Mao: A Very Short IntroductionAs a giant of 20th century history, Mao Zedong played many roles: peasant revolutionary, patriotic leader against the Japanese occupation, Marxist theoretician, modernizer, and visionary despot. This Very Short Introduction chronicles Mao's journey from peasant child to ruler of the most populous nation on Earth. He was a founder of both the Chinese Communist Party and the Red Army, and for many years he fought on two fronts, for control of the Party and in an armed struggle for the Party's control of the country. His revolution unified China and began its rise to world power status. He was the architect of the Great Leap Forward that he hoped would make China both prosperous and egalitarian, but instead ended in economic disaster resulting in millions of deaths. It was Mao's growing suspicion of his fellow leaders that led him to launch the Cultural Revolution, and his last years were dogged by ill-health and his despairing attempts to find a successor whom he trusted. Delia Davin provides an invaluable introduction to Mao, showing him in all his complexity; ruthless, brutal, and ambitious, a man of enormous talent and perception, yet a leader who is still detested by some and venerated by others. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. |
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Contents
Organizing revolution | |
First years of the Peoples Republic | |
The Great Leap Forward and its aftershocks | |
its right to rebel | |
Decline and death | |
the posthumous | |
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Common terms and phrases
accused agriculture attack base areas became began Beijing Biao’s cadres campaign CCP’s Central Committee Chairman Changsha Chen Boda Chiang Kaishek China Chinese Communist colleagues Comintern Communist Party comrades condemned Congress criticism cult Cultural Revolution David King Collection Deng Xiaoping Despite economic Edgar Snow forces Guangzhou guerrilla Guomindang Hunan Hundred Flowers ideas industrial intellectuals Japanese Jiang Qing Jiangxi Kaihui Kang Khrushchev labour later Leap Forward Lin Biao Lin’s Liu Shaoqi lived Long March Lushan Mao Zedong Thought Mao’s Mao’s death Mao’s Road Marxist military modern Moscow Nationalist official organizations Party’s peasants Peng Dehuai People’s Republic plenum Politburo political provinces Qing’s radicals Red Guards reform revolutionary Schram secret speech sent Shanghai Short Introduction Sino-Soviet social socialist Soviet Union Stalin struggle SW vol took United Front veteran Wang Hongwen wife Wuhan Yan’an Yang Kaihui young Zhang Chunqiao Zhou Enlai Zizhen
Bibliographic information
| Title | Mao: A Very Short Introduction Very Short Introductions |
| Author | Delia Davin |
| Publisher | OUP Oxford, 2013 |
| ISBN | 0191654035, 9780191654039 |
| Length | 144 pages |
| Subjects | › › Biography & Autobiography / Historical History / Asia / General History / Social History Political Science / General Political Science / Political Process / Leadership |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |