. He was extremely close with his mother than his father. Later on in 1919, he moved to Beijing and found a job as a librarian; there he learned about the Communist revolution and much about Marxism. Mao Zedong can often be described as the champion of the Chinese people because he turned China in to the most powerful country through his many policies. This title can be given to him to a limited extent because although his goals were admirable and sometimes harsh, most of them ended in calamity. Although Mao can be seen as a hero, he can also be portrayed as an oppressor. Mao said that the way to obtain power was through the means of violence. He used atrocious means to crush political opponents. Mao said, “All power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”(Michael Lynch: Page 119) For example, he tolerated no opposition towards the CCP; those who spoke up were labeled
rightists and were sent to camps either being jailed or killed. In addition, Mao urged China’s youth, also know as the Red Guard, to destroy the four olds, which were the old ideas and traditions of China. Some of these old ideas and traditions included the Confucian values, Chinese literature and paintings, and antiquities. The Red Guard was ordered to destroy buildings, universities, temples, foreign books and music and much more; everything was left in ruin. Furthermore, Mao undertook radical programs that set young people against their own parents. Children were specifically told to report bad comments their parents made about the government. A lot more of Mao’s goals were carried out in brutal ways. For example, when he captured four thousand Red Army troops, he did not let them remain alive even if they accepted Mao as leader. Rather, he acted ruthlessly killing and torturing the four thousand troops. In addition, Mao took all his followers on the Long March, escaping from Kai Shek; on this route they were constantly being attacked. They marched through deserts and mountains either dying from starvation or from the frost. Some people were so hungry that they even ate their horses or belts. Moreover, all other political parties, but his, were outlawed and obedience of the nation was demanded. Because of Mao’s actions, China was placed in to a horrible famine. People were extremely desperate for food to feed themselves and there families. Many resorted in to eating the dead bodies that layed around, and many died from hunger. Mao did not accept any responsibility for this famine. Not only was Mao an oppressor, but he also attempted to make a few good changes and try new ideas; most of them ended in disaster.
For example, Mao helped to establish the Jianxi Soviet, dedicated to the peasant revolution. He really attracted the peasants and strived to help them. For instance, most of the peasants received land, and Mao imposed a new political and social structure on China so peasants could have more of a say in society. In addition, Mao entered the Korean War to help the people who lived there. Furthermore, Mao wanted to industrialize China overnight. To achieve this, he created the “Great Leap Forward”, but it all ended in disaster. Also, Mao thought of the five-year plan, but this also resulted in tragedy because countless amounts of people ended up dying of
hunger. In conclusion, Mao Zedong can frequently be portrayed as the liberator of the Chinese people, because he transformed China in to a major world power. This can be said to a limited extent because, even though his goals were somewhat thoughtful and a little bit cruel, most of the time they ended in a disaster. Mao was from a peasant family from Hunan, Southern China and never really had a strong sense of education, but he was always up for an adventure. When he later on moved to Beijing, he found a job as a librarian causing him to learn about the communist revolution; this paved the path for Mao to create China in to the most power fullest country.