Mao Tse-Tung Killer File

Mao Zedong (or Tse-Tung)

Translates to ‘To shine on the East’

The Great Leap Forward caused up to 45 million people to die of starvation

During the Cultural Revolution tens of thousands were killed.

The increased influence of Western powers during the 19^th century during expansionary incursions by the Russians and Japanese weakened the imperial system in China that had been developing since 221 BC.

Discontent army units begin the republican revolution.  It begins in Wuchang in the Hubei Province on October 10, 1911.  24 provinces declare independence by November 15.  The last Manchu emperor, the child Puyi, abdicates on February 12, 1912.  Yuan Shikai, commander-in-chief of the imperial army, becomes the provisional president.

Mao is born December 26 1893 in the village of Shaoshan, Shunan Province

He has 2 brothers, and 1 sister

Mao enters an arranged marriage with a 18-year old cousin, named Luo, when he is 14.  He never lives with her and she dies in 1910.  He enters a higher primary school at age 16, and his political consciousness begins to develop.

      

 Mao becomes a Marxist-Leninist when he is working as a library assistant and the ‘May Fourth Movement’, a movement against a clause in the ‘Treaty of Versailles’, inspires him.

In 1928, the Japanese sent troops to China to stop attempts by the Guomindang to unify the country.

In 1931, Mao is elected chairman of the republic, and he introduces land reforms to help spread the communist’s influence.  Later that year, Mao is stripped of his post. 

In 1934, when the Red Army and CCP are forced to retreat, this is the ‘Long March’.  After the 7,000 km march through 11 provinces, 18 mountain ranges and 24 rivers, Mao emerges as a hero and is now has un- challenged command of the CCP. 

In 1949 Mao’s communists take Beijing, and will control the country by the end of the year.  On October 1, 1949 Mao declares a People’s Republic of China. 

 

In 1950, Mao agrees to a plan with the leader of North Korea.  This starts the Korean War on June 25.  It lasts for 3 years, and costs approx.  3 million lives. 

In 1958, Mao launches the Great Leap Forward.  Everyone must work in factories and mines and on public works projects in order to gain firsthand experience of manual labour.

It soon becomes noticed that the Great Leap Forward is a failure, and brings shortages of food and raw materials.    

After the fallout of the Great Leap Forward, Mao resigns in 1959.  State President Liu Shaoqi and Party General Secretary Deng Xiaoping take over and begin to restore the economy.

In 1965, Mao purges the party.  It is called the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.  One of the people stripped is Deng Xiaoping.

Students becomes organised into the ‘Red Guards’ to publicly criticise those in the party who are considered by Mao as “ ‘Left’ in form but ‘Right’ in essence”. 

In 1968, the militant phase of the Cultural Revolution stats to end in the middle of the year.  Many of the leaders of the Red Guard are arrested. 

In 1971, The CCP government receives international recognition when it takes the China seat at the UN.

Mao died of a heart attack on September 9^th, 1976. 

Critic

Rating

(A) 4
(B) 2

(C) 0

This site has a lot of information.  It is in chronological order, and is very easy to understand. Some of it is not about Mao, however it is relevant to Mao's time period.  The site has information about after Mao's death, and what had been happening in China up to present day with the events relevant to Mao. This site contains one picture of Mao, but it does contain links to other websites.  However this site does not have where the author gathered the information from.  At some points there also appears to be a bias.  The author already places Mao Tse-Tung under 'The Killer File', indicating how the author feels.   

Moreorless: Heroes & Killers of the 20th Century. Mao Tse-Tung. 13 September 2010. 28 November 2010 <http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/mao.html>.

PeaceMakers and Breakers

Mao Zedong

China was falling apart when Mao Zedong was born.

Mao was born during the Qin dynasty, and it was about to collapse due to social and economical unrest.

This allowed Mao to become its leader, and some called him a leader, others called him a dictator and murderer.

Mao unified China.  He created the Republic of China, and was the leader of the greatest social revolution in history.  He took land and property, destroyed the landlord class, weakened the middle class and raised the peasants and industrial workers.

Mao’s belief was that peasants and workers could organize and rule.  Civil war between the Communists and Nationalists lasted for over 20 years.  Communists won finally in 1949.  Mao forced millions to work on government farms and factories, and if they didn’t he sent them to jail. 

The Great Leap Forward was to rapidly grow the industry and agriculture sectors.  Mao wanted to get rid of the last privately held property.  The programme failed, causing famine and food shortages.  Millions died because of this.  There was bad weather, and natural disasters, but it was overall Mao’s and the Communist’s Party fault.  He lost a lot of power.  There was the Cultural Revolution in 1966, Mao influenced the army and students to revolt and unseat his enemies.  He needed the chaos to gain control, and many people suffered and died.  Mao received a visit from the U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1972, to separate ties to the USSR. 

Mao Zedong died in 1976, and his revolutionary potential of the peasantry are still an influence today.     

Critic

Ratings

(A) 3

(B) 1

(C) 3

This site displays information well with one picture of Mao.  This site has all of its sources cited, except tbe date it was published.

Michael. Peace Makers and Brakers: Mao Zedong. 28 February 2010 <http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312702/maozedong.htm>.

Spartacus Educational

Mao Zedong

Son of a peasant farmer.

Born in Chaochan, China in 1893

He became a Marxist when he was working as a library assistant in Peking University.

He served in the revolutionary army during the 1911 Chinese Revolution.

Mao was an early member of the Chinese Communist Party, along with Zhou ENlai, Zhu De, and Lin Bia

Mao, Zhu De, and Zhou Enlai adapted Lenin’s ideas.  Lenin was a revolutionary in Russia.

Mao worked as a political organizer for the Kuomintang.  The Kuomintang leader died in 1925, March 12.  Chiang Kai-Shek became the leader and started to eliminate the communists in the party.

When nationalist imposed a blockade, on October 1934, Mao Lin Biao, Zhu De and 100, 000 men marched west.

They covered 50 miles a day, and reached Shensi on October 20, 1935.  Approx. 30, 000 survived.  It was a 8,000 mile march.

In 1937, the Japanese invaded China and Chiang Kai-Shek collaborated with Mao Zedong and the communist army.

Zhu De and Lin Biao led Mao’s guerrilla forces in the Second World War.  After the Japanese surrendered, the communists overtook the Nationalist.  They gained control on October 1, 1949.   This became the People’s Republic of China.

The Great Leap Forward, in 1958 was Mao’s way to increase agricultural and industrial production.  It included collective farms and factories.  But the 3 year floods and bad harvest damaged the levels of production.  Mao disbanded the programme in 1962, and went back to a more traditional form of economic production.

The failure caused Mao to retire from chairman, Liu Shaoqi took over.  Mao still remained important in determining overall policy.  Mao was critical of the Soviet Union’s policies in early 1960s. 

  

Lin Biao initiated Cultural Revolution.  In 1966, he told students to criticize party officials who had been influenced by Nikita Khruschev.  Mao became concerned and ordered his Red Guards to attack revisionists in the party. 

Mao Zedong died in Beijing on 9^th September, 1976.

Critic

Rating

(A) 4

(B) 3

(C) 3

This website contains a lot of dates, and places and is a good source for historical information on Mao Zedong.  It also contains multiple paragraphs taken from books, diaries, or other documents that are said to be written during his time or even by Mao himself.  However it does not include pictures of Mao or citations of its information, making it difficult to use as a resource.

 

Simkin, John. Spartacus Educational. 28 November 2010 <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/COLDmao.htm>.

 

Marxist Internet Archive

Mao Zeodong

Born 1893

Died 1976

He was the son of a peasant farmer.

 Born in the village of Shao Shan, Huan province

When he was 27, he attended the First Congress of the Chinese Communist Party

Two years later, he was elected to the Central Committee.

1931-1934, he helped establish the Chinese Soviet Republic in SE China.

In 1934, the Japanese attacked the Chinese; the Chinese Communist Party joined with the national forces, and defeated the Japanese.  After they started a civil war and took over, establishing the People’s Republic of China.  (October 1949)

Mao initiated the Cultural Revolution, and he served as chairmen until he died in 1976.

Critic

Ratings

(A)  1

(B)  4

(C)  1

This site has a very brief bibliography, and mainly contains documents.  The documents are Mao’s works, quotations from Mao and there are also pictures.  However, there are no citations on any of the documents,  pictures, or for the bibliography.  The documents have been translated into English already, and the originals are not on the website.  The website it’s self also has very little information to be cited.

 

Marxist Internet Archive. Mao Zedong. 28 November 2010 
<  http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/ >

History 20 Critic Rubric