Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung)

Mao Zedong (also spelled Mao Tse-tung) was a Chinese revolutionary leader and founding father of the People's Republic of China, established in 1949. He led the Chinese Communist Party and implemented transformative policies aiming to modernize China, such as land reforms and industrialization. Mao’s leadership was marked by ambitious campaigns like the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, which sought to reshape Chinese society but caused widespread hardship and disruption. His legacy is complex, viewed by some as a visionary who united China and improved its status, and by others as responsible for repression, economic difficulties, and social upheaval.