mao zhedong

Throughout Chinese history, many individuals changed China’s culture, or way of life. These individuals made significant impacts, positive and negative, on the Chinese people. One of these individuals was Mao Zedong, leader of the Communist Party. The beliefs and achievements of Mao Zedong portrayed him as both a hero and a villain. He influenced Chinese society dramatically. When Mao Zedong faced the Nationalists with his new ideas of communism, he was a hero to the peasants during the 1930s. Mao won the support of the majority by promising the peasants land from warlords and economic equality. When Mao pledged to give social equality, peasants were fond of the idea because they were poor .Under Mao’s leadership, China was transformed from its medieval backwardness into a modern nation with great power. Many thought Mao freed China and opened trade to the west which caused economic wealth. In 1950, he created the Agrarian Reform Law which seized land from landlords and distributed it among the peasants. Another achievement was Mao’s five-year plan in 1953, he wanted to industrialize, or become modern by building factories, and increased the production of coal, cement, steel, and electricity significantly. Mao also provided resources to rural areas which expanded the educational system. He also gave women equality in society and deduced Soviet-style bureaucracy. Mao was a hero to all peasants across China during his first years in office. Although Mao was a hero in many ways and changed China positively, his success soon became the exact opposite. There were also many negative effects of his beliefs and achievements. To increase the success of his previous plans and achievements, Mao launched the Great Leap Forward in 1958. Ironically, it was a giant step backwards. The plan was originally to modernize agriculture with communes, or large collective farms. These communes housed over 25,000 people; those people were expected to work hard together when only the state profited. The peasants had no motivation and the plan ended in 1961 when famine killed about 20 – 30 million people. China was on the edge of collapse because of the poor planning of Mao. He was forced to step down from chairmen of the Communist Party. This failure led to the Cultural Revolution shortly after in 1966. Mao believed in social equality and sought to rid China of western influences with communism. He believed the younger generation should rebel and revolt. Millions of college and high school students responded and formed units called Red Guards. The Red Guards caused destruction and chaos. They forced people to follow Mao’s teaching and closed down schools. They forbade any western art, music, literature and culture. People were sent to the rural areas to be taught by peasants, while others were imprisoned and executed. The whole revolution was a gigantic catastrophe. Mao intended the effects of his plans of communism to be positive, but in the end his beliefs failed and ended negatively. The Cultural Revolution ended in 1976, with over 40 million peoples lives’ lost. Mao Zedong played a major role in shaping Chinese history. He believed under communism, China would become modernized and economically advanced. At first this led to success in his five-year plan. He achieved industry increase and positive outcomes. After he launched the Great Leap Forward, everything went downhill. Widespread famine was a result as well as economic ruin. Furthermore Mao instigated the Cultural Revolution which left China in ruins. Today, communism still exists and Mao is known throughout China as both a hero and a villain.