On December 26, 1893, the architect of China’s Communist revolution and the founding member of the Chinese Communist Party(CCP), Chairman Mao Zedong(毛泽东) was born. Although many of his socialist reforms resulted in failure and caused much devastation for the people of China, his legacy as a nationalist leader and the creator of an independent China still inspires post-Mao generations. Born from a peasant family, Chairman Mao understood what it was like to be in the “98 percent”. This allowed him to make a majority of the population feel connected with him as he once understood their struggles. Mao Zedong left a lasting legacy behind him as he died in the summer of 1976. Although millions of people died under his rule, many Chinese nationalists
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Even after his death, many people in China have come to acknowledge, respect and honor the contribution and sacrifice of Mao. To this day, Mao’s picture can be seen everywhere, most notably on the entrance on the Forbidden City (Appendix: fig 4). Against all odds, he united China for the first time after one hundred years of chaos and humiliation and built the foundation for a modern China fighting off the two antagonizing giants of the USSR and USA during the Cold War. He put an end to China’s “century of humiliation” and because of him, many Chinese people have stood up in the world. However, many of his opponents look at him as a demon and a creature that only destroys lives, dreams, and hope and brought the country to the brink of collapse. In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party’s official evaluations of Chairman Mao have become more and more positive. Under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, in a party resolution adopted in June 1981, Mao was considered “a great Marxist as well as a great proletarian revolutionary, strategist, and theorist.” Although he made serious mistakes during the Cultural Revolution, the party decided that his contributions to the Chinese revolution greatly outweighed his harms. However, even after 120 years from Mao’s birth, China still debates Mao’s true
Even after his death, many people in China have come to acknowledge, respect and honor the contribution and sacrifice of Mao. To this day, Mao’s picture can be seen everywhere, most notably on the entrance on the Forbidden City (Appendix: fig 4). Against all odds, he united China for the first time after one hundred years of chaos and humiliation and built the foundation for a modern China fighting off the two antagonizing giants of the USSR and USA during the Cold War. He put an end to China’s “century of humiliation” and because of him, many Chinese people have stood up in the world. However, many of his opponents look at him as a demon and a creature that only destroys lives, dreams, and hope and brought the country to the brink of collapse. In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party’s official evaluations of Chairman Mao have become more and more positive. Under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, in a party resolution adopted in June 1981, Mao was considered “a great Marxist as well as a great proletarian revolutionary, strategist, and theorist.” Although he made serious mistakes during the Cultural Revolution, the party decided that his contributions to the Chinese revolution greatly outweighed his harms. However, even after 120 years from Mao’s birth, China still debates Mao’s true