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Mao Zedong Facts

Mao Zedong Facts
Mao Zedong was the Chinese Communist dictator that founded the People's Republic of China in 1949. He is most famous for uniting China, and for being responsible for millions of lives lost during his reign. Mao Zedong was born on December 26th, 1893, in Shaoshan, Hunan Province of China, to Mao Yichang, a wealthy farmer, and Wen Qimei, a Buddhist. Mao Zedong's father was known to beat him and his siblings. At 14 he was married to an older teenage girl in a marriage he never accepted. In 1911 he joined the Revolutionary Army and the Nationalist Party. In 1921 he joined the Chinese Communist Party. His political aspirations began to grow and in 1949 he became the founding father of the People's Republic of China.
Interesting Mao Zedong Facts:
Mao Zedong's father arranged his marriage to a 17 year old girl at the age of only 14 in order to unite the two families. Mao never accepted the marriage and his wife Luo Yigu died in 1910.
Mao Zedong initially supported the National Party Kuomintang, which was led by Sun Yat-sen.
In 1918 Mao Zedong became a certified teacher.
Unable to find work as a teacher Mao Zedong moved to Beijing and worked as a librarian assistant at the university.
In 1921 Mao Zedong joined the Chinese Communist Party.
For a few years the National Party and the Communist Party worked in cooperation, and Mao Zedong rose in the political ranks in the Communist Party.
When the leader of the National Party - the Chinese President Sun Yat-sen died in 1925, the new leader was not in favor of the Communist Party's ideas and tried to eradicate them.
The Chinese Civil War began and it continued until after World War II when Mao Zedong's Communist forces defeated the Kuomintang National Party.
Mao Zedong founded the People's Republic of China in 1949, making him the absolute leader of China.
Those who disagreed with Mao Zedong were executed. He was considered to be a brutal leader.
Mao Zedong set up many labor camps in China, where millions were sent, and many died.
Mao Zedong announced a plan in 1958 to industrialize his country. He named it the Great Leap Forward, and instead of making China great, it backfired.
Because of Mao Zedong's industrialization plan for China, approximately 40 million people died of starvation. The famine destroyed Mao's reputation and he lost his absolute power.
In 1966 Mao Zedong made a comeback with his Cultural Revolution. His Red Guard helped him take over China once again.
The Cultural Revolution resulted once again in executions and labor camps for those who dared disagree with Mao Zedong.
Mao Zedong died of Parkinson's disease on September 9th, 1976, at the age of 82. He had suffered a few heart attacks in the year leading up to his death as well.
Mao Zedong married four times in his life and had a total of ten children.
Some give Mao Zedong credit for China's growth that continues even today, while others believe his time as leader resulted in stagnation in the country.


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