Leader Analysis Sheet
Name of Leader: Mao Zedong
Lifespan: 1893-1976
Title: Communist
Country/region: China
Years in Power: 1934-1976
Political, Social, & Economic Conditions Prior to Leaders Gaining Power
 This reform program included the establishment of large agricultural communes containing
as many as 75,000 people.
 The communes ran their own collective farms and factories.
 Each family received a share of the profits and also had a small private plot of land.
 However, three years of floods and bad harvests severely damaged levels of production.
 The scheme was also hurt by the decision of the Soviet Union to withdraw its large number
of technical experts working in the country.
 In 1962 Mao's reform program came to an end and the country resorted to a more
traditional form of economic production.
Ideology, Motivation, Goals:
 He became a Marxist while working as a library assistant at Peking University and served in
the revolutionary army during the 1911 Chinese Revolution.
 In the early 1960s Mao became highly critical of the foreign policy of the Soviet Union.
 He admired the work of Marxist nationalist organization
 He also counted on himself and was independent because his father had abandoned him.
Significant Actions & events During Term of Power
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From 1928 until 1931 Mao, with Zhu De and others, established rural soviets in the
hinterlands, and built the Red Army.
In 1931 he was elected chairman of the newly established Soviet Republic of China, based
in Jiangxi province.
After withstanding five campaigns he launched by Chiang Kai-shek, Mao led (1934–35) the
Red Army on the long march from Jiangxi north to Yan'an in Shaanxi province, emerging as
the most important Communist leader.
During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–45) the Communists and they continued their
civil war while both were battling the Japanese invaders.
Mao accused Soviet leaders of betraying Marxism and in but he retained his chairmanship
of the Communist party politburo.
Short-Term effects:
 From 1950 on Mao introduced land
reforms and the first Five Year Plan
started in 1953.
 Peasant co-operatives were set up and in
1958; the Great Leap Forward was
introduced, as were the first land
communes.
Long-Term Effects
 Though he used the term "Five Year
Plan", Mao did not accept the theory
that all ideas had to start with Russia
and China would have to follow.
 Mao remained very independent of
Russia and publicly criticized the rule of
Khrushchev when he became leader of
Russia.