Mao Zedong's Role In Chinese History

Mao Zedong is revered by many as the ‘founding father of modern China’, with his legacy being not only physically but metaphorically embalmed. However, many, particularly in the West, question this reverence in so far as he halted economic and political progress in China via tumultuous campaigns such as the Great Leap Forward. In order to consider if Mao's importance in Chinese history has been exaggerated, his significance needs to be assessed. Looking at Mao's the impact of his policies at the time, and considering whether they are still reminiscent in Chinese society today could measure the extent of his significance. The best way to measure his significance is to analyse Mao's role politically and economically in Chinese society. In the …show more content…
This had greater effects on the lives of the Chinese, as the Great Famine- a consequence of too much focus on industry, bad weather, and Mao's constant need for affirmation in his policies (many told Mao that it was their 'greatest harvest' leading people to eat more food) - killed over 20 million people. This affected the Chinese’s living standards, most notably in rural areas where some turned to cannibalism to survive. A combination of the intensive five-year plans saw a decrease in workers' conditions: many were so overworked that they fell asleep in factories. The militia in this campaign also committed armed robbery, rape, and murder in some provinces of China. Although some may argue the famine was partly caused by a natural disaster and the false claims by agronomists, the widespread chaos was mostly a result of Mao's ill-informed and naive policies which highlights that his impact is exaggerated- he stalled industrial and agricultural growth whilst the impacts infringed on his people's social liberties and living