Mao Zedong's Long March

Leading up to the 20th century, China had been ruled by dynasties. A history of power passed down in families determined by the mandate of heaven; an empire run by the wisdoms of heavenly ancestors. In 1949, Mao Zedong, previously known as a poor peasant, rose to power; bringing with him a new regime of different values and goals. In an attempt to gain a following, Mao Zedong organized the Long March. From 1934-36, Mao Zedong led his communist followers on a journey as Chiang Kai-Shek, the founder of the National Party, and his army pursued them. Chiang ultimately was unable to find and defeat his enemy. He eventually had to divert his attention to the Japanese who were invading China. Mao came away from the March as a hero for the people and …show more content…
Ultimately Mao triumphed and a new China was born. Essentially, the People’s Republic of China or the PRC’s early political development was broken up into two phases: the Soviet model and the Great Leap Forward. The Soviet model, strongly reinforced by Mao and funded by the Soviet Union was aimed to achieve land reform, civil reform and to implement socialism. This eventually led to the Great Leap forward, which veered away from the Soviets and focused on the peasants of China and the Chinese economy. This phase was based on four principles: all-around development, mass mobilization, political unanimity and zeal, and lastly decentralization. This occasion was meant to transform China into a type of dreamland. A land of radical egalitarian society. The communist leader Mao Zedong had a momentous influence on the Chinese society, government and economy. This can be seen through his belief system, the Long March and the Great Leap …show more content…
The journey travelled by Mao and his 80,000 followers was pursued for two years and was actually composed of many marches rather than just the one. Within this timeline, the chairman managed to dodge Chiang Kai Shek and the nationalists and emerge as a hero of the people. The journey itself for the communists was a difficult trek. A combination of dangerous terrain and harsh weather conditions, brought a rather low group morality. Many suffered from illnesses and death and roughly only 4,000 people survived. Although there were many casualties, Mao’s unwavering leadership prevailed. By 1936, the troops trusted the chairman, and had made it alive. In Chiang’s attempt to defeat the communists, he had made Mao seem more charming. Following the march, he triumphed once more against the nationalists during the Chinese Civil War. Ultimately, Mao gained his following and his status from his memorable leadership and Chiang Kai Shek’s mistakes. Soon after the fall of the Nationalist Party, Mao began implementing his own beliefs into the Chinese